William & Mary gets $19M to start new center on conservation

Queen Elizabeth II visits the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., Friday May 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)(ASSOCIATED PRESS/Susan Walsh)

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — William & Mary says a new institute will focus on protecting the world’s ecosystems and tackling problems such as sea-level rise.

The university in Williamsburg, Virginia, said in a statement Monday that the Institute for Integrative Conservation was made possible by a $19 million gift. The money comes from an alumna who wants to remain anonymous.

The school said the gift allows the center to conduct leading research in an area known as “integrative conservation.” The research centers on improving the world on an ecological level but also socially and economically.

The center aims to balance conservation efforts with economic sustainability and the well-being of indigenous populations. It also hopes to develop new technologies for conservation and to reduce threats to biodiversity as well as conflicts between humans and wildlife.

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