“I am deeply saddened (more than words can express) by the passing of Prof. Dame Georgina Mace – a huge figure in the field of conservation biology and an inspiration for many, including myself. I first met her at UCL at around 1998. She was examiner for my MPhil to PhD student transition. I was proposing the use ecological niche models for helping identifying regional conservation priorities. At the time, this was a novel idea and she was unwaveringly supportive: “it makes sense”, she said. Later, we had the opportunity to work together in a paper where we proposed coupling ecological niche models with spatially-explicit demographic models to inform IUCN Red Listing of species under climate change. She was clearly a first class professional but also a wonderful person, hence why she is so much loved by those who were able to work with her. Her premature departure comes as a shock. Not so long ago I was able to congratulate her for her well-deserved winning of the Frontiers of Knowledge Award (above). She will be missed.” Miguel Bastos Araújo