Renowned Author and Anthropologist Wade Davis Named Distinguished Fellow of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation
Wade Davis
Wade Davis - Keynote Speaker
Wade Davis - Keynote Speaker
Durham, N.C., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation is honored to announce that Wade Davis, acclaimed author, photographer, filmmaker, anthropologist, and ethnographer has been named a Distinguished Fellow of the Foundation. This recognition reflects the powerfully inspiring way that Davis embodies the heart of E.O. Wilson's hopes and legacy.
'Wade Davis exemplifies the kind of bold thinking, field-based research, and poetic storytelling that inspires people to see the deep connections between nature and humanity and be moved to care for our planet,' said Paula J. Ehrlich, President & CEO of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. 'We are honored to welcome him as a Distinguished Fellow.'
A celebrated voice for environment and cultural preservation, Davis is a Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. His career has spanned every continent, including over three years living among 15 Indigenous groups in the Amazon and Andes while collecting more than 6,000 plant specimens. A National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence from 2000 to 2013, Davis was named one of the NGS's Explorers for the Millennium.
His acclaimed books — including One River, The Wayfinders, Into the Silence, and Magdalena — and documentary films have captivated audiences worldwide. He has written over 375 articles, authored 23 books, and delivered over 200 university lectures and five TED Talks with more than 8 million views.
Davis's lifetime of achievement has been recognized by numerous international awards and honors, including the Order of Canada, the Explorers Medal, and 12 honorary degrees. His body of work profoundly echoes E.O. Wilson's call for a deeper understanding of the world's ecosystems and the urgent need to conserve them.
As a Distinguished Fellow, Davis will collaborate with the Foundation to help carry forward E.O. Wilson's passionate voice for our planet.
About The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity FoundationThe E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation's mission is to reimagine the way we care for our planet. The Foundation's major initiative, the Half-Earth Project, is working to inspire informed collective action to save the biosphere. Building on the legacy of scientist, naturalist, and visionary E.O. Wilson and leading with science, we work to advance biodiversity conservation and support the communities shaping a more hopeful future—one species, one place, one action at a time. Visit https://eowilsonfoundation.org to learn more.
Attachments
Wade Davis
Wade Davis - Keynote Speaker
Wade Davis - Keynote Speaker
CONTACT: Niquole Esters Vice President, Strategic Engagement E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation Phone: (510) 631-7571 Email: nesters@eowilsonfoundation.org www.eowilsonfoundation.org
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why three-toed sloths risk their lives to help moths
For centuries, people encountering sloths for the first time have reacted by ridiculing them. In 1526, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés wrote that the sloths he'd seen in the American tropics were 'ugly,' 'useless,' and 'the stupidest animal that can be found in the world.' In 1749, French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, called them 'the lowest form of existence' and judged that 'one more defect would have made their lives impossible.' Harsh words about a creature that's survived for at least 50 million years. Yes, sloths have poor hearing and eyesight, and they're slow—the slowest mammal on Earth. But their lethargy is an energy-saving strategy; despite the inability to outrun threats, sloths have figured out what works for them. And while they may appear to be solitary, they don't succeed alone. Sloths operate as one-third of a partnership with moths and algae, which both live in the mammal's thick fur (along with fungi and ticks and mites, oh my). 'Sloths are these fascinating, fantastic, weird mammals that have enlisted really unexpected organisms to help them make their living,' says Jonathan Pauli, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who has studied this symbiosis. After a three-toed sloth has lounged for days in the forest canopy, napping and grazing on poisonous leaves—slowly, so that its liver and four-chambered stomach can break down the toxins—the time comes for its weekly poop. Rather than rain droppings from high up, the animal makes a drawn-out descent. As captured on camera in National Geographic's Underdogs series, the move is exceptionally risky, burning a tenth of the sloth's daily calories and exposing it to predators on the jungle floor, where it's mostly—but not always—helpless to defend itself. More than half of the sloth deaths documented by Pauli's team of researchers in Costa Rica occurred on bathroom breaks. But if a jaguar isn't waiting at the tree's base, a sloth digs a small depression in the soil—a toilet bowl—and relieves itself at last. Cue the moths. Females, including species found only on sloths, lay their eggs in the fresh dung. The eggs become coprophagous larvae, feeding on the feces, and larvae become adult moths that flutter off in search of their own hairy habitats. As many as 120 moths have been counted on a single sloth. Moths fertilize sloth fur with nutrients, like nitrogen, whether by delivering fecal matter there or dying and decomposing. Along with rainwater, nitrogen encourages the growth of algae. And algae give sloths a green coloring—effective camouflage from birds of prey patrolling overhead. The more moths on a sloth, the more nitrogen and algae. Sloths also eat the green stuff as a sort of dietary supplement. Although researchers haven't observed the behavior, Pauli's team tested the contents of sloths' stomachs and found algae. What seems clear to researchers is that sloths, moths, and algae all benefit from their shared arrangement. And now, a team of scientists in Costa Rica is exploring whether the microbiome living on sloths could boost human health, too. Many experts believe sloths are resistant to illness or infection; testing fur samples, the Costa Rican team isolated previously unknown bacteria that may lead to new antibiotics. As concerns mount about superbugs that are capable of defeating existing medications, what if remedies are discovered on the backs and bellies of sloths? An animal maligned in the past as useless and an unlikely survivor would prove to be a hero, sophisticated enough to save human lives. Perhaps we were awfully slow to recognize the sloth's potential. Underdogs will premiere on National Geographic June 15th and stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Please check local listings.


