There will be a celebration of life ceremony held Friday, Sept. 23 to honor Warren Garst, CSU zoology alumnus. Garst passed away July 12, 2016. The ceremony will be held in Morgan Library and is open to the public.
Warren and his wife, Genny, began in Africa and spent 25 years traveling the globe. During their travels, Warren amassed more than 19,500 slides. The slides were donated to Colorado State University Libraries. These slides are culturally and historically significant to Colorado and the world, according to the library’s website.
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Many of the images in the slides could not be recreated today, because of extinction rates and the level of endangered species since the photos were taken.
Just over 1,300 of the slides have been digitized since their donation. The Warren and Genevive Garst Photographic Collection amasses a majority of the online traffic for CSU Libraries, according to Naomi Lederer, college library liaison.
Garst was a freelance writer in Wyoming when he found an interest in photography. Previously, he worked with oil wells after earning his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from CU Boulder and served four years in the U.S. Navy during WWII. His interest in photography, and knack for it, found him filming a wildlife series for Disney. It was during this time he began to shoot stock footage of wildlife.
Genny and Warren married in 1958. They moved to Fort Collins because she was offered a teaching position at CSU. Genny helped bring computers to campus, according to a SOURCE article.
While Genny was teaching, Warren earned his master’s in zoology from CSU. It was two years after his graduation in 1963 that the two ended up on their 25 year stint traveling the globe. The slides the couple donated come from all seven continents.
Collegian reporter Rachel Telljohn can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @racheltelljohn.