$750,000 grant to Durham-based conservation non-profit will support habitat protection and restoration for endangered and rare species

DURHAM, NC, USA, July 14, 2015 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, SavingSpecies President Dr. Stuart Pimm announced that SavingSpecies has been awarded a $750,000 grant by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF). This substantial award will fund three years of habitat restoration work to protect endangered species around the world.

"We are thrilled to receive the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation’s support," said Dr. Pimm. "These funds are vital to our mission of supporting outstanding conservation in countries where most species are at risk of extinction. The funds will connect, protect and restore fragmented landscapes. That’s CPR for Earth," he said.

Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the world’s leading champions for conservation. Founded in 1998, the LDF supports biodiversity and environmental protection projects around the world. From fighting poaching in Africa and overfishing the oceans, to replanting forests and reintroducing species, the LDF is a leading supporter of environmental conservation. Its mission is working to “create a world where both nature and humanity coexist in harmony.”

SavingSpecies' work is entirely consistent with the LDF’s mission. Unique among conservation organizations, SavingSpecies focuses on restoring and reconnecting fragmented forests that harbor the world’s highest biodiversity. The organization’s scientists use sophisticated satellite imagery and other technologies to identify land parcels suitable for restoration. SavingSpecies’ strategic purchases and partnerships focus on species-rich areas that can be connected to other swaths of protected forests and other lands, maximizing both efficiency and protection.

Additionally, SavingSpecies' projects replant and conserve native trees and forests, locking up atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this way, LDF and other SavingSpecies donors help tackle the two most pressing environmental problems in the world today: mass species extinction and global warming.

LDF’s grant recognizes the impact of SavingSpecies' unique innovative strategy and its successful programs in Brazil, Colombia, Madagascar, and Ecuador. With this support, combined with the donations of grass-roots donors, SavingSpecies will be increase its conservation impact in other critical areas.



Press release courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/1Rx3YNK

Roger Harris
SavingSpecies
(919) 662-1618
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