Background/Question/Methods During the lifetime of many senior ecologists, half of the world's tropical forests have disappeared from human causes. This is not an enviable track record, despite our efforts of research, data collection and publications. In my final chapter as an ecologist, I have started a new conservation iniatitive, Mission Green (MG), based on renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle's marine conservation effort called Mission Blue. MG aims to save genetic libraries (aka, biodiversity) in the world's ten most diverse yet highly threatened forests. This list was amassed by Edward O Wilson, who published these sites in his book, Half Earth, before he passed away. Mission Green will build canopy walkways in these threatened forests, train women and families as ecotourism operators, and thus provide sustainable income to local people as well as unique ecotourism opportunities for travelers. Third, MG will offer student scholarships to study the unknown biodiversity in these canopies using the walkways. We have completed walkways in Malaysia, subtropical Florida, Peruvian Amazon, and California redwoods, but are fund-raising for Madagascar, India and several others. I encourage other ecologists to use their extensive ecological knowledge to greater conservation success by creating local-yet-global programs to conserve ecosystems.
Results/Conclusions Mission Green was launched last year, with the aim of conserving highly endangered tropical forests through ecotourism. Using the tool kit of my ecological trade, forest canopies, I have advised for building canopy walkways to promote ecotourism and thereby provide sustainable income to local people. Mission Green specifically targeted emerging countries where there is little funding for conservation. But we have used pilot projects in developed countries to jumpstart our model. Canopy walkways are now thriving in subtropical Florida, Malaysia, Amazonian Peru, Rwanda, California redwoods, and Australian rain forests, to name a few. But Mission Green aspires to build walkways in Madagascar, where less than 3 % of its forests remains. Then we will fund-raise for walkways in Ethiopia, India, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, and Mozambique, offering canopy educational tool kits for all operators and focusing on training women and families as operators.
