Carl Bouton

Carl Earnest Bouton, passed away on September 25, 2017, at Rose Arbor Hospice, Kalamazoo, MI, after a four-year battle with cancer. He was born on March 20, 1950, in South Haven, MI, to Alvin and Violet Bouton. He is survived by his brother, William Bouton, and many cousins, part of a beloved and close, extended family that featured importantly during his youth and throughout his life. Carl’s childhood home was located on 80 pastoral acres of woodlands and fields near Breedsville, Michigan. The property was rich in a wide variety of animals and plants, the study of which was a reliable source of constant fascination for his quick and inquiring mind. That wonderful setting, along with support and encouragement from his family, nurtured Carl’s lifelong interest in experiencing and working to protect the natural world. Carl attended Breedsville Elementary School, and Bangor and Bloomingdale High Schools. He was proud to have graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Zoology and Notre Dame with an M.S. in Biology. He earned his PhD in Insect Ecology from the University of Illinois. His post-graduate work there contributed to the understanding of how plants defend themselves against insects. Carl was an intellectual person, having a brilliant mind and a fabulous memory. Slowing human-caused destruction of the natural world was his passion, and was a driving force behind his years of work in Illinois and in the Peruvian rainforests. Carl helped students in both places understand the importance of the biodiversity of the tropical forests, as well as the importance of the indigenous people who live in and care for those forests. Carl was proud to have worked with the Michigan Nature Association, to orchestrate a land donation from the Bouton and Mortensen families, of a parcel of richly-biodiverse land along the Black River near Breedsville. He was a passionate volunteer caretaker of the Black River Nature Sanctuary for decades. Carl tenderly cared for his dementia-afflicted mother during the final 12 years of her life, doing all he could to contribute to her well-being and happiness. At Carl’s request, an informal celebration of his life will be held next spring in May, when life “begins anew” in his beloved woodland sanctuary. Donations may be made to honor Carl’s work and further his legacy at Michigan Nature Association, 2310 Science Parkway, Suite 100, Okemos, MI 48864, or https://www.michigannature.org/donations