Bryan Simmons, the vice president of communications for the Arcus Foundation, joins the Mongabay Newscast this week to share the philosophy behind the 25-year-old foundation, which funds grantees that work on LGBTQ rights and great apes and gibbons conservation.

In this conversation with co-host Mike DiGirolamo, Simmons explains the link between economic development and justice for people and how this is correlated with conservation outcomes.

"When people are not able to have their economic needs met, conservation begins to pay the price right away," says Simmons.

He encourages listeners to review recent reports regarding ape conservation and how this relates to human health, disease, and the 'one health' approach to planetary stewardship. Find more at stateoftheapes.com.

Subscribe to or follow the Mongabay Newscast wherever you listen to podcasts, from Apple to Spotify, and you can also listen to all episodes here on the Mongabay website.

Arcus is a funder of Mongabay, but it did not initiate this interview nor does it have editorial influence on Mongabay's coverage.

Image Credit: Young lowland gorilla, Gabon. Photo by Rhett Butler for Mongabay.

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Timestamps

(00:00) Bryan's journey to the Arcus Foundation

(13:25) How social justice enables conservation

(25:47) Threats to human rights and conservation

(30:09) Concerns in the Congo Basin

(33:26) Hope during a dark period

(37:54) Empathy in apes