With its bulbous shape and a canopy that resembles an upside-down root system, the baobab tree is an iconic symbol of the African continent. Its origins are also the stuff of legend…literally. Along the Zambezi River, some tribes believed that one day their gods became angry, ripped the baobab from the ground, and tossed it up into the air, resulting in its inverted-like appearance. In another tale, God gifted the baobab to a hyena. However, the hyena felt so repelled by the tree’s already unusual exterior, he shoved it to the ground upturned. 

© Justin Jin / WWF France

Whatever way the baobab came to be, it’s undoubtedly a remarkable specimen. Baobabs can grow up to 100 feet tall, have a circumference of as much as 165 feet, and live as long as 3,000 years. These solitary trees are also incredibly resilient, thriving in dry, open areas such as the savannas of southern Africa and western Madagascar, and surviving by storing water in their massive trunks.

Their thick bark protects them from bushfires, while their massive root systems help slow soil erosion and aid in the recycling of nutrients. Baobabs may depend on pollinators like fruit bats and bush babies to reproduce, but the trees themselves are incredibly regenerative. They can even create new bark when needed, healing wounds that would take other trees down. 

Then there’s the baobab’s fruit: a woody round or egg-shaped pod that can grow up to a foot long and hangs from the tree’s branches courtesy of a long, thick stalk. Its pulpy interior is loaded with seeds and brimming with nutrients, including tartaric acid—a natural antioxidant—and loads of Vitamin C. 

© James Morgan / WWF-US

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula (Yemen, Oman), and Australia, baobabs consist of 9 species. While the African continent is home to two different kinds, six are endemic to Madagascar, and Australia has one type of baobab. The latter is commonly known as the ‘boab’ among Aussies and thrives in both Western Australia’s Kimberly region and the country’s Northern Territory. 

The Importance of the Baobab Tree 

Baobab trees are nicknamed “The Tree of Life,” and for good reason. Between just the bark and fruit alone, baobabs offer more than 300 vital uses. While elephants quench their thirst on the tree’s water-rich interior, they also snack on its produce and then fertilize the local soil through their droppings. Baboons crack open the fruit’s hard exterior and fill up on its pulpy seeds (leading to the baobab’s other moniker, the ‘monkey bread tree’). 

Marabou storks and red-billed buffalo weavers nest in their branches, and fruit bats and bush babies—as well as lemurs in Madagascar—sip up the nectar from their blossoms, pollinating one flower to the next as it goes. These large white blooms spread their petals at night and flower for no more than 24 hours. They typically spring to life during or after the rainy season. 

© Justin Jin / WWF France

As much as wildlife depends on the baobab tree (and vice-versa), so do humans. Not only is the fruit’s sour brown pulp edible and nutritious, but soak it in water and it becomes a refreshing drink. People who live around baobab trees will roast and grind its fruits’ seeds to produce a beverage akin to coffee, or boil the tree’s leaves and eat them like spinach. Not only are these leaves loaded with potassium and magnesium, but they’re often used in traditional medicine for treating ailments such as insect bites and asthma.

The tree’s bark is the basis for everything from paper and cloth to ropes and baskets. People also used it to make waterproof hats and musical instrument strings. By mixing the flower’s pollen with water, you can even create a form of glue.

The older a baobab tree gets, the more impressive it becomes. An ancient Baobab can support an entire ecosystem, from the bees and stick insects that reside among its branches, to the antelope and warthogs that delight in its fruit. In fact, baobabs are considered a keystone species, meaning they play an essential role in local biodiversity. 

Threats to Baobabs

Despite their enormous size and longevity, baobabs are not immune to threats. Here are just some of the challenges they face (as well as some possible solutions). 

Climate Change

Many scientists believe that climate change is killing Africa’s oldest and largest baobab trees, the result of more frequent weather anomalies like floods and lightning storms. Elephants will often damage baobabs during extreme droughts to get to their water supply, sometimes digging into the wood so severely that the tree can simply collapse. 

WWF’s assessment of the vulnerability of African elephants regarding climate change shows that their biggest concern is having enough fresh water. Creating safe wildlife corridors is one way to increase an elephant’s source options, and relieve pressure on individual baobab trees in the process. 

Deforestation

Madagascar, which is home to six of the world’s 9 baobab species, has experienced massive deforestation, losing approximately 235 thousand hectares of tree cover from 2010 through 2021. This includes the loss of baobab habitats. 

WWF’s Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) in Africa is an initiative helping to restore forests and forest landscapes across 9 African countries, including Madagascar. One action entails working with local communities to develop commercially viable landscape restoration projects, and then connecting these community enterprises with investors and commercial partners so that they can prosper on a larger scale. 

© WWF / Martina Lippuner

Agriculture 

With their smooth bark, thick, cylindrical trunks, and flat-topped crowns, Grandidier’s baobabs are one of Madagascar’s most recognizable baobab species. It’s also a species that’s highly threatened by the conversion of local forests into agricultural land. Loss of forests can lead to extreme soil erosion, and slash-and-burn farming, as well as over-grazing, inhibit the baobab’s proper regeneration. 

WWF’s work in sustainable agriculture includes creating financial incentives, which can help encourage the conservation of biodiversity in places where baobab trees grow. 

Legendary Baobabs

While the baobab itself is iconic, here are a few that are even more beloved than most. 

Kondanamwali, Zambia

This especially large baobab in Zambia’s Kafue National Park is known as “the tree that eats maidens.” According to local legend, Kondanamwali fell in love with four beautiful women, who decided that they all wanted human husbands instead. The tree became jealous, so it opened its trunk and pulled the women inside, where they’re said to remain to this day.

The Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar 

More than two dozen towering baobabs line an 853-foot dirt stretch in western Madagascar’s Morondava. In 2007, it became the country’s first “Natural Monument.”

