Latest news with #WCS
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
WCS Gala Honors Samper, Raises $2.5 Million
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) held its annual gala on Thursday night at the bucolic Central Park Zoo. The evening honored Dr. Cristián Samper for his lifelong commitment to conservation. Samper, who is currently the Managing Director at the Bezos Earth Fund, was the former President and CEO of WCS where he was revered for his leadership and his global conservation work. The gala raised $2.5 million; proceeds will support WCS's ongoing efforts to protect critical ecosystems and foster a deeper connection between people and nature. Samper has been instrumental in shaping global conservation efforts, including the Protecting Our Planet Challenge, a $5 billion initiative aimed at protecting 30% of the planet by 2030. Robert G. Menzi, Cristian Samper, Alejandro Santo Domingo Jason Crowley/ 'Conservation is so important because it's the future of our planet,' said WCS Board Chairman Alejandro Santo Domingo. 'We need to make sure that we leave our children a healthy planet. WCS does amazing things, with boots-on-the-ground scientists who do whatever it takes to conserve complicated environments. We work hand-in-hand with indigenous populations, and make sure they are part of the solution. There is no better champion for nature than Cristián, and at WCS, we will always be thankful for his years of leadership with us.' Cocktails were held around the seal tank, currently under renovation, and guests were happy to finally bring out their summer wardrobes thanks to the unusually balmy weather. Lots of drinks cool drinks were being ordered at the bar, as Muffie Potter Aston, Chuck and Ellen Scarborough, and Allison and Leonard Stern chatted off to the side. Ellen Scarborough, Chuck Scarborough Jason Crowley/ 'I have been a trustee for 14 years, and I think this is the most wonderful wildlife conservation organization on earth,' said Gala Co-Chair Allison Stern. 'A lot of people don't know that we not only run the Bronx Zoo, the Central Park Zoo, the Queens Zoo, the Prospect Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium, but we also have projects in over 55 countries, where we study snow leopards, lowland gorillas, pancake tortoises, and many more. We work with some of the best conservation scientists on the planet.' Leonard N. Stern, Allison Stern Jason Crowley/ WCS trustees were excited at the prospect of greeting their new President and CEO, Adam Falk, who will take the reins on July 1. Thrilled about his upcoming responsibilities, Falk hopes to continue WCS's important work in years to come, and has a deep understanding of the urgency with which global environmental change is needed. 'There is no organization in the world with the scope and impact of mission that compares to WCS,' said Falk. 'Both locally, in the Bronx and in New York City, all the way up through the global network to save the planet, there is no other organization that spans the local to the global in the way WCS does. The most important issue global wildlife conservation faces is the rapid changes happening to our planet, right now, including climate change, pollution, and deforestation. All of these issues impact our ability to conserve wild spaces for animals. We have to figure out ways to respond that are faster and more nimble than ever before.' Gillian Hearst, Ryan Jansen Jason Crowley/ Guests, including co-chairs Elizabeth and Lee Ainslie, Judy and Jamie Dimon, Howdy Phipps, Kitty and Stephen Sherrill, Janet and John Irwin, Priscilla and Ward Woods, and Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang then strolled into dinner, held in an open tent under the stars. There was much to learn about conservation, the importance of zoos for preserving endangered species, and the responsibility we each share in preserving our beautiful planet. As a parting gift, the goody bag was a pouch of M&Ms with a bat stamped on each, a celebration of The Bronx Zoo's new World of Darkness exhibit featuring 25 nocturnal species. The exhibit will open to the public on Saturday, July 12.
