©Wildlife Conservation Society
December 4, 2014
The Royal Connection
- as seen by -
Caroline Catchpole
In a few days, New York City will welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
As the city prepares to roll out the red carpet for what will be the Duchess’s very first visit to the Big Apple, I thought this the perfect opportunity to take a look back at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s own brush with royalty.
William’s grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was WCS’s guest of honor at the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in 1980. There, accompanied on stage by WCS conservationists Howard Phipps, Jr. and George Schaller, he delivered the Fairfield Osborn Memorial Lecture in Environmental Sciences.
Entitled “Conflicts of Interests,” the Duke’s talk observed that “in the final analysis, nature is at risk through the conflict of human interests”— a statement, that sadly, still holds true 34 years later.
It is encouraging that the Duke’s grandson has also taken up the cause. This upcoming visit coincides with the launch of William’s new charity United for Wildlife, a collaboration between seven of the largest international conservation organizations including WCS.
What better advocates to have in your corner than the royal family!
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