Environmental Scientist Speaks on Eco-Challenges

The Youth for Conservation Forum (YFCF) invited Dr. Eric Dinerstein, chief scientist and vice president of conservation science at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), to speak at Georgetown Day School on Feb. 3. NCS, GDS, and STA students gathered to hear Dr. Dinerstein’s presentation, which focused on the challenges we are facing in conserving the environment and the habitats of threatened species. Today, we are in one of the greatest extinction crises.

The YFCF was founded by NCS students in February 2010 in collaboration with the Global Tiger Initiative, an international alliance of the tiger-range countries and international organizations dedicated to saving wild tigers from extinction. Since then, YFCF has gained members at St. Albans and Georgetown Day School, and also influenced young leaders abroad to join the cause.

Students were engaged throughout Dr. Dinerstein's presentation, as he described his experiences in some of the most biologically diverse areas of the world. He and his colleagues have compiled the Global 200, which names eco-regions of the world where diversity is most concentrated.

Dr. Dinerstein also explained the carbon credit market, a system where a country can buy a number of “carbon credits,” and the money for these “credits” goes to protecting a set amount of land in the rainforest. Dr. Dinerstein explained that new technology now allows us to advance the way we approach carbon credits. A plane with a high-tech laser can fly over the rainforest, and later a 3-D image of the rainforest is captured that conveys the carbon concentration in the trees. Through the carbon credit market, forests are conserved, climate change is prevented, habitats are restored, and the income from carbon credits can benefit the indigenous communities of that region.

It truly was an eye-opening speech, laced with interesting facts and inspiration and encouragement for young people to be a part of conservation efforts. After a slideshow filled with pictures of species such as the bison or the jujitsu lemur, students asked many thoughtful questions, such as: “Of all the endangered species in the world to protect, why focus on the tiger?” followed by, “How can the youth be involved in these conservation efforts?” Dr. Dinerstein responded that tigers are very area-sensitive, meaning that they need large areas of land to have healthy populations. By protecting tigers, one is able to also protect the smaller species that live in these areas, thus conserving the vast ecosystem. Moreover, tigers are a cultural icon that people of many nations identify with.

Dr. Dinerstein emphasized the importance of youth involvement and praised YFCF for all of its efforts towards raising awareness. –Natasha Turkmani ‘14