Posts by Dr. Mark J. Plotkin
Remembering Dr. Jane Goodall
Dr. Jane Goodall served as a beloved and trusted advisory board member to the organization for more than a decade. There are a few biologists of my generation – and subsequent generations – who were not inspired to pursue a career devoted to the tropics by either Indiana Jones or Jane Goodall, or both. The…
Read MoreThe Amazon is ablaze again. What it means for us (commentary) – Mongabay.com
The following article by ACT President Mark Plotkin, responding to the renewed and alarming intensity of forest fires in the Amazon, was originally published on MongaBay.com. In 2019, the world watched in horror as images of the Amazon rainforest ablaze flooded the news. Over 70,000 wildfires raged uncontrollably, killing wildlife, filling hospitals with patients struggling…
Read MoreThe Shamans and Apprentices Program: A Promise to Kwamalasamutu
The success of the Shamans and Apprentices program was just the beginning of the pioneering biocultural conservation work that ACT has gone on to do. In the spirit of supporting communities in their own efforts — as opposed to implementing foreign, top-down initiatives — ACT sought to secure culturally appropriate means for human and environmental wellbeing, and increase recognition of indigenous culture and self-determination. In this way, we were able to merge the strengths and tools of the Western world in a way that complements but doesn’t dominate the ideals and goals of the local community.
Read MoreWhy I am Contributing to Jeff Bridges’ New Documentary
When I was growing up in New Orleans in the sixties and early seventies, the airing of environmental documentaries like the National Geographic Specials brought my entire family around the television, despite our tiny, black-and-white screen. Today, we have not only hundreds and hundreds of channels, but seemingly innumerable ways to watch, listen and learn.…
Read More