Rhett Butler

 
Rhett Butler founded Mongabay.com in 1999 with the mission of raising interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife.

Today Rhett serves as CEO of Mongabay.org, a non-profit journalism organization with more than 80 staff across two dozen countries and over 900 contributing journalists. Mongabay operates several bureaus, including the global English news site, Mongabay-Latam (Spanish), Mongabay-India (English and Hindi), Mongabay-Brasil (Portuguese), and Mongabay-Indonesia (Indonesian). It also runs capacity-building programs for environmental journalists and an environmental education site.

Beyond Mongabay, Rhett was co-founder of Tropical Conservation Science, an open-access academic journal that aims to provide opportunities for scientists in developing countries to publish their research, and the Tropical Forest Network, a social network in the San Francisco Bay Area that held nearly 100 in-person events on forest issues between 2009-2019. Rhett also founded WildMadagascar.org, a site that highlights the spectacular cultural and biological richness of Madagascar.

Outside of these pursuits, Rhett has advised a wide range of organizations, including governments, multilateral development agencies, media outlets, academic institutions, foundations, and private sector entities. He has been an information source for the BBC, CNN, CBS, NBC, Fox News, National Geographic, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, Business Week, Bloomberg, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Reuters, Voice of America, the Associated Press, the San Francisco Chronicle, the L.A. Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Vice, and Forbes, among others.

Rhett also speaks regularly on topics surrounding forests and the environment (especially trends in deforestation and conservation technology) and new media. He has spoken at Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of California at Santa Cruz, the National University of Singapore, USAID, ETH Zurich, the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, UNFCCC conferences, Google, Microsoft, Patagonia, Cisco, Yale University, Cornell University, Columbia University, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and Stony Brook University, among other places and events. In 2011 and 2012 he participated in the U.S. State Department Speakers Program in Indonesia.

Rhett’s work has been published outside of his web sites, including magazines, newspapers, online media, and academic journals (see below). His photos have appeared in hundreds of publications.

In September 2011 Rhett published RAINFORESTS, a book about rainforests geared toward kids. The text is based on the popular mongabay kids’ section and includes more than 150 photos.

In September 2014, Rhett became the first journalist to win the Parker/Gentry Award, a conservation prize given annually by the Field Museum in Chicago. In 2020, Rhett was given a Pongo Environmental Award and in 2021, the SEAL Environmental Journalism Award. In 2022, Rhett was recognized with the Heinz Award.

See Rhett’s motivation for starting mongabay.com. Further background on Rhett is available at the FAQs/Interview page

Rhett’s TEDxYouth talk in 2010. event footage.

Highlighted publications

 
2023

• Buřivalová, Zuzana; Yoh, Natalie; Butler, Rhett A; Sagar, HS Sathya Chandra; Game, Edward T;  (2023) Broadening the focus of forest conservation beyond carbon Current Biology Volume 33 No: 11:R621-R635

2022

• Norris, Darren; Sabadini Carvalho, Terciane; Guerrero, Angela M; Sobral Escada, Maria Isabel; Alencar, Ane; Kimbrough, Liz; Butler, Rhett A;  (2022) Cutting Down Trees Does not Build Prosperity: On the Continued Decoupling of Amazon Deforestation and Economic Development in 21st Century Brazil Tropical Conservation Science Volume 15

2022

• Burivalova, Z; Miteva, D; Salafsky, N; Butler, RA; Wilcove, DS;  (2020) Reply to Mupepele and Dormann ‘Evidence Ranking Needs to Reflect Causality’ Trends in Ecology & Evolution Volume 35 No: 2:95-96
• Burivalova, Z; Miteva, D; Salafsky, N; Butler, RA; Wilcove, DS;  (2020) Evidence Types and Trends in Tropical Forest Conservation Literature:(Trends in Ecology and Evolution 34, 669–679, 2019) Trends in Ecology & Evolution Volume 35 No: 5:467-468
• Wilmé, Lucienne; Innes, John L; Schuurman, Derek; Ramamonjisoa, Bruno; Langrand, Marion; Barber, Charles V; Butler, Rhett A; Wittemyer, George; Waeber, Patrick O;  (2020) The elephant in the room: Madagascar’s rosewood stocks and stockpiles Conservation Letters Volume 13 No: 4:e12714

