[Fwd: Caribbean Biodiversity Conference Press Release, FYI]

From: Mabel Sanabria <msanabria@caribbeanhotels.org>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 12:53:47 -0400

THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

July 17, 2001
Press Is Invited To Attend

THE CARIBBEAN, AMONG THE MOST CRITICAL OF "HOTSPOTS"
ACROSS THE GLOBE, DRAWS SCIENTISTS, POLICYMAKERS, AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS
TO ADDRESS URGENT BIODIVERSITY ISSUES

Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, Dr. Sylvia Earle,
Dr. Eloy Rodriguez, Oscar De La Renta, and Theodore W. Kheel
To Speak At A Scientific Conference

Hosted By
Conservation International, The New York Botanical Garden, The Cornell
Biodiversity Laboratory, The Punta Cana Ecological Foundation, and The
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic

Only 11.3% of the Caribbean's primary vegetation remains. The Caribbean
is home to 2.3% of the world's endemic plant species and 2.9% of endemic
vertebrate species- enormously significant percentages considering that
the Caribbean contributes to only .15% of the Earth's surface.

These findings have prompted Conservation International to designate the
Caribbean as one of 25 "Hotspots"-relatively small regions containing
high percentages of endemic species-across the globe. In fact, the
Caribbean ranks among the top 8 of those "Hotspots," requiring the
highest priority for conservation.

July 26 - 29, 2001

CARIBBEAN BIODIVERSITY:

AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE INTEGRATING SCIENCE AND POLICY

This "Caribbean Hotspot" initiative will provide an assessment of the
amount and distribution of Caribbean biodiversity and threatened
species. Environmental policymakers from the region will speak to the
challenges their respective country's face concerning threats to
biodiversity and the often conflicting needs to sustain their economies.
Finally, technical workshops will address the policymaker's challenges
through a proposal for a long-term research and development strategy
aimed at integrating biodiversity, science, and policymaking decisions.
Participants are some of the most knowledgeable scientists,
conservationists, and policymakers on Caribbean biodiversity.
more
Hosts and speakers include:
* Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy, Chief Biodiversity Advisor at the World
Bank
* Theodore W. Kheel, New York labor mediator, lawyer,
philanthropist
* Oscar de la Renta, couturier
* Dr. Sylvia Earle, former Chief Scientist for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
* Dr. Brian M. Boom, Vice President for Botanical Science and
Pfizer Curator of Botany, The New York Botanical Garden
* Dr. Michael Smith, Caribbean Biodiversity Research Program
Fellow, Conservation International
* Dr. Frank Moya Pons, Minister of Environment, Dominican Republic
* Dr. Eloy Rodriguez, Director, Cornell University Biodiversity
Laboratory
* Dr. Alejandro Herrera, Executive Director, Punta Cana Ecological
Foundation

Dr. Brian Boom of The New York Botanical Garden and Dr. Michael Smith of
Conservation International are the principal organizers of Caribbean
Biodiversity. It is co-sponsored by The New York Botanical Garden, The
Center for Applied Biodiversity Science at Conservation International,
Cornell Biodiversity Laboratory at Punta Cana, The Punta Cana Ecological
Foundation, and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the
Dominican Republic.

Caribbean Biodiversity will be held at the Punta Cana Ecological Reserve
in the Dominican Republic.

The Caribbean Biodiversity conference will afford an extraordinary
opportunity for policymakers and scientists with interests in the West
Indies to meet, exchange ideas and perspectives, and work toward
innovative solutions to their shared concerns about the endangerment of
the flora and fauna of the region.-Dr. Brian Boom, Vice President of
Science, The New York Botanical Garden

The sciences that deal with biodiversity have been revolutionized by new
information technology. That means we're in a whole new ballgame when
it comes to delivering scientific information that really is valuable to
Caribbean societies. This conference gives us the chance to fine-tune
the lines of communication between scientists and the policymakers whose
decisions will set the fate of many Caribbean species.-
Dr. Michael Smith, Caribbean Biodiversity Research Program fellow,
Conservation International

We are interested in Hotspot biodiversity for more than collecting and
identifying species. Biodiversity is the essence of genetic diversity.
The greater the genetic diversity, the greater the likelihood of
discovering natural medicines and products to benefit humans, animals,
and ecosystems. The Caribbean Biodiversity conference will illuminate
the need for intense study and urgent action plans.-Dr. Eloy Rodriguez,
Director, Cornell University Biodiversity Laboratory

 July 24 - 25, 2001

FLORA OF THE GREATER ANTILLES WORKING GROUP

Prior to the Caribbean Biodiversity conference, a coalition of the
international scientific community will meet to continue development on
the most comprehensive scientific program ever for the understanding of
Antillean biodiversity and biogeography.
The Flora of the Greater Antilles Working Group is producing the
definitive guide (expected to be forty volumes) to the plants and fungi
of the Greater Antilles region-Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic,
Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and
Navassa.

Dr. William R. Buck, Senior Curator, Institute of Systematic Botany, The
New York Botanical Garden, is the principal organizer for the Flora of
the Greater Antilles Working Group.

* * *

MEDIA CONTACTS:

The New York Botanical Garden

* Mary Tobin, 718-817-8815 or mtobin@nybg.org
Conservation International

* Brad Phillips, 202-912-1532 or b.phillips@conservation.org
Cornell University Biodiversity Laboratory at Punta Cana

* Roger Segelken, 607-255-9736 or hrs2@cornell.edu
Punta Cana Ecological Foundation

* Chris Pearson, 305-448-5949 or
<mailto:chris@thepearsongroup.com> chris@thepearsongroup.com
Received on Sun Jul 29 17:32:44 2001