for more than 50 years, tom was a committed conservationist and one of the world’s leading advocates for and authorities on the amazon rainforest. tom popularized the phrase “biological diversity” and over the years, he became known as the “godfather of biodiversity.” tom was explorer in residence at the national geographic society, he led the conservation program for more than a decade at the world wildlife fund, he served as a senior fellow at the un foundation, and he was a professor at george mason university where he was scientific director for gmu’s institute for a sustainable earth.

but it was tom’s humanity, warmth, generous spirit, and unflagging optimism that we will always remember. no matter how busy he was, no matter who else he had on his calendar, he always made time for planet forward and for our students, who strive to tell stories about biodiversity, conservation, climate change, science, and the planet that can make a difference. as a council member, he always joined our meetings and brought thoughtful advice about our work and mission.

in 2017, tom led a planet forward storytelling expedition to his camp 41 research station in the brazilian amazon. we had about 15 students representing wonderfully diverse schools – from jackson state university in mississippi to the state university of new york’s college of environmental science and forestry, from the george washington university to umpqua community college in oregon. tom made it a truly unforgettable trip. he took us to an early morning sunrise over the rainforest. then we piled into well-worn suvs to drive to his remote forest research station, camp 41, deep in the rainforest. we explored by day and slept in hammocks by night. we saw and heard biodiversity firsthand. tom explained what these forests represent and what is at stake.

while at camp 41, one of our students, jayme dittmar, interviewed tom on the subject of forest fragmentation. she produced a dramatic video. i recommend it to you. it captures tom’s unique voice and the question he spent a lifetime addressing: “why is connectivity important in the rainforest?” 

we will dedicate this year’s planet forward summit on april 7, 2022, to tom lovejoy. we are supporting the creation of the thomas e. lovejoy fellowship for biological diversity, which will honor tom’s work, support science, and invest directly in people who are striving for the kind of future tom envisioned and sought to advance all his life. 

mostly, we will never forget this incredible, warm, tireless person who contributed so much to science and to so many to make this a better world for every creature upon it.

there’s something that all creatures fear in our forest. 

it never breathes. 

it never sleeps. 

it never lives. 

the birds hear it first.  

a foreboding rumble that never seems to stop, 

emanating from a predator hidden in the trees.  

limbs grow heavy as the birds shy away from the sound,  

too loud for them to bear.  

the monkeys see it next.  

a humongous form of metal, 

seemingly growing in height as it gets closer and closer. 

it tears trees from the roots upward, 

with barely a scratch on its steely body. 

the tree frogs smell the burning. 

it penetrates their nostrils with the scent of pollution, 

making their eyes water and stinging their throats.  

the rainforest is unaccustomed to their silenced peeps.  

it scares them to death. 

the beetles feel the fear coursing through the creatures. 

they know their pain and sorrow, 

understanding the detrimental effects this destruction has caused. 

the falling of each tree causes a massive impact, 

each beetle plummeting from the branches to their doom. 

the plants taste the corruption of the forest. 

the refreshing drink of water is replaced with sour oil, 

the metal soaking into their roots. 

they have come to know the forest for centuries 

yet shrivel away from the poisoned soil. 

the creatures have lived in this forest, 

thriving for years upon years. 

but now a new leader has taken over, 

leaving few survivors. 

the machine rules the land. 

the creatures lost the battle 

and feel it in their souls. 

the creatures are now dead, 

while the machine lives. 

—

the amazon rainforest’s beginning stretches back to many, many millennia ago, before the existence of humans. it created a way for billions of creatures to all survive in the same landscape. but recently, within the last 40 years, the amazon has been in trouble. and the results haven’t started to show until these last few years. the amazon rainforest is catching on fire at a vast rate, and the deforestation rate is one the forest can’t sustain. it’s out of control. this occurred because the government and people living near the amazon have little to no regard about what’s happening. thy may seem indifferent, but they have bigger plans on their minds that seem better than that of saving a useless rainforest. the government, as of january 2019, has made drastic changes to the way brazil hosts the amazon rainforest, as well as other countries that like bolivia. this must change so that the amazon can return to its original state of well-being. 

