As climate change becomes more tangible and humanity’s footprint on the planet continues to grow, more nonprofit organizations are stepping in to maintain the fragile and complex symbiosis that is life on this planet. We want to shed light on a few of these organizations that are fighting to maintain the balance for every living person, animal and thing on Earth.

The first organization we want to highlight is the Worldwide Fund for Nature or World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as it is more commonly known. The WWF has spent the past 50 years maintaining and rectifying oceans, forest and freshwater ecosystems while promoting a more sustainable way of life for humans and animals alike.  The WWF estimates that extinction rates today are between 1,000 and 10,000 times the Natural Extinction Rate due to human influence.  As such they have expanded their efforts to include protecting endangered species as one of their primary focuses. Their work helps maintain the delicate balance of the planet and we hope our community makes meaningful contributions to their mission long into the future.

Next up, The Wildlife Conservation Society inspires people to care for and contribute to the conservation of wildlife and the environment. Most recently they have undertaken an ambitious project to develop 245 protected world sites by 2020 – from the remote mountains of Afghanistan to the windswept wilderness of Chile’s Tierra del Fuego – and at the same time, minimize humanity’s footprint as our population continues to balloon. We stand behind their manifesto and hope that our community will as well: “Never before have we faced such a need; To bring knowledge to action; To connect hearts with minds; To assure our survival.”
Our final organization is WildAid.  While not as well known as WWF or Wildlife Conservation Society WildAid has had a massive impact fighting illegal wildlife trade. Instead of going after poachers WildAid goes after the market, persuading consumers and strengthening enforcement to minimize trade by creating visibility into illegal trade and the implications thereof.  Through their strategies – Surveillance & Interdiction, Systematic Training, Prosecution & Sanction, Education & Outreach and Sustainable Finance – plus an enormous communication network (their messages get over a billion impressions per week!) they aspire to end illegal wildlife trade completely in our lifetimes. We hope WildAid accomplishes it’s goal because, “When the buying stops, the killing can too.”