Creating Awareness & Funds: the launch of “The Sixth Extinction”

One day my 12 year old son gave me a message: “Some guy from Kenya called. Said he can’t leave his landline number because President Moi has tapped his phone. He’ll call again from his mobile next time he gets to the top of a hill.”

“Good grief! What’s his name?” I asked, reasonably enough.

“Dunno. Can’t remember exactly... it sounded a bit like an inefficient plumber.”

“You don’t mean Leaky!” I exclaimed. “THE Richard Leaky? The most famous palaeontologist in the world?”

“Yeah, that’s the guy.” said Sean laconicallly, as he returned to playing his game on my Mac. “Some twit who reckons we descended from apes.”

The result was the Earthyear Symposium, created to raise funds and awareness for Leaky's visionary book, “The Sixth Extinction”. Various high profile academic and public events were organised - with prime time South African TV and newspaper coverage. All funds were donated to the Leaky Foundation and to Dr. Ian Player's Wilderness Foundation.

Dr. Ian Player, who was invited as a guest speaker, arrived with a valuable item to be auctioned to assist with our fund-raising efforts . . .his younger brother Gary Player’s very first golf club!