Like drew Stephens, Director,The GIS Institute, Service at Sea I was also saddened this past week-end to hear about the passing of Paul Newman.
What I wasn't aware of was how Newman reached so many people through his generosity, including the GIS Community. In a touching letter, Stephens described how in 2006, Newman's funding for The GIS Institute provided the seed capital to run our first proof-of-concept trip "Service for Africa", a six week project that delivered GIS training for over 100 people from 20 different conservation organizations in five African countries. This from Stephen's letter:
So how do the donations and legacy of Paul Newman affect the GIS community? In 2006, his funding for The GIS Institute provided the seed capital to run our first proof-of-concept trip "Service for Africa", a six week project that delivered GIS training for over 100 people from 20 different conservation organizations in five African countries. Alumnus of those courses have gone on to create a successful GIS Conservation community in Kenya, others have gone on to GIS related jobs in parks in Southern Africa, and still others are using GIS to care for the Gorillas in Uganda, the Cheetah of Botswana, and the creatures and mangroves of the Niger Delta.
Without the support of Newman's Own, the University students in Panama, and the community leaders working for healthy forests and Tepehaun Indian land rights in Mexico, would not be using GIS in their efforts to create a just and ecologically rich world. In the United States, funds went toward supporting Sealife Conservation, who work to eliminate marine debris from the oceans and estuaries of California, The Alaska Marine Conservation Council, who advocate for native fishing and hunting rights, and The Prince William Sound Science Center, supporting science and education efforts in that unique setting. These organizations all received GIS software grants from ESRI, and GIS training services from The GIS Institute, supported by Newman's Own donations.
Thanks for sharing the letter Drew... well done! And thanks to Newman's Own donations into this amazing industry. See http://www.serviceatsea.org/
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