Stories

  • In Namibia's San community, nature is woven into every part of life

    March 12, 2024

    In Nyae Nyae, nature is more than a provider; it is an integral part of the community. The San people tend to it with reverence, knowing that nature cares for them, just as they care for nature.

    |uce Kxao stands outside in Nam Pan Village, Nyae Nyae Conservancy, Namibia
  • Celebrating the women trailblazers of entomology

    March 08, 2024

    These “unsung heroes” of entomology include four brilliant women who have had an incredible impact on the scientific community. They were not only pioneers in their fields but also some of the first people to sound the alarm that insect species, which are so vital to sustaining life on our planet, are being wiped out due to our reliance on dangerous pesticides.

    Photo illustration of plants and four women leaders in entomology
  • Why are African forest elephants climate heroes?

    February 29, 2024

    Elephants’ important role in maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystems has earned them various names including ecosystem engineers, seed dispersers, and forest gardeners. However, African forest elephants—a species inhabiting the dense rain forests of central Africa—are increasingly recognized by another name: ‘climate hero.’

    A group of forest elephants walk through the mud
  • Wildlife Climate Heroes

    What do you think of when you think of climate solutions? It's time to add wildlife and habitat conservation to that list.

    A baby humpback whale glides along its mother's back underwater
  • WWF’s Kyle Newman on conservation, community, and indispensable Indigenous knowledge

    February 27, 2024

    Kyle Newman, WWF’s community partnership leader for Oceans, was born and raised in Alaska. In his work, he finds himself most often listening—trying to understand the needs of individuals and communities and building trust.

    Headshot: Kyle Newman, WWF Arctic Program, July 2022
  • 97% of migratory fish are going extinct. Swimways are a critical solution.

    Amidst this alarming decline of migratory fish worldwide emerges a promising solution. Swimways, a concept akin to 'flyways' but tailored for aquatic habitats, introduce a fresh perspective to conservation efforts.

    Silver salmon jump out of rushing white water in Katmai National Park
  • Improving captive tiger management in Viet Nam

    February 22, 2024

    Under the USAID Saving Threatened Wildlife project, WWF supports Viet Nam’s efforts to reduce illegal wildlife trafficking by engaging with leaders in the Vietnamese government, private sector, and civil society. WWF-Viet Nam and its governmental and NGO partners have been advocating for and working towards stronger regulation and management of Viet Nam’s captive tiger facilities.

    We sat down with Anh Le from WWF-Viet Nam to find out more about this critical work and how it’s helping to protect tigers in Viet Nam and across Asia.

    Tiger standing in a caged area
  • The pangolin protectors

    February 22, 2024

    In the vast wilderness of Namibia’s Nyae Nyae Conservancy and Community Forest, many remarkable individuals are guardians of a mysterious and elusive creature—the pangolin. Meet the team.

    Three pangolin rangers look at maps on a GPS app while tracking a new pangolin
  • Secrets in the snow

    February 21, 2024

    In a landmark study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science, WWF, and collaborators have unveiled an innovative method for extracting DNA from the snow tracks of three elusive carnivores, including polar bears. The new technique involves retrieving trace amounts of environmental DNA—known as eDNA—shed from the footpads of these animals in the snow, enabling the identification of individual animals.

    A scientist kneeling in the snow, using shovel to collect sample
  • Promoting tradition and fostering ecotourism

    February 15, 2024

    For Sandra Antipani, this kind of tourism is key to ensuring the long-term conservation of her island home and a tangible way for her to share her community’s wisdom.

    Sandra Antipani stands on a waterfront walking path near the ecotourism cabins she manages
  • Eastern migratory monarch butterfly populations decrease by 59% in 2024

    February 07, 2024

    New data detailing the abundance of the eastern monarch butterfly colonies wintering in central Mexico’s forests estimate that the species occupied only 2.2 acres during the 2023-2024 winter season—59% less than the previous year when scientists observed 5.5 acres.

    A monarch butterfly sits on a green leaf with its wings spread
  • WWF women scientists on conservation and connecting to nature

    February 06, 2024

    Before International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11th, we asked some of our female scientists why they decided to pursue a career in conservation science specifically, and how they stay inspired

    WWF Scientist Dina Rasquinha sits on a tree branch
  • India completes its first-ever snow leopard population survey

    February 05, 2024

    Skilled scientists in India completed the first-ever rigorous examination of the country’s snow leopard population, estimating that 718 of these iconic big cats live within the country’s borders.

    A snow leopard captured by camera trap walks in front of a rock outcropping
  • Hard truths about inclusive conservation

    February 01, 2024

    Shifting norms and changing perspectives within the conservation community may be difficult, but it’s critical to moving in the right direction. Indeed, conservation may be destined to fail without it.

    Three people hover over a document as they discuss livestock production and regenerative ranching in Madre de Dios region of Peruvian Amazon
  • For a scientist and mom, successful conservation takes a village

    January 31, 2024

    This is what conservation actually is: many people, from many different places, contributing at the level they can to get the job done. We’re Meeting people where they are, accepting their values, making space for their priorities, and working together.

    A small child in a green coat looks at pebbles on a gray beach with grasses in the background
  • Closing the loop: How using insects and waste as animal feed can protect the planet

    January 30, 2024

    Embracing circular ingredients means adopting a smart approach that transforms the way we handle food, elevating what was once seen as waste into a higher-value ingredient by either repurposing or preventing it.

    Brown chickens walk around and peck at the ground on a farm
  • Mapping animals’ movement between protected areas

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2024
    Climate change, shifting land use, and development increasingly isolate the world’s more than 200,000 protected areas.
    European Bison
  • The Survey

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2024
    The 2022 KAZA Elephant Survey was designed to help estimate elephant numbers, but it also provided other crucial information.
    A small plane flying over the African landscape
  • Big Data

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2024
    In Southern Africa, five countries united by a shared vision for conservation undertake an elephant survey of historic proportions
    Aerial photo of a group of elephants in a small watering hole
  • Gallery: Josh Gluckstein’s Sculptures

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2024
    As a child, artist Josh Gluckstein loved wandering through the wildlife exhibits at the London Natural History Museum.
    Cardboard and paper sculpture of orangutan head
  • Protecting millions of acres in the Amazon

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2024
    Brazil launched the Amazon Region Protected Areas (ARPA) program with WWF and partners in 2002, setting an aspirational goal: permanently secure more than 150 million acres of the Brazilian Amazon.
    A teal and brown tree frog clings to a branch
  • In Madagascar, wildlife abounds on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2024
    No amount of research could prepare me for its stunning variety of landscapes and wildlife.
    Baobab trees in the sunset
  • How dam removal can help rivers

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2024
    Choking up the world’s rivers and streams has had major consequences for biodiversity and people. Now many experts agree: Some dams have run their course.
    Illustration showing landscape with dam or left, and landscape without dam on right