National Geographic
15 hours ago
- National Geographic
Why three-toed sloths risk their lives to help moths
For centuries, people encountering sloths for the first time have reacted by ridiculing them. In 1526, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés wrote that the sloths he'd seen in the American tropics were 'ugly,' 'useless,' and 'the stupidest animal that can be found in the world.' In 1749, French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, called them 'the lowest form of existence' and judged that 'one more defect would have made their lives impossible.' Harsh words about a creature that's survived for at least 50 million years. Yes, sloths have poor hearing and eyesight, and they're slow—the slowest mammal on Earth. But their lethargy is an energy-saving strategy; despite the inability to outrun threats, sloths have figured out what works for them. And while they may appear to be solitary, they don't succeed alone. Sloths operate as one-third of a partnership with moths and algae, which both live in the mammal's thick fur (along with fungi and ticks and mites, oh my). 'Sloths are these fascinating, fantastic, weird mammals that have enlisted really unexpected organisms to help them make their living,' says Jonathan Pauli, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who has studied this symbiosis. After a three-toed sloth has lounged for days in the forest canopy, napping and grazing on poisonous leaves—slowly, so that its liver and four-chambered stomach can break down the toxins—the time comes for its weekly poop. Rather than rain droppings from high up, the animal makes a drawn-out descent. As captured on camera in National Geographic's Underdogs series, the move is exceptionally risky, burning a tenth of the sloth's daily calories and exposing it to predators on the jungle floor, where it's mostly—but not always—helpless to defend itself. More than half of the sloth deaths documented by Pauli's team of researchers in Costa Rica occurred on bathroom breaks. But if a jaguar isn't waiting at the tree's base, a sloth digs a small depression in the soil—a toilet bowl—and relieves itself at last. Cue the moths. Females, including species found only on sloths, lay their eggs in the fresh dung. The eggs become coprophagous larvae, feeding on the feces, and larvae become adult moths that flutter off in search of their own hairy habitats. As many as 120 moths have been counted on a single sloth. Moths fertilize sloth fur with nutrients, like nitrogen, whether by delivering fecal matter there or dying and decomposing. Along with rainwater, nitrogen encourages the growth of algae. And algae give sloths a green coloring—effective camouflage from birds of prey patrolling overhead. The more moths on a sloth, the more nitrogen and algae. Sloths also eat the green stuff as a sort of dietary supplement. Although researchers haven't observed the behavior, Pauli's team tested the contents of sloths' stomachs and found algae. Underdogs Official Trailer What seems clear to researchers is that sloths, moths, and algae all benefit from their shared arrangement. And now, a team of scientists in Costa Rica is exploring whether the microbiome living on sloths could boost human health, too. Many experts believe sloths are resistant to illness or infection; testing fur samples, the Costa Rican team isolated previously unknown bacteria that may lead to new antibiotics. As concerns mount about superbugs that are capable of defeating existing medications, what if remedies are discovered on the backs and bellies of sloths? An animal maligned in the past as useless and an unlikely survivor would prove to be a hero, sophisticated enough to save human lives. Perhaps we were awfully slow to recognize the sloth's potential. Underdogs will premiere on National Geographic June 15th and stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Please check local listings. From scuba diving to set-jetting
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Notre Dame commit, son of former UGA All-American visiting Georgia football
Four-star linebacker recruit Thomas Davis Jr., who has been committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish since November, is visiting the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend. Davis is the son of legendary Georgia football safety Thomas Davis Sr. Coach Kirby Smart and Georgia are the school that is most likely to flip Davis Jr. The Bulldogs recently extended a scholarship offer to Davis and have a strong pitch to make for the talented linebacker prospect. Advertisement Georgia has developed the linebacker position better than any other school in the country in recent years. UGA produced two linebackers as first-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft in Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams (arguably a defensive end) and has had nine linebackers (includes Williams and Robert Beal) selected over the past five NFL drafts. Georgia also helped develop Davis' father, Thomas Davis Sr., into a first-round draft pick during the Mark Richt era. Davis Sr. played safety at Georgia from 2002-2004, but changed positions to linebacker in the NFL and flourished. In 13 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Davis Sr. played and made three Pro Bowl appearances and helped the Panthers reach the Super Bowl in 2015. At Georgia, he was selected to the All-SEC first team in 2003 and 2004 and earned a consensus All-American selection in 2004. Thomas Davis Jr. recruiting ranking Georgia football players Thomas Davis, No. 10, and Greg Blue, No. 17, celebrate their team's victory Davis Jr. has the talent to make a name for himself. He plays for Weddington High School, which is located in Matthews, North Carolina. Advertisement Davis Jr. is the No. 176 prospect in the class of 2026. He is the No. 11 linebacker in the nation and the No. 11 recruit in North Carolina. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker is a versatile athlete that runs track and plays basketball in addition to playing football. He's exactly the type of linebacker that Georgia inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is looking for. This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Georgia football hosting 4-star Notre Dame commit on visit