Fairwell to Crawfish

By Emily Kenworthy Public Relations Coordinator UGA Marine Extension & Georgia Sea Grant

For 30 years, John “Crawfish” Crawford has regaled campers and school children on field trips to the UGA Aquarium, guiding them on nature walks through the salt marsh and introducing them to the many creatures that call coastal Georgia home.

His tenure officially ended Dec. 1, when Crawford retired from the University of Georgia. But his legacy will continue through an endowed educator position at UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, funded by a generous estate gift made by longtime supporters.

The John “Crawfish” Crawford Public Service and Outreach Faculty Fellowship will generate incentive for a leading naturalist to fill a faculty educator role at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium and provide the resources to support traditional naturalist practices that maintain an emphasis on exploration, curiosity, field interpretation and personal connection to the world.

A new film by Motion House Media tells the story of Crawford’s impact through interviews with individuals who have been inspired by the larger than life conservationist over the years. Watch it at bit.ly/crawfish_movie.

The endowed funds will also enhance the faculty fellow’s ability to make a difference in the lives of students and help fulfill the university’s public service and outreach mission—as Crawford has.

“Someone who gets the endowed fellowship will need to know who John is, what he cared about, and what he’s like,” says Ruth McMullin, who, with her husband Tom, made the gift. “We want to make sure the way (John) teaches, his enthusiasm, and his methodology remain when he’s no longer here.”

McMullin, who lives on Skidaway Island, has been volunteering at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium for 23 years. She is inspired by Crawford’s curiosity, enthusiasm and ability to mold minds and develop stewards of Georgia’s coastal environments.

“He’s just so special,” McMullin said. “I was really happy to volunteer because I knew I would get to spend more time learning from him.”

“I have learned an awful lot from watching how he interacts with children and adults and how he shares his excitement with other people. You can’t be somebody you admire, but you can copy

On land or on the water, Crawfish is happy to share his knowledge.

them,” she added.

Crawford grew up in Savannah, where he explored the coast’s mud flats and maritime forests, discovering corn snakes, fiddler crabs and other animals that often found their way into his house. At age 15, he had dozens of pet snakes, all of which he kept in his room.

He cultivated his knowledge of coastal resources at Armstrong State College and Florida Keys Community College in the late 1960s and early 1970s. After his time in Florida, he made his way back to the Georgia coast where he continued to make his mark on the conservation and environmental education community.

He joined UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in 1990, where as a marine educator he has spent 30 years sharing his knowledge with K-12 students, teachers, education fellows, coastal residents and conservation professionals.

“He has taught hundreds of professional educators, tens of thousands of students, and changed the landscape of environmental and marine education along the coast,” says Anne Lindsay, associate director of marine education at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. “He knows boats, plants, animals and people and a little about every other natural science or coastal topic you can think of.”

Lindsay, who was mentored by Crawford when she was hired at what was then the UGA Marine Extension Service in the 1990s, explains how he laid the foundation for the education programs that are still offered at the facility today.

“He has helped us expand our reach, establish new collaborations and partnerships, nurture long standing relationships with educators, scientists and citizens,” Lindsay said. “He has cemented the reputation of the Marine Education Center and Aquarium as an institution with a standard of educational quality that we aspire to uphold.”

Learn more about Crawford and the importance of this endowed position in a short film by Motion House Media, a video production company based in Athens, Georgia. The film tells the story of Crawford’s impact through interviews with individuals who have been inspired by the larger than life conservationist over the years. Watch it at bit.ly/crawfish_movie.

Naturalist and educator, John "Crawfish" Crawford. All photos provided by UGA Marine Extension & Georgia Sea Grant It’s been so long that I can’t remember now exactly how Crawfish and I met, but I can make an educated guess. The most likely scenario is that I had a question about some bit of flora or fauna and someone put me in touch with him. That he had an answer for me is an absolute certainty. He’s such a congenial and knowledgeable person that I’ve continued to rely on him ever since.

When I started Southern Tides in 2015, Crawfish was one of the first people I reached out to and he replied promptly with congratulations, introductions and the offer to help in any way he could. He’s someone you want in your corner when publishing on topics related to land or marine animals, coastal plants, the barrier islands and other coastal geography, boats, and even history.

When I later asked if he would be willing to serve as Southern Tides’ official “consulting naturalist,” he readily agreed. In this roll, he’s helped me compile our “Did You Know?” segments, identify species for quizzes to see if readers can guess what creature or plant is in various photos, verified facts prior to publication, and written a few things of his own. On a semi-regular basis, readers will text or email me pictures of something they’ve found or caught, asking me to identify it. The first thing I do is forward it on to Crawfish because I know he can.

I’ve had a number of occasions to spend time with Crawfish and learn from him over the years. When I had friends in from out of town many years ago, he gave us a behind the scenes tour of his lab and took us on a nature walk, where he opened the eyes of my guests to the beauty and complexity of this area.

I’ve been out on boats with him several times, mostly doing research trawls. We’d haul up a bunch of sea creatures and while I knew what some of them were, there were always a few I didn’t, but Crawfish could tell me.

I think he chuckles to himself at times because after asking what something is, my next question is almost always, “Is it edible?” But I never feel silly asking, because he always has an answer and most times can even tell me what it tastes like!

The man is a wealth of knowledge, and what makes him even more special is his willingness, eagerness even, to share it with others. You can’t help but be in awe of nature all around us when you have such a wise and friendly teacher to share it with you.

As I watched the movie about Crawfish, I found myself nodding my head and agreeing with what others said of him. Yes! He is so very enthusiastic when he shares his knowledge! And when he points out something for you to see. “Oh look!” And the way he is with kids of all ages as he makes learning fun and interesting.

Although he’s now retired, he’s agreed to remain on as our naturalist, and we’re lucky to have him. Thank you, Crawfish, for all you’ve taught us and for your friendship. We’re all better for knowing you.