as brazil president jair bolsonaro changes his country’s policies into less environmentally friendly and more economically sound, the amazon starts to burn. many assume that the amazon is burning because of climate change, and while that might play a role, the political changes show where the root problem actually lies. the government allows their own people to participate in the destruction of the forests in the amazon. people destroy large amounts of the amazon for their own gain every day and that continues to rise as less government action takes place. bolsonaro is changing the way people perceive the amazon all over brazil, while the world watches the “lungs of the world” burn. 

something needs to change within the way everyone around the world views the environment. people need to realize that they have a major impact on the environment and how people around the world see the destruction occurring, especially in the amazon. the amazon plays a key role in the prosperity of the world, so to watch it burn is like a cut right to the heart. we see many interconnections with how the government treats the environment and how that, in turn, causes the citizens of brazil to destroy one of the only tropical forests still intact. the people don’t see an issue with what they do since their farming and economy has much more importance than that of the environment. of course, there are always exceptions to these people, as many are also fighting the destruction of the amazon. if the amazon continues to burn, these people will lose their livelihoods and, potentially, their lives. the destruction of the amazon rainforest will leave a lasting impact on how the governments treat the environment and how citizens react to these changes, whether positive or negative. 

perhaps one of the most reported stories in recent weeks leaves much to be desired. in the space of just 48 hours, 2,500 fires had been started in the amazon rainforest, not only placing at risk the trees that absorb 5% of annual emissions, but also the more than 10 million species of animals who claim the rainforest as their home. and, as usual, twitter is abuzz with haunting images of burning trees, most of which come from last decade, but hey, it’s the thought that counts! #prayforamazonas.

which begs the question, considering just how deadly these fires are, brazil must be scrambling to stamp them out, right? if this was what you thought, you’d be surprised.

because the only thing that catches faster than forest fires is a viral phenomenon known as the trump effect. it’s crossed the atlantic, reaching so far as england,/ and now, it could be spreading into south america. the latest victim is brazilian president jair bolsonaro, a long-time opponent of environmental advocacy in brazil, so much so that his people have dubbed him captain chainsaw, which isn’t a becoming title for someone in charge of 60% percent of the world’s largest carbon sink.

with this in mind, it should come as no surprise that when the amazon fires started, he told reporters, “the ministry of justice can send 40 men to combat the fight, but do you understand that? forty men. there are not enough resources. we are in chaos.” 

his failure to meet fire with fire (or in this case, water) was just one act in a docudrama of negligence.

bolsonaro reportedly spent the evening of aug. 23 watching standup from a prominent christian right-wing comic. and to add to the irony, he did this while his pre-recorded speech was broadcasting, the one apologizing for his inaction.

with a national emergency formally declared (48 hours of noxious destruction later), bolsonaro finally had grounds to call in the brazilian army to lend a hand (and pail) to the fire. but a bad taste still lingers in the mouths of many international spectators. 

as early as aug. 28, when these fires first made international news, bolsonaro was calling out environmental ngos in his country, professing that “there is a strong suspicion that people from the ngo’s lost the teat.” he suggested that environmental protection agencies were intentionally destroying swaths of the amazon to “bring about problems for brazil” after losing government funding. and if that sounds like a crackpot idea, it’s because it is.

when reporters asked bolsonaro for the basis of his so-called suspicions, he shot back, “for god’s sake, there’s no proof of that, nobody writes, ‘i will set fire to that.’” because of course, no one could possibly be careless enough to leave a paper trail of environmental neglect. except, that is, if you’re bolsonaro.

in the wake of this amazon disaster, open democracy uncovered incriminating powerpoint presentations used at a february meeting between bolsonaro’s government officials and leaders in the para state of brazil, home to the amazonia national park. one slide read, “development projects must be implemented on the amazon basin to integrate it into the rest of the national territory in order to fight off international pressure for the implementation of the so-called ‘triple a’ project.” triple a here refers to a group of multilateral conservation projects in the amazon rainforest, the andes mountains and the atlantic ocean, all of which bolsonaro has doggedly opposed.

