January 21, 2014
BOZEMAN, Mont., – Today the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF) and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation (EOWBF) announced a new partnership to combat the worldwide decline of biological diversity. The partnership will serve to support research and education initiatives that inspire a new generation of enthusiastic explorers, environmental policy makers, citizen scientists, and conservation biologists to conserve and protect the natural world. The partnership comes none too soon. The world is currently in the tightening grip of the 6th great extinction crisis since the dawn of time. In contrast to previous extinction spasms, the current die-off is unprecedented in scope and caused almost entirely by humankind’s activities, including many that are inherently wasteful and unnecessary.
“We are thrilled about our new partnership with Turner Endangered Species Fund,” said Dr. Paula Ehrlich, President and CEO of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. “TESF have an amazing collection of private, working landscapes and cutting edge conservation projects. Through our partnership we will foster biodiversity research that expands our understanding of our ‘little known planet’ and innovates in helping us learn how to best care for it.”
“The partnership of the Turner Endangered Species Fund and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation will be complimentary in a highly productive way for both,” said Dr. Edward O. Wilson. “The TESF will bring strong support and substantial ongoing field activity, and the EOWBF will add breadth and academic expertise that specifically address the broad issues of species-land conservation.”
Mike Phillips, Executive Director of TESF, noted, “A disproportionate number of imperiled species rely somewhat or exclusively on private land for their security. Much of the wonder of nature can be saved for future generations if conservation activities are more frequently and successfully applied on private working landscapes like those owned by Ted Turner.”
The Foundation and the Fund intend to make good use of the 2 million acres of inspiring wild, working landscapes assembled by Ted Turner. These lands provide a dizzying array of biodiversity conservation opportunities that will provide a new generation of young scientists and policy makers critically important lessons for improving the balance between conservation and commerce, between humankind and nature.
Mike Phillips (left), Executive Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund, and Edward O. Wilson, whose life’s work inspired the creation of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, discuss conservation of imperiled species at Ted Turner’s Flying D Ranch in Montana.
The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s mission is to foster a knowing stewardship of our world through biodiversity research and education initiatives that promote and inform worldwide preservation of our biological heritage.
The Turner Endangered Species Fund’s mission is to conserve nature by ensuring the persistence of imperiled species and their habitats with an emphasis on private land.
