New Species Conservation Auction – Name That Lichen!

Direct link you YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWqG5atcOzg

Make a bid at  https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=233 for the naming rights to a species of newly discovered bryoria or “horsehair” lichen as part of a conservation fundraising effort to protect BC’s old-growth forests. This is a trial run of “taxonomic tithing” whereby BC botanical researcher Trevor Goward has donated the naming rights for a new species to a conservation organization – if the auction is successful, it could inspire other taxonomists to help conservation fundraising efforts for wildlife and ecosystems around the planet! 

WHY Should YOU Make a Bid for this New Species?

1. Your name would be enshrined as a legacy that could endure as long as our civilization lasts!

Having your name – or that of a loved one, your favourite celebrity, role model, hero, sports team – linked to a living species is a legacy that lasts a long time. It has been almost three centuries since the modern system of biological classification was developed by Carolus Linnaeus; and even now the names of people after whom he christened various plants and animals are still with us. With any luck your name will endure as long as our civilization does. Not even Shakespeare could hope for more than that!

2. It will help set a precedent for a potentially successful new way to raise millions of dollars for conservation around the world!

Thousands of new species are described by taxonomists every year.  If this fundraiser is successful, it will help to create a model that could convince other taxonomists to support conservation organizations, raising millions of dollars for conservation around the world for the Earth’s diverse ecosystems and biodiversity!

3. You will greatly help British Columbia’s leading – and leanest – environmental organization working at the forefront of the campaign to protect British Columbia’s endangered old-growth forests.

The old-growth forests of British Columbia are among the most magnificent forests on the planet, harbouring trees with trunks as wide as living rooms and that tower as tall as downtown skyscrapers. These forests are home to some of the largest and most charismatic animal species on Earth, including grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves, and mountain caribou, and some of the most endangered species, like the spotted owl and white-headed woodpecker.

The Ancient Forest Alliance has generated huge media coverage, public awareness, and policy influence in less than 2 years since its founding – with only a tiny fraction of the funding base compared to other major environmental organizations. The organization has built vital new support among tourism businesses, First Nations, politicians, forestry workers, and a large diversity of citizens that will ultimately lead to success if the campaign is adequately funded.

See more fascinating details about lichens and taxonomic tithing from Trevor Goward at: https://waysofenlichenment.net/tithe/introduction