One group of researchers is branching out in its naming of discoveries, titling a new species of tree after a famous actor and environmentalist.
Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew announced Thursday that they named a tree after Leonardo DiCaprio, who is credited with helping conserve an African rainforest from logging.
The tree, named Uvariopsis dicaprio, only grows in the Ebo Forest, an extremely biodiverse rainforest in Cameroon.
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This is the Uvariopsis dicaprio tree, in the Ebo Forest in Cameroon. It’s been named after @LeoDiCaprio by @kewgardens in honour of his work to protect the rainforests. @itvlondon pic.twitter.com/fGkbdNLtU6
— Faye Barker (@FayeBarker) January 6, 2022
The tree sample, which researcher Lorna McKinnon collected, is more than 13 feet tall with “bunches of large, glossy, bright yellow-green flowers on the trunk.”
The critically endangered tree, part of the ylang-ylang family, is the first plant to be named by conservationists at Kew through a publication in the scientific journal PeerJ.
DiCaprio’s involvement began in 2020 after conservationists were horrified to learn that local officials intended to open large parts of the Ebo Forest for logging. The Ebo Forest is considered one of the largest relatively untouched rainforests in Central Africa, according to the BBC. It is home to the Banen people and has various species living there, including gorillas and forest elephants.
Cameroon’s #EboForest is home to gorillas & chimpanzees. Researchers have asked the Cameroonian Govt. to suspend logging plans & work with local communities to develop an inclusive land-use plan. Let’s #ProtectEboForest: https://t.co/t3BTgoeIDa
— Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) May 5, 2020
DiCaprio discussed the problem across multiple platforms on social media, alongside letters written to the government by international conservationists.
“Cameroon’s #EboForest is home to gorillas & chimpanzees,” DiCaprio tweeted in May 2020. “Researchers have asked the Cameroonian Govt. to suspend logging plans & work with local communities to develop an inclusive land-use plan. Let’s #ProtectEboForest.”
The logging plans were halted in August 2020, although the Ebo Forest has not been declared a national park yet, according to Mongabay.
DiCaprio has been a regular advocate for conservationist causes, most notably through his organization Re:wild, which aims to “protect and restore the wild to build a thriving Earth where all life flourishes.”
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The actor is best known for his roles in Titanic, Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, and many other films. His most recent film, Don’t Look Up, dealt explicitly with themes of climate change and “listening to the science.”
Representatives for DiCaprio did not respond to requests for comment.
