Zoological Society of San Diego Conservation Medal Recipients' Biographies: 2009

Lifetime Achievement award

J. Michael Fay walked more than 2,000 miles to document the most pristine rain forests of Africa.

Nine years ago, J. Michael Fay, Ph.D., walked 2,000 miles across the heart of Africa to document the largest unspoiled area of the continent. He surveyed animals, plants, and human populations with GPS, video, and still photography and compiled the information into a database available to scientists and the general public. His trek gave the world an intimate look at one of the last pristine rain forests left on Earth and led to the creation of 13 national parks in Gabon and the formation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. In 2007, Dr. Fay hiked 1,847 miles over 11 months through redwood forests in California and Oregon to call attention to the one-of-a-kind ecosystem.

Dr. Fay, born in 1956, spent six years in the Peace Corps as a botanist and studied western lowland gorillas in Africa to earn his doctorate. He is now a National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence and lives in Washington, D.C. Dr. Fay is being honored because of his long-standing commitment to conservation and education and will be the keynote speaker at the Conservation Award Dinner.

Conservation in Action award

Serge Dedina helped stop development of mega-resorts throughout the Baja California peninsula and Sea of Cortez.

Eight years ago, Serge Dedina, Ph.D., founded WiLDCOAST, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and conserving the most ecologically valuable coastal and marine areas in California and Baja California. Among the efforts he spearheaded was the “Don’t Eat Sea Turtle” campaign, which featured Mexican celebrities and contributed to a 500-percent increase in the eastern Pacific green sea turtle population by reducing egg poaching and the sea turtle meat trade.

Dr. Dedina is being honored for his ongoing commitment to conservation and public awareness that is improving the well-being of wildlife and humans in the United States and Mexico. Born in 1964, Dr. Dedina received his doctorate in geography from the University of Texas, Austin, for research he did on gray whale conservation. He received his bachelor’s in politics from the University of California, San Diego. He lives in Imperial Beach, California.

Conservation Advocate award

Intel Corporation co-founder Gordon Moore, has given away millions to save the Earth for future generations.

Gordon Moore, Ph., D., 80, and his wife, Betty, generously support science and the environment at home and abroad through the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The 10th largest foundation in the nation, it has a $6.4 billion endowment and has awarded 600 grants worth $1.5 billion to projects around the world. Its goal: improve the quality of life for future generations.

Established in 2000, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is science-based, results-driven philanthropy focusing on three areas: environmental conservation, science, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Its grants are expected to help achieve targeted, large-scale outcomes in a specific time frame, including a marine conservation initiative, construction of aviaries in Hawaii for critically endangered birds, and the Betty Irene Moore Nursing School.

Dr. Moore is the retired chairman and CEO of Intel Corporation, a company he co-founded in 1968. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a doctorate in chemistry and physics from the California Institute of Technology. He lives in Kameula, Hawaii.

Dr. Moore is being recognized for his long-standing commitment to ecosystem and wildlife preservation.