© Justin Jin / WWF France

Sagole Baobab, South Africa

South Africa’s stoutest baobab is located within Limpopo, the country’s northernmost province, and is recognizable by its humongous trunk and gnarled branches. Although researchers carbon-dated the tree at around 1,200 years old, many residents believe its age is more than twice that. It’s home to a breeding colony of mottled spinetails, a type of bird that’s most common along the West Africa coast.

The post The Baobab Tree: An African Icon and Longtime Legend first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

It was in the early morning when we first spotted Aracy, positioned near a small waterhole in Brazil’s southern Pantanal region. We followed her through the grasslands, watching the jaguar meander among trees and along the occasional dirt pathway​​—at one point, even walking within several feet of our open-sided 4×4 vehicle—until she spotted a herd of capybaras grazing beside a lake. “Keep quiet,” our guide Lucas whispered. “She’s about to make her move.”

In an instant, the capybaras were running into the water with Aracy sprinting behind them, hoping for an early day feast. Although luck wasn’t on her side this round, the enormous feline put on a show for the ages. 

Wildlife is a given in Brazil’s massive Pantanal, a more than 75,000 square-mile UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that’s home to the largest tropical wetlands and flooded grasslands on the planet. Everything from squadrons of peccaries (hoofed mammals that resemble pigs) to alligator-like caiman call this incredible natural region—one that stretches across portions of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, covering an area that’s equivalent to the size of Belgium, Holland, Portugal and Switzerland combined—home. In fact, the Pantanal hosts South America’s densest concentration of wildlife: we’re talking animals as varied as giant anteaters, musk deer, tapir and blue-and-yellow colored hyacinth macaws. Impressive, since many visitors flock to the continent’s other fauna-filled destinations, like the Amazon rainforest, without knowing that these wetlands exist. 

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These days, however, the Pantanal is gaining traction among wildlife lovers, thanks in large part to the efforts of Onçafari, a project established to promote conservation through ecotourism, mainly habituating jaguars to safari vehicles with the notion that the more people see these stealth cats in the wild, the more they’ll likely do something to save them.

© Cassiano “Zapa” Zaniboni

Onçafari and the Pantanal’s Jaguar Population

Former Formula 1 racing driver Mario Haberfeld established Onçafari in August 2011. Its name is a combination of “onça,” the Portuguese word for jaguar, and “safari,” which means journey in Swahili. Haberfeld was inspired to start the project after visiting the African continent, where wildlife such as lions, elephants, and hyenas have grown up around safari vehicles. The Brazil native wanted to bring the same type of ecotourism to the Pantanal, helping to preserve its biodiversity in the process. Although the organization also works with other species ranging from giant otters to crab-eating foxes, in the Pantanal, it’s the jaguars that draw the most attention. 

Jaguars are similar to leopards, their African counterparts, though they’re stockier than leopards and more muscular. Each one is also highly unique. Some are more golden in color than others, their whiskers longer or shorter, and their faces narrower or fuller. Historically, their range stretches from Argentina north up to Arizona’s Grand Canyon, though their population has decreased by 25% in just over two decades, spurred in large part by deforestation and illegal logging. Today, jaguars occupy less than half of where they once roamed, with sightings only as far north as Mexico’s Sonora state and occasionally crossing the border into Arizona. Seeing one in the wild has long been a remarkably rare experience. 

Lucas Morgado is an Onçafari biologist who is well-versed in tracking wildlife. He’s also our safari guide in Brazil’s southern Pantanal. He tells us the story behind Aracy. How she was born back in 2020 and has been in the proximity of vehicles all of her life. She’s the daughter of Isa, one of the first two jaguars to be reintroduced by Onçafari to the Pantanal after losing her mother at a young age. And that she’s missing the tip of her left ear. We also learn about jaguars in general: things like their having the strongest bite of all cats—even lions and tigers—how the rosette patterns on their fur are as unique as human fingerprints, and while they’re typically solitary creatures, these elusive cats sometimes form coalitions to survive. 

©Helder Brandao de Oliveira

Caiman Ecological Refuge 

Of the estimated 15,000 to 64,000 jaguars remaining in the wild, more than half of them live within the Amazon Rainforest and the Pantanal. About 60 to 80 jaguars of these reside inside the 204-square-mile Caiman Ecological Refuge, a renowned private reserve that happens to be the site of our spacious lodge, as well as Pantanal’s Onçafari jaguar team and scientific research center. Here, the project’s team members are constantly evaluating the health of the felines and monitoring their behavior through motion sensor cameras, direct observation, and a handful of GPS-equipped radio collars that can map their locations through different frequencies. But of the five jaguars that we end up spotting over the course of two days (with names like Timbo, Aroeira, Hades and Flor), only one of them has been collared to provide Onçafari with its coordinates. The other sightings are merely a testament to how well the jaguar habituation program is working. 

According to Onçafari, only 16% of guests at the Caiman Ecological Refuge reported seeing jaguars in 2013. Ten years later, the percentage was 100. Although Onçafari never guarantees a sighting, the likelihood of spotting a jaguar (or jaguars) here really is possibly the best on the planet. 

After about 40 minutes in Aracy’s presence, it’s time to move on. But before starting up our 4×4 vehicle’s engine, Morgado clears his throat. It’s a way to indicate to the felines that there’s a louder sound coming and remind these big cats that they can keep on keeping on without ever feeling threatened. 

Tracking Jaguars with Nat Hab 

Natural Habitat Adventures’ Jaguars & Wildlife of Brazil’s Pantanal includes a few nights lodging at the Caiman Ecological Refuge and time spent with the Onçafari Jaguar Project, as well as one of the reserve’s spectacular Pantaneiro cowboy dinners—complete with an array of spit-roasted meat. Participants also have an opportunity to spot jaguars in the northern Pantanal and see other species like toucans, howler monkeys, giant armadillos and big-headed swamp turtles. Want to make your experience even more amazing? Tack on a trip extension to see one of the world’s mightiest waterfalls, the more-than-mile-long Iguazu Falls, straddling the border between Brazil and Argentina. 

