We are proud to announce that Stuart Pimm, Founder and President of Saving Nature, has been awarded the 2019 International Cosmos Prize in recognition of his outstanding achievements in promoting “The Harmonious Coexistence between Nature and Mankind” and for his contributions to the advancement of a global outlook and long-term vision for Earth’s future.

The prize, widely viewed as one of the most prestigious honors presented in the environmental field, recognizes the culmination of Dr. Pimm’s leadership in preventing the loss of biodiversity.  Past recipients of the Cosmos Prize include Jane Goodall, E.O. Wilson, Richard Dawkins, and Sir David Attenborough, among other luminaries in the fields of conservation science and natural history.

In selecting Pimm as this year’s laureate, the prize jury cited not only his research and scholarship but also his leadership of Saving Nature and the impact the organization has had, particularly in protecting and restoring habitat for threatened biodiversity in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, India, and Sumatra.

The jury also cited Pimm’s commitment to fostering future environmental leaders by mentoring students at all levels – doctoral, master’s, undergraduate and even high school — and giving them hands-on experience in the lab and field as members of his research team.

A prolific and widely cited scientist, Pimm has published more than 330 peer-reviewed research studies, including seminal works on biodiversity and species loss in the Everglades, the coastal forests of Brazil, and the northern Andes, the latter two of which are among the planet’s hotspots for threatened species.

His work has helped shed light on the threats facing hundreds of endangered species, from iconic ones such as giant pandas, African elephants, and lions, to humble creatures like the Cape Sable seaside sparrow, a sentinel species of environmental health in Florida’s Everglades.

In addition to his scientific papers, he has published four books intended for mainstream audiences, including a widely praised assessment of human impacts on the planet, The World According to Pimm: A Scientist Audits the Earth, in 2001.

Pimm also has testified before both the U.S. House and Senate on the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act.