SAVE THE DATE: HALF-EARTH DAY 2022
Join us October 13, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
“There can be no purpose more inspiring than to begin the age of restoration, reweaving the wondrous diversity of life that still surrounds us.” - E.O. Wilson (1929-2021)
Reunite on Half-Earth Day® to convene for nature, people and the planet we share. Together we will explore how scientific knowledge and local community insight can empower more equitable solutions to the biodiversity crisis and ensure that we leave no species behind.
The day will feature sessions at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and remarks by Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation, Jeff Corwin, renowned biologist and TV host, and Scott Miller, Director, Research Management and Innovation, Smithsonian Institution, internationally recognized for his work on entomology, science and research policy, and other special guests.
LEARN MORE
PROTECTING NATURE'S THREATENED BIODIVERSITY
A MAHB Dialogue with Dr. Paula Ehrlich
"The math predicts as a principle that if we protect half the Earth, we’ll be able to safeguard the bulk of biodiversity. So, as we all lean forward with a renewed awareness that our fate is dependent on the care and maintenance of our planet, we need a path to follow." - Dr. Paula Ehrlich
The President & CEO of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and co-founder of the Half-Earth Project sat down with the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere program at Stanford University to discuss the biodiversity crisis and the ambition of the Half-Earth Project to solve it.
READ MORE
BEYER INTRODUCES HALF-EARTH RESOLUTION.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) introduces resolution on E.O. Wilson's birthday.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), author of the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act, today introduced a resolution in support of the Half-Earth initiative, a proposal advanced by the late Dr. E.O. Wilson. Wilson, who passed away last year, was a famed biologist credited with coining the term “biodiversity.” Rep. Don Beyer met with Dr. Wilson in 2016, and shortly afterwards introduced the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act, which would establish a National Wildlife Corridors System.
Image: (l-r) Rep. Beyer, Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM) and E.O. Wilson in 2017.
LEARN MORE
PLACES AND VOICES
OF AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL:
Reflections of Faith on 30x30
A special panel in honor of E.O. Wilson's birthday, join our discussion series on 30x30, biodiversity in the United States, and the pathways and people essential to protecting them, featuring:
Gary Paul Nabhan, ethnobotanist and author
Ruah Swennerfelt of the Transition Movement
James Lockman, horticulture expert, Franciscan brother, and restoration ecologist
For more information here.
WATCH THE WEBINARGary Paul Nabhan, ethnobotanist and author
Ruah Swennerfelt of the Transition Movement
James Lockman, horticulture expert, Franciscan brother, and restoration ecologist
For more information here.
THE HALF-EARTH PROJECT®
“Unless we move quickly to protect global biodiversity, we will soon lose most of the species composing life on Earth.” —E.O. Wilson (1929–2021).
Threats to the natural world are multiplying.
Species are going extinct at an alarming rate.
There’s a solution. It’s called the Half-Earth Project®, the signature program of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. If we conserve half the land and sea, we can still safeguard the bulk of our planet’s biodiversity.
But what would Half-Earth look like? How would we get there?
EXPLORE THE HALF-EARTH PROJECTSpecies are going extinct at an alarming rate.
There’s a solution. It’s called the Half-Earth Project®, the signature program of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. If we conserve half the land and sea, we can still safeguard the bulk of our planet’s biodiversity.
But what would Half-Earth look like? How would we get there?
HALF-EARTH DAY 2021:
MISSED IT? WATCH IT AGAIN.
EVERY SESSION NOW AVAILABLE.
Watch videos of every plenary, session, including the Voices short films in the Half-Earth Day 2021 Showcase.
Presenting sponsor: CBRE
Additionally, we thank Mishcon de Reya, the National Geographic Society, the National Audubon Society, the Garrison Institute, the James M. and Catherine D. Stone Foundation, and the Eden Project.
WATCH THE SESSIONSPresenting sponsor: CBRE
Additionally, we thank Mishcon de Reya, the National Geographic Society, the National Audubon Society, the Garrison Institute, the James M. and Catherine D. Stone Foundation, and the Eden Project.
URBAN SPACES CAN HELP SUSTAIN SPECIES
Cities can be part of the solution in sustaining species
A newly published study based on the Map of Life found that a
projected urban expansion of up to 1.53 million square kilometers over
the next three decades threatens the survival of more than 800 species—
but also that a focus on urban planning that protects habitats can mitigate the impact.