The post Tracking Jaguars with the Onçafari Project: Conservation Travel in Brazil’s Pantanal  first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

In 1994, a lone wolf crossed the border from Italy into Switzerland. Within a year, there were two, then pups and sporadic sightings.

By 2012, Switzerland had its first stable wolf pack in well over 100 years.

The pack’s dominant female, known as F07, was first spotted by a camera trap in the canton of Grisons in southeaster Switzerland (where Davos, Klosters, and St. Moritz are) in 2011, when she was a year or two old.

For nine years F07 lived with the same mate, M30, on the Calanda Massif above the city of Chur—one of the longest continuously inhabited (by humans) places in Europe. They had 46 pups together in 8 litters.

Their pack was called Calanda, and their offspring have spread throughout the Alps and paired with wolves from Italy and France.

The Calanda pack has disbanded, but led to many more. By mid- 2023, Switzerland was home to at least 200 wolves in about 25 packs roaming primarily in Alpine environments.

By 2025, Switzerland is projected to have approximately 300 wolves in 40 packs.

Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone, Montana

Wolves returned to Yellowstone around the same time as Switzerland, but quite differently. On January 12, 1995 a horse trailer carrying Canadian wolves passed through the gate into Yellowstone National Park’s northwest entrance. Wolves had been absent from the park for nearly 70 years.

From 1995 to 1997, 41 wolves from Canada and northwest Montana were released in Yellowstone and dispersed to establish territories outside the park.

As of January 2024, at least 124 wolves roamed Yellowstone National Park in ten packs. Wolves in Yellowstone sit at the core of a larger population—approximately 500 wolves—throughout the much larger 34,375 square mile Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Gray wolf pack, Yellowstone National Park

Shared Grey Wolf Controversy

There are similarities and differences as wolves return to Switzerland and Yellowstone. One thing is nearly identical: it’s controversial.

Set in Gardiner, Montana just outside Yellowstone National Park, Nat Hab Film’s Big Bad Wolf shares conservation challenges and local perspective on the reintroduction of wolves. One resident said, “I’ve yet to find anyone who’s totally neutral about wolves; I think everyone has a strong opinion.”

The debate sounds different because it’s shaped by local culture, but almost everywhere people are taking sides on how wolves should be managed.

Economics & Culture Impact Opinions on Wolves

Around Gardiner, Montana the economic value of wolf conservation travel is massive. One local study found that in 2022 wolf-viewing brought at least $82 million into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In the same year and county, the state paid out only $3,243 to ranchers for two wolf-related livestock deaths.

In Switzerland tourism of a different kind shapes thee debate. The pastoral culture that has developed in Switzerland over the last 150 years values freedom, peace and tranquility (read: quiet). The mountains have become hikers’ paradise, where herds of sheep, cattle and goats graze Alpine meadows unfenced and almost always unattended.

Letting sheep roam the Alps unattended during summer is a cherished Swiss tradition. Neither shepherds nor livestock guardian dogs have been widely used here in generations.

The Swiss debate on wolves is marked by a surprising, vocal resistance to livestock guardian dogs and fences. In some locales voters have even called for a complete ban of livestock guardian dogs, arguing that they scare off alpine tourists. Most news coverage of livestock guardian dogs frames them as costs to taxpayers.

When it comes to livestock guardian dogs, I am biased. I arrived alone in Switzerland from the USA with a Great Pyrenees-German Shepherd mix I met at the Boulder Valley Humane Society when he was only 8 weeks old.  I always say I’m never sure who rescued whom.

Now, years later, my husband and I live with a pure-bred Great Pyrenees. We’ve encountered more negative reactions than we imagined—nevermind wolves, a shocking number of Swiss people (in the German-speaking cantons especially) are unaccustomed to—and afraid of—our thoroughly domesticated, furry family member. It’s not something I expected from the culture here.

Great Pyrenees Winston © NF Dogshome, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

Debate on wolves shaped by fear, not facts

Debates on wolf protection and management are far more about us than them. In fact, the data on wolves tells a very different story from public opinion.

In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, less than one tenth of one percent of livestock in wolf-occupied areas are lost to wolves. In Europe, wolf predation represents an annual killing of 0.065%. The impact of wolves on livestock is minimal.

In Switzerland, in the first 6 months of 2023, as the number of wolves increased, the number of attacks on livestock actually decreased due to increased protective measures, such as anti-wolf fencing.

About five times as many Alpine sheep are killed every year by falls, rockfall, parasites, lightning and disease than by wolves.

WWF has since stated in no uncertain terms: “Wolves in Europe are NOT dangerous to humans. There have been no fatal attacks on humans reported in Europe in the 21st century.”

In truth, the big bad wolf is not that big a problem.

Wolf Management in Montana & Switzerland

And yet in Switzerland and Yellowstone wolf management policies are complicated, contested and shifting. Programs exist to compensate farmers and support more biodiverse protection of livestock, but at the heart of the debate management means hunting.

Both Switzerland and Montana have reduced wolf protections in recent years.

Gray wolves and magpies in Montana

Effective January 4, 2021, reduced U.S. federal protections affected wolves in at least 44 states. During the 2021-2022 hunting season, 24 wolves from Yellwstone National Park were killed in neighboring states. Hundreds more wolves were killed—roughly 270 in Montana, 500 in Idaho and 30 in Wyoming. Montana and Idaho have been producing new laws to remove protections for wolves.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a quota of 334 wolves to be killed by hunting or trapping in the 2024-2025 season, an increase from the previous year’s quota of 313 wolves.

In Switzerland, in September 2020 more than half of Swiss voters (51.9%) rejected changes to hunting laws that allowed hunting of wolves. Gabor von Bethlenfalvy, large carnivore specialist at WWF Switzerland said in a press release, “The result shows that the Swiss population wants to strengthen and not weaken species protection.”

Despite the vote and having earmarked 7.7 million Swiss francs ($9 million) in 2024 for protecting flocks, conservative politicians in the federal government fast-tracked revisions that allowed for proactively hunting wolves—including shooting entire packs—even if they posed no threat.

