Abstract
In Their Own Words chronicles the stories of scientists who have made great contributions to their fields. These short histories provide our readers a way to learn from and share their experiences. Each month, we will publish in the pages of BioScience and on our podcast, BioScience Talks (http://bioscienceaibs.libsyn.com), the results of these conversations. This history is with Thomas Lovejoy, professor at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia, in the United States, explorer at large with the National Geographic Society, and senior fellow at the United Nations Foundation. He is also a past president of AIBS. Note: Both the text and audio versions have been edited for clarity and length.