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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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Scarlet_Macaw
Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Report: Scarlet Macaw Reintroduction Project Celebrates Five Years

Five years after the reintroduction of scarlet macaws into the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, leaders of the reintroduction project released a report detailing its progress. The report, “Slow but sure assimilation to culture and ecotourism of reintroduced scarlet macaws in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico,” was published in the Journal of Ecotourism on April 18, 2019.
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Polar Bears
Washington

Former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Leaders Respond to Alaska Governor's Letter

Former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Jamie Rappaport Clark and former FWS Alaska Regional Director Geoffrey L. Haskett have issued a response to Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy’s criticism of FWS staff.
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Border wall comparison Matt Clark/Defenders
Tucson, AZ

Trump Administration Arizona Border Proposal Would Wall Off National Wildlife Refuges

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced plans yesterday to replace 63 miles of pedestrian fencing and vehicle barrier with new bollard style wall in Pima and Cochise Counties.
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Coral reef, Palmyra Atoll
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Rolls Back Offshore Drilling Safety Rules

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), an agency in the Department of the Interior, announced a new Well Control and Blowout Preventer Rule today, rolling back more stringent offshore drilling safety standards implemented in response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.
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Yosemite National Park
Washington, DC

Cantwell, Gallego, Udall, DeGette, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Permanently Protect Nearly 60 Million Acres of Wild Public Forests

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced legislation today to permanently protect millions of acres of pristine national forests.
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