Yellowstone National Park

Under the fast-tracked revisions, from 1 December 2023 to 31 January 2024, the cantons with a wolf population were allowed to kill a total of 12 packs and partially cull six more. The other 12 packs were to be left untouched. No one seems to know how these numbers were derived—wildlife biologists maintain that 20 packs must be left untouched to ensure the wolf’s survival in Switzerland.

The hunt was halted by the courts on 3 January due to objections from conservation organizations, but between December 2023 and January 2024 over 50 of Switzerland’s 300 wolves were killed.

WWF research has shown that the culling and hunting of wolves is usually ineffective and can be counterproductive in reducing attacks on livestock, unless it is carried out on a large scale—which could compromise the viability of wolf populations. In Yellowstone, killing females has even led to increased reproduction by other females in the pack.

Research also suggests that disrupting healthy packs by shooting wolves might lead to higher levels of livestock predation because lone wolves lack the support of a pack to hunt wild prey and are more likely to attack smaller animals. 

Yellowstone National Park

Habitats of Coexistence in Portugal

Portugal offers another way forward. 9,000 people live in 92 villages in the protected Montesinho Natural Park in northern Portugal.  120 species of breeding birds and 70% of Portugal’s terrestrial animal species also live there, including a large population of Portugal’s Iberian wolves.

Iberian wolf, Portugal

The Iberian wolf is a subspecies of the grey wolf inhabiting northwestern Spain and northern Portugal, mostly north of the Duoro River. There are approximately 300 wolves in Portugal’s northern and central highlands, and 3,000 in neighboring Spain. Iberian wolves have been isolated from mixing with other wolf populations for over a century. They form one of the largest wolf populations in Western Europe.

Because wolves have lived in the region for thousands of years unabated, the local community has maintained a connection to traditional methods of preventing attacks, such as guard dogs, fences and shepherding.

Iberian wolf, Portugal

Areas with continuous wolf presence experience lower depredation levels compared to regions where predators disappeared and then returned in recent decades. The region has 40% of Portugal’s wolf population, but only 5% of attacks on domestic animals, according to the Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).

While conflict with wolves is still a challenge in Central Portugal, attitudes towards wolves remain largely positive, too. For local farmers, wolves keep other animals like deer and boar, which damage chestnut and grain crops, in check.

Iberian wolf, Portugal

What’s needed? Education, Fences, Dogs & Wolf PR

How can more communities become more like Portugal? The three main threats to wolves are human-made. We have:

• limited and fragmented wolf habitat,
• severely limited wolves’ wild food sources (ungulates), and
• killed wolves, including whole packs.

The solutions are ours to make, too.

Livestock protection measures are relatively straightforward and extremely effective. Resistance to using minimal protective measures is a far greater issue than wolves.

Wolf management should focus on:

• Ensuring diversity and density of wild prey populations

Where wild prey is scarce, wolves are more likely to target livestock. Restoring habitats to increase the availability of natural prey is an effective measure to prevent attacks.

• Electric fencing

Fencing may be all that’s needed to protect livestock from wolves. In some studies fixed enclosures have proven 100% effective.

• Livestock guardian dogs

Presence of livestock guardian dogs can reduce attacks on livestock by up to 61%, and a combination of electric fences plus guard dogs is the most effective deterrent.

• Shepherds

For over 20 years WWF has supported the Pastoraloup program set up by FERUS, a French association for the protection of large predators, to train shepherds in the Haute-Provence Alps. In 2024, the program received over 150 applications for 60 internships. Even without dogs, the presence oof a human shepherds can be a sufficient deterrent for wolves.

More than anything, though, wolves need good PR.

Iberian wolf, Portugal

Will we choose coexistence?

Whether they’re reintroduced, cross borders themselves, or are in areas where they never disappeared, living in close proximity with growing populations of wolves can be controversial—primarily because people are afraid of them and we have abandoned traditional livestock guarding methods.

Public opinion and practices in Portugal show a way forward that honors wolves and local communities.

Sara Wehrli, a wolf conservationist for Pro Natura, Switzerland’s oldest environmental organization has said, “The wolf is indigenous to Switzerland, so it’s just natural that it should return and play a part in the ecological system.”

Yellowstone National Park

In Montana, Colby Brokvist echoed that sentiment, “In my mind there’s not another creature on the planet that defines wilderness like wolves. I want wolves on the landscape because as simple as it may sound, they are symbols of a wilderness that I want to keep on this earth forever.”

Research shows wolves pose almost no threat to humans and surprisingly little threat to livestock compared to the extent of the debate.

In Nat Hab film’s Big Bad Wolf, Aaron Bott boils it down to this:

As wolves return to parts of their vast historic range, we must ask ourselves new questions: Are we going to choose to make room for them? Because it is a choice. We can choose to annihilate them. We did once. We have to choose to keep them here.

For me, the choice is clear.

For more on wolves, wolf reintroduction, wolf conservation travel

If you’d like to know more about wolves, wolf reintroduction in the American West, or wolf-focused conservation travel in Yellowstone National Park, here are more resources and opportunities:

• For more gray wolf facts, check out Nat Hab’s Know Before You Go Gray Wolf Facts | Yellowstone Wildlife Guide
• Wolves were reintroduced to Colorado in December 2023. For more on that reintroduction, Check Out Nat Hab’s Daily Dose of Nature Webinar with wildlife biologist and Nat Hab Expedition Leader, Aaron Bott: The Pack is Back: Reintroducing Wolves to Colorado.
• Looking for a wolf-centered Photo expedition? Nat Hab offers an immersive wolf-tracking expedition into Yellowstone’s remote Northern Range. This wolf-focused winter wildlife adventure spends four full days in Yellowstone’s famed Lamar Valley and Northern Range, the best spot anywhere for tracking wolf packs living freely in their natural environment.

Yellowstone National Park

The post Conservation & Coexistence: Managing Wolves in Yellowstone, Switzerland & Portugal first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Mangroves are one of Earth’s most critical ecosystems, buffering coasts from storm surges, serving as vital habitat for aquatic, semiaquatic and terrestrial species; and providing food and livelihoods for local communities.

