Leonard Co was renowned as a “human library” of Philippine plants and trees. Unfortunately not many people knew about him before, and even after his death.
One of his legacies is a “digital library” of Philippine flora at Philippineplants.org, which today has over 72,000 photos of Philippine trees and plants. The site features photos of almost half of all plant species in the country (there are 10,000 species in the Philippines).
He also founded the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society or PNPCSI in 2007. He was the organization’s first president, and advocated the use of native plants in forest restoration as well as making plant photographs and data available to the public. PNPCSI continues to accept members and share knowledge on the importance of our forests.
He was killed in a supposed crossfire involving the army and the NPA in the forests of Leyte on November 15, 2010.
Rafflesia leonardi Barcelona & Pelser (2008), a beautiful parasitic plant discovered in Luzon’s Sierra Madre, was named in his honor. The plant is illustrated above with Leonard Co.
Learn more about him, and how the Philippines’ lost one of its most valuable researchers in the movement to conserve our forests in the documentary “Walang hanggang buhay ni Leonard Co.”