When Gary Player, the famous golfer and brother of Dr. Ian Player (above left), announced that Ian, pioneer of the Dusi Canoe Marathon, had finally rowed his canoe to the other side, it was a moment when many around the world paused to acknowledge the passing of a great conservationist.

Player was instrumental in saving the southern white rhino from the brink of extinction by pushing for the transport of surplus stock to other areas.

Through his work and as the founder of the Wilderness Leadership School he gained international recognition and at home he became the environmental conscience of a nation.

That legacy is celebrated in a documentary, The Legacy of Ian Player, directed by Dr Sandra Herrington, which will be screened at 8.25 pm on October 14 on DSTV’s  Ed Channel (190).