Combining on-the-ground experience with thoughtful studies, we set global priorities for conservation. Our work leads us to places that are often remote and sometimes dangerous, but always crucial in saving life on Earth.
Our environment is changing. And while we know a lot about how it's shifting, there's much more to learn. It’s hard to solve a problem when you don’t understand it, which is why the work of our science team is so critical.
Species and the places they live are disappearing from the planet at a skyrocketing pace. In some cases, we can attribute declines to harmful human activities. In others, we're less sure of the culprits. There are thousands of species whose status we know very little about, if anything at all. Yet this knowledge is key to understanding where, why, and how the environment is changing – and what we can do about it.
Harnessing networks of scientists and partners across the globe, we strive to conduct some of the most ambitious assessments of life on Earth. These assessments help us prioritize our work. They help us identify places where we must act effectively and urgently – like biodiversity hotspots, high biodiversity wilderness areas, and seascapes. Now we’re working within those regions to zoom in on specific sites where we must act urgently.
Our science-based global approach to conservation aims to fill remaining knowledge gaps and develop solutions using innovative technology at all levels. We eavesdrop on frogs – often the first affected by environmental changes and currently the most threatened group of animals we know about – to understand their status and population trends. At the same time, 700 kilometers above us, we use satellites to keep an eye on critical forests and habitats.
We’re constantly updating our assessments to identify places and species that need immediate help before their situations become critical. And we focus on healthy wilderness and marine areas to keep them that way. Other leading institutions and partners also use our pioneering research to create better strategies, monitor changes, and respond effectively to emerging environmental threats.