After considering retirement last year, Paul Simon of Local 802 (New York City) has announced that he will hit the road again for a 17-city tour to benefit the Half-Earth Project, an initiative of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. The singer says that he feels that actively supporting biodiversity through performing his music makes him feel like he’s making a “greater contribution than just putting more money in my pocket, or becoming more famous,” both of which he says he doesn’t need.

In Wilson’s book Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life he proposes an achievable plan to save our imperiled biosphere: devote half the surface of the Earth to nature. Simon assures fans that his concerts will be music based saying they won’t be lectured to, though the book may be available.

Stranger To Stranger, Simon’s most recent solo album, was his first number-one hit on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts.