Humanity’s fate is tightly linked with biological diversity – the variety of life on earth.

Biodiversity is essential for sustainable development and human well-being. It is crucial to the reduction of poverty, due to the basic goods and ecosystem services it provides. To raise awareness of the challenges Just Forests invited well-known architect, TV presenter and passionate environmentalist Duncan Stewart to speak on this topic.

The Killarney Declaration on Nature will reflect Pope Francis’ recently launched encyclical. The pope’s encyclical letter on the environment, Laudato Si, makes the case for “the intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet” and speaks of the Pope’s conviction that “everything in the world is connected.”

1.6 billion people rely on forests and non-timber forest products for their livelihoods. Habitat degradation and the loss of biodiversity are threatening the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people living in dry and sub-humid lands. Strategies to protect biodiversity must therefore be developed for achieving poverty reduction and sustainable development.

On this United Nations International Day for Biological Diversity, let us recommit to global action to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, for people and for our planet.

Of all Roosevelt’s achievements, he was proudest of his work in conservation of natural resources, and extending Federal protection to land and wildlife. Roosevelt established the United States Forest Service, signed into law the creation of five National Parks, and signed the 1906 Antiquities Act, under which he proclaimed 18 new U.S. National Monuments. He also established the first 51 Bird Reserves, four Game Preserves, and 150 National Forests, including Shoshone National Forest, the nation’s first. The area of the United States that he placed under public protection totals approximately 230,000,000 acres (930,000 km2). He worked closely with Gifford Pinchot.[108]