Dr. Colin Hudson was a British-born environmentalist and innovative scientist, who lived in Barbados. His acknowledgements were not only local but also international.
After studying agronomy at Cambridge University, he came to Barbados in 1961 to work in sugar cane agronomy. In 1968, he assumed permanent residence in Barbados and completed a prize-winning doctorate at the University of the West Indies, while working with Barbados’ highly acclaimed agriculturalist and biologist, the late Graham Gooding.
One of Hudson’s passions was hiking. Dr. Colin Hudson died unexpectedly in 2004 aged 66 while preparing to lead his weekly “Stop ‘n’ Stare” early-morning hikes around Barbados to educate dozens of Bajans and visitors on local culture and environment.
The Great Train Hike was renamed The Colin Hudson Great Train Hike in 2004 to mark the valuable contribution Dr. Hudson made to thousands of people in Barbados and the world.
Among his many honours, Colin Hudson was presented with the Sir James Curry Memorial and Texaco Prize of the University of the West Indies. He was one of the advisors to the United Nation’s environmental project, Greening Barbados and also Green Expo 2003. From 1997 to 2004, he served on the National Commission on Sustainable Development, the body that supervised the production of the Barbados Sustainable Development Policy.
Through his innovations, Colin Hudson demonstrated that conservation and sustainable development were everyone’s responsibility and not just in the hand of an elite minority. He encouraged creativity in conservation and highlighted that it could often be achieved by simple means.
During the 60ś when I was still in school my late father Winter Headley introduced me to this man Dr. Colin Hudson who had been recently in Barbados and was working with the Department of Agriculture Bridgetown. My father at that time was a member of the St Ambrose Church, and it was there that I happen to have been introduce to him from my father in Church, he was always on the move travelling and I do remember him with his short Khaki pants.
MH
I met Dr Hudson numerous times in the late 90s while living in Barbados and going on Sunday morning hikes with my girlfriend and her family. He was a really genuine and selfless man with tons of energy and enthusiasm for the hikes. Thank you for sharing your passions with us and rest in peace, Colin.
Jim Quinney