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Biography
According to a UVic website:
"Chester Peter Lyons, often referred to as Ches or Chess, was born near Regina, Saskatchewan in 1915 and moved to Penticton, British Columbia in 1919 where his family took up fruit farming. Lyons attended high school in the Okanagan Valley and hiked, camped and fished throughout the region. In 1939, Lyons obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in forest engineering from the University of British Columbia and began his career as a forest engineer with the BC Forest Service and was involved in surveying, reforestation and development. In 1940, he took up residence in Victoria. Lyons soon became a key figure in the newly established Parks Branch, where he helped explore, plan, and otherwise establish the provincial parks system. His park planning included Manning, Tweedsmuir, Wells Gray, and Bowron Lakes, which he characteristically documented in photographs and moving images. Later in his career with BC Parks, Lyons shifted his focus to human heritage objectives. To this end, he played a key role in the restoration and management of Barkerville from 1958 to 1963 and undertook the Stop-Of-Interest plaque program adjacent to major highways in British Columbia. After taking early retirement from the Department of Recreation and Conservation in 1963, Lyons pursued his many projects in nature interpretation as an author, lecturer, wildlife and travel filmmaker, television producer, and photographer. As an author of numerous books and articles, Lyons introduced the local and natural history of British Columbia to visitors and residents alike. He is best known for his popular field guides on the plants of British Columbia and Washington State, especially the various editions of Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers to Know in BC (1952). These fieldguides highlighted his talent as a plant illustrator as he drew the original illustrations for these books.
Lyons became a popular film lecturer, notably on the National Audubon Society lecture circuit and the World Around US travel series which incorporated Lyons' photographs and moving images from his travels in BC and internationally. As an independent documentary filmmaker and television producer, Lyons is best remembered for his contributions to the CBC television program Klahanie the Great Outdoors. Lyons also established a travel company, Golden Eye World Travel, which took him all over the world as travel-tour guide. His international travels contributed more subjects for his films and photographs. In his lifetime, Lyons was also the founding father of the BC Museum Association, was involved in Toastmasters, and helped plan BC Parks reunions. Lyons died on December 20, 1998 in Hawaii due to complications from a ruptured gall bladder, just weeks after his field guide Wildflowers of Washington was published."
"Chester Peter Lyons, often referred to as Ches or Chess, was born near Regina, Saskatchewan in 1915 and moved to Penticton, British Columbia in 1919 where his family took up fruit farming. Lyons attended high school in the Okanagan Valley and hiked, camped and fished throughout the region. In 1939, Lyons obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in forest engineering from the University of British Columbia and began his career as a forest engineer with the BC Forest Service and was involved in surveying, reforestation and development. In 1940, he took up residence in Victoria. Lyons soon became a key figure in the newly established Parks Branch, where he helped explore, plan, and otherwise establish the provincial parks system. His park planning included Manning, Tweedsmuir, Wells Gray, and Bowron Lakes, which he characteristically documented in photographs and moving images. Later in his career with BC Parks, Lyons shifted his focus to human heritage objectives. To this end, he played a key role in the restoration and management of Barkerville from 1958 to 1963 and undertook the Stop-Of-Interest plaque program adjacent to major highways in British Columbia. After taking early retirement from the Department of Recreation and Conservation in 1963, Lyons pursued his many projects in nature interpretation as an author, lecturer, wildlife and travel filmmaker, television producer, and photographer. As an author of numerous books and articles, Lyons introduced the local and natural history of British Columbia to visitors and residents alike. He is best known for his popular field guides on the plants of British Columbia and Washington State, especially the various editions of Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers to Know in BC (1952). These fieldguides highlighted his talent as a plant illustrator as he drew the original illustrations for these books.
Lyons became a popular film lecturer, notably on the National Audubon Society lecture circuit and the World Around US travel series which incorporated Lyons' photographs and moving images from his travels in BC and internationally. As an independent documentary filmmaker and television producer, Lyons is best remembered for his contributions to the CBC television program Klahanie the Great Outdoors. Lyons also established a travel company, Golden Eye World Travel, which took him all over the world as travel-tour guide. His international travels contributed more subjects for his films and photographs. In his lifetime, Lyons was also the founding father of the BC Museum Association, was involved in Toastmasters, and helped plan BC Parks reunions. Lyons died on December 20, 1998 in Hawaii due to complications from a ruptured gall bladder, just weeks after his field guide Wildflowers of Washington was published."
Submitted on June 26, 2010 in By David.
