Bear facing forward Aerial view of wetland
EEI Tony/iStock
USFWS

PREVENT EXTINCTION.
PROTECT HABITAT.

DEFEND
WILDLIFE.

Defenders of Wildlife, a national, non-partisan organization that for more than 75 years has been the leading voice for the conservation of imperiled wildlife and habitat across North America.

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Who We Are

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife is the premier U.S.-based national conservation organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of imperiled species and their habitats in North America.

What We Do

Just as our name says – we defend wildlife. Our team of policy, legal, science and advocacy experts work at every level to transform policies and craft solutions for wildlife.

Why It Matters

Up to a million species are facing extinction - some within the next decade - unless we take immediate action to save them. We envision a future where diverse wildlife populations are secure and thriving.

Our Impact

In the Courts

We have been at the forefront of wildlife and natural resource litigation and policy since the organization's inception in 1947.

On the Hill

We engage actively on Capitol Hill to defend wildlife and wild places from legislative attacks and secure new wildlife conservation initiatives.

Chamois carrying swift fox in trap for swift fox recovery program relocation
Dave Showalter

On the Ground

We work on the ground at the state, tribal and local level developing practical, innovative programs that protect and restore imperiled species and their habitats.

cranes
Patrick Myers/NPS

Defend public lands and stand against sell-offs

Young wolf pup peeks out of the foliage.
Rebecca Bose/Wolf Conservation Center

America's wild animals are counting on you!

Gray Timber Wolves in snow
Bill Maynard

Make a Difference for Wildlife

Up to a million species are facing extinction - some within the next decade - unless we take immediate action to save them. You can be a part of the solution for endangered species: support efforts to protect the wild right now.

Our Strategy

Defenders of Wildlife is a national, non-partisan, member organization that for more than 75 years has been the leading voice for the conservation of imperiled wildlife and habitat across North America. Our team of policy, legal, science and advocacy experts work at every level from the state and federal government to the courts and in the field to transform policies and craft innovative and enduring solutions for wildlife guided by three conservation imperatives:

PREVENT species and their habitats from becoming imperiled,
PROTECT endangered and threatened species and their habitats and
RESTORE the vitality of once-vulnerable species and their habitats.

blue mountains
Sleepy Brown Bear Family in Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Alaska
Lisa Hupp, USFWS

Our Work & Impact

90%
of old-growth habitat removed from a proposed timber sale in Tongass National Forest after the U.S. Forest Service heeded our objections, protecting thousands of acres of habitat for wolves, bears and more.
75
years of leading efforts to protect and restore wildlife and habitat in North America. The stakes have never been higher, but our experience and expertise have prepared us to face the challenges ahead.
100+
collaboration projects to prevent conflicts with grizzly bears and wolves in the West, including range riders, electric fencing and bear-resistant garbage containers.

News

2020.03.24 - Alligator - Okefenokee Swamp - Okefenokee Wilderness Area - Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge - Michael Lusk.jpg
ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Defenders Celebrates Land Acquisition Deal Protecting Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from Threat of Mining

Defenders of Wildlife celebrates The Conservation Fund’s acquisition of the properties owned by Twin Pines Minerals, LLC, a company seeking to mine adjacent to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest refuge east of the Mississippi River.
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Wildlife & Wild Places

Bison in snow

Bison

North Dakota Prairie

Great Plains

Burrowing Owls

Owls