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NEW YORK– June 9, 2016 –
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
honored Sir David Attenborough and The Walt Disney Company
at its annual Gala 2016: We Stand for WildlifeSM
for their commitment to protecting the incredible wildlife
of the natural world.
Guests came together
at WCS’s historic Central Park Zoo to celebrate WCS’s
120-year commitment to advance wildlife conservation. The
evening began with a cocktail reception around the sea lion
pool featuring life-size, animal cut-outs and a walking
oyster bar, followed by dinner and dancing under the stars.
Notable attendees included: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
Lucy Liu, Katie Lee, and Bobby Flay. Sponsors included
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic
and La Perla.
The gala program
featured remarks by WCS President and CEO Cristián Samper,
who spoke about WCS’s mission to save wildlife and wild
places around the world. To achieve its mission, WCS
harnesses the power of its zoological parks in New York City
(the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and Prospect
Park Zoo) with its conservation field programs in nearly 60
nations and all the world’s oceans.
Said Samper: “As a
global community we face a critical dilemma that can no
longer be pushed off to future generations. If our planet is
to sustain us, then we must sustain our planet.
“As human beings, we
connect to nature with a force as strong as the pull of
gravity. We depend on nature. Zoos, aquariums, botanical
gardens, national parks, the conservation movement—indeed,
the Wildlife Conservation Society—were all created with a
desire to maintain and strengthen that connection. WCS
upholds its historic focus on the protection of wildlife
while developing an ambitious plan to engage with a rapidly
changing world. Nature replenishes our souls but the moment
we take the persistence of wild places for granted, they may
begin to perish. We stand as an organization to make sure
that will not happen.”
UN Sec. General Ban
Ki-moon said: "The Wildlife Conservation Society has
significantly helped advance wildlife conservation with
governments around the world. New York would not be New York
without the Bronx Zoo. The Wildlife Conservation Society has
significantly helped advance wildlife conservation with
governments around the world. I would like to honor WCS, Sir
David and Disney for their passionate advocacy for wildlife
conservation.”
Sir David said in a
video:
“WCS is one of the
most foremost, impressive organizations working to save the
world's wildlife. There could be no greater award than one
that came from you.”
The Walt Disney Company
was honored for its longstanding collaboration with WCS that
spans more than seven decades. Disney’s relationship with
WCS began when Walt Disney visited what was then the New
York Zoological Society to seek advice on the development of
Disney’s “True-Life Adventures” films. Since then, Disney
and WCS have worked together to protect wildlife and
ecosystems around the world by allocating funds, and working
with in-the-field scientists to advocate for important
issues that protect the world’s most endangered species.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the
Disney Conservation Fund, a key pillar in Disney’s efforts
to protect the planet and connect kids with nature, which
has provided more than $3 million in grants to support WCS’s
field conservation projects.
“Disney applauds the
Wildlife Conservation Society as a leader in conservation
action, education and innovation, and we are immensely proud
of the impact that our collaborative efforts have produced
in more than 40 countries over the past 20 years,” said Dr.
Beth Stevens, senior vice president, Environment and
Conservation, Corporate Citizenship, The Walt Disney
Company. “The Wildlife Conservation Society’s 2020 strategy
maintains a significant focus on the protection of species,
a shared value of the Disney Conservation Fund, and together
we hold ourselves to the highest standard of preserving the
planet while inspiring lifelong conservation values in kids
and families.”
Additionally, the
evening spotlighted Sir David Attenborough for
devoting his life’s work to celebrating and protecting the
natural world. Attenborough’s efforts began more than 50
years ago with the launch of his famous Zoo Quest series,
just one of many milestones in his career. Attenborough is
credited with transforming nature documentaries which
introduced cutting-edge filming techniques and brought a new
understanding and appreciation for wildlife into the homes
of millions worldwide.
“The Wildlife
Conservation Society is operating around the world doing
marvelous work, so there is no honor that I could appreciate
more greatly,” said Sir David Attenborough.
The event proceeds
go to support WCS’s work to save wildlife and wild places
worldwide. WCS runs the world’s largest field programs for
great ape, elephant, and tiger conservation and protects
many of the world’s most threatened terrestrial and marine
areas with a concentrated focus on six species: elephants,
apes, big cats, sharks & rays, whales & dolphins, and
tortoises & freshwater turtles. WCS inspires citizens, local
communities, and governments to advocate to protect our
Earth and instill a shared respect for nature starting now
and for generations to come.
About Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS)
MISSION: WCS saves
wildlife and wild places worldwide through science,
conservation action, education, and inspiring people to
value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the
Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation
Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans
and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4
million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the
field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation
mission. For more information, visit:
www.wcs.org,
newsroom.wcs.org. Follow us on social media:
Facebook, Twitter @WCSNewsroom, and
YouTube.com/user/WCSMedia. For more information:
347-840-1242.
NOTABLE ATTENDEES:
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, Lucy Liu (actress), Bobby
Flay (Chef & Restaurateur), Katie Lee (Chef & Author),
Cristián Samper (WCS President and CEO), Dr. Beth Stevens
(Disney Senior Vice President of Environment and
Conservation), Jim Breheny (WCS EVP of Zoos and Aquarium and
Director of the Bronx Zoo), Antonia Grumbach (WCS
Chair), Kitty and Stephen Sherrill (co-chairs), Barbara and
Donald Zucker (co-chairs), Gillian Hearst-Simonds and
Christian Simonds (co-chairs), Shafi Roepers (co-chair),
Leonard Stern (co-chair), Melanie and John Wambold
(co-chairs), Harry Crosby, Caroline Hirsch, Ted and Connie
Roosevelt, Margo Nederlander, Alecta Hill, Boo Grace,
Elizabeth Vargas (Anchor, ABC News)
VIDEOS:
WCS: We Stand for
Wildlife (1:37)
https://youtu.be/S_qUjeJPNNs
David Attenborough
Award Acceptance (3:14)
https://youtu.be/ox9ZQZY2kx4
WCS-Disney
Partnership (1:00)
https://youtu.be/6bYoJUcU2eg
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