Sir Ghillean Prance, HRH Prince Philip, E.O. Wilson. 2014.
We mourn today with the Royal Family, the passing of HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Philip was a pioneering and ardent conservationist, and is remembered for having co-founded The World Wildlife Fund in 1961, which is today the world’s largest conservation organization, and Australia’s first-ever environmental organization, the Australian Conservation Foundation. He supported over 190 conservation organizations and traveled to over 140 countries to advocate for wildlife conservation.
“Prince Philip was dedicated to finding global solutions to biodiversity loss and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and the entire conservation community celebrates his life’s work. We honor it by working fervently toward the goal of Half-Earth to ensure we leave no species behind,” remarked Paula Ehrlich, President & CEO of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.
In 2014, Professor Wilson and Dr. Ehrlich, joined conservation leaders and HRH Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace during a week of events to launch the Mass Extinction Monitoring Observatory or MEMO Project, a global monument for biodiversity located on England’s Isle of Portland, a Geological World Heritage Site. HRH Prince Philip is the royal patron of MEMO; E.O. Wilson is also a patron.
“In Prince Philip’s passing, we have lost one of the most effective leaders in conservation and saving the global environment. It will be important to keep alive the memory of his intent,” said Professor Wilson.