what’s more? the powerpoint continues, “to do this, it is necessary to build the trombetas river hydroelectric plant, the Óbidos bridge over the amazon river, and the implementation of the br-163 highway to the border.” bolsonaro made it easy for us; there is no prevarication here, nor misdirection. the objective is loud and clear: stymie conservation efforts by damaging brazil’s natural resources. and, if you’ll kindly recall bolsonaro’s unfounded accusations of ngos working in his country, it seems he was guilty of the very behavior he decried.

in spite of all this inculpatory evidence, i think the mainstream media gives bolsonaro a lot of undeserved credit. how much of his decision to confront the amazonian conflagration is attributable to his altruistic and justified concern for brazil, and how much is just, uh…sem bolas?

shortly after his whole “40 firefighters” statement, france’s golden boy, president emmanuel macron, publicly threatened bolsonaro with an obstruction of the eu-mercosur free trade agreement, a groundbreaking trade deal between the two blocs that eliminates tariffs on agricultural goods from the mercosur bloc. macron, and virtually any other un member state, would have known that this was an incontrovertible pressure point, not just for brazil but also for argentina, paraguay, and uruguay, the other members of mercosur. 

the timing of this threat and bolsonaro’s reinstated commitment to the amazon fires just seems too quick, too reactionary, too…apprehensive. and, as usual, bolsonaro made his intentions clear when, in his aug. 23, evening speech he said, “forest fires exist in the whole world and this cannot serve as a pretext for possible international sanctions.” i don’t know, what could he possibly be nervous about? 

thankfully for him, a few leaders have stepped in to offer a reassuring squeeze. ok, more like one. in a recent tweet, president trump said, “our future trade prospects are very exciting and our relationship is strong, perhaps stronger than ever before.” sounds like trump really empathizes with bolsonaro’s plight. or maybe their priorities just align really well. after all, both are right-wing capitalists, climate change deniers, and have structured their entire campaigns around building stronger, more self-sufficient economies (fine print: through an unadulterated bashing of foreign competition). 

but the similarities don’t end there. bolsonaro’s rhetoric also displays uniquely trumpian tones, occasionally producing bewildering gems like “brazil is like a virgin that every pervert from the outside lusts for.” in all seriousness, that comment does deserve a second look because it offers us an incisive, behind-the-scenes peek at the primary motive behind his vehement anti-environmentalism: political control. 

bolsonaro has given the logging, mining, and farming industries in brazil clearance to annex land owned by native communities on the sole basis that they manage what he considers unreasonably vast amounts of wealth. similarly, he cannot distinguish between foreign aid and sovereignty infringement. look, for example, at how his administration views norway’s and germany’s generous donations to the amazon fund.

“we’re not naïve,” said brazilian chief of staff onyx lorenzoni, “there’s a view out in the world, sponsored by nongovernmental organizations, that relativizes brazil’s sovereignty over the amazon. here’s a little message: ‘don’t play around with us.’” 

the point is, bolsonaro is digging himself a precipitous hole, especially when he lets his own ego stand in the way of him and a $20 million donation from the g7. 

meu deus. the good people of twitter may need to change their tune. #prayforbolsonaro.

movement 1: the morning sonata

the sounds of the city drifted to a hum as the shifting trucks rattled through cracks in the road forcing the riders to jig in their seats. the sun’s heavy rays rolled along weary backs popping like a snare. at mid-day, the heat tames the forest, the tempo is slow and muddled. sounds meandered from trunk to trunk, where shaded hollows shield sleeping wildlife. after noon, there was an intermission. the sun-beaten visitors circled in chatter, reflecting on the superb acts of the morning.  

movement 2: a slow adagio 

as night rolled in and the clamor and clang of dinner dishes ceased, all visitors retired to their hammocks. there they wrapped themselves in fabrics coated in scents of home. they closed their eyes to reveal lids painted with the stars of a serene night sky. the unseen, skillful singer hummed to them good night lullabies. and though the sleep could only be described as complete peace, they often stirred to the low, gurgling growls of monkeys deep in the darkness offset by sweet chirps swimming from birds’ breasts flickering in the forest foliage.

