In 1960, British biologist Sir Julian Huxley spent three months in Central and East Africa for the purpose of reporting to UNESCO on “the conservation of Wild Life and Natural Resources” there. Upon returning home, he penned a series of articles in The Observer, a London newspaper, detailing what he had seen during his 10-country tour.
Huxley sang the praises of the nature he’d experienced, and then went on to decry the obvious poaching of elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and more. He reported that the central issue to be addressed was “whether Africa’s wild life and wild nature can survive, or whether they will be destroyed or whittled down to a poor remnant by the rising tides of over-population and industrial and other ‘development.’”
These articles elevated conservation in the global consciousness and ultimately triggered the creation of WWF, in 1961. WWF was born to save places in the world—places that support species, places that we cherish, and places that are the lifeblood for communities and people, including ourselves. WWF was born to save nature.
Of course, no one ever said keeping nature intact was a simple proposition. And certainly the world and what we demand of it has changed significantly since 1961. Conservation in the face of changing governments, shifting markets, new technologies, and other disruptions is complicated. It requires every tool at our disposal—from authentic community-based work that builds on the wisdom of local people; to collaborating with governments at the local, state, and national levels; to partnering with corporations to help them invent new ways to do business.
