GARDINER, N.Y., Oct. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mohonk Preserve honored Douglas and Kristine Tompkins with the Long View Conservation Award at the Preserve's Second Annual New York City Benefit Gala held at Three Sixty° in Tribeca on Oct. 1, 2015.

The Tompkins' entrepreneurial backgrounds in companies deeply rooted in environmental ethics – Kris, as former CEO of Patagonia and Doug, as founder of The North Face and Esprit – influenced their approach to conservation.

Doug Tompkins' time spent climbing at Mohonk Preserve in the "Gunks" on the Shawangunk Ridge in the 1950s and 60s also deepened his love of and appreciation for the natural world. As he relayed in a note shared with attendees, "The Shawangunks are a very special place to me and one decisive fork in the road took place right there. I never would have developed in this way without the early experience of climbing in the Gunks."

Beginning in 1991 with the creation of Pumalín Park, a public-access 800,000-acre temperate rainforest conservation area on the southern Chilean coast, Doug and Kris Tompkins have gone on to purchase and put into permanent protection an additional 1.2 million acres in Chile and Argentina, created five new national parks with another five to go, and initiated the largest species reintroduction program in Latin America.

"The Preserve was delighted to honor Doug and Kris Tompkins for their inspiring work to protect these amazing landscapes," said Mohonk Preserve President James L. Hoover. "Their conservation ethic is perfectly aligned with the Preserve's mission of protecting our region and inspiring people to care for, enjoy and explore their natural world."

Protecting over 8,000 acres in the Mid-Hudson Valley, Mohonk Preserve is New York's largest member- and visitor-supported nature preserve. Each year, the Preserve welcomes over 165,000 visitors of all ages and abilities who come to enjoy healthy outdoor experiences.

Proceeds from the Gala will support Mohonk Preserve's critical stewardship needs including conservation, visitor safety, major restoration, and maintenance.

Mohonk Preserve thanks Gala Committee Co-Chairs Gilbert and Ildiko Butler, Paul and Diane Guenther, and Bert and Nina Smiley, and Committee members Ginny Carter, Norman Goluskin, James L. Hoover, Mike Keegan, Ann MacDougall, James H. Ottaway, John Petry, Linda Sussman, Ron Sussman, Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., Tim Sweeney, and Michael Tannen for their support in creating this exceptional evening of conservation and community.

SOURCE Mohonk Preserve

Related Links

www.mohonkpreserve.org