Major International Wildlife Conservation Organizations Active In The World Today
Conservation organizations like the WWF, Oceana, Sierra Club, and others are working hard to save the disappearing species of animals all over the world. The cause of environmental conservation is being championed by major organizations across the world. These groups are promoting sustainability at a time when the world is faced with major environmental concerns such as climate change, which threaten the existence of wildlife.
10. National Audubon Society -
The National Audubon Society has been in operation since 1905 with headquarters in New York, in the US. The idea for the organization was conceptualized by Mina Hall and Harriet Hemenway, who were opposed to the large-scale slaughtering of waterbirds. The organization’s aim was to protect waterbirds such as egrets, herons, and gulls. The Society has founded waterbird sanctuaries along the coasts of the US. Through advocacy, the organization has pushed for significant legislation such as the Endangered Species Act (1973) and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (1980). The Society also uses education and science to sensitize people, and it organizes field trips for bird-watching to advance its cause. It assists other international organizations in conservation efforts for birds migrating over the borders of the US.
9. Natural Resources Defense Council -
The Natural Resources Defense Council was established by several lawyers enthusiastic about the environment in the 1970s. It is located in New York City, the US with 2.4 million members. The organization’s objective is to agitate for sustainable policies from all levels of government as well as industrial enterprises. It aims to influence legislation geared towards conservation and the subsequent implementation and enforcement. The Council runs significant operations in several cities in the US and Beijing, China. It promotes the right for people to have clean air, water, and natural resources in all countries around the world.
8. Conservation International -
Conservation International operates as a non-profit environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia State, in the US. The organization was established in 1987 by two conservation enthusiasts namely Peter Seligmann and Spencer Beebe. The organization identifies hot spots across the world; that is areas possessing a unique biological richness which are critically threatened by factors such as habitat destruction. The organization then mobilizes its partners, from governments, businesses, to communities in conservation efforts. The Conservation International has operations in more than 30 countries across the wprld, and it has facilitated the establishment of 1,200 protected areas globally. The organization aims at providing solutions to earth’s environmental issues through policy and science.
7. Wildlife Conservation Society -
The Wildlife Conservation Society began operations las the New York Zoological Society in 1895. It was renamed in 1993, with an objective to preserve natural areas and wildlife in the world through conservation efforts, education, science, and mobilization. The Society has five parks in New York City namely the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the Prospect Park Zoo. These parks act as natural institutions to sensitize the estimated 4 million people who visit them annually on conservation. The Wildlife Conservation Society is present in more than 60 countries, and it manages over 500 conservation efforts.
6. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds -
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds started operations as the Plumage League established by Emily Williamson in 1889. The organization serves the UK, with major facilities in England, Wales and Scotland. The aim of the Society is to protect the threatened birds and wildlife species. The organization identifies areas which need critical wildlife conservation, and together with different partners, formulate and implement efforts towards sustainability. The Society manages or owns about 170 nature reserves in the UK, and it also facilitates international conservation. It is the largest conservancy in Europe with over 1 million members.
5. Sierra Club, -
The Sierra Club began operations in 1892, after being established by the conservationist John Muir as an environmental organization. The Club is headquartered in California, US. The organization is mostly associated with grassroots mobilization and progressive movements to push environmental agendas. Throughout time, the Club has lobbied for green policies, action against global warming, use of green energy, opposition towards fossil fuels, protection of natural forests, and opposition to the construction of dams.
4. Nature Conservancy -
The Nature Conservancy started as the Ecologists Union in 1946. From 1951, the organizations began operations as the Nature Conservancy headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, US. The Conservancy focuses on the preservation of natural areas including lands, oceans, other water bodies as well as climate. The organization works with different institutions such as governments, communities, businesses, and conservation groups to ensure the sustainability of earth’s resources.
3. Jane Goodall Institute -
The Jane Goodall Institute is headquartered in Virginia State in the US, and it has been operational since 1977. The idea for the institute was conceived by Jane Goodall, a renowned British primatologist. The organization is wholly dedicated to the conservation of chimpanzees and other primates. To achieve this purpose, the institute undertakes research, empowers local and national institutions to make conservation efforts, and mobilizes and sensitizes communities all over the world. The most notable research program the organization undertakes is in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, East Africa.
2. Oceana -
Oceana was established in 2001 through the efforts of four foundations namely the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Pew Charitable Trusts, Marisla Foundation, and the Oak Foundation. It was founded as a non-profit organization aimed at promoting the conservation and restoration of oceans on an international scale. So far, the organization has facilitated the protection of over one million square miles of ocean, and it continues to combat threats such as pollution and overfishing.
1. World Wildlife Fund -
The World Wildlife Fund began operations on September 11, 1962, in Morges, Switzerland. It was founded as a global fund-raising organization to finance international conservation. The giant panda is the organization's logo, inspired by a panda known as Chi-Chi which had been adopted by a Zoo in London. From its cradle in Switzerland, the WWF has expanded operations to over 100 countries with over 5 million global supporters. The organization strives to facilitate the conservation of nature as well as wildlife. It has been at the forefront calling for action against climate change and wildlife crime as well as protecting some of the world’s most significant wild areas such as the Amazon forest.
