Member Challenge

CEF will sponsor 5 winning employees from member companies to attend an all-expenses paid* prestigious sustainability leadership development program led by world-renowned ecologist Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy— Biodiversity Chair at the Heinz Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment, Professor at George Mason University, founder of the PBS Nature series, and advisor to the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations.

CEF Sustainability Leadership Development Program
Journey to Camp 41 in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest
July 8-13, 2012 (Tentative dates, subject to confirmation).

On July 8-13, 2012, five promising executive leaders from CEF member companies chosen by competitive application will embark on a life-changing journey through the Amazon Rainforest with world-renowned ecologist Dr. Thomas Lovejoy.

Participants will fly to Manaus, Brazil, the capital of Amazonas, where they will take a boat tour of the river ecosystems near the convergence of the Amazon and Rio Negro rivers. They will then spend 3 nights "off grid" at Camp 41 - a research station about 4 hours drive from Manaus that is central to a multiyear collaborative research project between leading U.S. and Brazil research institutions. The CEF Camp 41 program aims to give participants first-hand experience in the globally significant Amazon rainforest ecosystem and to spark bold new ideas for personal leadership and corporate sustainability innovation. While there, participants will meet with researchers from the Smithsonian Institution and Brazil’s National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA). The accommodations are rustic-- hammocks, outhouses, and no electricity-- providing a truly immersive experience in tropical forest ecology.

Past visitors joining Dr. Lovejoy at Camp 41 include Walter Cronkite, Tom Cruise, numerous bipartisan Congressional delegations, and a June 2011 delegation of senior executives from the CEF membership including CEF founder MR Rangaswami, who offered his reflections on the trip here.

About the Program Leader

Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy is University Professor at George Mason University and holds the Biodiversity Chair at the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment where he was President from 2002-2008. An ecologist who has worked in the Brazilian Amazon since 1965, Dr. Lovejoy helped bring global attention to the issue of tropical deforestation and in 1980 published the first estimate of global extinction rates. The founder of the PBS Nature series, Lovejoy has served as Assistant Secretary for Environmental and External Affairs for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and as Chief Biodiversity Advisor to the World Bank. He has been an advisor to the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations.
Full bio.

Application and Selection Process

Applicants must be from a participating CEF member company, which may advertise this opportunity as they see fit within their organizations. Candidates should be at an inflection point in their lives or careers with regard to sustainability—i.e., they are ready and eager to take their sustainability leadership to the next level within their communities and/or organizations. They should be strong team players who are accomplished in setting ambitious goals and getting results. Winners will be selected by a jury composed of members of the CEF Advisory Board.

*Covered expenses include round-trip economy airfare to Manaus, Brazil, local accommodations, and excursions. Participants are responsible for any incidental expenses.

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Read about the 2010-2011 CEF Member Challenge and winner Janet Morris of Hewlett-Packard.