![]() “We’re hoping to develop a pipeline of biologists, particularly focusing on freshwater ecosystems in our case, that could then hopefully spin off and start its own cycle of just continuing to build that capacity within countries,” Knapp said. Shedd has long carried the torch for freshwater and with the new center, the goal is to share Shedd’s expertise and provide a foundation other countries can build on to grow and sustain their own conservation programs. ![]() ![]() “It’s always land and sea, land and sea, land and sea,” Knapp said. Yet only at the most recent global biodiversity conference, held in Canada in fall 2022, were “inland seas” finally formally acknowledged. Though freshwater ecosystems cover a mere 1% of the globe, they harbor 51% of all fish species, and are being lost at twice the rate of marine or terrestrial habitat, Knapp said. Likewise, freshwater conservation has paled in comparison with the focus placed on marine environments. “This (center) elevates trees to the level of more charismatic lifeforms and brings us to the table when big policy and conservation decisions are made globally.” “Did you know that one in three trees in the world is in threat of extinction, and that is more than all the mammals, reptiles and amphibians, twice, combined?” asked Silvia Alvarez-Clare, director of global tree conservation at The Morton Arboretum. Under the centers’ umbrellas, Shedd will expand its freshwater mussel conservation program to Central America, while Morton Arboretum will extend its reach into southeast Asia, on top of existing projects in Central America and Mexico.įreshwater and trees have generally received less attention and funding than more “charismatic” species and habitats, something the centers will aim to reverse. “This is providing the means for us to collaborate not only within the Chicagoland area but to really make a difference in biodiversity hot spots across the globe,” said Chuck Knapp, vice president of conservation research at Shedd Aquarium and co-chair of the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group. Both received three-year funding grants from the Skokie-based Walder Foundation. Shedd’s center is devoted to freshwater ecosystems, while the Arboretum’s is focused on trees. They’re now home to two of just 11 such centers recognized by the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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