We first met at the Crosby Arboretum, designed by Fay Jones. Ed had worked at Andropogen in Philadelphia, PA at one point, and worked with them on the exquisite development of this balanced, nuanced patch counterpoised between earth, water, and sky. For a time, he lived it.
Here are a few words I wrote in 1994, when he left his position:
“Ed has been more than the architect of Pinecote (the name for the 64-acre Interpretive Center site). He has been its chief interpreter and ambassador, translating natural phenomena to visiting professors and wide-eyed school children. He has been a resident artist, capturing the patterns of light and shadow falling across Mississippi’s humid landscape and in his drawings and works. He has been a physical presence, as strong as a longleaf pine, radiating energy and enthusiasm, committed to one special place as one man can be.”