They cover only 0.1% of Earth’s land surface, but the dense, dark canopies and roots of mangrove trees are one of our most powerful tools to build resilience as the climate changes.

Benefits of Mangrove Ecosystems

Mangrove forests provide a wealth of benefits for both people and nature. They:

• Protect young fish, crabs, and other marine wildlife
• Filter sediments, protecting coral reefs and seagrasses
• Provide habitat for birds, bees, snakes, and other terrestrial fauna
• Reduce impacts of coastal storm surges and flooding
• Prevent erosion and stabilize coastlines
• Support local fisheries, ecotourism, and local crafts

Mangroves are also powerful carbon sinks:

• Mangroves store 7.5–10 times more carbon per acre, up to 4 times more per hectare, than terrestrial tropical forests.
• Mangrove loss contributes to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation.
• Globally, mangroves hold approximately 21 gigatons of carbon, with WWF’s efforts aiming to protect and restore these crucial carbon sinks.
• Restoring recently lost mangrove forests (1.6 million acres) could capture an additional 1 gigaton of carbon.

Why do we need mangrove restoration?

Despite their importance, 50% of the world’s mangroves have disappeared in the past half-century, victims of rising sea levels, pollution, demand for timber, and clearing by locals and coastal developers alike.

There’s good news, though: Mangrove restoration is relatively easy, fast and successful. WWF’s mangrove restoration projects have demonstrated high success rates, with some initiatives reporting a 62.5% to 82% success rate in areas like Colombia by focusing on native species and engaging local communities.

This article features 5 ways WWF is working to protect, restore and conserve some of the world’s most threatened mangrove habitats.

Mangrove nursery

1. Co-Founding the Global Mangrove Alliance

WWF teamed up with Conservation International, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and The Nature Conservancy to form the Global Mangrove Alliance with the goals:

• reverse the loss of critically important mangrove habitats worldwide and
• expand global mangrove habitat 20% by the year 2030.

“Mangroves are a powerful tool that nature has provided us, but we’re not doing enough, fast enough, to protect them,” said Lauren Spurrier, managing director of oceans for WWF.

Group of happy volunteers with tree seedlings, Volunteer helpers planting trees in mangrove forest for environmental protection and ecology, reduce global warming, Charity work

The alliance connects funders, experts, policymakers and local communities to accelerate a comprehensive, coordinated, global approach to mangrove conservation and restoration at a scale.

“It will take concerted action by many players to reverse declines and bring back what we’ve lost,” Spurrier said. “There is no time to duplicate efforts and waste resources. Bringing this work together through an alliance, allows us to focus our organizations in areas where we know we can have maximum impact.”

The Global Mangrove Alliance seeks to catalyze $10 billion in investments to improve the resilience of local coastal communities and improve the wellbeing of 10 million people worldwide.

2. Partnerships to Save Coastal Kenya Forests 

The Public-Private-People Partnerships to Save Coastal Kenya Forests  supports sustainable management and conservation of 30,000 hectares of critical mangrove and terrestrial forest ecosystems. The project focuses on mitigating environmental impacts of large-scale economic development by promoting energy and water efficiency while reducing their ecological footprint. It also builds capacity of local communities, government agencies, and the private sector to ensure effective, long-term ecosystem management​.

Mangroves, Kenya

One of the key drivers of coastal forest degradation is the lack of information on mangrove ecosystem benefits. Mangroves are essential nesting grounds for fish—a key source of food. They also act to safeguard coastlines against typhoons.

WWF-Kenya’s Public-Private-People Partnerships to Save Coastal Kenya Forests Project focuses on:

• terrestrial and mangrove forest protection and restoration, plus
• supporting local community custodians of forests to appreciate the value of conservation, including indigenous knowledge and youth engagement.

This initiative is vital to enhance the resilience of Kenya‘s mangroves, which are crucial for biodiversity and coastal protection.

WWF collaborates with key partners to integrate local knowledge with advanced environmental safeguards. The project also supports global conservation objectives like the Aichi Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals, by embedding ecosystem values into regional policies and development plans, ensuring these ecosystems are preserved for future generations​.

Young mangrove saplings

3. The Climate-Smart Mangrove Tool 

The Climate-Smart Mangrove Tool is a key part of WWF’s global strategy to bolster mangrove restoration and protection efforts in response to climate change.

The Climate-Smart Mangrove Tool is an advanced predictive tool that provides local communities a step-by-step process for assessing climate vulnerability and selecting climate-smart management actions.

The innovative decision-support tool combines satellite data, climate models, and local knowledge to help conservation practitioners:

• identify the best areas for mangrove restoration and conservation, and
• select appropriate climate-smart actions to reduce the current and future impacts of climate change on mangrove ecosystems.

The Climate-Smart Mangrove Tool, developed by WWF in partnership with the University of Queensland, has been applied in Colombia, Madagascar, Fiji, and Mexico.

Pinpointing the most viable areas for restoration and conservation, the tool enhances the resilience of vital mangrove ecosystems, essential for preserving biodiversity and supporting coastal communities. The ability to predict and plan for future environmental changes makes the Climate-Smart Mangrove Tool an invaluable resource in the global fight against climate change, supporting both ecological and human coastal resilience​.

4. ManglarIA – AI for Mangroves

ManglarIA, supported by WWF and Google.org, uses advanced technologies (LIDAR-equipped drones, eDNA sensors, and automated weather stations) on the Pacific and Gulf coasts of Mexico, particularly within biosphere reserves like Marismas Nacionales, to monitor the health of mangrove ecosystems with unprecedented precision.

The project utilizes AI to analyze vast datasets, predicting the impacts of climate change on these critical ecosystems. This data-driven approach is essential for guiding effective restoration efforts.

