We have much more to do and your continued support is needed now more than ever.
Latest Posts
Stewardship Spotlight: Schools of Salmon and Students in the Pacific Northwest, Part 1 December 11, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Students and Nature, Wildlife Facts Fall rains of the Pacific Northwest have descended and with them, the annual migration of salmon determined to reach their home waters. Having left the vast Pacific Ocean in the spring time, schools of Spring Chinook salmon in the Lower Columbia River Basin migrate upstream guided by a powerful homing instinct to return to their… 
Defunding the Future: Inside Federal Cuts to Tribal Energy Sovereignty December 9, 2025 Posted in: Clean Energy In the far north of California, the Hoopa Valley Tribe is tucked among steep forested mountains and the winding Trinity River. This land has been home to the Hoopa for millenia. As General Manager of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (HVPUD), Linnea Jackson’s work revolves around the essentials that sustain the community—water, solid waste,… 
When the Smoke Clears: The Health and Environmental Toll of Refinery Explosions December 8, 2025 Posted in: Environmental Justice The Chevron refinery explosion in El Segundo California on October 2nd, 2025 could have been a deadly disaster, and it raised serious concerns about public safety and environmental justice. Though the explosion didn’t lead to any fatalities, the sheer scale of the incident underscores the daily risks faced by communities of color and low-income families,… 
Data Centers 101 December 8, 2025 Posted in: Clean Energy, Environmental Justice Data centers are changing the landscape of energy production and consumption in the United States. Increased development of data centers present complex and urgent climate and justice issues: including impacts on water supply, land use, and surrounding wildlife and communities. However, before we can tackle those, we need to understand what exactly data centers are. … 
WindScape Brooklyn Teaches New Yorkers About Offshore Wind November 26, 2025 Posted in: Clean Energy From the floor-to-ceiling windows of WindScape Brooklyn, New York’s first offshore wind community learning center, visitors have a front-row seat to watch the city’s clean energy industry take shape. Binoculars help visitors see the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal construction site in detail. Credit: Sasha Horvath/NWF The center overlooks the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, where crews… 
A Quest for the Elusive and the Common: Birding in Wild Florida November 25, 2025 Posted in: People and Wildlife Birding is indeed a fascinating endeavor. One can simply observe birds in their backyard… or they can search to the ends of the Earth. Birders can range from almost deity-like in their ability, omnipotent observers of sights and sounds most of us would miss, and at the other end of the spectrum, they can be…me. … 
EPA should Put Communities First, Servers Second November 24, 2025 Posted in: Environmental Justice The Trump administration has pitched a quick Executive Order fix for America’s AI build-out: put new data centers on Brownfield and Superfund properties where pollution remains contained, not removed, and move fast. On its face, this plan might seem sensible. Reuse land that’s already disturbed, keep new development away from farms and forests, and maybe… 
Meet the Marvelous Marvels: A Celebration of 10 Exceptional Monarch Heroes Teachers November 20, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Garden Habitats, Get Outside, People and Wildlife, Students and Nature Join National Wildlife Federation in celebrating 10 teachers whose innovation, commitment, and leadership over the years has defined them as iconic Monarch Heroes on their campus and in their community. These teachers were either nominated by their school community or they were self-nominated. We asked our nominees to share three reflections about their campus monarch… 
Snowy Egrets, River Paddlers, and Clean Water Won in Texas November 20, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife On election day, Texas voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 4, a constitutional amendment that dedicates $1 billion annually of existing sales tax revenues to upgrade deteriorating water and wastewater systems, reduce flood risk, prioritize strategies that would conserve habitats, and keep water bills low. This is the largest investment in water infrastructure in the history of… 
Why Monarchs Need Mayors: Celebrating 5 Monarch Butterfly Advocates of 2025 November 19, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife Ten years ago, the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge program envisioned a future that had mayors and local governments at the forefront of monarch conservation. Since then, 2,300 pledges have been taken by mayors and heads of local governments across North America. Signatories have reported enhancing or restoring over 11,500 acres of habitat for monarchs and pollinators,… 
