Dr. Robert G. Laughlin knows his science. A retired industrial basic research chemist, Laughlin has more than four decades of experience under his belt working for consumer products giant Procter and Gamble.  It was his research with the company, he says, that turned him onto conservation and, eventually, The Nature Conservancy.

“Concern with envionmental issues did not exist in 1956 when I joined P&G,” Laughlin says.

But in the face of mounting public concerns it wasn’t long before P&G began to address the topic, and Laughlin’s research turned quickly toward the environmental impacts of the products his company was developing.

It’s that connection to, and appreciation of, the sciences that first drew him to the Conservancy, long known for its science-based approach to conservation.

“I have long been involved – at some times intimately – in the same issues with which The Nature Conservancy is concerned,” Laughlin explains. “I was attracted to the organization decades ago, when I realized that my philosophy was similar to theirs.”

And while his first priority remains chemistry, he says conservation has risen to second place. 
 
In fact, since becoming a member of the Conservancy in 1989, Laughlin has donated generously not only to domestic conservation efforts in Ohio and Wyoming, but also internationally to projects in Brazil.

“Brazil has a lot of resources, but is a heavily threatened area,” notes Laughlin, who has taken a tour of some of the Conservancy’s in-country projects.  “It seems like a good place to invest in.”

The largest country in South America, Brazil harbors unparalleled natural treasures, including dense tropical rainforests, extensive grasslands, unique arid scrublands, the Atlantic Forest, and seemingly infinite wetlands.

But as an emerging global economic powerhouse, the country faces the formidable challenge of encouraging economic development while protecting its biological and cultural heritage.

With support from individuals like Dr. Laughlin, as well as corporations and foundations, the Conservancy is working with Brazilian partners to help balance development and conservation.

“I’m a globalist,” says Laughlin of the benefits of cross-border donating.  “I think we are all in this together.”  

View other Faces of Conservation.       

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Laurel Martin/TNC (Wetlands area in the Pantanal, Brazil); Photo © Eunila Maria de Moraes Farias (Dr. Robert G. Laughlin).