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E.O. Wilson to receive NatureServe Conservation Award

Scientist and author will accept prize during March 8 ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Quick Facts

• Award honors achievements that increase and advance the understanding of biodiversity conservation by action or example
• Wilson’s work as a pioneering biologist, naturalist, theorist, and writer has transformed the way humans think of the natural world and our place in it
• Recipient will speak during reception at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2011, at 6:00 p.m.
• Wilson will join other public- and private-sector experts for panel on climate change adaptation immediately prior to award reception at 4:00 p.m.

Press Release

NatureServe will present Edward O. Wilson, Ph.D., with its annual NatureServe Conservation Award during a reception at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2011, at 6:00 p.m.

One of the most accomplished and influential intellectuals of our time, Wilson is a pioneering scientist, thinker, and author who has transformed the way humans think of the natural world and our place in it. His ideas have helped shape and define numerous disciplines including conservation science, sociobiology, population genetics, and chemical ecology.

Wilson has increased the impact of his groundbreaking scientific research and innovation through his wide-ranging eloquence on humanistic topics including evolution, culture, and knowledge, twice winning the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction.

“Humanity is exalted,” Wilson writes, “not because we are so far above other living creatures, but because knowing them well elevates the very concept of life." With this award, NatureServe recognizes Wilson’s status as the preeminent defender of the scientific and ethical foundations of biodiversity conservation and a steadfast champion for all living things, great and small.

The NatureServe Conservation Award seeks to honor individual or institutional achievements that increase and advance public awareness and scientific understanding of biodiversity conservation. NatureServe is a nonprofit network of 81 public and private member programs in 14 countries across the Western hemisphere dedicated to providing the scientific basis for effective conservation action.

Panel on Climate Change Adaptation to Precede Reception

At 4:00 p.m., immediately prior to the award reception, NatureServe will host “Okay, Now What?”: A Panel on Climate Change Adaptation. NatureServe president and CEO Mary Klein will moderate a dialogue with leading experts to discuss the challenges a changing climate presents for conservation science, policy, investment, and management in the coming decades. Panel participants include:

• Greg Czarnecki – Executive Director, Wild Resource Conservation Program, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
• Jeff Fulgham – Chief Sustainability Officer & ecomagination Leader, GE Power & Water
• Jeff Marqusee – Executive Director, Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) | Director, Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP)
• Dawn Rittenhouse – Director, Sustainable Development, DuPont
• Lynn Scarlett – Visiting Scholar, Resources for the Future | former Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Department of the Interior
• Jorgen Thomsen – Director of Conservation & Sustainable Development, John P. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• E.O. Wilson – Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus, Entomology Department, Harvard University

Both events are part of a year-long celebration marking NatureServe’s 10th anniversary as an independent nonprofit as well as the nearly four-decade record of achievement by its natural heritage network. Learn more about NatureServe's 10th Anniversary Celebration.

Important Note for Journalists

Space for both events is very limited. Please contact NatureServe’s director of marketing and communications to ensure your access to the event.

Quotes

“NatureServe and its network of natural heritage programs play a critical role in enriching our understanding of biodiversity as well as how best to address the grave threats that the world’s plants and animals now face. With our shared commitment to science and conservation, it pleases me to accept the NatureServe Conservation Award.”
—Edward O. Wilson, professor emeritus and honorary curator of entomology, Harvard University

“E.O. Wilson has provided inspiration as the most eloquent champion of biodiversity. NatureServe is delighted to honor both his achievements and his example through this award.”
—Mary Klein, president and CEO, NatureServe

About NatureServe

NatureServe is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to providing the scientific basis for effective conservation action and a member of the IUCN Red List Partnership. Through its network of 81 natural heritage programs and conservation data centers in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, NatureServe provides a unique body of detailed scientific information and conservation biodiversity expertise about the plants, animals, and ecosystems of the Americas. Learn more at www.natureserve.org.