The Guardians of the Earth are the stewards of the world’s wild places, and the plants and animals that live there. These are the park rangers, Indigenous peoples, and local communities who prove every day that people have incredible power to benefit life on Earth. These are the scientists, women, academics, resource managers, and youth who are dedicating their lives to safeguarding biodiversity.  

Re:wild works to ensure that every person in a position to protect Earth’s biodiversity has agency to do so.

Through our work with guardians, Re:wild cultivates and invests in conservationists on the ground making a profound and lasting difference for our planet. For example: 

Re:wild is part of a coalition working to enable and advocate for better training, support, safety, and equality for protected area rangers. Rangers work on the front lines, where they prevent poaching, habitat destruction, and other threats to the ecosystems that keep the planet healthy.

Re:wild’s partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities spans 25 countries, has led to the conservation of over 200 million acres of critical wildlands (approximately two times the size of the the United States’ fourth largest state, Montana), and has had positive impacts for people through the creation of wealth, enhanced security, and greater community empowerment. 

We are a champion for the Women in Nature Network (WiNN). Founded in 2013, this inclusive, global network is helping women overcome the barriers they frequently face. WiNN actively connects and empowers women to attain and thrive in rewarding careers to protect the planet.

The world needs protected places. It also needs growing populations of diverse people to connect to them, to belong to them, and ultimately to work and advocate for them and the plants, animals and fungi that depend on them for survival. With partners around the world, Re:wild is committed to expanding the number, diversity, and influence of these promising leaders above and beyond what exists today, by connecting them to vital networks and equipping them with the skills and resources they need to do their work.

Next gen guardians

We have a long history of supporting the next generation of conservation leaders. Since our founding, Re:wild’s associates—early and mid-career conservationists from around the world—have received mentorship, direct access to a global network of partners and media platforms, and new funding opportunities to grow professionally and accelerate their impact.

Re:wild also works alongside other leading conservation groups in partnership with top colleges and universities across the United States to provide high-potential youth with a glidepath into conservation careers — from hands-on experiences in their communities as teens, college scholarships and fellowships, and skills training and support systems, to ultimately placing students into their first full-time, environmental job.

Banner collage image credits: Piotr Naskreki David Stowe/Aussie Ark, Robin Moore, Jonathan Mbu