Wildlife Trust Honors Innovative Leaders In Conservation
Annual International Conservation Awards Gala & Auction
NEW YORK – October 19, 2009 – Wildlife Trust, the international conservation organization that empowers local conservation scientists worldwide is pleased to announce that it will honor Jonathan Greenblatt, co-founder of Ethos Brands, the business that launched Ethos Water, and respected conservation scientist and former Wildlife Trust president, Dr. Mary C. Pearl, for their commitment to environmental leadership at its annual gala on October 22, 2009 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.
A recognized leader in corporate responsibility and ethical branding, Jonathan Greenblatt is a social entrepreneur and successful corporate executive as well as a faculty member at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. Currently, Greenblatt is founder and president of Our Good Works, a web-based platform developed to enable more Americans to engage in service and volunteerism.
Prior to Our Good Works, Greenblatt worked on the Presidential Transition Team and served as CEO of GOOD Worldwide, the publisher of GOOD Magazine. He has served as a senior advisor to non-profit organizations such as the UN Foundation and XPRIZE Foundation. Perhaps most significantly, he co-founded Ethos Brands, the business that launched Ethos Water. In 2005 Starbucks Coffee Company acquired Ethos Water and Greenblatt joined Starbucks as vice president of global consumer products. Ethos Water remains a recognizable brand with a mission to help supply clean water to people around the world. “We are inspired by the Mr. Greenblatt’s dedication to social causes and his ability to blend corporate responsibility with consumer awareness. We are excited to celebrate his achievements at our annual gala,” said Dr. Peter Daszak, president of Wildlife Trust.
The award ceremony will also recognize former Wildlife Trust president Dr. Mary C. Pearl for her unwavering commitment to conservation. Throughout her tenure at Wildlife Trust, Dr. Pearl built long-lasting partnerships and fostered relationships that helped the organization grow from a small nonprofit into a recognized voice for conservation scientists from developing nations and a leader in conservation medicine, linking ecology and health. Dr. Pearl co-founded the Consortium for Conservation Medicine, a unique think-tank of prestigious institutions formed to respond to on-going conservation health efforts. She is also a co-founder of the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC) at Columbia University, where she served as an adjunct research scientist.
Currently, Dr. Pearl’s new role is Dean of Stony Brook University’s Southampton Campus. “We owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Pearl for her commitment and boundless dedication to Wildlife Trust. Her energy, enthusiasm and love of the natural world was infectious and her legacy at the organization continues to be a source of inspiration,” said Dr. Peter Daszak.
The evening will begin at 6:00 P.M. with a cocktail reception and silent auction hosted at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Dinner and the awards ceremony will be followed by a live auction, featuring trips and unique experiences based on Wildlife Trust’s conservation programs. Wildlife Trust is recognized as a worldwide leader in conservation and the environment, having been responsible for many scientific breakthroughs, including discovering the origin of the SARS virus. The organization has received prestigious Whitley awards — often called the “Green Oscars” — for the groundbreaking work by its scientific teams. Year after year, Wildlife Trust continually receives high ratings from Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator for its fiscal responsibility.
About Wildlife Trust
Wildlife Trust empowers local conservation scientists worldwide to protect nature and safeguard ecosystem and human health. Wildlife Trust is a conservation science innovator and leverages research expertise through strategic global alliances. Wildlife Trust pioneered the field of Conservation Medicine, a new discipline that addresses the link between ecological disruption of habitats and the effects on wildlife, livestock and human health.
Founded in 1971 by British naturalist and author Gerald Durrell, Wildlife Trust has built its reputation on 35 years of global research, education, training and experience. Research and conservation work in the United States include programs in Florida and along the coast of the Southeastern U.S.
Internationally, Wildlife Trust trains and supports a network of scientists around the world to save endangered species and their habitats and to protect the health of vital ecosystems. Wildlife Trust created the first egalitarian international network of science-based conservation organizations called the Wildlife Trust Alliance and is a founding partner organization of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine, a unique think-tank of prestigious academic institutions.
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::Media Contact::
Anthony Ramos, Wildlife Trust
Director for Marketing & Communications
ramos@wildlifetrust.org
1-212-380-4469 (office) | 1-914-787-9631 (mobile)