Stories

Ever take a walk in the woods and feel relaxed? It’s not just you—spending time in nature is scientifically proven to boost your mental health. We spoke with Dr. Stacy Beller Stryer, a pediatrician and associate medical director of Park Rx America. Her organization promotes time in nature as a way to improve both human and planetary health. 

Wolves roam some of our world’s wildest, most rugged landscapes, including mountain ranges, dense forests, and open tundra. Currently, these special ecosystems are experiencing unprecedented threats from climate change resulting in rapidly rising temperatures, shifting prey patterns, and habitat loss disrupting their natural balance.

In common folklore and media, wolves are often miscast as devious or malicious. But they are more than mere predators: they also play a critical role in ensuring the health and resilience of Earth’s climate.

'Nature finance' is money invested in protecting and restoring the natural systems we depend on—forests, rivers, oceans, and more. It includes public, private, and philanthropic capital directed toward conservation and sustainable use of resources.

Facts about rhinos and what WWF is doing to help protect the species.

WWF’s work on polar bear conservation is rooted in respect: for wildlife, for cultural traditions and rights, and for evidence-based conservation solutions.

As we approach Climate Week NYC 2025, it’s impossible to ignore the heated debates surrounding climate action. Yet, amidst the challenges, there’s also a silver lining: the way these debates have reframed the conversation. More and more, climate is being discussed not just in terms of emissions or policies, but through the lens of what unites us all—our desire for clean air and water, healthy communities, and protected natural places.

Did you know that the drinking water for almost 50% of the people in the United States comes from underground? The term "freshwater" often conjures images of flowing streams or large, cool lakes, but in reality, almost all freshwater in the world (that isn't frozen and locked away in ice caps and glaciers) is groundwater.

Nature is the oxygen we breathe and water we drink, but it’s also providing for us in ways we often take for granted or may not even know.

Our lives are fundamentally linked to nature, its forests, fresh water, and oceans. But just how much do we rely on nature and what does nature need from us in return?

WWF's Connected by Nature report explores how deeply Americans value and connect with nature in their daily lives. Conducted by GlobeScan on behalf of WWF, the report finds that people in the US strongly believe that nature plays a vital role in their lives—shaping health, happiness, and cultural identity—and that nature urgently needs protection.

Bhutan is leveraging an innovative biodiversity monitoring tool called environmental DNA (eDNA) to create its first nationwide biodiversity assessment without the need for thousands of hours of surveying through harsh and inaccessible terrain. However, analyzing these samples brings new challenges—eDNA samples have to be sent abroad for analysis, which is expensive, time-consuming, and can raise concerns about sharing a country’s genetic material internationally.

Tourism also allowed the Kumaruara community to diversify its income. Visitors now participate in a range of activities, from forest hikes and canoeing to witnessing traditional dances and rituals and body painting with dye from the jenipapo fruit

Growing up in Chihuahua City, Mexico, Prunes spent summers, holidays, and weekends with his mother’s family in Valle de Allende, a centuries-old Spanish missionary town along the Rio Valle de Allende, where some of the region’s first acequias were established—and are still used and cared for today.

“I grew up there, diverting water with my uncle and my grandma, to the pecan tree orchards and green chiles and potatoes,” Prunes says. “I think that’s a big part of how I ended up in river conservation.”

Infrastructure development can pose a significant threat to Asian elephants as roads and railways intersect with  elephant habitat and movement. A recent traffic accident on a Malaysian highway that led to the death of an elephant calf highlighted the need for improved measures to enable safe elephant movement.

Amazon species, like the jaguar and the river dolphin, have vast ranges of movement, across many country borders, that require keeping their habitats connected and protected to ensure they can thrive. A new study looks at areas where migratory routes align and what we can do to protect them.

By learning about the causes and consequences of wasted food, you’re taking the first step toward making a difference. We’re here to equip you with knowledge, tips, and resources to easily reduce food waste in your daily life.

This week, the EPA announced his plans to overturn the “endangerment finding” for greenhouse gases, which would strip the agency of its power to regulate climate change pollution. In light of that development, WWF's  Marcene Mitchell and Will Gartshore share their thoughts.

In a landmark move for biodiversity conservation and recognition of the essential role of Indigenous territories in protecting nature, the Government of Ecuador has declared the first Amazon connectivity corridor in Ecuador, known as the Palora-Pastaza Connectivity Corridor.

The Rio Grande today is a river tamed, diverted, and dammed. Water is stored in reservoirs based on legal requirements under the Rio Grande Compact, and releases are carefully controlled. Summer monsoon rains might tear down a tributary or through city storm drains, but the river’s ebbs and flows are anything but natural. That’s why Gina Dello Russo loves to see the Rio Grande act like a river, even briefly.

As tigers return to some of their historic ranges, there is tremendous hope for the future of all wild tigers.

In the town of Savoonga- population 800 - students are inspired by the natural world around them and a future in science. WWF's Alexis Will is there for some hands-on lessons.