READ MOREprojected urban expansion of up to 1.53 million square kilometers over
the next three decades threatens the survival of more than 800 species—
but also that a focus on urban planning that protects habitats can mitigate the impact.
THE RECOVERING AMERICA’S WILDLIFE ACT (RAWA)
Legislation would create an annual fund of more than $1.3 billion
• Provide Tribes critical funding for wildlife conservation
• Protect threatened and endangered species
• Make wildlife conservation more effective and cost-efficient
• Address climate change by building more resilient ecosystems
• Boost the outdoor economy
READ MORE• Protect threatened and endangered species
• Make wildlife conservation more effective and cost-efficient
• Address climate change by building more resilient ecosystems
• Boost the outdoor economy
THE HALF-EARTH PROJECT:
PROJECT EDDIE WEBINAR APPEARANCE
Watch Dr. Dennis Liu and Dr. Matthew Heard discuss geospatial data for conservation
Project EDDIE (Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration) is a suite of education projects composed of STEM disciplinary and educational researchers
Human alteration of the landscape has increased the threat posed to biodiversity and increased the challenge of land conservation. In this webinar with Project EDDIE, Dennis Liu, VP of Education at the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and Matthew Heard from Belmont University explore how we can use geospatial data and tools to better understand biodiversity distribution patterns, threats to biodiversity, and how to best protect land moving forward. The webinar includes information about the education and outreach work of the Half-Earth Project, and the Educator Ambassador Program.
THE HALF-EARTH PROJECT:
ESRI PODCAST APPEARANCE
Listen to Dr. Paula Ehrlich's appearance on the Esri & the Science of Where podcast.
"Whatever our target is, where we pick to prioritize for conservation becomes particularly important because not all places are equally effective at protecting biodiversity."
- Dr. Paula Ehrlich
Listen to Paula Ehrlich on Esri & the Science of Where.
Paula Ehrlich, President and CEO at E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, talks about the Half-Earth Project–the initiative to protect half the land and sea to reverse the species extinction crisis. Esri Conservation Solutions Director David Gadsden investigates how technology is supporting biologist E.O. Wilson’s (1929–2021) vision of sustainable conservation across the globe.
THE HALF-EARTH PROJECT:
CLIMATE ONE PODCAST APPEARANCE
Listen to Dr. Paula Ehrlich's appearance on the Climate One podcast.
"If the goal is to protect the web of life for all of life to sustainability endure, then whatever our target is 30 by 30 or half where we pick to prioritize for conservation becomes particularly important."
- Dr. Paula Ehrlich
Listen to Paula Ehrlich on Climate One.
In this podcast, the Half-Earth Project sits down to talk about the global and US goal of "30X30" with Climate One. Paula discusses how innovative science and a shift in consciousness can guide an approach to the extinction crisis with Half-Earth as the inspiration for interim goals like setting aside 30% of land and seas for biodiversity by 2030. We also share how a changing climate and biodiversity can be tackled together.
Later, in the podcast, Jen Norris, Catherine Spencer, and Woody Lee dive into the California 30x30 plan.
THE HALF-EARTH PROJECT:
REWILDING EARTH PODCAST APPEARANCE
Listen to Dr. Dennis Liu's appearance on Rewilding Earth podcast.
“You get this multiplier effect if you can work with a teacher to help them teach their students biodiversity science…it has a huge knock-on effect with their students!” – Dennis Liu, VP of Education
Listen to Dennis Liu on Rewilding Earth.
In “Prepping the Next Generation For the Challenge to Rewild Half the Planet,” Dennis Liu, VP of Education at the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation joined an interview with the Rewilding Earth podcast in July, a program of the Rewilding Institute. Hosted by Jack Humphrey, the show features conversations with emerging and established thought leaders on biodiversity, climate action, corporate sustainability, and environmental leaders working to save the natural world through a variety of techniques centered on rewilding. Dennis shares insights on how teachers can engage each other and their students in the grand ambition of Half-Earth, and to inspire and connect students with the natural world.
WHO WAS E.O. WILSON (1929–2021)?