In Mexico, WWF is working to protect and restore mangrove ecosystems because of their importance to biodiversity and the contributions they make to local livelihoods and economies. Primary threats to Mexican mangroves include coastal development and climate change. More frequent hurricanes, changing rainfall, and sea level rise all can harm these complex ecosystems and the carbon they store.

By offering detailed insights into how mangroves respond to environmental stresses, ManglarIA (Spanish for “AI for Mangroves”) ensures that local conservation strategies are both impactful and sustainable.

The project also plays a vital role in supporting the resilience of local communities who rely on healthy mangrove ecosystems for their livelihoods. Visit one such community with Nat Hab’s Great Gray Whales of Baja itinerary, when we explore El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve.

5. Community-Based Conservation in Madagascar’s Mangroves

Two percent of the world’s mangroves are found in Madagascar, and 20% of these have been deforested for timber, charcoal production, and agricultural expansion.

In the Nat Hab film below, Expedition Leader Rija Ratotonirinia shares, “The main threat for the animals, for biodiversity in Madagascar, is habitat loss. 90% of our forest is gone due to slash and burn. Slash and burn agriculture is still one of our traditional ways of growing rice.”

Across Madagascar WWF is focused on ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and supporting alternative livelihoods, so local communities value mangrove ecosystems and do not feel pressure to clearcut for their livelihood or survival. Alternatives to clearcutting include small-scale freshwater fish farming and mangrove beekeeping for honey, as well as ecotourism.

“I wish that we could bring back all of the things like it used to be, but now we have hope. Conservation travel is the best way for Madagascar. We can base part of our economy in tourism because everything we have is unique. Our guests come to Madagascar because we have such a high level of endemism. Biodiversity is so amazing here. We have in Madagascar so many varieties of landscape as well. The local people, they are conscious of this.”  Expedition Leader Rija Ratotonirinia

According to Lilia Rasolofomanana, WWF Madagascar’s Mangrove Coordinator, “WWF is now collaborating with… community-based organizations to reinforce the community management of the mangroves, to reduce or even stop the threats to mangroves, to promote climate-smart restoration of this ecosystem and to improve the communities’ livelihoods and resilience to climate change.

Witness Madagascar’s Mangroves with Us

If you’d like to witness—and photograph—mangroves, there’s no place on the planet like Madagascar. Ninety percent of Madagascar’s plant, mammal and reptile species are found nowhere else on Earth.

In 2025, Nat Hab launches a new itinerary for its Madagascar Wildlife Photo Expedition, including visits to mangrove ecosystems in both the far north and south of the island:

• Ifaty, on Madagascar’s southern coast, is a laid-back fishing village famed for its otherworldly and extraordinarily photogenic vegetation—spiny forest, barrel-like baobab trees and coastal mangroves. Bird life flourishes here, and we hope to catch a glimpse of the critically endangered Madagascar fish-eagle, one of the rarest birds of prey in the world. The landscape offers endless inspiration, from the stark vegetation to the diverse and threatened wildlife.
• We travel by boat to northwest Madagascar’s Moramba Bay where we take a sunset cruise through the mangroves, and you may also opt to explore the coastline by kayak.

For over 20 years, Nat Hab and WWF have partnered to offer conservation travel—sustainable travel that supports the protection of nature, wildlife and local communities. Travel has the power to protect nature, benefit communities and preserve cultural heritage in coastal communities where, with WWF’s support, mangroves are being protected, resored, and expanded.

The post 5 Ways WWF is Restoring Mangroves for Climate Resilience & Biodiversity first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

In 2001, WWF declared the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) “the most endangered cat species and the only endemic large carnivore in Europe.”

At the time, the situation for the Iberian lynx was dire: They were found in just a handful of isolated pockets of Spain and Portugal, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated the population had dwindled to just 62 mature individuals.

Populations had declined from 15 subpopulations in the 1940s to only two subpopulations in the early 1990s. The species had experienced an 80% range loss between 1960 and 1990. By 1980, the Portuguese lynx population was estimated at no more than 50 individuals.

Today, the Iberian lynx population, including young and mature cats, is estimated to be more than 2,000. As a result, in June 2024, the IUCN removed the Iberian lynx from the Endangered list, upgrading its status to Vulnerable.

This article explores the journey of the Iberian lynx from near extinction to a conservation success story, highlighting key actions, challenges and prospects. WWF plays a critical role in those efforts.

About the Iberian Lynx

In the early 19th century, thousands of Iberian lynx inhabited Spain, Portugal and Southern France. Fossils suggest the species has been present in Iberia since the end of the Early Pleistocene, around one million years ago, and that its range has extended far into France and Italy.

An adult Iberian lynx is heavily spotted, weighs 22–29 pounds, and has long legs and a very short tail with a black tip.

Female lynxes generally give birth in March and April. The average litter size is 3, but it is rare for 3 Iberian lynx cubs to survive weaning—mortality rates are high. Kits become independent at 7 to 10 months old but remain with the mother until around 20 months old. The survival of the young depends heavily on the availability of prey species.

The Iberian lynx depends heavily on wild rabbits to feed, but it will also eat ducks, young deer and partridges if rabbit densities are low. An adult lynx needs about one rabbit per day; a mother raising lynx kits might need three.

Iberian lynx prefer open grassland mixed with dense shrubs such as strawberry tree, mastic, and juniper, and trees such as holm oak and cork oak and mark their territory with urine, scratch marks on the barks of trees, and scat.

Adult home ranges remain stable over many years. Camera trap surveys in the eastern Sierra Morena Mountains between 1999 and 2008 revealed that six females had home ranges of 2-2.5 square miles, and four males had home ranges of 4.6-4.7 square miles.

Iberian lynx

Iberian Lynx Conservation Challenges

The number of Iberian lynxes declined steadily during the 20th century, and at the beginning of the 2000s, only two isolated breeding populations remained, both located in southern Spain. These populations totaled about 100 adult animals, with only 25 breeding females.

This dramatic decrease was primarily due to habitat destruction, reduction in prey (particularly the European rabbit), and human-induced threats such as poaching, road accidents, and habitat fragmentation and alteration.

