Living Planet: Preserving Edens of the Earth
The World Wildlife Fund has an ambitious goal. With its Living Planet campaign, WWF intends to preserve a bit of every major ecosystem type in the world. From Borneo to Ethiopia, Angola to Oregon, these conservation areas are a serious effort to prevent the complete destruction of rare and unique wildlife habitat. The project's goals are stated in the introduction toLiving Planet:By conserving the broadest variety of the world's habitats, we can conserve the broadest variety of the world's species and most endangered wildlife.... Regardless of where they are located, Global 200 ecoregions are all unique expressions of biological diversity, each with its own highly distinctive species, ecological processes, and evolutionary phenomena.To chronicle this "conservationist's vision of Noah's ark," WWF sent three extraordinarily talented nature photographers around the world. Frans Lanting specializes in intimate animal portraits,Galen Rowellin capturing mountainous landscapes, and David Doubilet in the underwater world. Each photographer contributes unforgettable portraits of the beauty and wonder of Earth's most fragile places.Living Planetis a truly stunning testament to the difficulties and successes of the Global 200 project. Breathtaking photos introduce readers to the diversity of plant and animal life in the ecoregions. Here's a small sample:a pair of tortoises basking on an island in the Indian Ocean. An enclosed wall poster shows the ecoregions around the globe. And to complete the package, a portion of the proceeds from the sale ofLiving Planetgoes to the World Wildlife Fund to help them continue their conservation work.--Therese Littleton