Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Butler has been awarded the 2025 Henry Shaw Medal from the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, U.S. Established in 1893, the award recognizes “individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Missouri Botanical Garden, botanical research, horticulture, conservation, or the museum community.” While many recipients have been scientists, Butler joins a distinguished group of honorees from outside research including the National Geographic Society and the U.K.’s Prince Charles (now King Charles III). “Rhett Ayers Butler is a shining example of what the Henry Shaw Medal recognizes,” said Michael Stern, chair of the board of trustees for Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG). “His commitment to environmental journalism has deepened the public’s understanding of the urgent need for conservation and inspired action around the world.” “It is a tremendous honor to receive the Henry Shaw Medal from such an esteemed institution as the Missouri Botanical Garden,” Butler said. “The Garden’s legacy of advancing science, conservation, and public understanding is an inspiration, and I am deeply grateful to be recognized alongside those who have contributed so much to protecting our planet.” Butler started Mongabay as a passion project from his apartment in California in 1999, inspired by a personal encounter with an orangutan in a rainforest in Borneo. “I vividly remember cooling my feet beside a jungle creek when a wild orangutan emerged in the canopy overhead. We made eye contact — just for a few seconds — but the moment stayed with me,” he said. Rhett…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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