2019

• Butler, R (2019). Indonesia: As forests die, expect hotter days, longer droughts. [Free version] Straits Times. 30 Sep 2019.
• Burivalova, Z, Butler, R, and Wilcove, D (2019). A response to Correia et al. Front Ecol Environ 2019; 17( 5): 256– 256, doi:10.1002/fee.2047
• Burivalova, Z, Allnutt, T, Rademacher, D, Schlemm, A, Wilcove, D, Butler, R (2019). What works in tropical forest conservation, and what does not: Effectiveness of four strategies in terms of environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Conservation Science and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.28 17 Apr 2019.
• Butler, R (2019). How listening ears can help save the forests [LinkedIn version]. The Straits Times 05 Jan 2019.
• Burivalova, Z, Game, E, Butler, R, and Wilcove, D (2019). The sound of a tropical forest PDF. Science 04 Jan 2019: Vol. 363, Issue 6422, pp. 28-29 DOI: 10.1126/science.aav1902
• Wilmé, Lucienne; Innes, John L; Schuurman, Derek; Ramamonjisoa, Bruno; Langrand, Marion; Barber, Charles V; Butler, Rhett A; Wittemyer, George; Waeber, Patrick O (2019) Management options for addressing the persistent and unresolved CITES issue of Madagascar’s rosewood stocks and stockpile PeerJ Preprints Volume 7e27889v1

2018

• Burivalova, Z, Butler, R, and Wilcove, D (2018). Analyzing Google search data to debunk myths about the public’s interest in conservation. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment; doi:10.1002/fee.1962. October 2018.

2014

• Butler, R (2012). A Conservationist Sees Signs of Hope for the World’s Rainforests. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. October 2014.
• Butler, R (2012). A New Leaf in the Rainforest: Longtime Villain Vows Reform. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. March 2014.

2012

• Butler, R (2012). A Desperate Effort to Save the Rainforest of Borneo. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. June 2012.
• Butler, R (2012). Fighting A Last-Ditch Battle to Save the Rare Javan Rhino. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. March 2012.

2011

• Butler, R (2011). A Revolutionary Technology is Unlocking Secrets of the Forest. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. October 2011.
• Butler, R and Hance, J. (2011). A Huge Oil Palm Plantation Puts African Rainforest at Risk. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. September 2011.
• Butler, R. (2011). Rainforests. CreateSpace. ISBN-10: 1463774575 September 2011.
• Sodhi, Navjot S., Rhett Butler, and Peter Raven (2011). Bottom-Up Conservation. Biotropica. September 2011.
• Butler, R (2011). In Brazil, Palm Oil Plantations Could Help Preserve Amazon. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. June 2011.
• Saloh, Y. and Butler, R (2011). Moratorium dan Ekonomi Rendah Karbon Koran Tempo. May 27, 2011.
• Butler, R (2011). Will Indonesia Lose the Next Oil Palm? The Jakarta Post. May 16, 2011.
• Sodhi, Navjot S., Rhett Butler, William F. Laurance and Luke Gibson. Conservation successes at micro, meso and macro scales. Trends in Ecology and Evolution.

2010

• Butler, R (2010). Indonesia’s Corruption Legacy Clouds a Forest Protection Plan. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. December 2010.
• Herndon, C. and Butler, R (2010). Significance of biodiversity to health. Accepted for publication in Biotropica. BIOTROPICA 42(5): 558–560 2010 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2010.00672.x
• Butler, R (2010). In the Battle to Save Forests, Activists Target Corporations. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. June 2010.
• Butler, R (2010). Amazon Tribes Embrace Technology to Protect their Rainforest Home. GeoWorld Magazine. April 2010
• Ghazoul, J., Koh, L.P., and Butler, R. (in review). A REDD light for wildlife friendly farming. Conservation Biology, Volume 24, No. 3, 644–648.
• Ghazoul, J., Butler, R., Mateo-Vega, J., and Koh, L.P. REDD: a reckoning of environment and development implications. Trends in Ecology and Evolution Vol.25 No.7
• Laurance, W.F., Koh, L.P., Butler, R., Sodhi, N.S., Bradshaw, C.J.A., Neidel, J.D., & Consunji, H. (2009). Improving the Performance of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil for Nature Conservation. Conservation Biology, 24, 377-381
• Koh, L.P. and Butler, R (2010). Can REDD make natural forests competitive with oil palm?. ITTO Tropical Forest Update 19 No 1
• Butler, R. and Koh, L.P. Sharing the burden of producing sustainable biofuels. 12 January 2010
• Butler, R (2010). Madagascar’s Political Chaos Threatens Conservation Gains. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. 4 January 2010

