On September 24, 2011, conservationist and primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, United Nations (UN) Messenger of Peace and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), presented Jack Dangermond, president of Esri, the Jane Goodall Global Leadership Award for Excellence in Conservation Science during the Institute's program, A Conversation with Jane Goodall, in Hollywood, California. The award pays tribute to extraordinary people and organizations. Esri, the world leader in geographic information systems (GIS), works with organizations throughout the world by supporting conservation research, education, policy development and sustainable practices.

Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute (www.janegoodall.org) continues Dr. Goodall's pioneering research on chimpanzee behavior-research that transformed scientific perceptions of the relationship between humans and animals. Today, the Institute is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. It is also widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa and Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots, the global environmental and humanitarian youth program, which has groups in more than 120 countries.

"By combining Esri's geospatial technologies with JGI's decades' worth of practical knowledge and experience successfully engaging local communities and decision makers, we were able to design a landscape plan around Gombe National Park in Tanzania that better balances the needs of chimpanzees and people," says Dr. Lilian Pintea, JGI's vice president of conservation science.

"The Jane Goodall Institute has made people aware of their connection with species and habitats," says Dangermond. "It inspires a sense of responsibility that leads us to take positive actions toward preserving the inhabitants of this amazing planet. Esri is honored to be recognized by this outstanding organization." Esri's conservation activities include donating GIS software to conservation organizations around the world; training hundreds of conservationists to use GIS software; providing a free mapping service for data, as well as maps and applications valuable for environment, habitat, and species analysis; and hosting the Society for Conservation GIS.