Guardians

Guardians are the stewards of our planet.

We need more Guardians working to restore and protect the Earth.

A 2022 study co-authored by Re:wild found that we need more rangers and other skilled conservation leaders to effectively protect 30% of our planet. We need catalysts of positive change who can drive scalable solutions, and mentors for the next generation of resilient conservationists who will lead tomorrow.

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

The future of our planet lies in the hands of local organizations and conservation leaders. Re:wild works in direct response to our partners’ needs, equipping and emboldening them with what they need to protect and restore the wild.

To ensure elevated, high-impact and long-lasting conservation results, Re:wild’s Guardians program creates the best opportunities by:

  • Cultivating conservation leaders

  • Strengthening local, Indigenous and community-led partner organizations

  • Leveraging impact and weaving vibrant networks among Guardians

Re:wild’s Guardians Programs

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Associate Fellows

The future of conservation depends on the future generation of brilliant and resilient conservation leaders to lead and drive change. However, early-career conservationists working in the most biodiverse places often lack access to high-quality training, professional and peer networks and research funding.

Re:wild’s invitation-only Associate Fellows program cultivates and supports the next generation of conservation leaders throughout their career. Associates gain access to mentoring and technical training from Re:wild’s renowned conservation scientists, access to small grants and our global partner network, as well as communications support to raise their profile.

Over 35 Re:wild Associate Fellows working in organizations, at universities and independently to rewild our planet have achieved remarkable successes – including discovering new and lost species, establishing new protected areas, and inspiring others to help protect our planet.

Meet a few of our Associate Fellows and learn about their work:

Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

Indigenous territories cover 37% of the earth’s natural land. They are essential for safeguarding biodiversity.



Through stewardship informed by traditional knowledge and practices, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that Indigenous People are the most effective guardians of biodiversity.

Globally, partnerships with and leadership by Indigenous Peoples are increasingly recognized as critical to rebalancing the relationship between humans and nature. Despite this awareness, direct investment in and partnership with Indigenous Peoples remains one of the most underfunded strategies for building a resilient future for humanity.   Re:wild is part of an ambitious global movement to increase direct conservation funding to Indigenous Peoples and local communities in priority areas around the world, building understanding, learning, and collaboration to achieve shared conservation goals. Re:wild’s longstanding partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities span some of the world’s most threatened species and ecosystems around the world.

Re:wild recognizes that the most effective Guardians of vital habitats and ecosystems and the species that rely on them are Indigenous Peoples and local communities who have protected them for generations.



Our strategies in supporting Indigenous peoples and local communities include:
    • Strengthening governance, management and protection of biodiversity-rich Indigenous territories
    • Enhancing Indigenous-led solutions, promoting Indigenous livelihoods, and cultural resilience
    • Securing and protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights to their traditional territories and ancestral domains

Read more about our work with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities:

Rangers

The value of the services rangers provide is estimated at $125-$140 TRILLION per year.



From managing wildlife tourism to preventing illegal poaching and wildlife trade, rangers are the stewards of our most precious resources. Without the rangers who risk their lives protecting wildlife and wild places, there would be very little wild at all.

Re:wild stands with rangers, wildlife wardens, forest guards, scouts and watchers worldwide in honor of their courage, their commitment, and their sacrifices. Rangers are guardians of the wild, of history and of culture sites. They are teachers, guides, scientific collaborators and emergency responders.

Re:wild is a proud member of the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA), a collaborative initiative of eight conservation organizations who have come together to support rangers globally.

Rangers Deserve More

The Ranger Solution, narrated by Edward Norton and produced by Re:wild, is a five-part animated video series designed for the #RangersDeserveMore movement — to raise up the profile of rangers everywhere, and bring awareness to the challenges rangers face at work, from harsh environments and inadequate supplies to lack of access to clean water. The work of a ranger is not only important; it is sometimes dangerous. Rangers around the world deserve reliable working conditions, access to healthcare, training, and better pay and benefits.

Conservation Pathways For Youth

Re:wild supports aspiring young conservationists as they step on and up their conservation career ladder. ​​



Time and again, young people demonstrate the power they have to create real, positive change for the future of our shared Earth. However, many communities remain underrepresented and underserved in their pursuit of a conservation career with fewer than one in four environmental organizations having pathway programming.

Re:wild’s Conservation Pathways for Youth program works to actively remove the barriers that young people from historically underrepresented communities in the US often face.
Minorities in Shark Sciences hosts a workshop in April 2022. Photo courtesy of MISS.
Since 2020, through our Conservation Pathways for Youth program, Re:wild has partnered with grassroots organizations and universities across the US to support more than 600 students and young conservationists with scholarships, fellowships, equitably paid internships and mentorships. Through these experiences, young conservationists access marketable skills, educational and professional development opportunities, real-world experience, career-planning support and inspiring role models to help reach their full potential as future conservation leaders.

Women Rewilding

Our Women Rewilding initiative is increasing women’s influence, visibility and resilience.



When women are empowered, they make better decisions for themselves, their communities, their organizations, and the world in which they live. However, in many of the most vital places around the world, women are excluded when decisions and policies are made about the use and management of natural resources.

Re:wild celebrates the pivotal role women play in conservation – especially Indigenous women, rangers, scientists and policy-makers – and their unique position to protect and restore our planet. Re:wild also recognizes the professional, personal, and societal challenges women face when working in conservation and how access to resources, opportunities, role models, and professional networks are critical for building women’s leadership.

Our Women Rewilding initiative works to ensure that women’s voices, wisdom, and needs are heard. And we believe that sustained support for women in conservation will drive a more sustainable, conserved, and equitable future for all.

How does this strategic initiative achieve its goals?

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