A LOOK BACK - 2024

Partners in Conservation

In 2024, millions of people all over the world watched Olympic athletes compete and break almost impossible records. The planet, too, has been breaking records, but the kind that cost lives and livelihoods, and harm communities, wildlife, and critical natural resources—from sea level rise in the Arctic and wildfires in North America to searing heat waves across swaths of Asia, Europe, North Africa, and South America.

While these environmental threats are daunting, especially for vulnerable communities, wildlife, and nature, WWF is leveraging the power of inclusive science-based conservation and a robust network of partners at every level to help people and nature survive and thrive far into the future.

In this special report, we offer a glimpse of the many ways in which we are making a measurable difference, thanks to your support as a Partner in Conservation.

Thank you for championing WWF’s work and for all that you do to advance conservation around the globe.

Building Resilience in a Changing Climate

People everywhere are experiencing devastating impacts of the climate crisis to their livelihoods, food security, and health. The planet’s wildlife and ecosystems are also struggling to adapt. WWF’s Wildlife and Climate Resilience program has been addressing these challenges through two key initiatives that move beyond business as usual: Climate Crowd and the Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund. Working with a network of partners over the past year, these programs gathered data on how new climate realities impact people and nature, and supported projects on the ground that helped rural communities and wildlife adapt. In 2023-24, these initiatives advanced projects to increase water security, generate sustainable alternative livelihoods, protect rare plants, and test ways to safeguard birds and other wildlife. Lessons from these pilot projects are already providing useful guidance that move conservation beyond traditional approaches, and successful solutions can be replicated or scaled to help wildlife endure amidst conditions of rapid change.

2024 A Look Back Brochure

Download the report (7.79 MB)

Shaping Leaders and the Future of Conservation

Investment in training and education is critical for biodiversity conservation. WWF prepares future leaders to tackle the world’s complex conservation challenges by broadening access to the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed in environmental careers. This year marks WWF’s Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program’s (EFN) 30th year providing financial support to leaders and institutions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to pursue graduate studies, attend short-term training courses, and offer local community trainings in WWF priority places.

To date, over 3,000 individuals and 600 institutions from 60 countries have joined EFN’s alumni network. These alumni help accelerate the pace of progress worldwide as researchers, community leaders, and educators, while inspiring the next generation of conservationists. In the US, WWF’s BRIDGE Internship program (Building Relationships, Inclusivity, Diversity, Growth, and Excellence) has recruited a diverse pool of talented undergraduate and graduate students to bring fresh thinking and experiences into conservation.

Now in its fourth year, our 10-week paid internship recruited a cohort of 41 students across 14 WWF departments. By engaging emerging professionals-to-be from a range of backgrounds, cultures, and disciplines, WWF can better address complex environmental issues and forge sustainable solutions that benefit people and nature.

Expanding Bison Range

Plains bison were once the widest-ranging land mammal in North America. Bison help shape the land and contribute to the overall health of grassland ecosystems by providing nesting grounds for birds, creating shallow depressions that collect and store rainwater aboveground, and so much more. WWF works with tribal partners and national parks to protect this vital species. Our goal is to establish five herds of at least 1,000 bison each by 2025, providing an opportunity for greater genetic diversity and healthy plains bison populations. In summer 2024, the InterTribal Buffalo Council, Native Americans in Philanthropy, WWF, and The Nature Conservancy officially announced the Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration. This historic alliance was created to stabilize, establish, and expand Tribal led bison restoration, and foster cultural, spiritual, ecological, and economic revitalization within Native communities. This unprecedented partnership represents a landmark commitment to respecting and supporting the sovereign rights of Native Nations to restore and maintain their sacred relationship with bison.

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