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Violet-green Swallow
ANN ARBOR, MI

Study Led by Defenders of Wildlife Scientist Shows Noise Pollution Impacts on Migratory Birds

“The major takeaway from this study is that anthropogenic noise affects many aspects of bird behavior, with some responses more directly tied to fitness,” said Natalie Madden, lead author of the new study.
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Louisiana Black Bear
Raleigh, N.C.

Defenders Receives Advocacy Organization of the Year Award

Defenders of Wildlife joined its partners in the Safe Passage coalition today to accept the Advocacy Organization of the Year Award at the 2026 Sweethearts
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Two North Atlantic Right Whales
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Raises Alarm Over Administration’s Proposal to Amend Rule Protecting North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Vessel Strikes

Defenders of Wildlife is devastated to learn that a three-year-old female North Atlantic right whale was found dead off Virginia on February 10, 2026. This

Press Releases

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Red Cliffs National Conservation Area
ST. GEORGE, Utah

Bureau of Land Management Moves to Approve Utah Highway Through Critical Tortoise Habitat

Today, the Trump administration moved one step closer to approving a highway project that would cut through critical habitat for the Agassiz's desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) as well as the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and Desert Reserve, which was designated for the conservation of the federally threatened desert tortoise.
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Beaver munching on a leaf
Portland, Ore.

What Beavers Can Do for the Beaver State

After devastating fires ravaged more than 1 million acres of Oregon forest this year, human and natural communities are looking for ways to protect the remaining forests and waterways they depend on. According to Sristi Kamal, Ph.D., senior Oregon representative for Defenders of Wildlife, that much-needed support could come from an unexpected source: beavers.
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North atlantic right whale
Washington, DC

U.S. Senate Releases CJS Appropriations Bill with $2 Million Increase for Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale Protections

Today, the U.S. Senate released its fiscal year 2021 Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill, increasing funding for monitoring and protecting the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale by $2 million over FY 2020 levels. The additional funds will also help develop and test new anti-entanglement fishing gear technologies. The funding levels are similar to those adopted in the House’s companion CJS bill. The House and Senate now must work to reach agreement over the final appropriations bill levels and language.
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Threatened Agassiz's desert tortoise hatchling
Washington, DC

One Step Ahead: How Corporations can Help Wildlife Through Renewable Energy Procurement

What do Bank of America, Amazon, Coca Cola, Facebook, Google, Nike, Salesforce, Starbucks, T-Mobile and Walmart have in common? In addition to being brand names
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Greater Sage Grouse - Wyoming
WASHINGTON

Senate Appropriations Bills Inadequate for Protecting Lands, Wildlife

Bill includes nearly $2 billion for border wall construction, ignores the need for greater sage-grouse protection and shortchanges funding for endangered species
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
lsheehan@defenders.org
(202) 772-3244
Communications Director
mdewane@defenders.org
(202) 772-0217
Communications Specialist
jcovey@defenders.org
Former Communications Specialist
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268