POCATELLO — Carta Reale Sierra, colloquially known as the “Idaho Lorax,” has died at age of 74 following a bicycle accident and a terminal liver cancer diagnosis.

Sierra is survived by two children, his daughter Kynoch Reale-Munroe and son Wendell Jenks. Three women played prominent roles in his adult life.

Sierra dedicated much of his life to politics and running for public office, with his campaigns spanning a wide range of races including bids for Pocatello City Council and mayor, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Within Idaho, much of his activism centered on the cleanup of uranium contamination and toxic industrial waste.

“He’s a character,” Reale-Munroe said. “My whole life was full of protesting and being aware of things that were going on in the community. He was definitely influential in finding my own truth, and he was very much an entertainer and a theatrical, eccentric person. Growing up, Santa Claus didn’t come on a sleigh — he came on humpback whales, and he would play whale songs, because once in his life he studied whale linguistics. Everything was like that.”

In his later years, during Pocatello City Council meetings, Sierra was known as a “relentless disruptor; to history, a legend. He didn’t just attend meetings — he transformed them into performance art.”

In an effort to expose uranium byproducts, radioactive fertilizers and their risks to human and environmental health, Sierra’s obituary recalls him entering the city council chambers in full hazmat gear, later revealing “Mothers Against Death” shirts underneath, as part of his endeavors to turn bureaucracy into a stage for environmental justice.

“In protest of Idaho’s role in nuclear weapons production and environmental contamination, he spoke out at public meetings and appeared as the ‘Toxic Avenger,’ using humor and shock to cast a blinding light on serious local issues,” his obituary said.

According to his obituary, Sierra was one of Idaho’s most unforgettable educators, entertainers, passionately eccentric public activists and fiercely independent politicians, who cared deeply about saving lives and protecting the world.

“In his earlier years, Sierra was a scientist and educator who taught throughout the United States, China, Taiwan and Idaho,” his obituary said. “Wherever he taught, his mission remained the same — to empower and inspire through education. In midlife, Sierra became a force of nature, weaponizing political theater in defense of public health and environmental truth. Channeling Dr. Seuss, he adopted the name ‘Idaho Lorax,’ believing deeply in speaking up for what cannot defend itself.”

An informal gathering for Sierra will be held at Lookout Point in Historic Downtown Pocatello from 2 to 5 p.m. June 13. Light refreshments and open sharing of memories will take place in accordance with his uniquely independent spirit.

Those unable to attend are encouraged to honor his legacy by planting a tree, speaking out at a local meeting or advocating for a cleaner, healthier environment.

His obituary closes with a tribute to a line from Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax,” the book behind Sierra’s nickname:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s just not.”