movement 3: daybreak minuet

at dawn, buzzing cicadas bounced vibrations from tree to tree ushering in the audience and introducing the first round: wisps, whips, and whistles whirling across treetops, whispering to the crowd below. the meter quickly was uncovered by restless flies for their masterful demonstration. waving trees, free-falling leaves, and the decomposing matter on the forest floor, too, displayed a capability to dance about the scenery with expert sonic capacity; truly, they proved to be the liveliest of the bunch. spotted skipping above the shading, petite primates conducted the vegetation in 4/4. the morning composition was soon to reach its climax – but, for that the musicians needed silence, not excitement. experienced artists know how to make a scene whole: sometimes one must step aside. the wind, she was delicate, shy, and moved with secrecy; so, with swift elegance she navigated her way. upon her arrival, the act reached its pinnacle. as she departed, it dissipated into the rain.

movement 4: final allegro 

the evening was the act of the duets – all solo specialists retired for the day following the imposing performance at noon. all voices, all vibrations, paired. each body dedicated itself to magnifying the other. this wasn’t simply harmonizing, but magnetizing, drawing together both players and drawing the ears of all listeners. the result was nothing less than the creation of a single essence; a buzz to a chirp, a ring to a thump, a rustle to a breeze.

sounds of a natural melody

in the amazon no sound fights for dominance, and no sounds fight for a place. all cast members of the musical give room for the next one in. by relinquishing control over the external world, one gains complete control of their self and their sound.

the amazon conducts the sounds of biodiversity with great mastery. hierarchy is its great baton; there cannot be balance without it. some shall sing fortissimo one moment while others sing pianissimo, and their positions can switch fluidly with the measure. the spotlight is wide and bright. the symphony would not progress so seemingly effortlessly if not for this understanding. birds in the canopy sing with excellency, yet they cannot thump in the tree trunks below.   

however, the ear of the performer is not the same ear possessed by the listener. the audience has not studied the nuances of tone and volume made second nature for the musicians and conductor after years of sitting in the fire learning from life.

for many listeners, as the howler monkeys play fortissimo at 5 am and the crickets play mezzo piano underneath, the crickets sit in the background far beneath howler monkeys, and instead of keeping rhythm, maintaining pace, and accentuating the roars of the beast – it’s their time to shine as well. in fact, without the crickets, the howler monkeys’ roar would serve only as a somber moan and not as an enthusiastic declaration of their entrance. much in the same way a saxophone cannot dazzle the crowd with a melodic masterpiece if the drums do not stay in the pocket to be felt.

our interpretation of the sonic landscape being built on the ends of our ears appear drastically different when the barriers we build around each individual performer are absolved and their sounds are given the freedom to interlope, overlap, and support one another. of course, this is not a concept ingrained into the listener. therefore, most listeners must actively work to tear down those artificial walls built around the musicians and their instruments.

for many listeners who sit down and listen to a concert, the measure of music quality is the similarity in skill level between all performers on their respective instruments, not discern a complete. for a piece to pass into the threshold of immaculate, all players must execute with precision; if they play their part then it will come together as it says on the paper. and while, only the proven play on the highest stage, a robotic performance is far from exceptional.

the squirrel monkeys that skip from branch to branch do not do so with an impervious cadence, the buzzing insects do not rumble a continuous vibration, and the wind, with her paralyzing performance, leaves gaps of hesitation at her climax.

these performers do not play the same part in different ways, but play different parts in different ways. the excitement of the concert comes to those who devote time and effort to break down those interloping barriers; to let loose a wide-ranging palette of sounds and colors that come from the imperfections of the amazon’s musical masters. that the sonorous conservatory of the amazon can produce a sound that suggests uniformity with a cast of eccentric characters is what makes this the lauded exhibition that it is.

witness the natural beauties of manaus, brazil. sail through the arteries of the rainforest — the rio negro. shop around at a floating market — a backbone for the country’s tourism industry. go out on a limb at janauari ecological park and check out the giant water lilies that have inspired architecture around the world.

with an open mind and a small green footprint, this 360° video puts the power in your hands. come explore — see for yourself.

this is moving the planet forward.

