What does the Mayflower have to do with wildlife conservation?
The Mayflower has everything to do with wildlife conservation in the US because it was those early European colonizers that established the values system for how the natural world would be treated as colonization expanded across the continent.
Questions such as:
- Would living creatures be treated with respect in line with worldview of the indigenous peoples?
- Would it be abused because of its abundance or disrespect for its worth?
Regrettably, a trajectory more in line with the latter perspective is what transpired resulting in the extinction of eight bird species, with many, many more becoming endangered or threatened.
Join longtime BFG member, Beto Bedolfe, Executive Director of the Marisla Foundation and Dr. Herbert Raffaele, former Chief of the Division of International Conservation at US Fish and Wildlife Service, for a discussion of Herb’s new book Revoyage of the Mayflower – which articulates a nine-point framework to transform grantmaking and ultimately, biodiversity conservation efforts on the ground. The framework builds on the single factor, societal values, frequently undervalued, that determine whether our efforts will be impactful and long-lasting.
Because this was a live event, there are comments from viewers which are answered during the meeting.
You can view the Zoom meeting by using the password: smNTa$.6