Building Biophilia

Fifteen years ago M.C. Davis had some time to spare, due to a calendar malfunction. He wandered into a presentation by two passionate conservationists on the Florida black bear. Davis had no inkling that his accidental audience with the Defenders of Wildlife would lead to a major change in his life and work.

"In about 60 days I went from a right-wing businessman to a tree hugger," said Davis. The tangible result of Davis' conversion is a state-of-the-art environmental center now taking shape in eastern central Walton County.

Ground-breaking for the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center took place in May 2008. Both the physical facility and the plans for its future have come a long way since then.

"At first, it was like eating an elephant," said Christy Scally, director of the center. "Now I can see the light." Scally, with a degree in English, has taken on the management of the construction phase of the project, building of the nonprofit board, conducting media tours and interacting with the diverse group of scientists, educators and conservationists. On staff are also a biologist and an educator.

The setting is amidst a 48,000 acre tract of privately held land that is devoted to restoration of biodiversity, gopher tortoise rescue and an ambitious plan to string together one million acres of land in conservation.

The logo of Biophilia incorporates a black bear and a tiny red ant, symbolic of the creatures who inspired two men collaborating in its creation.

The result of a mutually admiring friendship between local philanthropist and conservationist M.C. Davis and renowned Harvard emeritus professor and two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient, E.O. Wilson, Biophilia is the tangible result of a marriage between science and art. And according to Wilson, that's only natural. Exploring the relationship between the natural sciences and the humanities has been one of Wilson's major pursuits during the past decade of an illustrious career.

The focus of the center is conservation, education and research. Developed by Davis on his privately held Nokuse Plantation (pronounced no-GO-see, meaning "black bear" in the Creek Indian language), the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center is named after the world renowned scientist. Wilson presently serves as Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator in Entomology at Harvard University. The winner of two Pulitzer prizes for his work, Wilson has been honored in many countries for his life-long contributions to public education about the importance of conserving the world's biodiversity. The subject of Wilson's latest book (2002) is "The Future of Life."

The creation that Wilson's collaboration with Davis is bringing to life in the landscape a few miles east of Freeport is an extraordinary venture by any measure. Now in its hard hat tour stage, its staff, volunteers and founder are intent on creating an incubator facility for biophilia, a term coined by Wilson to describe humans' inborn tendency to bond with nature.

Both men came from humble family circumstances and spent part of their formative years growing up in Florida. Wilson spent his formative years and performed his earliest scientific investigations in northwest Florida and southwest Alabama, and graduated from the University of Alabama. Davis grew up in Santa Rosa Beach.

Early in life, Wilson sustained an eye injury (delivered by a fish) that caused him to focus on tiny life forms, such as ants, because he could not fully access his vision to track the morphology or movements of large mammals. He later became an expert on ants, identifying the first fire ants and making significant scientific contributions to the field of entomology.

Davis grew up poor, making his fortune later in life as first a poker player, then an investor, and finally a businessman. His fascination with nature came about after an encounter with young conservationists lecturing on the fate of the Florida black bear.

Davis became an admirer of Wilson and ultimately met him at a book signing. Wilson, already impressed with Davis' philanthropic efforts, invited him to breakfast. A collaboration of biophiliacs was born.

 At the heart of Davis's present conservation development efforts is a strong belief that it is only through a team approach, consisting of scientists, government, educators and entrepreneurs, that significant, large-scale conservation projects can be effectively accomplished.

"It is easier to bring businessmen to science than to bring scientists to an understanding of business," said Davis. Since his initial encounter with the Florida black bear (courtesy of the Defenders of Wildlife) 15 years ago, Davis has been actively engaged in learning about science, investing a sizable portion of his wealth in conservation, and engaging others, especially the young or the wealthy, in doing the same.

Scally has applied for grants to support specific projects from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Renewable Energy and other sources. Davis's paradigm for funding the annual budget of the Biophilia Center, probably in excess of $1 million, is somewhat simpler.

"To get the necessary funds, I believe in going to the smartest business people in the world," he said, mentioning Bill Gates or Warren Buffet as possible candidates, down the road. Asked about his strategy, Davis declined comment, citing the current economic recession as a major barrier to moving forward with a specific plan at the present time.

"I've always been a contrarian, and unlike most people my age, it doesn't frighten me to change," said Davis.