He was renowned as an adventurer, entrepreneur and conservationist, starting brands such as North Face and Esprit in between his wild adventures. It wasn’t until the early 1990’s that the conservationist in Douglas Tompkins began to take hold. He sold his investments and focussed his energies on preserving land and wildlife in South America alongside his wife, Kristine Tompkins, the former CEO of outdoor clothing brandPatagonia. Over a 25 year period, the couple along with their partners, worked together to create five national parks, which were gifted to their countries of origin. Their combined efforts helped secure 4.75 million acres in new protected areas in Chile and Argentina. This is the story of Doug’s impact on wilderness over his lifetime.

Find out more about the work that goes on at tompkinsconservation.org.