Oct 24, 2006

Heroes of wildlife conservation honored

Janet Duca Norton

The Wildlife Conservation Network presented a weekend of activities from Oct. 6-8. There was something for everyone, including a gala dinner at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club that celebrated wildlife and its heroes, a public conservation expo at Foothill College and a casual Sunday afternoon garden party featuring Peruvian and African food and music.

Conservation Network founders Akiko Yamazaki, John Lukas and executive director Charlie Knowles were pleased with the sold-out success of the gala dinner. Donors had the opportunity to talk with 12 partner conservationists from around the world, observe handsome endangered animals - including a cheetah - and meet two international celebrities, Kenny G and Cindy Crawford.

The evening honored Pat Nelson and Steve Gold for their generous donations, which have led to the launching of new projects. Gold spent two years assembling solar power equipment to be used by conservation partners in Kenya, Ethiopia and Botswana. Nelson, the trustee of the Sidney Byers Charitable Trust, endowed a $1 million scholarship fund to be awarded for graduate degrees in host countries.

"Wildlife Network is one of the outstanding conservation organizations in the world. It's most exciting to work with top conservationists from around the world, and to be able to provide scholarships for the development of future generations of conservation leaders," Nelson said.

Leading the applause were Brooks and Marilyn Nelson, Carol Kay, Jeanese and Bob Rowell, Rene and Brian Hollins, Vickie and Carl Warden, Sue and Tom Harrington, and Lynne and Doug Shearer.

The Wildlife Conservation Network is unique. It uses a venture capital model to award entrepreneurial backing to field-based conservationists, who work to protect endangered species and preserve their natural habitats.

Grammy Award-winning musician Kenny G, who is one of Knowles' longtime friends, has become involved with Iain Douglas-Hamilton's elephant project, and said it was inspirational to hear from conservationists and an honor to help with the evening.

Former supermodel Cindy Crawford, who co-hosted the evening, said, "I'm a total newbie. I salute the heroic nature of conservationists; they live under dangerous conditions."