Whitley Fund for Nature's People for Planet Summit

People for Planet

Nature needs advocates. Hear live from the visionary leaders who are uniting people to save biodiversity around the world.

Join us on 8 October at London's Royal Institution - the famous auditorium where Thomas Henry Huxley defended Charles Darwin's The Origin of the Species - for our second People for Planet Summit. This one-day event gathers Whitley Award winners from some of the world's most biodiverse countries and leaders in technology, finance, and science.

From Big Finance to tracking species from space, more world leading experts will be announced shortly, and the full programme and list of speakers will be made available here. Sign up for updates.

From the Amazon rainforest to shark superhighways

Explore how species are evolving in real time to our changing planet and how grassroots conservationists stay positive.

Get updates from the field from specialists in elephants, dolphins, sharks, orangutans, leopards, raptors and more. Hear how environmentalists are working with new technologies.

Darwin to Google DeepMind

Dr Drew Purves, Nature Lead at Google DeepMind, joins for a fireside chat and Q&A on the potential for new technologies, including AI, in conservation.

This will span new frontiers in bio-acoustics, monitoring species through sounds, to how mapping the biosphere with AI could create a gold standard for habitats to guide decisions on protected areas.

Storytelling for change

End the day with an evening of storytelling that will take you from the Amazon rainforest to Indonesia's Leuser Ecosystem, the last place on earth where elephants, rhinos, tigers and orangutans co-exist.

"Animals and plants everywhere are under increasing threat of extinction. Fortunately, there are people who are doing their best to try and prevent that disaster, and who can articulate real solutions. The Whitley Fund for Nature is there to help them." - Sir David Attenborough, WFN Ambassador and former Trustee

Watch highlights from our first summit:

Whitley Fund for Nature

Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a fundraising and grant-giving nature conservation charity, generously supported for more than 20 years by our Patron HRH The Princess Royal and WFN Ambassador and former Trustee Sir David Attenborough.

Established in 1993, it has channelled £24 million to 220 conservation leaders in 80 countries across the Global South, benefitting wildlife, landscapes, and people.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and empowering environment for all. We celebrate diversity in nature and among the people and partners with whom we work.

To ensure the People for Planet Summit is a safe and inspiring space for all, please access the People for Planet Summit Code of Coduct here.