The Iberian lynx is not very adaptable because it relies on rabbits for 75% of its food intake. European rabbit numbers have suffered repeated population crashes due to myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease.

Conservation Success through Collaborative Efforts

Thanks to reintroduction and captive breeding projects, the Iberian lynx population has significantly increased. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have been pivotal for the lynx’s recovery. These strategies include the establishment of wildlife corridors and the preservation of the species’ natural habitat, which not only benefit the lynx but also support other species and enhance local ecosystems.

One of the cornerstones of this success has been the active restoration of Mediterranean scrub and forest habitats. The European rabbit has also received full protection, which is crucial for the survival of the Iberian lynx.

To further bolster Iberian lynx resilience against threats like disease and poaching, conservationists implemented translocations and an ex-situ breeding program to enhance genetic diversity. This comprehensive approach has made the Iberian lynx more robust and better able to withstand environmental pressures.

These successes were achieved through the dedicated collaboration of government bodies, scientific institutions, NGOs, private companies and local communities. These groups have formed a multifaceted conservation strategy supported by the European Union LIFE project. WWF has played a pivotal role in various initiatives, demonstrating the power of collective effort.

Key conservation actions have included:

• Prey Management: By 2022, efforts to boost the population of the European rabbit had significantly increased numerous populations, ensuring a stable food supply for the lynx, crucial for their continued recovery​.
• Habitat Restoration: Restoration and protection of Mediterranean scrub and forest habitats increased lynx habitat from 19 square miles in 2005 to at least 1,282 square miles in 2024. (The numbers seem improbable but are accurate according to the IUCN.)

This expansion was achieved through significant reforestation efforts, land management and the creation of wildlife corridors​​. According to WWF, these restored habitats have not only supported the lynx but also benefited other species like the imperial eagle and various amphibians​.

• Genetic Diversity: Genetic diversity was enhanced through translocations and an ex-situ breeding program. More than 400 lynx have been reintroduced to parts of Portugal and Spain since 2010​. As of 2023, these efforts have led to the establishment of several new breeding populations across the Iberian Peninsula, demonstrating the success of the genetic management strategies.
• Reducing Human-Induced Deaths: Measures to minimize deaths caused by road accidents and poaching included the creation of wildlife corridors and safe road crossings. Additionally, educational campaigns have raised awareness among local communities about the importance of lynx conservation, resulting in decreased poaching incidents and better coexistence​.

WWF has been heavily involved in habitat protection, prey management and public awareness campaigns. WWF-Spain has secured custody agreements with 18 estates covering more than 62,000 acres, to protect lynx habitats and boost rabbit populations. Additionally, WWF’s captive breeding program has released 45 lynxes into their natural habitats by mid-2015, significantly aiding the species’ recovery​.

WWF’s Iberian Lynx Projects

WWF’s commitment to the Iberian lynx has spanned several decades, focusing on critical conservation areas:

1. LIFE Iberlince Project: This project aims to recover the historic distribution areas of the Iberian lynx in Spain and Portugal. By restoring habitats and creating wildlife corridors, the project has successfully reintroduced lynxes into areas where they had previously disappeared. Local communities are actively involved in conservation efforts, ensuring sustainable land use practices that benefit both the lynx and local economies​. This project has been credited with doubling the lynx population in some areas within a decade, highlighting its effectiveness​.
2. Custody Agreements: WWF-Spain has played a crucial role in establishing custody agreements with private landowners in key regions such as Sierra Morena, Montes de Toledo and Doñana. These agreements have led to the restoration of lynx habitats and the management of rabbit populations, creating a safer and more sustainable environment for the lynx to thrive​. As a result, lynx sightings in these areas have increased by 30% over the past five years​.
3. Captive Breeding and Reintroduction: WWF’s successful captive breeding program focuses on breeding healthy lynxes and preparing them for release into the wild. This initiative has led to the reintroduction of over 50 lynxes into their natural habitats, significantly boosting the wild population. The program has achieved a breeding success rate of over 70%, considered high for such an endangered species​.
4. Public Awareness and Education: WWF has prioritized raising awareness about the Iberian lynx’s plight. WWF has fostered a sense of stewardship among local populations through educational campaigns, community engagement, and collaboration with local schools. These efforts are essential in reducing human-wildlife conflicts and promoting conservation-friendly practices​. WWF’s campaigns have reached over 100,000 people in lynx habitats, significantly contributing to local support for conservation measures.

Protecting the Lynx Population in Portugal & Spain

By 2022, the population of mature individuals had risen to 648, with the total population (including young lynx) exceeding 2,000. IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar noted, “The improvement in the Red List status of the Iberian lynx shows that successful conservation works for wildlife and communities alike.”​

Despite the remarkable recovery, the Iberian lynx still faces several challenges:

• Fluctuating Prey Populations: The European rabbit population is susceptible to disease outbreaks, which can impact lynx numbers.
• Disease: The lynx is vulnerable to diseases from domestic cats and other animals.
• Human-Induced Threats: Poaching and road kills remain significant threats, particularly in areas where high-traffic roads intersect lynx habitats.
• Climate Change: Habitat alterations related to climate change pose a growing threat to the species.

Juan Carlos del Olmo, CEO of WWF-Spain, emphasized the need for continued efforts: “To ensure a viable and safe population, we must increase today’s wild Lynx population by threefold by 2040. This requires addressing threats such as accidental killings and legally prosecuting deaths caused by shooting, snares or traps.”

Iberian Lynx Conservation: Future Plans

Looking ahead, conservationists have ambitious plans to ensure the long-term survival of the Iberian lynx.

These include:

• Reintroductions: Plans to reintroduce the lynx to new sites in central and northern Spain.
• Habitat and Prey Management: Continued efforts to restore and protect habitats and manage prey populations.
• IUCN Green Status Assessment: The Iberian lynx’s status as “Largely Depleted” reflects the ongoing need for conservation. However, the species could achieve “Fully Recovered” status in 100 years with sustained efforts.

