Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife

Founded	1947
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Area served	United States
Focus	protection of all native animals and plants
Method	education, advocacy
Website	defenders.org

Defenders of Wildlife is a United States-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1947, "dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities."

Background

Defenders of Wildlife is a major conservation organization focused solely on wildlife and habitat conservation and the safeguarding of biodiversity. They believe in the inherent value of wildlife and appreciate the ecology of the natural world. This singular focus defines their important niche in the environmental and conservation community and serves as the anchor for their organizational values.

The Defenders’ approach is direct and straightforward; they aim to protect and restore imperiled species throughout North America by transforming policies and institutions and promoting innovative solutions. This approach makes a lasting difference for wildlife and its habitat:

At the state and local level, they develop practical and innovative programs that are aimed at protecting and restoring key species and habitats. On a national level, they emphasize the need to keep the public informed about various ecological issues so that federal policies that mitigate ecological risks (such as the loss of natural habitats) can garner support from voters and policymakers.

Their work with local, national and international policymakers to pass laws and secure policies that protect animals and their habitats has made the Defenders of Wildlife widely recognized by their peers for the effectiveness of their advocacy work, particularly with the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture. They are also known for being the most effective advocate for wildlife funding in the federal appropriations process.

In the court system, they have established legal safeguards for native wildlife and have fought efforts that aim to reverse environmental protections. The Defenders of Wildlife, alongside other non-profit organizations such as Greenpeace USA and the Natural Resources Defense Council act as legal counsel on behalf of a population segment that cannot act for itself: North America’s wildlife.

Self-assignements and aims

Vision: Diverse wildlife populations in North America are secure and thriving, sustained by a network of healthy lands and waters.

What does success look like for Defenders? Their conservation vision succinctly describes the elements that define our success:

• Diverse populations: Their conservation efforts are targeted at the full range of vulnerable North American biodiversity, from plants to pollinators to predators. They recognize that they cannot protect any species without simultaneously protecting the diversity of wildlife and habitats on which it relies.

• North America: While they do not set geographic boundaries on their work, they primarily focus on species of North America, including transboundary terrestrial and marine species that migrate through its waters.

• Secure and thriving: They are working for the day when vulnerable North American species rebound to the point that they are secure — no longer threatened with rapid decline or extinction — and thriving in robust, well-distributed populations.

• Network of healthy lands and waters: Wildlife has the greatest chance of being secure and thriving if it is supported by a transnational network of public and private lands, rivers and coastal waters, core natural areas and working landscapes.

Strategic Plan

To help attain their vision, Defenders’ strategic plan provides a framework for setting objectives and allocating resources across the organization. This strategic approach prioritizes long-term solutions with measurable results to help ensure that Defenders is an effective voice for wildlife conservation. They believe that defining their vision and focusing their resources will help better ensure that North America’s spectacular wild animals and habitats will be here for the next generation.

Defenders of Wildlife 2012-2023 Strategic Plan

Its sister organization, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, lobbies and works to influence legislative action directly.

Palin campaign

In 2009, Defenders of Wildlife announced a new media campaign named "Eye on Palin." The campaign, starring actress Ashley Judd, focused on what the group termed the "extreme anti-conservation policies" of the Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, in particular her support of the aerial hunting of wolves. In response, governor Palin put out a statement calling Defenders of Wildlife an "extreme fringe group" and defending her "predator control program." She attacked the non-profit group for allegedly "twisting the truth in an effort to raise funds from innocent and hard-pressed Americans."

Awards

Defenders was named "America's Best Wildlife Charity" in 2005 by the Reader's Digest.^{[citation needed]}

External links

• Defenders.org
• DefendersActionFund.org
• SaveWolves.org
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
• SaveArcticRefuge.org
• Defenders Action Center
• KidsPlanet.org
• ExxposeExxon Defenders of Wildlife is a founding member of this environmental group organized to call attention to the activities of ExxonMobil which are considered environmentally harmful.