Edward O. Wilson (1929–2021) was one of the leading scientists and among the foremost naturalists in the world.
Dr. Wilson was recognized in both science and literature, as a synthesizer in works stretching from pure biology across to the social sciences and humanities. Wilson was acknowledged as the creator of two scientific disciplines (island biogeography and sociobiology), three unifying concepts for science and the humanities jointly (biophilia, biodiversity studies, and consilience), and two major advances in global biodiversity conservation (the Encyclopedia of Life and Half-Earth.
He received the U.S. National Medal of Science, the Crafoord Prize (equivalent of the Nobel, for ecology) of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the International Prize of Biology of Japan; and in letters, two Pulitzer Prizes in non-fiction, the Nonino and Serono Prizes of Italy and COSMOS Prize of Japan. For his work in conservation, he received the Gold Medal of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Audubon Medal of the Audubon Society.
E.O. Wilson passed away on December, 26, 2021 in Burlington, Massachusetts. He was 92.
LEARN MOREHe received the U.S. National Medal of Science, the Crafoord Prize (equivalent of the Nobel, for ecology) of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the International Prize of Biology of Japan; and in letters, two Pulitzer Prizes in non-fiction, the Nonino and Serono Prizes of Italy and COSMOS Prize of Japan. For his work in conservation, he received the Gold Medal of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Audubon Medal of the Audubon Society.
E.O. Wilson passed away on December, 26, 2021 in Burlington, Massachusetts. He was 92.
TRIBUTES TO E.O. WILSON'S LIFE
From around the world, tributes, condolences, and remembrances of Dr. Wilson are being shared.
“The world lost a great scientist and I, a dear friend, with the passing of E.O. Wilson. Ed was an intellectual giant and a gentle, humble, compassionate man. We were fortunate to have had him for 92 years.”
- Paul Simon
- Paul Simon
World leaders, distinguished scientists, former students, and conservation giants have offered their thoughts on the incredible impact and inspiration Dr. Wilson had on their lives.
READ THE TRIBUTESIN BIODIVERSITY NEWS
FROM THE BLOG
FROM TWITTER
- "While the planet is, indeed, losing dozens or even hundreds of animals to extinction each year, many of which scie… https://t.co/wte0PUOHdo17hours ago
- "The math predicts as a principle that if we protect half the Earth, we’ll be able to safeguard the bulk of biodive… https://t.co/eOsKqBA5Zzyesterday
- E.O. Wilson was foremost, an entomologist who loved ants and discovered and named dozens of ant species in his life… https://t.co/cduY0EE7Au5days ago
- Big predators are essential to healthy habitat. A plan in Nepal to protect Tigers tripled their numbers. Read more.… https://t.co/olupEkExXl6days ago
- On Half-Earth Day 2021, the late E.O. Wilson, Sir Tim Smit @EdenProject and Sir David Attenborough sat down to disc… https://t.co/XNdntbjAtb8days ago
- https://t.co/A5TY4ERuRT18days ago
MEET CHAMPIONS OF BIODIVERSITY
Norina Vincente
Norina Carlos de Jesus Francisco Vicente, born in Tete Province, Mozambique, is an Entomologist in training and photographer. She received her B.Sc degree in Ecotourism and Wildlife Management from Instituto Superior Politécnico de Manica in Manica province. In 2016, while still studying, she accepted an internship in Mozambique’s premier protected area, Gorongosa National Park. Since then, her passion has been to understand how organisms and ecosystems are organized and how knowledge of ecology, evolution, and conservation biology can be used to develop better strategies to protect Mozambique’s national areas. Her interests concentrate on insects, taxonomy, new species, conservation of biodiversity, symbiosis between species, tritrophic interactions. Currently, she works at the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique where she manages the biological collections, coordinates biodiversity data entry and digital imaging of specimens, species identification, and curation. Norina also leads educational tours and regularly participates in biodiversity surveys of Gorongosa. She is actively working with the taxonomy of ants in Gorongosa National Park as well as Lepidoptera. Norina is currently pursing a master’s degree in Integrative Biology at San Francisco State University in California.
