Billionaire philanthropy has been going on for ages. Although their motives are often questioned, the benefits of their generosity have been profound. Since the creation of Yellowstone in 1872 15 percent of the earth’s land and 7 percent of its oceans have been protected in a natural state. To protect a large majority of the planet from extinction, scientist say we need to protect atleast half of the planet. How do we achieve this daunting take? There are many options. However, a multi-billionaire named Hansjörg Wyss has pledged $1 billion dollars to get us closer to this goal. This money will be used to create and expand protected areas. Hansjörg Wyss is an avid outdoorsman who has a long history of advocating for environmental protection. Wyss has also supported anti-poaching efforts, river restoration projects, African national park improvements, rails-to-trails initiatives and land conversation in his beloved adopted home, the American West. In addition, he convinced several fossil fuel industries from degrading protected lands. In this latest billion-dollar investment, he identified nine locally led conservation projects spread across 13 countries — 10 million acres of land and 17,000 square kilometers of ocean in total — that will receive $48 million in assistance. This is extraordinary! As environmentalist we should be cheering this guy on.