Featuring: 

Ian Redmond, OBE
Chair, Ape Alliance
Ambassador for the UN Convention on Migratory Species

Primates and elephants act as gardeners in tropical forests and woodlands, dispersing seeds, creating light-gaps and fertilizing the soil with their dung. As their numbers decline so does their ecological impact. And if we lose the forests then we lose their ability to trap and lock away atmospheric carbon dioxide. Carbon sequestration by the three tropical forest blocks – Amazonia, Congo Basin and south east Asia - is an essential component in the global strategy to prevent dangerous climate change. If we value the forests for all the ecosystem services they provide, then we must protect the gardeners of the forest.
Ian Redmond is a tropical field biologist and conservationist, renowned for his work with great apes and elephants over 40 years. He has devoted his life to putting conservation principles into practice through investigation, education and advocacy. Ian has led anti-poacher patrols, advised in the making of documentaries such as BBC Life on Earth, carried out investigations into the primate trade, and worked in the conservation of gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and elephants.