h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dear Willem, I've been in touch before but wanted to say hello this weekend. You may remember ( no reason why you should) that I'm the Chairman of h2g2 and one of the original founders along with Douglas and you you have been much in my thoughts this week. I just wanted to say that as I tell people about h2g2 and indeed, when I can, show them what h2g2 is all about, one of the parts of the site of which I am most proud is your work. The exquisite art that you contribute would have amazed Douglas and I know that he and indeed all the folks who set up the site in the first place, could not have imagined a better example of what h2g2 could one day be about than your beautiful "nature" guidance. It is a very very special thing to give to the world. I know that it is from time to time, born out of much pain too but even in those darkest of moments that gift is still there and as somebody who loves to walk ( and indeed swim) in the wild too,I am very moved by your work. So this note is also by way of a thank you. It is the generosity, creativity and talent of people like you that make me so proud to have helped to bring h2g2 into being and so very glad that I am back involved now.

Hello Researcher5 and thank you for that very kind message! If Douglas Adams were still around and had liked my wildlife work I'd have considered it an immense honour.

Dear Willem, my name is Robbie and Douglas would genuinely have been thrilled to see your work on h2g2. I was lucky to have been both friend and colleague to Douglas. He was a true visionary and I miss him a lot. He had a great curiosity about life ( and well the universe and everything!) and as you may know an immense love of the natural world. Indeed he often said that "Last Chance to See" the book he co-authored with Mark Cawardine about endangered species was his proudest acheivement. So you are continuing a tradition about which he cared a very great deal.

Oh it's you, Robbie! I didn't make the Researcher5/Chairman of h2g2 connection ... sorry, I'm under a bit of a strain at the mo. I miss him too ... I joined here while he was still with us. I also liked 'Last Chance to See' very much. I am sure if he had the chance he would have done more stuff like it! Right now I am really aiming to do something similar with Colours of Wildlife. Of course I can't pretend to be as good a writer as he was ... but I'll do my best!

It's really great that this site is surviving ... I wish it would become much more popular, though. I still think it's the best online community to be a part of. Of course it should not become *too* popular because I think part of what makes it great is that it *is* a community with a spirit of intimacy and mutual goodwill.

Hi Willem, there is no reason you should have made the connection. I do understand how much strain you are under at the moment. I guess that the reason for saying hello from afar was just to make that connection in your mind between the kind of things that Douglas cared so much about your immense gifts. Some of the most gifted people I know are also troubled. Sometimes I think it just seems to be a rather unfair balancing exercise by the universe! I was showing my wife ( who is pretty good amateur landscape artist) your art and she was simply blown away. It would be good to think of ways of drawing your work together wouldn't it? There are thoughts we are having about the next stage for h2g2 and your work is always for me a key inspiration for that new thinking. You are right about wanting to grow the site, to have more people come and enjoy the riches of the site, but you are also right about needing to keep what is precious and unique about this community. All I can say is that I am very mindful of the importance of finding that balance. BTW I was born in Johannesburg!

Hello again! I was born in Pretoria! Why don't you ask your wife to send some of her art in to The Post or have it elsewhere on this site? I'd love to see it.

Hi Willem, how's your week been? warm wishes Robbie

Hi Robbie! This week has been all right ... I've made headway on some very frustrating problems, so feeling rather positive. Painted a lot, wrote a lot, feeling good about what I managed to create, thank you!