America’s Grasslands Conference: Grasslands Across Generations November 18, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife The 2025 America's Grasslands Conference theme was Grasslands Across Generations, highlighting the changes in our grassland landscape over time and the future of grassland conservation hosted in collaboration with the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Over the span of three days—participants, ranging from ranchers, researchers, conservationists, tribal partners, industry and agency… 
Defunding the Future: Federal Aid Pulled from Native Women’s Solar Jobs Initiative November 18, 2025 Posted in: Clean Energy The Pine Ridge Reservation, surrounded by gentle rolling hills and the famous Badlands, is home to the Oglala Lakota Nation. It’s here that you’ll find an abundance—abundance of community, resilience, and of sunlight—and one organization using that abundance to create economic opportunity for its people while simultaneously protecting nature through renewable energy. John Red Cloud—a… 
Bringing Back the Boreal Toad to Utah’s Backcountry November 17, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Wildlife Facts Putting Utah's state wildlife action plan in motion to keep at-risk species off the Endangered Species List A subspecies of the western toad, known as the boreal toad, is in rapid decline due to climate change, poorly managed grazing that tramples their breeding grounds and the rapid population growth and development in the Western United… 
Winter Break Fun! November 17, 2025 Posted in: Students and Nature, Wildlife Facts The National Wildlife Federation is excited to share two new resources to help educate and engage kids and families around wildlife and nature over the winter break, while school is out! Both activity guides are geared toward elementary school-aged children. The Wildlife in Winter activity guide features fun facts about wildlife in winter, coloring pages,… 
The Druid Heights Nature Spaces: A Commitment to a Community November 14, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Environmental Justice, Garden Habitats, Get Outside, People and Wildlife In 2016, Druid Heights Community Development Corporation (CDC) began planning a community space in a neighborhood in need of green infrastructure. After designing and applying for implementation grants, Druid Heights CDC was connected to the National Wildlife Federation in 2018, which, through a CBT Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant, began the work of… 
Slithering Through the Branches at Smith College November 14, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Students and Nature, Wildlife Facts Species Overview The eastern ratsnake, Pantherophis alleghaniensis, is an arboreal snake species, spending much of its time in trees. It hunts in both the tree canopy and on the ground, feeding on birds, rodents, and other animals. The appropriately named ratsnake is a key predator within its food web and is beneficial to humans in… 
Spotted Owls: A Proven Strategy Against Extinction November 13, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Wildlife Facts The northern spotted owl population has been rapidly declining, largely due to an unexpected culprit—the barred owl. A proven wildlife management strategy offers the potential to avoid extinction. The elusive spotted owl tends to stick to the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. But in 1990 it swooped into news headlines when it was listed… 
Furniture that Feels Right in Both Your Homes: Your House and the Planet November 13, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Deforestation If you’re looking for new furniture, there is some good news: you can shop for stylish and quality furniture in a way that’s better for the planet. With the 2025 Sustainable Furniture Scorecard, you can help make the world a little greener. This scorecard is your go-to guide for identifying furniture companies working to protect… 
The Gulf, Grandparents, and Generational Bonds Woven In Nature November 12, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife The older we get, the more our thoughts turn to family, tradition, and legacy. My oldest granddaughter turned four recently, and my younger granddaughter turned three. I am deeply and profoundly thankful that my granddaughters are approaching an age where we can begin exploring nature together. I am starting to ponder what I can pass… 
Event Recap: Climate Disasters: Stories of Resilience and Preparedness November 6, 2025 Posted in: Environmental Justice The Clean Economy Coalition of Color (CECC) is an alliance of some of the nation’s most insightful Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander leaders and advocates of color. This blog is the first of a series of CECC event recaps and takeaways. On September 9th, 2025, the Environmental Justice, Health, Community Resilience and Revitalization… 
