Overview
- The Association Francis Hallé announced on Jan. 2 that he died on Dec. 31 at 23:00 at his home in Montpellier, surrounded by family.
- He spent roughly two decades exploring tropical canopies through the Radeau des cimes project, becoming a leading figure in canopy research.
- An emeritus professor at the University of Montpellier with earlier posts in Kinshasa, he advanced the study of tree architecture across the tropics.
- He described his activism as being “a doctor before a terminal patient” and condemned deforestation driven by political and corporate interests he labeled colonial.
- His outreach included books such as Atlas de botanique poétique (2016) and La Beauté du vivant (2024), inspiring Luc Jacquet’s film Il était une forêt (2013), and he promoted the vision of a 70,000-hectare primary forest in Western Europe.