aims to raise interest in wildlife and wildlands while promoting awareness of environmental issues.

Originally the site was based around a text on tropical rainforests ("A Place Out of Time: Tropical Rainforests - Their Wonders and the Perils They Face") that I developed four year period (1996-2000), but today the site has expanded to other topics. In 2004 I developed WildMadagasacar.org to focus on the incredible biodiversity of Madagascar. In 2005 I released a kids version of the rainforest site and launched the mongabay environmental science news site. In 2006, I introduced the first foreign language versions of the kids' site.

Preface: The mission of mongabay.com

Lingering beside a small stream in the Malaysian rainforest of Sabah, on the island of Borneo, I watch the water move swiftly over worn, round stones. The pace of the flow quickens as the stream cascades over a short waterfall into a clear pool. Vibrantly colored butterflies in shades of yellow, orange, and green flirt with columns of light that penetrate the dense canopy. The raucous calls of hornbills challenge the melodic drone of cicadas. Though the forest is never silent or still, it brings a deep sense of calm.

I sit with my feet in the cool water, picking over my clothes in search of leaf leeches, who seek a feeding opportunity in every crease of material. As I remove these brightly hued creatures, I am content to watch a lone male orangutan silently make his way through the branches above the stream. The idyllic setting and the company of my red-bearded simian companion provide the perfect end to my half-day trek.

Such wildlands provide me with an escape from the daily rigors and chaos of my profession, and I have come to greatly appreciate places of natural wonder.

About mongabay.com

Mongabay.com is the effort of Rhett A. Butler. Unless noted otherwise (usually at the top or bottom of a page), all content and pictures on mongabay have been produced by Rhett.