Go Wild With Annette: Bringing hope and action - how actor Leonardo DiCaprio is making a difference
Want some good news for endangered species?
By Annette J Beveridge
Most of us need a little hope when we consider nature. There is so much doom and gloom regarding biodiversity and nature loss that any good news should be celebrated. But nature can and does come back.
Obviously, money and celebrity status can help, but it also requires a great deal of intent, so I am excited by this new press release. It could make a real difference.
The Phoenix Project
Together, the Bezos Earth Fund and Re:wild, co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio and Dr Wes Sechrest, are launching the Phoenix Project with support from the Age of Union and the Todd Graves Family Foundation.
The Phoenix Project begins with a $200 million commitment, which is the largest single philanthropic initiative dedicated exclusively to the recovery of critically endangered species across taxonomic groups, a diversity of habitats, and countries.
It will help with the recovery of 100 species facing imminent extinction, collaborating with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, scientists and conservationists working to secure the future of biodiversity and the planet.
Read more: The Green and Golden Bell Frog
The project’s 100 species span mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates, and plants from 30 countries that live across a range of habitats, from oceans to freshwater lakes, tropical rainforests to volcanic plains.
Executive director of Association Fanamby, Tiana Andriamanana, said: “We’ve protected the golden-crowned sifaka for years on a budget that would never match what this species deserves, but letting it go extinct was never an option,”
The association is receiving a Phoenix Species Project grant.
Tiana added: “This funding, this global platform and technical support change what is possible. We are no longer only holding the line against extinction; we can begin to bring the gold of Madagascar’s northern forests back. In doing so, we protect the landscapes that give Malagasy people drinking water, we open real ecotourism opportunities for local communities, and we prove that conservation succeeds only when everyone has a role in it. People and wildlife always thrived together; we only became disconnected, and now it is a homecoming.”
Read more: The Unsung Dung Hero
Founder of Re:Wild, Leonardo DiCaprio, said: “For decades, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and conservation leaders have been on the front lines of protecting nature, and what has been made clear through research is that species on the brink of extinction are often the ones that anchor some of the world’s most important ecosystems.
“When we protect those species, we also protect the forests, wetlands, grasslands, and oceans they depend on. The Phoenix Species Project has the potential to drastically shift how we approach conservation and combat the climate crisis at a global scale. By creating the largest philanthropic initiative in history dedicated to the recovery of critically endangered species across continents, made possible by a transformative gift from the Bezos Earth Fund, we have an opportunity to make a lasting impact where it’s needed most. The goal is for the Phoenix Species Project to become a global movement that inspires others to invest in nature and help protect our planet.”
It will inject much-needed support to locally led efforts to accelerate recovery for wildlife species that are down to tiny populations and facing threats that need intensive, hands-on recovery efforts.
Vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, said: “Kids fall in love with animals before anyone tells them those animals are disappearing. Ask any seven-year-old about their favourite creature. It’s something wild. Something most adults have never heard of. What do we tell them when the night parrot or the golden-crowned sifaka isn’t there anymore to fall in love with? This project is our answer.
“One hundred species, thirty countries, and a real commitment to bringing them back. Not managing their decline. Recovering them. That’s the whole difference. We know how to do this. We just have to stay committed long enough to see it through.”
Read more: The Nature Frontline
Of the nearly 176,000 species assessed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, more than 31,000 are listed as critically endangered, endangered, or extinct in the wild.
More than 100 local and international partners around the world—including Indigenous Peoples, local communities, conservationists, and governments—will lead the work, tailoring recovery efforts to each species and place.
Recovery strategies could include conservation breeding programs, head starting programs, translocations, disease management, non-native species control and restoring habitats. The project is in collaboration with the IUCN Species Survival Commission as global knowledge partner to ensure the highest scientific rigor across the portfolio
The project supports countries that are trying to deliver Target 4 of the CBD Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for governments around the world to halt extinctions and improve the conservation status of endangered species. The Phoenix Species Project is partnering with the Reverse the Red Action Partnership on this to support governments to identify priority species and activate recovery actions for every species in need.