Cision Canada
11-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Live Caffeine demonstration rounds out a landmark day at the 2025 World Computer Summit
SINGAPORE, June 11, 2025 /CNW/ -- On June 3rd 2025, DFINITY Foundation hosted a market-leading selection of international technologists, developers, policy makers, community members, builders, and pioneers in Zürich for the second World Computer Summit (WCS) – a one-day event dedicated to the future of the open internet. The event focused on several themes, all critical to the realisation of the World Computer vision. These included the topics of decentralised compute, sovereign cloud and data infrastructure, tamperproof and autonomous infrastructure, the role and need for AI on chain, the investment and regulatory landscape, and the many efforts DFINITY is undertaking to help make digital landscapes safer, more productive, and more interconnected than ever before. The diverse range of influential speakers spanned companies and institutions such as Animoca Brands, UNDP, Cisco, Heidrick & Struggles, ETH Zurich, 21Shares, Boston Consulting Group, Credit Agricole Italia, and many more, who all shared a similar message: decentralization and AI adoption are no longer abstract concepts or nice to haves – but an urgent, achievable reality. With more than 1,000 attendees welcomed for a Main Stage program of keynotes, panels, firesides, demos, the most notable moment of the day came just before the event's close, as DFINITY Foundation's Founder and Chief Scientist, Dominic Williams, unveiled a new paradigm for the Self-Writing Internet. As Dom delivered the world's first, live, onstage demo of DFINITY's hotly anticipated Caffeine AI tool, it was clear for all those in attendance that this secure, customisable, end-to-end, app builder has the potential to radically transform the lives of anyone with internet access - all through its easy-to-use natural language prompt and highly intuitive user interface. He also announced the opening of the hotly anticipated waitlist for alpha access, with sign ups now accessible via the dedicated microsite Caffeine is the world's first self-writing apps platform, and represents a milestone development for DFINITY Foundation. Community engagement and developer activations One of the most notable aspects of WCS25 was the strength and enthusiasm of the ICP builder and holder community, with an entire section of the event staged to platform, engage, and demonstrate ICP's exceptional capabilities to builders of all levels of growth. From early-stage developers to established dapp teams and infrastructure providers, this part of the event highlighted the diversity and momentum of the ICP ecosystem. Pitches and Panels in this section included notable ICP projects, such as KongSwap, Liquidium, PiggyCell, Omnity Network, and more. Throughout the day, the Ecosystem Stage played host to an engaging array of demonstrations, project pitches, use cases and builder tools, spanning DeFi, Agentic AI, RWA, and more. DFINITY's expert teams also delivered critical project milestone updates and capability demonstrations for OISY Wallet and Chain Fusion technologies, to name just a few. A new era of Internet Computer 2.0 As the Summit drew to a close, it was clear that the movement for an open, decentralized Internet focusing on accessibility, data sovereignty and ownership is growing - and will be fueled by a combination of developer ambition and AI capabilities. The DFINITY Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to pushing forward to make this vision a reality, pushing the boundaries of what is possible and contributing to the development of breakthrough, real-world, applications. Speaking on the demonstration, Dominic Williams said, "We are proud to announce the advent of Internet Computer 2.0. The network now provides a unique cloud computing environment that enables AI to build solo. Today we demonstrated an incredible alpha version of the platform, which will be followed by a beta in about a month that will be released to the public. We are targeting a future where everyone in the world can create online functionality just by talking."
The Star
31-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Concerns over declining population of rare duck in Cambodia
This white-winged duck returned to its nest for two consecutive nights during a three-day research study. - Photo: Sam Veasna Company PHNOM PENH: Cambodia is home to fewer than 100 white-winged ducks, out of an estimated global population of just 800. A recent three-day field survey found only a single individual returning to its roost. Sam Veasna Conservation Tours, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), conducted a survey of the rare species in areas where they has been previously recorded. The research took place in the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary in Preah Vihear Province from May 21 to 23, according to a statement released by Sam Veasna on Thursday (May 29). During the fieldwork, two teams — each consisting of five members — monitored the site. Over the course of the three-day observation, they recorded one duck returning to its roost tree for two consecutive nights. Unfortunately, it arrived after dark and departed before dawn, making it difficult to observe. Despite this, the mission confirmed that at least one white-winged duck (Anas scutulata) still returns to its traditional roosting site, underscoring the vital importance of large Chhertheal trees along riverbanks, home to this critically endangered bird. The ducks inhabit tropical forest areas with slow-flowing rivers and streams, preferring quiet, wetland zones such as seasonal pools and swampy grasslands for foraging. White-winged wild ducks nest in holes in tall trees in forests near streams, creeks an other bodies of water. - Photo: Environment ministry The statement explained that most of Cambodia's white-winged duck population is found in the north, especially in Preah Vihear. Their numbers are critically low due to human threats such as illegal hunting and trapping, habitat loss, agricultural and settlement expansion, and notably, very low breeding rates. Both organisations urged local residents in these regions to stop activities that harm the duck population, emphasising that fewer than 100 individuals remain in Cambodia. The species is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. According to the Ministry of Environment, there are only about 800 individuals left worldwide, with viable populations and breeding activity confirmed in the Kulen Promtep sanctuary. This species is present year-round in Cambodia. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Paisley student competes in prestigious cooking competition in Venice