LG Spotlights the Majesty of the Grizzly Bear in Times Square November 5, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Wildlife Facts The National Wildlife Federation is proud to continue its partnership with LG Electronics (LG) on their ongoing campaign to highlight vulnerable and endangered species. This fall, LG’s Times Square display spotlights the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis). The grizzly bear is a subspecies of the brown bear and is listed as threatened, in the lower… 
Affiliate Action for Wildlife: State Wildlife Action Plans November 4, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife Wildlife and the landscapes they call home are in crisis, from the enchanting sandhill crane to the majestic monarch butterfly. And these aren’t the only species—over one third of all species nationwide are at heightened risk of extinction, for reasons ranging from habitat loss and invasive species to blocked migration corridors and dwindling water supplies.… 
“Protect the people who protect nature!”: Inspiration from the Voices for Conservation Rally November 4, 2025 Posted in: People and Wildlife So a U.S. Forest Service scientist, a human-size frog, and a box of donuts walk into a rally… Okay, there’s no punchline, but there was an amazing Voices for Conservation Rally on October 22, featuring all of that and more outside the Department of Interior on a chilly Wednesday night. The sound science and programs… 
Eco-Schools in Action: Students Leading Change, Communities Seeing Impact November 4, 2025 Posted in: Students and Nature Across the country, schools are rising to meet the moment where climate action, student leadership, and community partnership intersect. The Eco-Schools program provides a powerful framework that helps K-12 schools translate sustainability into learning, leadership, and measurable impact. Designed to be student-led and educator-supported, Eco-Schools equips young people with opportunities to drive change, while giving… 
Success this School Year Starts with Summer Institute November 3, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Get Outside, Students and Nature Fall and winter for high school seniors and juniors can be an anxious period, as they balance dealing with homecomings, college applications, and social events. The students who spent a week at Earth Tomorrow Atlanta’s Summer Institute this July have entered this season and school year with a head start. The Earth Tomorrow Atlanta Summer… 
Our Plan to Restore the Gulf Coast for People and Wildlife November 3, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife America’s Gulf Coast stretches over 1,700 miles and is home to 15,000 species of fish and wildlife, making it one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. It’s also one of the fastest-growing—the counties that border the Gulf are home to approximately 65 million people. Over the past 25 years, our team has been… 
On the Other Side of the Fence October 29, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife I was just outside Dillon, a small town in southwest Montana, when I waded out into a sea of sage brush. It’s easy to overlook, but this hardy, native plant is the lifeblood of the landscape, providing food and shelter for countless species that call it home. Soon, I was stopped short by a wire… 
California State University, Dominguez Hills becomes a Plastics Reduction Partner October 29, 2025 Posted in: Students and Nature The National Wildlife Federation is excited to award the California State University (CSU), Dominguez Hills the Plastics Reduction Partner Bronze level certification for their efforts to reduce single-use plastics on campus. CSU Dominguez Hills earned points towards their Bronze-level certification through actions to build awareness on campus about the harmful impacts of plastics, by encouraging behavior… 
Tracking Climate Pollution is Under Threat October 28, 2025 Posted in: Clean Energy, Conservation The Administration’s attacks on our environment keep on coming. The latest? A repeal of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), which helps track the amount and type of greenhouse gas emissions from thousands of industrial facilities across the U.S. This program, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, is a crucial part of how the U.S.… 
Engaging the next generation in conservation: Florida’s Gulf Specimen Aquarium October 27, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Students and Nature When I was 18 years old, recently graduated from high school and moving to Tampa from my family home in Brooksville, Florida, on the southern Nature Coast, I was ready to embrace and explore the world. The thinking and advocacy of Edward Abbey, John Muir, Rick Bass, and Dave Foreman had captured my heart and… 
