Welcome to Wildlife Works' monthly newsletter; Reasons for Wild Hope. This past month brought a powerful mix of sobering realities and emerging rays of hope in global efforts to protect our planet’s imperiled biodiversity. Our team witnessed these dynamics firsthand at Biodiversity COP16 in Colombia, where crucial conversations about our planet's future took center stage.
A Paradigm Shift is Needed
The scale of our environmental crisis is stark: At COP16 the IUCN Red List revealed that over one-third of the world's tree species face extinction, while WWF’s recent report suggests wildlife populations have plummeted by an estimated 73% since 1970. These aren't just statistics – they represent the unraveling of vital ecosystem services that sustain human life, from crop pollination to water cycle regulation and air purification.
Most countries are falling short of their commitments to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, with developed nations contributing less than half their "fair share" to biodiversity conservation. Amidst these failures, there’s a growing recognition that we need to reshape how society perceives conservation efforts.
Environmental activists Charlie J. Gardner and James M. Bullock recently proposed a crucial paradigm shift in how we frame conservation efforts: rather than viewing conservation as an altruistic effort to save other species, we must recognize it as a pragmatic necessity for human survival. Their "survival ecology" framework acknowledges that protecting nature isn't just about preserving wildlife – it's about securing humanity's future.
A key part of the mindset needed to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises is also to recognize and support the many forms of progress. For example, this past month, we saw:
Brazil's recent election of a record number of Indigenous mayors marks a crucial step toward strengthening Indigenous rights and environmental protection.
Innovative funding solutions for nature protection such as the Biodiversity Stewardship Units are emerging, creating new pathways for conservation success.
Two momentous decisions made at COP16: (a) an Indigenous subsidiary body was established to institutionalize Indigenous leadership in nature conservation decisions. (b) a global voluntary fund was created to collect pharmaceutical and other companies for their use of genetic information in the research and development of new commercial products. The fund can generate about $1 billion annually, channeled directly to benefit Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Read more about Wildlife Works' interventions at COP16 below:
COP16 Events Recap
Immersion in Community Biodiversity Monitoring
This event offered insights from local biodiversity researchers and community leaders from the Wildlife Works Colombia projects and the Biodiversity Monitors of the Cataruben Foundation.
“To conserve biodiversity is not only to conserve animals and plants, it is also to conserve the traditions, culture and life of indigenous peoples,” said Felix Ferrer, biodiversity researcher from the Maloca Vaupés ASATRIZY REDD+ project.
Stewards of Biodiversity to be Recognized and Rewarded
In this session, the Yawanawá presented their new methodology for Biodiversity Stewardship Units.
“When I first saw the carbon market [...] I said this makes no sense for Indigenous People. We have to destroy in order to be compensated? This new methodology enables us to continue protecting our lands.”
He also discussed the power of the Yawanawa’s spiritual connection to the forest and the excitement from the younger generation to be trained as biodiversity researchers, explore different parts of their territories, and find new species.
“I think that if it weren’t for a project like this, we would never get to know these places,” said one younger biodiversity researcher. Learn more by watching the full panel.
Collaborations with the Peoples Forests Partnership
Wildlife Works employees and community members spoke at several events hosted by the Peoples Forests Partnership.
Enrique Diaz, Wildlife Works Colombia Country Director, represented WW at a panel with CONAP (an Indigenous rights group in Peru) and the Peoples Forests Partnership. The conversation highlighted how indigenous economies and territorial governance strengthen the protection of biodiversity and life in Amazonian territories.
Camilla Solano, Wildlife Works Biodiversity Impacts Assessment Coordinator, moderated a conversation on what safeguards are critical to protect ancestral and traditional knowledge systems, and how they should be incorporated into funding mechanisms to help scale up Indigenous-led solutions.
Lider Sucre, Wildlife Works Vice President for Latin America, spoke on a panel titled, “Direct Financing and Biodiversity Credits: How to Make Money Work on the Ground and Mitigate its Risks.” Lider spoke to Wildlife Works’ holistic strategy, “At Wildlife Works, one of the most important lessons for us has been to start with humility, and to gain a true understanding of the forest community’s vision for their future and life plans. We want to be their strategic partner in supporting, strengthening and achieving that vision, but it's their vision, and if we don't find where we fit in, our work as strategic partners is not going to work. In our experience it takes years to truly get to know each other, and to be ready to propose any project.”
Return of the Elephants to Mai Ndombe
When Wildlife Works' biodiversity lead for the DRC, Mathieu Bolaa, started in 2011, elephants and bonobos had fled due to logging and poaching. Today, because of the community-centered conservation work funded by carbon credits, these magnificent species have now returned home. Read more about how Mathieu has worked to build community trust, and the successful return of the elephants to the Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project in our latest blog by Jerry Nguwa.
Employee Spotlight
Our global conservation work would not be possible without the dedication, expertise, and passion of our team members. Each month, get to know our team members and what they do through our Employee Spotlight Series.
In this month's spotlight meet Monique Vanni, Country Director of Brazil for Wildlife Works. Monique’s dedication and passion for community-led conservation have made her an invaluable part of our team and efforts to start new projects in Brazil.
Click here to learn more about Monique and what her work as a country director entails.
