HEAD IN THE SKY, FEET IN THE MUD
Conversations with Eco-Innovators

 presented by

 Conservation International
and
The Institute at the Golden Gate
a program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

in association with
Northern Trust

Where:
Cavallo Point – the Lodge at the Golden Gate
601 Murray Circle
Fort Baker
Sausalito, CA  94965

When: 6:00 pm Reception, 7:00 pm Presentation, on the dates listed below

RSVP to (415) 765-4415 ● norcal_events@ntrs.com

The Costa Rica Success Story: The Mouse that Roared
September 18, 2008 - Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Vice President, Conservation International

Costa Rica provides a pioneering example of how a government and society can, with bold policies and investments, reverse environmental decline.  As Costa Rica’s Minster of Environment and Energy, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez guided the development of policies that recognize the tremendous economic value of Costa Rica’s ecosystems and resulted in income being paid to people who commit to conserving forests and watersheds for the benefit of all society.  The “Payment for Environmental Services” concept is gaining global attention as one of the solutions to climate change.

Boosting Green Enterprise
November 11, 2008 - Jen Morris, Vice President and Managing Director, Global Conservation Fund and Verde Ventures, Conservation International

Community health is tied directly to the interaction of poverty and a degraded environment. Having only scant natural and economic resources to support themselves, rural villagers are forced farther and farther from education and income-generating opportunities.  Through its Verde Ventures program, Conservation International invests in pro-conservation, small- and medium-sized businesses in priority conservation regions. Verde Ventures currently invests in 34 enterprises around the world.

Carbon Markets: Capitalism meets Conservation
December 16, 2008 - Toby Janson-Smith, Senior Director, Forest Carbon Markets, Conservation International
Ben Vitale, Managing Director, Conservation and Community Carbon Fund, Conservation International

As the world’s investors gear up for major opportunities in a carbon-constrained economy, many are asking how the influx of over $66B in carbon market funding will reduce emissions caused by deforestation and benefit local people in forest-rich nations.  Conservation International is a leading group shaping this marketplace and recently announced a partnership to launch an innovative $250 million carbon fund that will give people that care for the forests access to the growing carbon market.  Two top experts will provide an overview of how the carbon market works and how the fund will benefit the worlds’ forests, and the local communities and species that depend on them.

China: Sacred Lands and Growing Economies
January 13, 2009 - Lu Zhi, Ph.D., Panda Expert

Dr. Lu Zhi is one of the world’s foremost experts on pandas and now leads local- and national-level conservation programs throughout China.  In one of her most fascinating projects, she partners with Tibetan communities and finds the common interests between their spiritual culture and her conservation priorities.  This politically innovative approach includes paying the communities for their responsible use of water and carbon resources.  The challenges and opportunities are many as Dr. Lu and her team search for ways to protect biodiversity in China’s rapidly changing economy and culture.

The Art of Conservation*
February 3, 2009 -   in association with the California Academy of Sciences
Cristina Mittermeier, Executive Director, International League of Conservation Photographers
Michael Totten, Chief Advisor, Climate, Water, and Biodiversity, Conservation International

For many of us, the most dramatic effects of climate change are in remote places we may never see.  “A Climate for Life”, a new book and exhibition by Conservation International and the International League of Conservation Photographers, attempts to bring these places to life, pairing stunning photographs with essays by leading thinkers on such topics as renewable energy, the human dimensions of climate change, and polar melting.  Cristina Mittermeier will discuss her explorations of exotic and threatened places and the art of capturing these places in a symbolic way for the entire world to appreciate.  Michael Totten will answer any and all questions you have about energy options, costs, and implications.

*Note the venue for this event - California Academy of Sciences
Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94115

Liquid Gold
March 31, 2009 - Patricia Zurita, Senior Director, Conservation Stewards Program, Conservation International
 
We now know that forests and other natural resources are an essential part of ending poverty.  Patricia Zurita works with local communities around the world to create “Conservation Incentive Agreements”.  From Cambodia to Amazonia, her work enables local people to stop destroying their resources and instead harness nature to improve their ability to produce food, educate their children, and develop economic opportunities.

People-Centered Conservation Programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a Country Emerging from Civil War
May 12, 2009 - Patrick Mehlman, Senior Director, Central Africa Program, Conservation International
 
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now emerging from a decade of civil war.  In this post-conflict context, CI is helping local communities protect their globally important biodiversity and find grass-roots solutions for the sustainable use of their natural resources. These programs enable and empower local people to become stewards of their own natural resources, improve their well-being through conservation, and increase their educational opportunities. These programs provide local Africans solutions to the global conservation challenges of the 21st century. 

Head in the Sky, Feet in the Mud
Date TBD - Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier, President, Conservation International 
 
When Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier isn’t scrambling across rough terrain to catch a glimpse of a rare species, he’s likely to be sitting with a head of state developing a strategy to protect critical ecosystems.  A primatologist by training, he is the only active field biologist to lead a major international conservation organization. Dr. Mittermeier is an inspiration to everyone who cares about the future of our planet.