News

New Tree Dedicated In Honor Of Leonardo DiCaprio In Cameroon

Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew honored Leonardo DiCaprio by giving his name to a tree located only in Cameroon, Uvariopsis dicaprio, after the actor helped protect the Ebo Forest from logging. The Leonardo Tree is now considered to be “the first plant new to science to be officially named by Kew scientists in 2022.”

“We think he was crucial in helping to stop the logging of the Ebo Forest,” said Dr. Martin Cheek of Kew told the BBC. In 2020, DiCaprio, 47, posted on social media a petition against logging in the home to the Banen people. The actor aided experts, who wrote letters to the Cameroonian government about the endangered species of both animals and plants in the Ebo Forest. Among the endangered plants is the now named Uvariopsis dicaprio. It is a small tropical evergreen tree with yellow flowers growing from its trunk and is a member of the ylang-ylang family.

After urging the Cameroonian government to cancel its plan, the president of Cameroon later backtracked on his decision. According to the Global Wildlife Conservation, additional logging would have destroyed the habitat of a small population of gorillas that may be a new subspecies and threatened chimpanzees known for both cracking nuts and fishing for termites.

“There are still thousands of plant species and maybe millions of fungal species out there that we don’t know about,” Dr. Cheek said. “This natural habitat that they’re growing in – especially forests, but other habitats too, is increasingly and more rapidly being destroyed by us humans without knowing what’s there.”

Hannah Kim

Recent Posts

Cristiano Ronaldo To Earn $3.9 Million Weekly In New Contract With Al Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to sign a new deal at Al Nassr worth $3.9…

3 hours ago

Will Ferrell & Lookalike Son Magnus Spotted Courtside At Lakers Vs. Spurs Game

Will Ferrell and his son, Magnus Ferrell, turned heads courtside at the Crypto.com Arena during an intense NBA…

4 hours ago

Nine Inch Nails Share ‘Peel It Back’ Tour Dates – Setlist & Ticket Info

The band confirmed rumors of a 2025 tour earlier this month, but amid the wildfires,…

5 hours ago

Chris Brown Sues Warner Bros. In $500 Million Defamation Lawsuit Over Documentary

A spokesperson for the studio reported, “We stand behind the production and will vigorously defend…

6 hours ago

Heidi Montag & Spencer Pratt Sue City Of Los Angeles For Wildfires That Destroyed Their Home

Pratt and Montag filed the lawsuit alongside over 20 other property owners and residents affected…

7 hours ago

Hall Of Fame Yankees Pitcher Mariano Rivera & Wife Clara Sued For Allegedly Covering Up A Child Sex-Abuse Report

The girl, now 17, filed a lawsuit on January 16, seeking unspecified damages for negligent…

10 hours ago