James McKay of the West College Scotland Paisley campus travelled to Italy last month to take part in the Unox Cookery Competition. It was ready steady cook for one Paisley student after he made the final of a prestigious competition. James McKay of the West College Scotland Paisley campus travelled to Italy last month to take part in the Unox Cookery Competition at the company's headquarters in Venice. The event saw college students from across the UK compete in an online cookery quiz over several months via the Unox app. The top ten students earned a coveted place in the grand final in Venice, where they faced a three-hour challenge to create a two-course meal using the Unox oven. Each finalist was also tasked with incorporating two mystery ingredients into their meals – lemongrass for the main and cinnamon for the dessert. James, along with Greenock campus student Pawel Martynk, represented West College Scotland (WCS). It was a close and fierce contest but James was pipped by Pawel to the top spot. However, the Paisley student maintained that although he never won, getting to meet people within the industry as well as experiencing the city of Venice was wonderful. He said: 'I really enjoyed going and competing in the Combiguru competition. I managed to meet new people and it helped with my experience in cooking. 'The people that ran the day were so nice and helpful, and I also got a lovely tour around Venice. I would highly recommend anyone to do it.' As the overall winner, Pawel received a professional set of chef's knives, a place on an exclusive bread and pizza-making course, and a state-of-the-art Unox oven for the Greenock campus—prizes totalling nearly £10,000. Chris Watson, curriculum quality leader for hospitality at WCS praised both students. 'I was delighted for both students to be representing the college at an international level,' he said. 'It was a great achievement even just making the finals in Venice. 'The competition was fierce, and it was testament to Pawel that he managed to come out on top. This is an annual event and I hope this result will inspire next year's intake to take part and hopefully succeed once again.' Jim McAllister, head of languages, business and leisure industries at the college, added: 'This is the second year in a row we have won this open competition. 'Another huge effort from the regional hospitality teaching staff, bringing success to WCS in an international arena. Special thanks to Chris for working with and encouraging staff and students to give up their time and energy in these endeavours.'
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Bronx Zoo Debuting New World of Darkness This Summer with Nocturnal Species from Around the World
BUSINESS WIRE)--The Bronx Zoo is opening the new World of Darkness featuring 25 nocturnal species on Saturday, July 12. The World of Darkness invites Bronx Zoo visitors to explore a nocturnal experience highlighting over 20 different habitats including tropical forests, wetlands, deserts, caves, and subterranean environments. Some of the featured species include sloths, pygmy slow loris, broad-snouted caiman, aye-aye, sand cats, naked mole rats, vampire bats and many other species. All the habitats in the World of Darkness are designed to showcase specialized adaptations and behaviors that allow these species to thrive in darkness. The World of Darkness first opened to the public on June 12, 1969, as the first major zoo exhibit to utilize a reverse light cycle. This innovation made it possible for visitors to see night-dwelling creatures during their active period. For the re-opening this summer of the exhibit, which closed in April 2009, the zoo built on its history of innovative lighting design and on the original concept of a reverse day-night cycle. The new World of Darkness features programmable LED lighting systems that simulate natural day-to-night transitions, with soft fades that mirror sunrise and sunset. Said Jim Breheny, Bronx Zoo Director and WCS Executive Vice President of Zoos & Aquarium: 'The opening of the new World of Darkness will once again provide Bronx Zoo visitors with a unique immersion experience to observe amazing creatures that have evolved to live and thrive in darkness. Many New Yorkers have great memories of the exhibit which originally opened in 1969. It was the first major zoo exhibit to feature nocturnal animals in a reverse light cycle. We have updated all aspects of the experience to ensure an amazing opportunity to enter a shadowy world rarely seen.' The exhibit, which will include English and Spanish graphic interpretation, will open to the public on Saturday July 12; and for Wildlife Conservation Society members, it can be previewed on Tuesday, July 8 (10AM-4PM), and Thursday, July 10 (1PM-4PM). World of Darkness is included in all Bronx Zoo entry tickets. Tickets can be purchased HERE. A link to the World of Darkness online can be found HERE. The Bronx Zoo The Bronx Zoo, located on 265 acres of hardwood forest in Bronx, NY, opened on Nov. 8, 1899. It is world-renowned for its leadership in the areas of animal welfare, husbandry, veterinary care, education, science and conservation. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the flagship park of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world's largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. Our curators and animal care staff work to save, propagate, and sustain populations of threatened and endangered species. We have educated and inspired more than 400 million visitors at our zoos and aquarium since our opening and host approximately 4 million guests at our parks each year – including about a half-million students annually. The Bronx Zoo is the largest youth employer in the borough of the Bronx, providing opportunity and helping to transform lives in one of the most under-served communities in the nation. The Bronx Zoo is the subject of THE ZOO, a docu-series aired world-wide on Animal Planet. Members of the media should contact mdixon@ (+1 (347) 840-1242) for more information or with questions.
