Wildlife

Every single plant, animal, and fungus species—from the two-inch-long Bee Hummingbird to the 82-foot-long Blue Whale, from the smallest mushroom on Earth to the towering tropical Kapok trees—is a fundamental building block of a healthy ecosystem. Sometimes we may not understand the extent of the role a single species may play, and sometimes it’s clear how species can engineer entire ecosystems.

Whether it is the tapir that disperses seeds, butterflies that pollinate flowers, scavengers that prevent the spread of disease, or fungi that cycle critical nutrients throughout the soil, our ecosystems exist only because of the complex interplay between the diverse communities of life within them. They are the products of billions of years of species evolving together. 

Re:wild focuses on protecting some of the rarest and most threatened species in the world, and also on restoring species on the brink of extinction as part of our strategy to recover entire ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems are the life support of our planet. They are critical to our own wellbeing as they regulate climate, provide clean air and water, and reduce the risk of fires and pandemics.

Today’s extinction rate is thousands of times higher than the natural historical extinction rate as a direct result of human activity. We help implement tailored strategies for each of the more than 95 species around the world we focus on, including: 

Through our extensive international partnerships and by supporting local partners—including small nonprofits, individual species champions, wildlife rangers and Indigenous peoples—to do their work more effectively, we are able to protect and restore wildlife species, even populations that are down to just a few individuals. These efforts benefit an additional 2,300 threatened species.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the interrelated crises of wildlife extinctions, climate change and pandemics. Re:wild works with local and Indigenous communities, conservation partners, governments and others to solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our wildlife approaches include any combination of the following solutions:

Conducting scientific research, synthesizing data and using that information to prioritize our conservation efforts and enable a deeper understanding of global biodiversity, its status and how best to conserve it.

We work to improve management of protected and conserved areas to ensure a safe and equitable future for biodiversity and local communities.

Supporting extensive native habitat restoration, such as reforestation, that assists in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, but that can rebound and rewild with a little help.

Developing community-led and owned prevention strategies that take into account the societal and cultural drivers of wildlife crime, and implementing systems and technology to stop poachers before a crime is even committed.

Creating insurance populations to prevent extinction and active management of wildlife populations to help restore them to healthy and self-sustainable numbers across their natural range.

Incorporating Indigenous knowledge, practices and values to support Indigenous peoples in protecting and managing their lands and natural resources.

We identify and prioritize wild places in need of increased protection and work to establish new conservation areas through our local partners.

Building a team of engaged global citizens by inspiring changes in daily habits and promoting individual and collective actions that drive real and lasting change. We harness our platforms and reach to generate international attention around imminent threats to wildlife and wildlands and the communities who rely on them, usually from extractive industries, to positively influence decision-makers and other stakeholders.

Partnering with the next generation, passionate leaders, communities and organizations all over the world to ensure they have the enabling conditions, resources and expertise they need to most effectively protect and manage wildlife and wildlands.

Exploring some of the most remote corners of our planet to discover how and where we can have the biggest impact on imperiled species and places.

Re:wild’s funds are designed to address gaps in financing, kickstart careers, and leverage impact — to provide resources of all sizes to where they are most needed. As host to over 15 different funds, our goal is to enable the conservation community to protect and restore the wild in the most powerful ways possible.