Selemonas Paltanavičius, Lithuanian naturalist and writer, dies at 70

Lithuanian naturalist, biologist, and writer Selemonas Paltanavičius has passed away at the age of 70. His family confirmed the news to LRT.

Paltanavičius had a distinguished career in environmental protection and science. After graduating from Vilnius University in 1979, he worked at the Žuvintas Strict Nature Reserve and later held several positions within the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment, including serving as the head of the Biological Diversity Department. He also served as the director of the Lithuanian Ornithological Society from 1989 to 1994.

A prolific author, he wrote over one hundred books, primarily focused on nature education for children and adults. His works, such as ‘Žalio miško istorijos’ and ‘Su gamta kišenėje’, aimed to make complex biological concepts accessible to all ages. He was also a well-known radio host, notably for the program ‘Gamta – visų namai’ on LRT Radio.