Founder's briefs News

Founder’s Briefs is an occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Rhett founded Mongabay in 1999 to raise awareness about tropical forests and biodiversity. In 2012, he transitioned Mongabay to a non-profit organization and oversaw its growth into a multinational, multilingual news service. Beyond Mongabay, Rhett has advised a range of institutions, while his writing and photography have appeared in hundreds of publications. Rhett's work has been recognized with the Heinz Award and the Parker/Gentry Award, among other honors.

Cerros de Mavecure in Colombia's Guainía in July 2026. Photo by Rhett Ayers Butler / Mongabay

Ten years of Mongabay Latam

Rhett Ayers Butler 23 Jul 2026
Mongabay Founder and CEO Rhett A. Butler. Image by Mongabay.

Reflections on 20 years of Mongabay News (commentary)

Rhett Ayers Butler 30 Apr 2025

We can’t plant our way out of climate change

Rhett Ayers Butler 28 Apr 2025
Ex-captive orangutans at Camp Leaky in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photos by Rhett A. Butler

An interview with orangutan conservationist and advocate Gary Shapiro

Rhett Ayers Butler 25 Apr 2025
Elephants move across the African savannah. Photo by Rhett A. Butler / Mongabay

The wisdom of the elders: Why the oldest animals matter

Rhett Ayers Butler 24 Apr 2025
A Chinese pangolin. Image by Sarita Jnawali of NTNC – Central Zoo via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

Pangolins help biodiversity recover after fires

Rhett Ayers Butler 23 Apr 2025

Indigenous women in Peru lead wildcat conservation initiative

Rhett Ayers Butler 22 Apr 2025
Auyán-Tepuí in Venezuela. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

In the shadow of Angel Falls: How Auyán-Tepuí sparked my reverence for nature

Rhett Ayers Butler 22 Apr 2025
Canopy platform in Amacayacu National Park, Colombia. Photo: Rhett A. Butler.

Ecologists are spending less time in the field. That could be a problem.

Rhett Ayers Butler 21 Apr 2025
A young orangutan grasps and hangs on to a woody liana.

Nature on the move: How conservation must adapt to survive

Rhett Ayers Butler 18 Apr 2025
Ochieng Ogodo

Ochieng’ Ogodo, science journalist, mentor, and editor, died on April 17th, aged 64

Rhett Ayers Butler 17 Apr 2025
The temperate Hoh rainforest in the U.S. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

Proforestation: The case for leaving trees alone

Rhett Ayers Butler 17 Apr 2025
Crested black macaque. Photo by Rhett A. Butler / Mongabay.

Why conservation research findings are rarely surprising

Rhett Ayers Butler 16 Apr 2025
Daripalli Ramaiah. Image courtesy of Ministry of Jal Shakti, India

Daripalli Ramaiah, India’s tree man, died April 12, aged 87

Rhett Ayers Butler 15 Apr 2025
Blue dart frog. Image by Rhett Butler.

The currency of impact: Why nonprofit models might be the future of serious journalism

Rhett Ayers Butler 14 Apr 2025
Kanzi, the bonobo, died aged 44 in March 2025. Image ©️Ape Initiative.

Kanzi the bonobo redefined what it means to be human

Rhett Ayers Butler 4 Apr 2025

Forest restoration is booming but biodiversity isn’t

Rhett Ayers Butler 31 Mar 2025
Two Sumatran rhinos. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

Life on Earth is changing — not just in numbers, but in essence

Rhett Ayers Butler 31 Mar 2025
Elisabeth Vrba. Photo by J Play.

Elisabeth Vrba, the woman who timed evolution, died February 5th, aged 82

Rhett Ayers Butler 28 Mar 2025
An archival image of Satish Bhaskar holding a hawksbill turtle. Image courtesy of Satish Bhaskar.

The Turtle Walker: Satish Bhaskar, sea turtle conservationist

Rhett Ayers Butler 28 Mar 2025
A mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) in Virunga National Park. Image by John Cannon/Mongabay.

The untold environmental toll of the DRC’s conflict

Rhett Ayers Butler 28 Mar 2025

Vincent van der Merwe (1983-2025), champion of the cheetah

Rhett Ayers Butler 26 Mar 2025
(left) Endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus), Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida. by David Hinkel. (right) Manatee. Photo courtesy of NOAA's National Ocean Service

Manatees in peril as human pressures push gentle giants toward the brink

Rhett Ayers Butler 26 Mar 2025
David Myers. Courtesy of the Wildlands Conservancy.

David Myers, conservationist and land broker for nature, dies at 73

Rhett Ayers Butler 25 Mar 2025

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