2009

• Butler, R., Koh, L.P., & Mateo-Vega, J., Ghazoul, J. (2009). A Global Opportunity Cost Model.
• Koh, L.P., Ghazoul, J., Butler, R., Laurance, W., Sodhi, N., Mateo-Vega, J., and Bradshaw, C. Wash and Spin Cycle Threats to Tropical Biodiversity. BIOTROPICA: 1–5 2009 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00588.x
• Butler, R (2009). Controlling the Ranching Boom That Threatens the Amazon. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. 10 August 2009
• Butler, R (2009). Big REDD. Washington Monthly. July/August 2009
• Butler, R (2009). With The Clearing Of Forests, Baby Orangutans Are Marooned. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. 25 June 2009
• Koh, L.P., Butler, R., and Bradshaw,C.J. Conversion of Indonesia’s peatlands. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. June 2009. doi: 10.1890/09.WB.013
• Butler, R., Koh, L.P., & Ghazoul, J. (2009). REDD in the red: palm oil could undermine carbon payment schemes. Conservation Letters Conservation Letters 1-7 doi: 10.1111/j.1755-263X.2009.00047.x
• Butler, R. and Laurance, W. (2009) Is oil palm the next emerging threat to the Amazon?. Tropical Conservation Science Vol.2(1):1-10, 2009.
• Butler, R (2009). Satellites and Google Earth prove potent conservation tool. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. 26 March 2009
• Butler, R (2009). Laos Emerges as Key Source In Asia’s Illicit Wildlife Trade. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. 26 February 2009

2008

• Butler, R. and Laurance, W. (2008) New strategies for conserving tropical forests. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. Available online 24 July 2008. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2008.05.006
• Butler, R (2008). Global Commodities Boom Fuels New Assault on Amazon. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. 19 June 2008
• Butler, R (2008). As Rain Forests Disappear, A Market Solution Emerges. Yale Environment 360 (e360). Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. 11 December 2008
• Butler, R (2008) Gold threat to French Guiana paradise. BBC News. 14 May 2008.

2007

• Butler, R (2007) How green is palm oil? The Jakarta Post. 24 September 2007
• Butler, R. and Conway S. (2007) Could peatlands conservation be profitable?. The Jakarta Post. 22 August 2007
• Thoumi, G. and Butler, R. (2007) Carbon credits could be big earner for Indonesia. The Jakarta Post. 28 July 2007

Other activities

• Forest Advisor for The Skoll Foundation (2010-2012)
• Global Conservation Advisor to TEDx Alcatraz (2010)
• Co-founder of the Bay Area Tropical Forest Network (2009)
• Co-founder of Tropical Conservation Science (2007)

Posts and videos about Mongabay’s origin

• Heinz Award (2023)
• Mongabay at 20: Two decades of news and inspiration from nature’s frontline (2019)
• How Mongabay grew from a guy in his pajamas to a multinational media organization (2019)
• A lucky child: Mongabay’s origin story (2018)
• Challenging the illegal logging regime in Madagascar (2019)
• Seeing Suriname: A visit to the rainforest goes awry (2018)
• Inspiration from frogs (2018)
• Parker/Gentry Award for Conservation (2014)
• Shifting to a non-profit model for environmental news reporting (2013)
• Launching an environmental news site overseas (2013)
• TEDxYouth 2010 – Video (2010)