Congo, my country, has the largest forest in Africa, maybe the second-largest in the world. I was born in a forest area, and when I was growing up, I assisted my uncle, who was a poacher. That was good, because it grew my passion for protecting the forest and plants.

Congo has vast stands of biologically important forests as well as remote areas still waiting to be explored, yet we have very few botanists. I'm working to expand training for young students and inspire a new generation to make discoveries, spread the word about conservation, and increase protected areas throughout our country.

Discovering new species is a passion. A day without collecting plants is painful for me.

The Pygmies rely on the forest for their very life. They know everything about finding and using plants, animal behavior, and forest survival. Working with these wonderful people has been incredibly valuable.

Some studies have shown that natural gas could, in fact, be worse for the climate than coal.

I'm into environmental and ecological issues, so maybe that is an avenue to go down.

I've been active in animal rights and all kinds of environmental stuff and children's charities over the years.

If every country's climate policy was driven purely by environmental science, we may have no need for international agreements.