An interview with Heath Packard, our Chief Philanthropy Officer who just celebrated ten years with Island Conservation!

At the heart of Island Conservation’s mission is restoring and protecting the beautiful, valuable biodiversity found on islands and their surrounding oceans. And what a pleasure it is to see that the theme of this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity is “Build Back Biodiversity”! As the United Nations explains:

While there is a growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to future generations, the number of species is being significantly reduced by certain human activities. Given the importance of public education and awareness about this issue, the UN decided to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity annually.”

Our Chief Philanthropy Officer Heath Packard recently celebrated ten years (that’s right – a DECADE) of service to Island Conservation and dozens of island-ocean ecosystems around the world! We couldn’t think of a better person to reflect on and celebrate this significant day in conservation, and how removing invasive species is so important to protecting biodiversity.

Heath, it’s International Day for Biological Diversity 2023 and the theme is From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity. What does taking action mean to Island Conservation and its supporters in today’s world?

The first thing that comes to my mind is partnership. The only way we get anything done and make any progress in this world is by working together, and supporting island communities is fundamental to our mission. That extends to working with their governments, non-government organizations, regional organizations and global institutions to preserve, protect and restore islands.

And of course, the reason we focus on those islands is that they’re hotbeds for biodiversity – the rich tapestry of life that sustains the world that we live in. Biological diversity relies on natural resources, balanced ecosystems, sustainable oceans and thriving communities that form part of these interconnected systems.

“Building Back Biodiversity” reminds us of our imperative to take care of this world for future generations, especially in the face of climate change. But it must be done with a spirit of collaboration:  establishing agreements, sharing intentions, and directing investments that will protect our natural world.

What is a personal experience of island biodiversity that has moved you? Is there one that comes to mind as an inspiring memory – or one you share to inspire our supporters?

One of my favorite Island Conservation biodiversity stories took place on Pinzon Island in the Galapagos – a stunning region which I was fortunate to visit early on in my tenure here. To set the scene, remember that Darwin was heavily inspired by the Galapagos, and his research there contributed to our modern understanding of evolution and biodiversity. The isolated islands result in dwarfism and giantism – truly unique species that need protection.

Giant tortoises are particularly renowned in the area, but the Pinzon Giant Tortoise was declared Extinct-in the-Wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which means they were unable to reproduce in their natural environment. Why? Mainly because of introduced, damaging invasive species that were predating on the tortoise hatchlings and the tortoise eggs. It’s heartbreaking.

But Island Conservation and our partners at the Galapagos National Park and the Galapagos Biosecurity Agency, amongst others, collaborated to rid that island of those invasive interlopers. And a few years ago, for the first time in recorded history, we had video – and we actually witnessed – Pinzon Giant Tortoise crawling out of their nest! A biodiversity icon, reestablished in its natural habitat for the first time in a hundred years. And, as a result, the species has been downlisted to “Vulnerable”. Now that’s inspirational!

You’ve just celebrated ten years at Island Conservation. Over the last decade, what changes have you seen in how people understand and engage with the idea of protecting and restoring our natural world?

One of the reasons I’m drawn to this work is because of the hope our work instills and the fact that we have measurable impact that happens. It’s rare to see change in such a short time span. I’ve seen many success stories and lots of recovery stories for species and ecosystems across the globe.

In today’s world, people are hungry for stories of hope! We’re trying to spread our message to scale and maximize these positive impacts. And I feel like there’s a growing awareness. People are paying attention. More and more people are concerned about some of the environmental crises that we’re facing.”

There’s an extinction crisis, a climate crisis and an ocean crisis. But there’s also a groundswell of interest, of concern, of engagement. People are inspired to act – and to act together. My role at Island Conservation is working with donors, but I like to think that we’re all friend-raisers and fundraisers here. We all want to amplify this work and the message so we can leave this world a better place than we found it. I love that!

What are some day-to-day actions people from all walks of life can engage in to promote biodiversity and “build it back”? How can people feel that they have a role in our world’s future no matter where they are?

That’s a question I ask myself every day. No action is too small! The first thing, I think, is to raise your own awareness. Reflect about the choices you make and how those choices might be shifted to alleviate pressures on our natural world to increase the possibility for a more sustainable future and to help lead by influence.

In our household, we are trying conscientiously to reduce the amount of single use plastics that we use here and it’s really, really difficult to do. So it’s really important is to give yourself permission not to be “perfect”, but rather to be moving in the right direction. Same thing with carpooling, or walking instead of driving, or taking your bike. These are all things that are going to be part of our future and the path to a healthier, more sustainable landscape.

Just this weekend, we were, we were out in our garden and we were weeding, getting rid of noxious and invasive weeds and making sure that some of our native plantings and other plants that support the local pollinators in our garden are able to thrive and support the local ecosystem. They’re drought tolerant, and they are helping to protect the biodiversity that’s here in our own neighborhood.

Change happens from individual choices, and momentum comes from there. I hope our supporters are inspired on International Day of Biological Diversity to take a simple action that can protect and sustain our planet!”