—

narration by nolan hausler

sources: science alert, world travels, plants of the world online, frontiers in materials science and greenpeace

but first — as my stomach reminded me, grumbling in hunger — breakfast. after an employee directed me to the restaurant, filled with a buffet of local foods, i perused the offerings and, oddly, skipped over my go-to favorite (carbs), because something else caught my eye: fruit.

neatly arranged on silver platters in the middle of the buffet were fruits ranging from bright red watermelon to blood orange papayas to yellow honeydew, and all met my gaze as i crept around the fruit table like a jaguar circling its prey.

i paused. “since when have i ever been this intrigued by fruit?” i thought.

keeping an open mind, i stacked my plate with as much fruit as it could hold and walked over to a table, careful not to drop anything from my overflowing plate on the floor.

“the pineapple,” i thought as i sat down. “i’ll try this first.”

my knife cut like butter through the slice of pineapple and i took a bite.  

i stopped chewing for a second. my eyes widened as the perfect, almost candylike sweetness of the pineapple struck my taste buds. it was the best damn pineapple i’d ever had. immediately i knew i could never go back to its american cousin; it doesn’t hold a candle to brazilian pineapple.

as i savored these fruits, i pondered: why is the fruit in brazil so good, and where does it come from? i knew i would have to do some research to learn more.

conveniently, i learned, my trip to brazil took me right to the source: the amazon rainforest. the rainforest, which is as big as the continental united states, harbors more than 10% of the world’s species and is home to 350 ethnic groups.

the rainforest also serves as a feeding ground for both humans and animals through its fruit production. boasting vast agricultural diversity, the amazon rainforest is the source of least 3,000 fruits, while only about 200 of those are consumed in the western world. it is home to fruits ranging from figs and lemons to bananas and guavas, the amazon provides the state of amazonas — and much of the world — with fruits created by mother nature herself.

josé luís camargo, a brazilian plant ecologist, researcher, and teacher who accompanied us on the trip to the amazon, said the fruits from the rainforest are among the most unique in the world. certain fruits like açaí — a highly nutritious purple berry — are special to the rainforest and are popular in not just brazil, but other parts of the world, including america.

“more of the local fruits are rich — very rich,” camargo said. “what happens for most of the people who live outside the amazon — most of the fruits you don’t find other places. only here.”

vegetables, however, are not as popular. camargo said there are some common vegetables used in meals, but joked that not a lot of brazilians eat “leaves” like americans do.

“vegetables are not a thing — it depends on the vegetables. some of them are very common, like tomate (tomato) … part of the regular food here doesn’t go with salad.”

being the third largest exporter of fruit, behind china and india, respectively, brazil also showcases the diversity of its fruits. from açaí, camu camu (a vitamin c-packed so-called “superfood”) to maracuyá (passionfruit) and aguaje (which has a high concentration of vitamin a, as well as vitamins e and c), brazil produces exotic fruits that make even the biggest foodies marvel at the uniqueness of the sweet delectables — and the nutritional impact they can provide both locals and consumers in other countries.

over the past several years, the fruit industry in brazil has risen 25%, dominating the country’s export economy, and provided 5.6 million jobs. about 35% of the world’s oranges come from brazil and more than half of the world’s orange juice is made there, too. in 2013, 14,598 tons of oranges were exported by brazil, serving countries like the united states, germany, uruguay, france and more.

beyond the economic and nutritional impact, camargo said the fruit is a big part of what makes the amazon special.

it’s what gives camargo a sense of home — no matter where he travels in brazil. for others in the city of manaus, it’s how they make a living — selling fruits in small shacks outside, under the blaze of the brazilian sun. for me? the fruit created a sense of comunidade.

“community” in portuguese, comunidade is what i felt as i turned every corner in brazil. i felt it from its people, its music, and, yes, its fruit.

in fact, it was the fruit that brought all of us together during our time at camp 41 — the home base for a series of scientific studies done deep in the amazon.

with no technology embedded in our hands — and little knowledge about each other — our gatherings at the seemingly out of place, red-checkered tablecloth-clad picnic tables in the middle of the rainforest, nibbling on the sweetest of fruits that came from the rainforest made me simply happy. it’s the comunidade that moves the planet forward.

while others marveled at the abundance of insect and animal life in the rainforest, i marveled at the fruit. the fruit was pure — it came from the heart of the amazon to the table. no factories involved. no planes. just forest to table.