About the Forum

In 1872, America did something unprecedented. It proclaimed Yellowstone the world’s first national park-setting aside more than one million acres of wilderness as “a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” It was an act of historic consequence marking the beginning of a global movement of conservation and preservation that has spread to more than 100 countries.

Held at eco-friendly Fort Baker on October 21, 2008, the invitation only Wildlands Philanthropy Forum provides an unparalleled opportunity to share new ideas and explore transformative strategies for supporting the natural world in the 21st century. The agenda is designed to foster solution-oriented discussions by thought leaders in the areas of philanthropy, conservation and sustainability. The program is designed to enhance an ongoing national dialogue that situates our planet’s parks and wildlands at the center of American and global philanthropy.

For over a century, private philanthropy has acted as a catalyst to preserve unimpaired nature and to galvanize public support for its protection. Today, the need for effective conservation philanthropy is greater than ever. Biologists generally agree that human action has accelerated the pace of global extinction at a rate unprecedented since dinosaurs walked the earth. Global climate change is predicted to exacerbate this ecological cataclysm. Recognizing that nature is a priority without borders, conservation philanthropy has emerged as a social, economic, and moral imperative.