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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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Lone horseshoe crab
Long Branch, NJ

Fisheries Commission Takes Cautious Approach on Proposal That Threatens Red Knots in Delaware Bay

Conservation groups, including Defenders of Wildlife, commended today’s decision by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to forego, for now, authorizing a bait harvest of female horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, where the crabs’ eggs fuel a globally significant stopover habitat for migratory shorebirds.
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Mother Grizzly Bear with Cub - North Twin Lakes - Oregon
SEATTLE, Wash.

Wildlife Advocates Applaud Restart of Process to Return Grizzly Bears to North Cascades

Conservation groups and other wildlife advocates applaud the Biden administration’s announcement today that it is restarting the process required to return grizzly bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE) - a large network of mostly protected public lands that spans from northwest Washington State into British Columbia and includes North Cascades National Park.
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I Voted sticker
Washington, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Statement on the 2022 Election Results

Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement in response to the preliminary results from yesterday's midterm election:
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North atlantic right whale
Washington, D.C.

Emergency Petition Seeks to Shield Right Whale Moms, Calves From Ship Strikes

Defenders of Wildlife and partner conservation groups filed an emergency rulemaking petition with NOAA Fisheries today to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being struck and killed by vessels in their calving grounds off the coast of the southeast United States.
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Juvenile chinook salmon
Sacramento, Calif.

Conservation Groups Prompt Federal Review of San Joaquin River Exchange Contract for First Time in 54 Years

Defenders of Wildlife applauded a decision by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to request a renegotiation of a decades-old use contract for the San Joaquin River that could spark stronger protection for wildlife and drought management.
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