Jenna Adams
Jenna Adams is a Master Ambassador in the Half-Earth Educator Ambassador Program. Jenna shares her love of science and learning with her middle school students in Baltimore City. You can also find Jenna exploring local biodiversity on walks with her dog while listening to a podcast. She earned a BS in Kinesiology at Penn State University and her Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University. Jenna shares her love of science and learning with her middle school students in Baltimore City where she’s been teaching for over 8 years. She knows that teachers are constant learners and seeks exciting new science information through books, podcasts, and her city. Jenna loves being a part of the Half-Earth team where she gets to collaborate with educators to explore topics of biodiversity and nature.
Tamara Jolly
Tamara Jolly is a Master Ambassador in the Half-Earth Project Educator Ambassador Program. She discovered her deep love for nature as an adult, and hopes to instill environmental appreciation and advocacy into the lives of her students. As a high school science teacher in Baltimore City, Tamara has worked for 13 years in the classroom and looks for any opportunity to infuse nature and the environment into her lessons. As a woman of color, she has experienced moments of being excluded from natural spaces firsthand. She now hopes to increase access and inclusivity of nature for traditionally marginalized communities, while also expanding nature education opportunities in urban classrooms. This mission is so close to Tamara’s heart that she decided to take a year-long sabbatical from the classroom to study environmental and natural resources conservation at the SUNY School of Environmental Science and Forestry's Ranger School. Tamara also works as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant, facilitating DEI workshops, and is a fellow at the Adirondack Diversity Initiative.
HONORING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
Our Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
“The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and its program, The Half-Earth Project, honors the wisdom of the traditional owners of the lands and waters we aim to protect and their ancient ways of seeing and experiencing nature. In the spirit of the oral tradition of the Blackfoot, we aim to honor ‘the flash of the firefly in the night, the breath of the buffalo in the wintertime, and the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.’ We aim to restore and protect life. We thank our Indigenous communities for their historic stewardship of life, their critical role in reaffirming and repairing our relationship with it and their present and future partnership.”
– Paula Ehrlich, President & CEO of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and Lead of the Half-Earth Project
DISCOVER INDIGENOUS HISTORY WHERE YOU LIVE– Paula Ehrlich, President & CEO of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and Lead of the Half-Earth Project
JUSTICE, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
The Half-Earth Project is calling on people everywhere to participate in a “moonshot” to care for our planet. Such efforts require broad collaboration across sectors and geographies and the contributions of diverse voices, perspectives, expertise and experience.
At the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, we acknowledge that centuries of racism, violence, discrimination and marginalization have obstructed participation of Black, Latinx, Indigenous and Asian people and communities of color in conservation globally. We acknowledge that barriers persist, despite the importance of these individuals and communities as both stakeholders and stewards, ones from whom the world has much to learn. Further, we recognize that the same people who have been systemically excluded from the process are disproportionately hurt by degraded air, lands and waters, perpetuating a cycle of harm and exclusion.
We commit to be part of breaking this cycle. We commit to prioritizing listening and taking clear steps externally and internally to combat racism and oppression of all types. We commit to working toward justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our leadership, our programs, our strategic planning, our operations, our communications and our fundraising. We commit to creating a culture at the foundation that educates staff and stakeholders on the issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion and holds opportunity for traditionally excluded groups to join in processes, activities and decision-making. We welcome and encourage feedback along the way.
We commit to understanding that this body of work IS our work if we are to achieve the goal of Half-Earth and benefit all people and species.
At the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, we acknowledge that centuries of racism, violence, discrimination and marginalization have obstructed participation of Black, Latinx, Indigenous and Asian people and communities of color in conservation globally. We acknowledge that barriers persist, despite the importance of these individuals and communities as both stakeholders and stewards, ones from whom the world has much to learn. Further, we recognize that the same people who have been systemically excluded from the process are disproportionately hurt by degraded air, lands and waters, perpetuating a cycle of harm and exclusion.
We commit to be part of breaking this cycle. We commit to prioritizing listening and taking clear steps externally and internally to combat racism and oppression of all types. We commit to working toward justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our leadership, our programs, our strategic planning, our operations, our communications and our fundraising. We commit to creating a culture at the foundation that educates staff and stakeholders on the issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion and holds opportunity for traditionally excluded groups to join in processes, activities and decision-making. We welcome and encourage feedback along the way.
We commit to understanding that this body of work IS our work if we are to achieve the goal of Half-Earth and benefit all people and species.