our storyfest 2017 grand prize winners will be heading to the brazilian rainforest with the “godfather of biodiversity” dr. thomas lovejoy and emmy award-winning journalist frank sesno in mid-june.

lovejoy, a biologist who coined the term “biodiversity,” has worked in the brazilian amazon since 1965 on a project that has been called “the greatest ecology experiment of all time,” according to duke university’s stuart pimm, a noted biologist. lovejoy also founded the popular public television series “nature.” 

according to george mason university, in the 1970s he helped bring attention to the issue of tropical deforestation, and in 1980, he published the first estimate of global extinction rates. 

sesno is planet forward’s founder and director of gw’s school of media and public affairs. his career spans more than three decades, including 21 years at cnn where he served as white house correspondent, anchor, and washington bureau chief. he has interviewed five u.s. presidents and literally thousands of political, business, and civic leaders. sesno is also the author of “ask more: the power of questions to open doors, uncover solutions, and spark change.”

the winners who will be joining these exceptional hosts are:

• innovator award winner: redefining progress by jayme dittmar, university of montana
• right brain winner: the language of birds by tomasz falkowski, suny-esf
• left brain award winner: bringing back bald eagles by carrick palmer, suny-esf
• visionary award winner: stewards of the sea: community supported fisheries charting a new course for oregon’s seafood industry by jacob lebel, umpqua community college
• 22nd century winner: paper houses: how one company is revolutionizing the architecture industry by sydney greene, arizona state university
• fan favorite winner: don’t kill my buzz by nolan hausler & emily robinson, the george washington university