Annapolis, MD - On July 23, 2020, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Chesapeake Conservancy hosted a webinar called, "Earthshot," to showcase how democratizing data can hold a major role to accelerate our approach to protect 30% of the planet by 2030.  Jack Dangermond, founder and president of Esri, provided opening and closing remarks as a witness to seeing how this data-driven approach grew from an idea in 2014 over coffee to a regional model focused on achieving the 30 by 30 goal in the Chesapeake Bay that is now poised to be replicated across the planet. In Dangermund's concluding remarks, he encouraged us to think about models that would empower communities on the ground to achieve this 30 by 30 goal, what he called an Earthshot moment for humanity.

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"This Earthshot has been a long time coming. More than 40 years ago Dr. Tom Lovejoy sounded a warning call about biological impoverishment. At the workshop, he joined us to share why he is hopeful based on progress in the Chesapeake and critical initiatives like the Campaign for Nature that we can make a difference," said Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn. "With countries aligning to protect biodiversity by committing to solve this global challenge, we can protect 30% of the land and water by 2030. Even amidst a global pandemic creating economic and social justice crises, we can rise to the occasion by embracing GIS, powerful computing, and shared data infrastructure."

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Facilitator Dr. Lynda Applegate of Harvard Business School suggested that "we can create a stop and think moment for how entrepreneurship, technology and new models of partnership can come together to create opportunity by innovating through crisis."

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To scale up the successful model developed in the Chesapeake Bay, the Chesapeake Conservancy is tapping into the expertise at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to bring together a network of partners across the globe to deploy new data, apply the power of AI, and develop strategies to accelerate the protection of 30% of the planet in the next decade.

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"We believe the cutting edge models and approaches developed in the Chesapeake can inform some of the many inputs needed for the planetary computer Microsoft and Esri are teaming up to build. We believe that with Lincoln Institute of Land Policy coordinating collaboration and expertise from conservation networks all over the world, including the Chesapeake, communities will have the data insights and intelligence they need to become faster, smarter, and more successful in 30 by 30 initiatives. If the Hyperloop can rethink the future of transportation then we can most definitely think differently and use innovation to guide the future of community-led conservation," continued Dunn.

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The webinar featuring panelists Clint Brown, Esri; Brian O’Donnell, Campaign for Nature; Dr. Tom Lovejoy, UN Foundation; Dr. Lucas Joppa, Microsoft; Joel Dunn, Chesapeake Conservancy; and Jeffrey Allenby, Lincoln Institute for Land Policy.

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Feature Image Jack Dangermond, founder and president of Esri