Equal Voting Rights are Necessary for Environmental Justice October 27, 2025 Posted in: Environmental Justice Dr. Robert Bullard, considered to be the Father of Environmental Justice, states that environmental justice should “embrace the principle that all people and communities have a right to equal protection and equal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.” Equal access and participation in voting is a key pillar of this notion, as elected officials are… 
National Wildlife Federation Early Childhood Health Outdoors Awarded Grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood, and Other Funders October 24, 2025 Posted in: Students and Nature National Wildlife Federation Early Childhood Health Outdoors Awarded Grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood, and other funders Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) is thrilled to announce grant awards from two national early childhood funders, in addition to several new partnerships that will help us grow our impact. We recently received… 
NWF Staff Promote Solutions, Action, and Optimism at New York Climate Week 2025 October 23, 2025 Posted in: Environmental Justice, People and Wildlife NWF staff showed up in force for New York Climate Week 2025: the Federation and our affiliates hosted or co-hosted six separate events, exploring everything from climate education strategies to fighting deforestation to renewable energy infrastructure. This year’s Climate Week featured the biggest lineup in the program’s 16-year history. That growth is a testament, as… 
Ohio County Makes History: Residents Force First-Ever Vote to Overturn Wind and Solar Ban October 23, 2025 Posted in: Clean Energy Something unprecedented is happening in rural Ohio. For the first time in the nation, local residents have successfully collected enough signatures to put a wind and solar ban up for a vote—and they’re fighting to overturn it. In May 2026, Richland County voters will decide whether to repeal restrictions that would prohibit large-scale renewable energy… 
Building Homes for Bats on a College Campus October 15, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Wildlife Facts Bats and human interactions Our fear of bats as creatures of the night, driven by frightful tales of Dracula, tends to cloud our awareness of their ecological benefits and masks our recognition that 53% of bats are threatened in North America and 32 species as critically endangered worldwide. Most of us do not see bats very… 
Monarch Heroes: Celebrating 10 Years of Wonder, Curiosity, and Stewardship of the Monarch Butterfly, Part 2 October 15, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Garden Habitats, People and Wildlife, Students and Nature In Part 1 of this Monarch Heroes celebration, we talked about the beginnings of the Monarch Heroes program and its multi-faceted approach to monarch conservation. Here, we'll highlight a handful of schools and partners who have worked with us to make this program so successful. We would also like to recognize and thank our funders… 
Monarch Heroes: Celebrating 10 Years of Wonder, Curiosity, and Stewardship of the Monarch Butterfly, Part 1 October 15, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Garden Habitats, People and Wildlife, Students and Nature "Monarch Heroes, a program that empowers Texas students to create Schoolyard Habitats, shows students that science is alive outside their classroom walls. Experiencing this program transformed my teaching philosophy while taking outdoor education to a new level for me. It sparked a passion that continues to shape my work today." - Isaac Esquivel, Elementary Environmental… 
Light Pollution Harms Migratory Birds—Here’s How You Can Help October 15, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Garden Habitats, People and Wildlife Every autumn, billions of birds in the Western Hemisphere embark on a trip south. For some birds, the voyage spans hundreds of miles; for others, it spans thousands. In North America, about 350 species undertake long-distance migrations from breeding grounds in Canada and the U.S. to wintering grounds in Central and South America. For example,… 
Hidden Treasures of the Nature Coast October 14, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife When ancient cartographers decided to avoid exploring and mapping places that looked particularly foreboding, they simply inscribed “Here be dragons” on the blank map. I imagine, many years ago, those ancient cartographers would have labeled great sections of Florida’s Nature Coast with this description. Ironically, there is truth in this lamentation. The largest alligator I… 
School of Fish October 9, 2025 Posted in: Wildlife Facts Fall is back-to-school time, and what better way to celebrate than to learn about species of fish you may (or may not) have heard of? The famous movie School of Rock taught us about each individual's importance in making the band complete. Now it’s time to rock out by learning new underwater species that make… 
