The word biophilia means the love of all living things.

The new E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center in Walton County is designed to instill that love in everyone who visits it.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning, Harvard professor was in Walton County Thursday night for the center's dedication.

Dr. Wilson passed on a little of his wisdom to a packed auditorium.

As a child, world-renowned Scientist Dr. Edward Wilson spent his days exploring Northwest Florida and Southwest Alabama's beautiful and diverse environment.

Nokose Plantation Owner, MC Davis is trying to preserve through conservation and education. “Our goal at Nokose is to restore the natural habitats on the land as closely as possible to their pre-European settlement condition in order to support the native plant and animal species in the area.”

And, with 48,000 acres of preserve, and plans to build the multi-million dollar biophilia center, Nokose's goal is to educate people about the necessity to protect the earth and all it's bio-diversity is well under way.

Wilson says it's an honor to be the centers' namesake. "Now of course I'm really proud to have the facility named after me. And it was so thoughtful of you to not wait until I was dead, which is the usual procedure."

The center will feature state of the art exhibits, interactive displays, nature trails, and outdoor classrooms to educate students of all ages on the importance of all living things, something Dr. E.O. Wilson has spent his whole life doing.

"A society is designed not only by what it creates, but what it refuses to destroy," he concluded.

The center site is located off Highway 20 in Walton County, between Freeport and Bruce.