Warner Bros. PicturesWhen it comes to looking after the planet, there are a lot of A-list celebrities that talk the talk – but not enough of them actually walk the walk.
Don’t get us wrong, Mother Earth has an incredible amount of people who do all they can to look after her, but usually, when it comes to those with power and money, not enough is done. But the same cannot be said for Leonardo DiCaprio, who has donated millions to environmental causes in the past and this week announced that his foundation will be handing out up to $15 million to the likes of Amazon Watch, Save the Elephants and the World Wildlife Fund.
The 40-year-old acting legend often makes headlines for his escapades with supermodels on yachts and his party lifestyle in general – but it’s refreshing to see the media also report on his generosity to conservation organisations around the world. Which is something he has been doing for a while now…
Work with orphaned children in Mozambique
It hasn’t been massively reported on, and the photo evidence available (as you can see) is very dyer, but back in 2008 during filming for his epic blockbuster, Blood Diamond, Leo visited the 24 orphan children at SOS Children’s Villages Charity in Mozambique and offered them all extras roles in the film.
Travelling to the set and hanging out with the actors gave these children a summer they will never forget, and DiCaprio has never forgotten the time he spent with them during filming. To this day, his foundation continues to give them money.
His preservation efforts do not go unnoticed, either
Leo’s Foundation is one of the few in the world that helps to maintain practically any type of animal in any part of the world, and the following Instagram photo he posted last year highlights a lot of them…
The work of his foundation is so vast, that it has had a hand in protecting lions and tigers in both Asia and Africa, to sea mammals, to monkeys and the forests that they reside in. But his foundation doesn’t get all the glory – he often provides money so that other charities and organisations can do their own work in order to protect endangered animals and save parts of the world under threat by both nature and humans.
The island he’s breathing new life into
It’s not all about animals and people when it comes to Leonardo’s charitable nature, though. Alongside his property developer partner, Paul Scialla, he is currently working hard to breathe new life into an unpopulated 104-acre island in Belize.
They want to create an eco-conscious resort which, in 2018, can be home to holidaymakers. And to get the island ready for said people, they are working to restore it after years of deforestation and an eroding coastline due to pollution and overfishing.
Yes, in the future, the pair will make money off this venture. But the money will only go back into the island so it can thrive – and those willing to pay for a trip there will be put through an ecology orientation programme first. Smart.
His foundation does massive work for the world’s five oceans
The Leonardo DiCaprio foundation has already given over $2 million dollars to Oceans 5, a charity focused on reducing overfishing, establishing marine reserves and generally protecting the world’s five oceans.
If that wasn’t enough, he’s just donated another $15 MILLION to save the planet
This week, DiCaprio announced that his foundation will provide environmental organizations working on conservation projects around the world with a whopping $15 million in the form of grants. It’s all part of a multiyear effort that he has kicked off with an aim to make a positive impact on the environment.
But what is the most astonishing thing about this deal? The current $15 million is only this year’s allotted amount. Next year, he’ll do it all over again – if not to new heights.
We salute you, Leo!
