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News Genesis Awards 
 Penny is the director of Project Koko, the longest study of language and consciousness in nonhuman primates. Along with Dr. Ronald Cohn and the late Barbara Hiller, Penny co-founded the Gorilla Foundation/koko.org to teach and to learn from Koko, a western lowland gorilla.Koko now knows over one thousand words in American Sign Language and uses them to express her thoughts, feelings, a sense of justice and a remarkable sense of humor. Koko's long time gorilla companion, Michael, is more famous for his expressive artwork, although he, too, has a rich sign vocabulary. Project Koko has been documented by Dr. Ron Cohn since its inception. Penny credits Ron with providing the scientific community with indisputable evidence of gorilla consciousness. In truth, it is the emotional impact of Ron's images that captivates audiences of the Nature documentary, A Conversation with Koko. With thanks to Penny, Ron and the media, Koko and Michael have revolutionized our fundamental perception of gorillas. We no longer think King Kong. We think Koko's Kitten. For nearly thirty years, Penny has conducted research, disseminated information, and advocated environmental conservation worldwide from the modest grounds of the Gorilla Foundation in northern California. Penny is currently working to transform a donation of seventy acres of land on the island of Maui into a sanctuary where Koko, Michael, Ndume, and other gorillas in need may live in a world safe from poachers and with the sense of freedom they so deserve. The non-profit Foundation relies greatly on the financial support of loyal members and donors, and Penny is exploring new avenues of revenue, including e-commerce (KokoMart), on the Foundation's critically acclaimed website, www.koko.org and through 800-ME-GO-APE. Widely published, Penny has authored many articles and several books, most recently a children's title, Koko-Love. She is also founder and editor of the interspecies communication journal, Gorilla. Education and outreach are key components to saving the great apes; therefore, Penny is a proponent of coalition building and is eager to foster new alliances. Committed to ending the unconscionable murder of great apes in Africa for commercial trade, Penny collaborated with Dr. Anthony Rose of the Biosynergy Institute to create the Wildlife Protector's Fund. The WPF's distribution of Koko's Kitten in Africa is successfully transforming poachers into protectors of gorillas. The Ark Trust congratulates our Fourteenth Annual Genesis Awards Guest of Honor, a gorilla's best friend, Dr. Penny Patterson. Related web sites: Ark Trust/ Genesis Awards Wild Life Protector's Fund |
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