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2023 Impact Report Recovering Wildlife Addressing the Climate Crisis Embracing Environmental Justice Strengthening Communities Conserving Land & Water Inspiring Future Generations Financials Addressing Immense and Interconnected Crises Taking Action to Save Wildlife, People, and the Planet Letter from Collin O’Mara President and CEO National Wildlife Federation Our world is at an inflection point. The work of the National Wildlife Federation has never been more relevant, salient, and urgent than now. Read Letter Photo Credit: Getty Images Recovering Wildlife Helping Wildlife Thrive to Improve Peoples’ Lives Recovering wildlife is the thread linking everything the Federation does. And when wildlife thrive, it improves the quality of life and economic opportunities for people and helps restore the environment. Read about Wildlife Addressing the Climate Crisis Uniting for Equitable and Durable Solutions Unnatural disasters — from the Maui fires, to flooding in California, to the wildfire smoke that blanketed much of the nation, and the heat wave in Europe — confirm that the climate crisis is here and is a real and existential threat to people and wildlife alike. Read about the Climate Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Working with groups and U.S. agencies to find climate solutions Embracing Environmental Justice Authentically Addressing Inequities and Injustices in Communities Accomplishing the Federation’s core mission to protect wildlife, people, and the planet requires that we address the persistent and pernicious inequities and environmental injustices in communities. Read about Environmental Justice Photo Credit: Tiffany Woods Photo Credit: Kate Unger Strengthening Communities Through Authentic Partnerships Big Impacts Through Community-Driven Steps The Federation could not succeed without strategic relationships with other committed organizations, governments, and communities. These partnerships are built on the common goal of conservation, with an eye toward promoting environmental justice. Read about Partnerships Conserving Land and Water Safeguarding Public Lands, Watersheds, and Shores Our work to protect the planet made great strides in 2023. Successes included protecting public land around the Grand Canyon, restoring and safeguarding watersheds and shorelines in Louisiana and Chesapeake Bay, and improving water system infrastructure in Texas. Read about Land & Water Photo Credit: HECHO Protecting what we all share Inspiring Future Generations Finding New Ways to Reach Young Conservationists The Federation believes it is everyone’s duty to be a caretaker of the earth and to improve the environment for those yet to come. Read about Future Generations Photo Credit: Alaya Keane Impacting Communities Coast to Coast Scroll to read more about our work across America. Embracing Sustainable Gardening Practices People are pursuing sustainable gardening practices , according to a Federation-supported survey by the National Garden Association and the University of New Hampshire. About one-third of gardeners invest in plants that benefit bees, butterflies, and birds, and one quarter are buying native plants. Photo Credit: Patrick Olmstead Delaware River Watershed Restoration Investment The Federation joined more than fifty advocates in Washington, D.C. to urge lawmakers to pass the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act reauthorization legislation. If secured, the bill would continue restoration investments in the Delaware River Watershed region through fiscal year 2030. Photo Credit: Office of Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) Tribes and Frontline Community Water Resource Planning The Federation partnered with allies on the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 to improve water-resource planning for Tribes and frontline communities. New provisions will develop Tribal liaisons with the Army Corps of Engineers and federally funded solutions to correct environmental injustices. Photo Credit: Getty Images Hoke County Community Forest Project The Federation joined partner nonprofits, government entities, and businesses to work on a community forest that protects wildlife, the environment, and provides economic opportunities to Hoke County, North Carolina citizens. The project will restore a 532-acre forest in this historically underserved county. Photo Credit: Tiffany Woods Department of Defense Contaminated Site Cleanup After a decade of advocacy, the Federation and its partners, Need Our Water, and the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, won a huge victory when the Air Force finally committed to clean up two PFAS-contaminated sites around the former Wurtsmith Air Force base near Oscoda, Michigan. Photo Credit: NWF Water Equals Life, Safe Drinking Water Policies People most impacted by high water bills and shutoffs are disproportionately people of color and the underserved. Working with partners, the Federation formed the WEL (Water Equals Life) Coalition in 2023. WEL advocates for policies that ensure Michiganians can access clean, safe drinking water. Photo Credit: Anna Tarazevich & Getty Images Ohio River Basin Clean Water Community Forums The Federation hosted 31 listening sessions in the Ohio River Basin to hear from residents about their clean water concerns, from toxic pollution to sewage contamination. The goal is to ensure community priorities anchor a regional plan to restore and protect the waters of the 14-state Basin. Photo Credit: NWF Protecting North American Threatened Grasslands A three-day conference in Cheyenne, Wyoming had 270 attendees from across North America to discuss and strategize ways to protect our threatened grasslands. The sixth biennial America’s Grasslands Conference provided a forum where all voices in the grassland conservation space were heard and valued. Photo Credit: King Ranch Green Infrastructure Access for Women & People of Color Businesses The Five Points Greening project increases access to green infrastructure so all can enjoy climate resilience, health, and economic benefits of nearby nature. The project priority are businesses and organizations led by women or people of color who need additional resources to conduct this work. Photo Credit: Green Dot Coalition Earth Tomorrow Program Returns to Houston Relaunched in 2023, our Houston Earth Tomorrow program had 25 high school students visit sites over six days to join in service projects, program planning, and experiential learning. They gained knowledge about Houston’s Gulf Coast ecology, historic Black communities, environmental justice, and more. Photo Credit: Marya Fowler & Michael Valdez Delayed Transfer of Oak Flat Sacred Land to Mining Interest Oak Flat is sacred land in the Tonto National Forest with vital water resources. After HECHO spent months of advocacy work, the Forest Service paused publication of an environmental report. This delayed transfer of Oak Flat by the federal government to Resolution Copper to develop a mining project. Photo Credit: HECHO 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste Results Our Campus Race to Zero Waste program addresses environmental challenges of managing and disposing solid waste material, especially plastics. In 2023, 3.4 million college students and staff across 200 campuses participated in keeping 205 million single-use plastic containers out of landfills. Photo Credit: Xavier University Increasing Tribal Access to Clean Water Nearly 50 percent of Native populations lack access to clean water. The Federation collaborated with a coalition working to increase Tribal access to clean water . We helped to secure $4.5 billion in federal funding to meet the backlog of Tribal infrastructure improvements and water management needs. Photo Credit: Nora McDowellThank you for Protecting Wildlife, People, and Our Planet. We have much more to do, and your continued support is needed now more than ever. Donate Today Never Miss a Story Sign Up For Email Facebook-square X-twitter Instagram Contact Us PO Box 1583, Merrifield, VA 22116-1583 The National...