On November 3, 2014, E.O. Wilson and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation travelled to the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. Wilson broke ground for the MEMO Project and addressed a crowd on the MEMO site in Bower’s Quarry, overlooking the cliffs of the Jurassic Coast. Earlier he addressed school children, 6th formers and Undergraduates at IPACA, Portland’s Academy school, and he went on to give a public lecture to a packed hall in the evening. This was a historic day for Portland and for MEMO, as Wilson spoke about the project as on a par with the Magna Carta.
“I have come all this way for the reason that this is an absolutely extraordinary event. It is not an exaggeration to say that the world view embodied in MEMO is inspirational and historical. It is comparable with the Magna Carta”. —Ed Wilson speaking at the MEMO ground-breaking ceremony on the cliffs of the Isle of Portland, 3rd November 2014.
MEMO is a spectacular monument, a beacon celebrating life on earth and honoring the species we have lost. It is a physical and virtual gathering place that fosters understanding of the importance of every species within the intricate web of life. A Geological World Heritage Site, this cliff-top stone structure is an art-science collaboration created by sculptors from around the world. MEMO is the seed and soul of a renewed public engagement with biodiversity and species extinction, building knowledge and inspiring global action to address this vital moral issue of our time.
View photographs of the ground-breaking ceremony on November 3 and E.O. Wilson’s talk at IPACA, Royal Manor Campus that same day:
In the spring of 2014, the Foundation entered into a collaboration with the MEMO Project to expand the monument’s reach to global, wide-ranging audiences. Within this partnership, the Foundation will support off-site and online activities that will inspire and connect people with MEMO wherever they are, and build a renewed movement culture of citizens who are engaged in activities to preserve the living world. E.O. Wilson is also serving as a Patron of the MEMO Project.
Video from the November 3 events:
“E.O. Wilson Interview at MEMO Ground-Breaking, November 3, 2014” is by Ian Neale.
MEMO is the seed and soul of a renewed public engagement with biodiversity and species extinction, building knowledge and inspiring global action to address this vital moral issue of our time. Please support us in our quest to bring this necessary and inspiring project to fruition. The E.O. Wilson Foundation is serving as the fiscal sponsor for U.S.-based donations. Donate now.
