Leonardo DiCaprio may be best known to moviegoers around the world as an award-winning actor, but he’s a scientific force to be reckoned with. Leonardo DiCaprio, who has won praise for his ability to immerse himself entirely in a role, has devoted a significant amount of his time and energy to the causes he believes in. DiCaprio, one of the most vocal celebrities in the climate change fight, frequently turns to social media to urge supporters to conserve the environment. A group of scientists recently honored DiCaprio for his contributions by naming an endangered plant after the popular actor.
Leonardo DiCaprio has been instrumental in protecting the Ebo Forest in Cameroon.
Leonardo DiCaprio has long been involved in efforts to save Cameroon’s tropical Ebo Forest. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the forest, which is home to a number of critically endangered animals such as forest elephants and western gorillas, was in danger of being utilized for logging in 2020. Scientists and researchers panicked once the logging program was unveiled, pleading with anybody in positions of power to assist.
Fortunately, DiCaprio jumped into action, posting a petition against the logging on social media. The petition DiCaprio published on Twitter got massive support, and three weeks after the first statement, Cameroon’s government announced that the logging initiative would be halted. Without a doubt, DiCaprio’s social media power aided in the preservation of the tropical forest from deforestation and harm.
What honor did Leonardo DiCaprio receive from scientists?
The scientific community discovered a way to honor DiCaprio for his efforts in rescuing the Ebo Forest in early 2022. Botanists named the first plant species described by science this year after DiCaprio, giving the name Uvariopsis DiCaprio to an evergreen tree found in the Ebo Forest. According to a recent PeerJ study, the plant can grow to be around 13 feet tall and has glossy, yellow-green leaves that cluster in bunches around the trunk.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, the plant is a “spectacular species” that is critically endangered. “We very much appreciated Leo’s support in campaigning to protect Ebo last year, so it seemed fitting to honor him in this way, naming a species unique only to this forest after him,” said Martin Cheek, one of the project’s researchers. Cheek further stated that now that scientists are aware of the existence of the plant species, they may work even harder to safeguard it.
Leonardo DiCaprio is a dedicated environmental activist.
Congrats to the Government of Bangladesh, local communities & NGOs on a newly established Marine Protected Area around Saint Martin’s Island that will protect an incredible community of biodiversity and provide key habitat for Bangladesh’s only coral reef.
(📷 : courtesy of WCS) pic.twitter.com/T286nurs7b— Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) January 21, 2022
Leonardo DiCaprio has leveraged his notoriety to push for environmental protection for years. DiCaprio served on the International Fund for Animal Welfare board and founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 to ” protect the Earth’s last wild places and implement solutions to build a more harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world.”
Protecting and promoting biodiversity, advocating on behalf of ocean and forest conservation, and raising awareness of climate change are just a few of DiCaprio’s personal interest projects. DiCaprio not only works directly with environmental organizations throughout the world, but he also utilizes his own social media channels to promote causes he believes in, such as the Ebo Forest. Fans have certainly not heard the last of DiCaprio’s environmental work, and the honor bestowed upon him by the scientific community is unlikely to be the last.