Collaboration and Teamwork Create Success for Youth-Led Pollinator Advocacy and Civic Engagement October 9, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Garden Habitats, Students and Nature The National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge (MMP) program encourages mayors and other local leaders to take action for the monarch butterfly, an iconic species that has declined dramatically in recent years. The Eastern monarch population has decreased by 84% and the Western monarch population by more than 95% in some years—clear signs that monarchs… 
Highlights from NWF’s 2024 Civic Engagement Report October 7, 2025 Posted in: People and Wildlife At the National Wildlife Federation, we know that conservation and democracy go hand in hand. From safeguarding clean water and public lands to protecting threatened species, the decisions that shape our environment, communities, and everyday life are made by people who show up and participate in civic life. Throughout 2024, we worked alongside communities, affiliates,… 
Invasive Insects in Your Backyard: How to Identify & Control Stink Bugs, Japanese Beetles, and Spotted Lanternflies October 3, 2025 Posted in: Garden Habitats, Wildlife Facts Many of the crawly critters you might see around your lawn or garden are there to help. Bees, butterflies, and moths pollinate flowers. Ants and earthworms keep soil healthy. Ladybugs, praying mantises, and spiders help control plant-eating bug populations. But these backyard ecosystems can be thrown off by less-helpful inhabitants. Invasive species—organisms that aren’t native… 
Bats and Halloween October 1, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Garden Habitats, Wildlife Facts October is Bat Appreciation Month, when bats are celebrated through the spooky lens of Halloween. With its fall colors, warm mugs of tea, and homemade chili, it’s no surprise October aligns with my love of bats and Halloween. Also known as All Hallows Eve, Halloween is my favorite time of year to dress up, decorate… 
October is Bat Appreciation Month! October 1, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Garden Habitats, Wildlife Facts Right off the bat, I’m compelled to share that my love of bats likely exceeds your average animal lover. I find their adorable, fuzzy bodies and the only mammal capable of true flight, fascinating. However, when I host tabling events or visit classrooms to discuss the myriad critters among Montana’s landscapes, bats are among the… 
Sacred Grounds – Wilmington: Checking in on a Faith-Based Approach to Conservation September 29, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Environmental Justice, Garden Habitats, Get Outside, People and Wildlife With the exciting news that National Wildlife Federation received two grants to expand our Sacred Grounds program in the Delaware River Watershed, we recently returned to gardens planted in partnership with faith communities during our pilot project in Wilmington, DE from 2021-2023 to check in. Westminster Presbyterian’s garden labyrinth. Credit: NWF Staff Sacred Grounds is… 
Leaf Layer Safari: How to Spot Hidden Moth Cocoons in Your Backyard September 29, 2025 Posted in: Get Outside, Wildlife Facts At first glance, a pile of autumn leaves might look like nothing more than yard debris. But hidden in that layer are secret survival shelters: the cocoons of North America’s largest and most spectacular moths! Wrapped in silk and disguised as scraps of leaf or bark, these cocoons blend so well into the leaf layer… 
Where the Water Moves Us: Evaluating Community-Driven Relocation September 26, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, Environmental Justice, People and Wildlife With our nation's coastal communities increasingly impacted by more frequent and sustained flood events, coastal storms, and other climate-accelerated impacts, many communities are having to confront the future viability of their security. In some cases that means facing the very difficult and stark reality that remaining in place is untenable, and community-driven relocation may be… 
From Pre-Construction to Post-Construction: A Commentary on Adaptive Management September 25, 2025 Posted in: Conservation National Wildlife Federation’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions support and promote restoration through the implementation of natural and nature-based solutions (NBS). These restoration techniques focus on using native vegetation to replicate and bolster naturally occurring conditions to respond to climate impacts such as erosion and increased flooding. Nature-based solutions can be used as an alternative approach… 
Managing and Harvesting Pine Straw for Wildlife September 24, 2025 Posted in: Conservation, People and Wildlife You can’t travel far in the American South without seeing longleaf pine straw in residential flowerbeds, industrial complexes, or highway landscapes. The red-orange mulch dominates the landscaping industry because of pine straw’s many garden, landscape, and health benefits, including their longevity, weightlessness, nitrogen levels, and pest-free nature. This demand makes pine straw a highly profitable… 