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'''Ralfe Ashton Whistler''' (9 August 1930 – 29 April 2023) was a British naturalist.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-24525693|title=In pictures: Sussex shrine to extinct bird the dodo|date=October 15, 2013|via=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/6775841.grandpa-dodos-study-in-extinction/|title=Grandpa Dodo's study in extinction|date=August 6, 2001|website=The Argus}}</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life and education===
Ralfe Ashton Whistler was born in [[Hastings]] on August 9, 1930.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ralfe-whistler-obituary-p2tw0qnrm|title=Ralfe Whistler obituary|date=September 21, 2023|via=The Times}}</ref> His father, [[Hugh Whistler]], served with the Indian police in Punjab and was known for his ornithological contributions.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/05/09/ralfe-whistler-obituary-dodo-museum-eccentric-sussex/|title=Ralfe Whistler, expert on the dodo whose projects included pub tables and litter-pickers – obituary|first=Telegraph|last=Obituaries|date=May 9, 2023|via=The Telegraph}}</ref> Ralfe's mother was Margaret, daughter of [[Thomas Ashton, 1st Baron Ashton of Hyde]].<ref name="auto1"/> The family returned to England from India due to social complications arising from Margaret's peerage.<ref name="auto1"/> His upbringing involved exposure to an extensive collection of stuffed birds, which were later donated to the Natural History Museum.<ref name="auto1"/>

Whistler attended [[Eton College]] and later [[Selwyn College, Cambridge]], where he met Jane McCarthy.<ref name="auto"/>

===Career===
Throughout his career, Whistler held various positions, including a colonial officer role in [[Northern Rhodesia]] and a stint with the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] in [[Winnipeg]].<ref name="auto"/> He also developed a universal litter-picker and contributed to the "Keep Britain Tidy" campaign.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/>

In the 1960s, he undertook a two-year service in Northern Rhodesia.<ref name="auto1"/> Later, a property acquisition in Vermont in 1978 faced residency complications, resulting in its lease to Richard Ford.<ref name="auto1"/>

In the 1980s, Whistler was involved in the restoration of historical buildings in England, notably the Brightling Observatory.<ref name="auto"/>

Whistler owned several properties, including one in [[Vermont]] and another in [[British Columbia]].<ref name="auto"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whistler, Ralfe}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:British naturalists]]

Ralfe Whistler - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article