Lovejoy to Head Geographic's New Conservation Trust

National Geographic News

December 6, 2001

Thomas Lovejoy, a scientist known for his pioneering work in
conservation biology, has been appointed chairman of the National
Geographic Conservation Trust, a new grant-making body established to
support conservation activities around the world.

Grants will be
awarded for projects that contribute significantly to the preservation
and sustainable use of the Earth's biological and cultural resources.

Among his lengthy record of achievements, Lovejoy played a key role in raising international awareness about the growing loss of tropical forests and their environmental importance, in part because of the exceptionally wide range of plant and animal species they harbor.

He is credited with coining the term "biological diversity." Today, with species disappearing at a rate that many scientists believe is unprecedented, "biodiversity" preservation has become a central focus of attention among conservationists and millions of other concerned people around the world.

Lovejoy is currently the chief adviser to the World Bank for biodiversity issues and the Bank's leading specialist on environmental issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. He is also a senior adviser to the president of the United Nations Foundation.

He called the Society's establishment of the Conservation Trust "an exciting development that will encourage important and innovative conservation efforts around the world and promote stewardship of our planet's vital resources through research and education."

The new Trust provides grants to projects involving conservation science, education, and action. Several grants have already been given, and up to U.S. $1 million will be awarded annually.

The Trust's advisory board plans to identify and support cutting-edge projects that are of global importance and which may not have received funding from National Geographic research-oriented grant programs.

John Fahey, the president of National Geographic, said the Trust was established because conservation is a key component of the Society's mission in the 21st century. "We are committed to encouraging greater individual responsibility for the planet's threatened resources," Fahey said, adding that the Trust will be an important instrument to help the Society meet its goal of supporting conservation.

Among the grants already given under the new Trust is $30,000 for a project to help protect critically endangered orangutans. Cheryl Knott of Harvard University is leading the effort, which will implement an education program to help enlist the support of local people in protecting the resources of Indonesia's Gunung Palung National Park, one of the world's last protected refuges for wild orangutans. The park is under heavy threat from illegal logging, clearing of forest for farmland, hunting, and fires.

Other Trust grants awarded have included $30,000 for a study on conserving flora and fauna in forest canopies and $14,000 for a project to analyze natural resources and their use on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

Some National Geographic explorers-in-residence have received grants from the Trust for conservation-related projects. Paleontologist Paul Sereno, for example, received funding for a project to conserve unique fossil deposits in northern Niger.

The Trust is supported by contributions from private donors and foundations. The Ford Motor Company was a key initial contributor as part of EarthPulse, a joint campaign with National Geographic to provide information aimed at expanding public awareness of and support for conservation issues.

For more information about grant applications, send a request by e-mail to: cre@ngs.org
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