A more complete understanding of all the species of our planet – a more complete understanding of their locations and interconnections – allows us to avoid the unintended disruption of the ecological web that sustains us and sustains all of life.
In the same way that a surgeon can’t do surgery without an intimate knowledge of anatomy and physiology, knowing every single species, and their location, is fundamental to being proper stewards of the planet. Having this knowledge provides transformative insight that allows us to reimagine how to care for our planet.
Watch Leanne Alonso talk about her studies of ants in Gorongosa National Park and their critical role in supporting people and ecosystems.
“I was fortunate to work with E.O. Wilson for my PhD work and that's how I got into ants. I told him I wanted to go into conservation. And he told me that I should get a good founding in biology and in taxonomy of ants and then go into conservation later. So that's what I did.”
MORE: Explore ant richness and rarity on the Half-Earth Project Map.
