Top Leaders in Conservation and Philanthropy Gather in Sausalito to Discuss the Future of the World's National Parks and Wildlands

SAUSALITO, Calif., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation today joined The Conservation Land Trust in convening the Wildlands Philanthropy Forum to explore the opportunities and challenges of conservation philanthropy. Taking place at Fort Baker in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the historic gathering brought together the nation's top conservation, corporate, nonprofit and philanthropic partners to explore how private philanthropy can help solve the urgent ecological challenges facing our planet.

"The condition of our world's green spaces in the next century will say a lot about our priorities as a society," said Vin Cipolla, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. "Building on the national dialogue that began at the Leadership Summit on Partnership and Philanthropy, we are today, expanding that conversation with a strategic forum to connect and strengthen global sources of support for parks and wildlands."

Leaders discussed the role that private philanthropy has played in preserving nature and the parks for over the last century, and explored ways to galvanize public stewardship and preservation for the future, as the need for effective conservation philanthropy grows. Topics such as global warming and climate change were at the forefront of discussion, as shifting temperatures threaten the safety of America's wildlands. Panels also focused on how to make conservation a global priority, as technology and population growth continue to squeeze the world's natural resources.

Key Speakers

• Vin Cipolla, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation
• Doug Tompkins, President of The Conservation Land Trust
• Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, Founder and President of Conservacion Patagonica and former CEO of Patagonia, Inc
• Lisa Hamilton, President of the UPS Foundation
• Rand Wentworth, President of the Land Trust Alliance
• Steven J. McCormick, President and Trustee of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
• James Levitt, Director, Program on Conservation Innovation, Harvard Forest, Harvard University
• Daniel Janzen, DiMaura Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Pennsylvania
• Valer Austin, cofounder of the Cuenca Los Ojos Foundation

Stay Connected -- A companion website at www.wildlandsphilanthropyforum.org offers up-to-date information about the Wildlands Philanthropy Forum

"The driving force behind the protection of national and provincial parks is the sheer determination of the people who helped set aside these lands for the betterment of all living things," said Doug Tompkins, President of The Conservation Land Trust. "We are proud to join the National Park Foundation to engage leading thinkers from across the globe in sharing new ideas and transformative strategies for supporting the natural world in the 21st century."

In October 2007, the National Park Foundation proudly hosted its historic Leadership Summit on Partnership and Philanthropy gathering top government leaders and visionaries from across the private sector to explore new ideas and opportunities for philanthropic partnership and strengthen our national parks for the next century.

About the National Park Foundation The National Park Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization chartered by Congress in 1967 to continue a century-long tradition of private philanthropy ensuring funding to preserve and enhance the legacy of our National Parks. As the official non-profit partner of America's National Parks, the National Park Foundation does not receive federal appropriations for their support. In 2007, the Foundation had its best fundraising year ever bringing in $43 million dollars in support. The National Park Foundation serves to strengthen the connection between the American people and their national parks by raising private funds, making strategic grants, creating innovative partnerships and increasing public awareness. Support of the National Park Foundation ensures that the evolving history and rich heritage of our Nation remains vital and relevant. To learn more visit www.nationalparks.org

About The Conservation Land Trust The Conservation Land Trust is dedicated to the creation and expansion of national or provincial parks to ensure the perpetuity of their ecological and evolutionary processes. The Trust also supports programs to protect wildlife, reintroduce locally extinct species, restore degraded landscapes, and create innovative ecotourism, sustainable farming, and environmental education projects. For more information visit www.theconservationlandtrust.org

SOURCE National Park Foundation