Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation Gives $750K Grant To SavingSpecies

$750,000 grant to Durham-based conservation non-profit will support habitat protection and restoration for endangered and rare species. End Quote

These funds are vital to our mission of supporting outstanding conservation in countries where most species are at risk of extinction.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) July 14, 2015 - Today, SavingSpecies President Dr. Stuart Pimm announced that SavingSpecies has been awarded a $750,000 grant by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF). This substantial award will fund three years of habitat restoration work to protect endangered species around the world.

"We are thrilled to receive the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation's support," said Dr. Pimm. "These funds are vital to our mission of supporting outstanding conservation in countries where most species are at risk of extinction. The funds will connect, protect and restore fragmented landscapes. That's CPR for Earth," he said.

Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the world's leading champions for conservation. Founded in 1998, the LDF supports biodiversity and environmental protection projects around the world. From fighting poaching in Africa and overfishing the oceans, to replanting forests and reintroducing species, the LDF is a leading supporter of environmental conservation. Its mission is working to "create a world where both nature and humanity coexist in harmony."

SavingSpecies' work is entirely consistent with the LDF's mission. Unique among conservation organizations, SavingSpecies focuses on restoring and reconnecting fragmented forests that harbor the world's highest biodiversity. The organization's scientists use sophisticated satellite imagery and other technologies to identify land parcels suitable for restoration. SavingSpecies' strategic purchases and partnerships focus on species-rich areas that can be connected to other swaths of protected forests and other lands, maximizing both efficiency and protection.

Additionally, SavingSpecies' projects replant and conserve native trees and forests, locking up atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this way, LDF and other SavingSpecies donors help tackle the two most pressing environmental problems in the world today: mass species extinction and global warming.

LDF's grant recognizes the impact of SavingSpecies' unique innovative strategy and its successful programs in Brazil, Colombia, Madagascar, and Ecuador. With this support, combined with the donations of grass-roots donors, SavingSpecies will be increase its conservation impact in other critical areas.

About SavingSpecies
SavingSpecies, Inc. was founded by senior conservation scientists committed to preventing species extinctions. Preventing species extinctions is SavingSpecies' only objective. SavingSpecies scientifically evaluates projects and then provides funding for land purchase via individual donors. SavingSpecies connects local conservation programs to donors, helping donors reduce their carbon footprint. The projects that SavingSpecies supports restore degraded habitats in areas of the world's greatest biological richness. SavingSpecies clearly distinguishes all donations for project work from those needed to support administration and operations. SavingSpecies is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations to SavingSpecies are tax-deductible. For more information visit http://www.savingspecies.org/

About The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is dedicated to protecting Earth's last wild places and fostering a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world. Since 1998, the Foundation has been working on pressing environmental and humanitarian issues through grant making, campaigning and media projects. Areas of focus include; wildlife and habitat preservation, healthy oceans, water access, climate change and disaster relief. The Foundation's strategic approach to philanthropy for a better planet relies upon active collaboration with effective organizations as well as with other funders who share our goals and can magnify our impact. In tandem with LDF's philanthropic efforts, the foundation uses digital media and Leonardo's website & social media channels to inform and rally the public on environmental issues. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is a component fund of the California Community Foundation. For more information visit www.leonardodicaprio.org

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