Veronica worked very closely with ORI researchers and ORI herbarium staff members. During her memorial service that was held on the 10th of March, some speakers said this about her:
"Truthfully, I’ve barely met Veronica, but years ago in the late 1980s I got to know her guide-books intimately. The first one’s she published included her own paintings. As an aspiring artist myself at that time I admired her way of catching the gizz, or the feel of a species of tree. I also really enjoyed the way the text included information about other species of creatures associated with say the plant she was describing. This small scale ecology is essential to our understanding of the interconnectedness of life.
Veronica’s contribution to botanical reference material was an invaluable eye-opener for many people. Visitors to Botswana, citizens and residents we were encouraged to see all the wildlife around us… not just the more obvious animals. "(Frances Murray-Hudson).
Fellow passionate botanical people Alison and Roger Heath wanted to say the following in memory of Veronica:
“We
found Veronica’s first two books when we came to Botswana in 1990 and
t
horoughly enjoyed them, especially for all the local names, uses and beliefs.
We found her to be very approachable and her books were very understandable
thus firing up our enthusiasm to take her work further.
She was an intrepid traveller throughout northern Botswana and would spend months camping in the remotest places to get the information and illustrations she wanted. She built excellent contacts with local people enabling her to expand her knowledge of their traditions and beliefs.
We also admired the lengths that she went to in ensuring that her books were widely available to as many people as possible, helping to encourage their interest in local plants. We always enjoyed meeting her and the opportunities it gave us to exchange information about the plants.
We very much regret her passing as she had so much still to do.”
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