He’s Mapping Every Species on Earth to Save It

We talk a lot about “saving the planet,” but what does that actually look like when you get specific about species, maps, and real decisions on the ground? In this episode, I sit down with Brooks Bonner, Program Director of the Half-Earth Project at the EO Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, to unpack one of the most ambitious conservation ideas of our time.

Brooks and his team are building a global, open-access map that shows where species actually live, where they’re most at risk, and which areas we need to protect if we want biodiversity to survive. We get into how the Half-Earth map works, what it tells governments and NGOs, and why it’s as much a communication tool as it is a scientific one.

We also dive into Gorongosa National Park’s remarkable recovery after civil war, why local communities are absolutely central to any serious conservation effort, and how mentorship, study abroad, and simple childhood encounters with nature can steer an entire life toward protecting the living world. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by “the biodiversity crisis,” this conversation will give you a clearer, more hopeful way to think about it.