Francisco Javier Salcedo Ortiz, Coordinator of the LIFE Lynx-Connect project, stated, “There is still a lot of work to do to ensure that Iberian lynx populations survive and the species recovers throughout its indigenous range.”

Dr. Barney Long, from Re: Wild and Co-Chair of the IUCN Green Status Working Group, added, “The significant recovery of the Iberian lynx demonstrates that even the most threatened species can be brought back from the brink of extinction through committed, science-based conservation action.”​

Join Nat Hab on the Iberian Peninsula

Nat Hab hosts a European adventure kayaking Portugal’s Upper Duoro River Valley. On the August through October itinerary, guests paddle through the Douro International Natural Park, with Portugal on one bank and Spain on the other.

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The 335 square mile protected area was created in May 1998 to protect the inspiring scenery and wildlife, including eagles, red kites, griffon vultures, herons, wild boar and one of the last packs of wolves in the Tras-os-Montes region, which lives a few miles inland from the river. Natural vegetation covers the banks along this stretch of the river, with woodlands of juniper and cork oak beyond.

There are no established Iberian lynx populations in the Douro Valley—yet. Recent conservation efforts have focused on expanding the lynx’s range across the Iberian Peninsula and maintaining plentiful prey populations in the Duoro Valley.

These efforts have led to sightings and the establishment of lynx populations in other parts of Portugal, particularly in the Guadiana Valley. Thanks to targeted reintroduction programs, in the Guadiana Valley, there were 53 breeding females, 100 kits and a total of 291 specimens in 2023.

The Douro International Natural Park’s conservation activities, such as habitat restoration and biodiversity protection, contribute indirectly to the overall health of ecosystems that support numerous species, including the Iberian lynx. The park’s efforts in maintaining healthy habitats and promoting sustainable land use practices are crucial for the broader conservation initiatives that benefit the lynx population in Portugal.

Conservationists hope that lynx could expand into more suitable habitats within Portugal, including areas like the Upper Douro Valley.

Continuing the Iberian Lynx’s Remarkable Rebound

Once teetering on the brink of extinction, the Iberian lynx has made an astonishing comeback, demonstrating the power of dedicated conservation efforts. The story of the Iberian lynx is far from over. According to WWF estimates, Iberian lynx numbers would need to reach 3,000-3,500 individuals, including around 750 reproductive females, to be eligible to be considered as being in a ‘favorable State of Conservation’ according to European regulations.

Continued conservation efforts that address threats to lynx, support the recovery of decimated rabbit populations, help create new lynx populations, and connect existing ones are critical to reaching such a goal by 2040. The Iberian lynx’s remarkable rebound is a powerful testament to the effectiveness of dedicated conservation efforts. From a population of just 62 mature individuals in 2001 to over 2,000 in 2024, the lynx’s recovery is one of the greatest recoveries of a cat species ever achieved through conservation. It underscores the importance of collaborative, science-based conservation actions.

The post Iberian Lynx make a Remarkable Recovery in Portugal first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

By Samuel Littauer, Development Officer at World Wildlife Fund

Alaska has always carried a certain mythos in my mind—its rugged wilderness, untamed landscapes, and wildlife larger than life itself. For years, I heard tales of its vast beauty and isolation, as though it were a last frontier where nature still reigns supreme. But it wasn’t until I traveled there, to Natural Habitat’s Bear Camp in Lake Clark National Park, that I truly understood the reputation Alaska holds. It was here, surrounded by towering mountains, wild rivers, and the iconic coastal brown bears, that I saw firsthand why this land captures the imagination and inspires a deep reverence for the natural world. 

© Samuel Littauer / WWF-US

Before Lake Clark National Park was officially established in 1980, this region was preserved for millennia by the Dena’ina Athabascan people, who referred to it as Qishjeh Vena, meaning “a place where people gather.” This term captures the essence of what this land represents—not only a sanctuary for bears and other wildlife but also a gathering place for people who come to experience the wild beauty of Alaska. 

The true magic of Bear Camp lies in the intimacy it fosters with the bears and their environment. This is not a place where you simply observe wildlife from a distance; it is a place where you feel part of the landscape. The sight of a large male bear digging for clams on the tidal flats, the smell of the saltwater air, and the sound of the wind through the trees—all of it creates a deep sense of connection with the wilderness around us. 

© Samuel Littauer / WWF-US

Our days began with quiet anticipation as we ventured into the meadows and tidal flats to observe the bears as they started their morning feasts. These coastal brown bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds before entering their winter torpor. During the summer, they feast on clams among the salt flats and graze on sedge grasses that flood the fields beyond our accommodations. The riparian environment provided a true smorgasbord for the bears, while also setting the stage for observing every imaginable bear behavior. 

Bear Camp’s close proximity to the world of these giants allowed us to feel personally connected to the storylines that unfolded across the fields. Families of bears would roam together, occasionally fleeing an aggressive male or, in some cases, welcoming his advances. Rival males competed for mates, giving us a glimpse into the intricacies of bear society. 

One afternoon, our group spent time admiring the bears as they gathered across the sedge fields for a leisurely snack. Suddenly, a sizeable male bear paused his feast to take a dip in the river running through the heart of the fields. We stood still, holding our breath to better hear him as he cooled off after a long day of wrestling matches and indulging in the lush offerings of the valley. Another bear soon approached, seeking the same cool respite, which led to an intense wrestling match before one claimed the river. It was a scene of whimsy and survival, a reminder that life here, though majestic, is also fragile. 

While observing the bears of Lake Clark, it was not lost on me that similar neighboring ecosystems have been in jeopardy for decades. The headwaters of Bristol Bay, several hours west of Lake Clark, have long been threatened by the potential development of Pebble Mine. Nearly half of the world’s sockeye salmon comes from Bristol Bay, supporting a $2.2 billion fishing industry and employing 15,000 people. World Wildlife Fund partnered with the Bristol Bay Victory Challenge, an Indigenous-led fundraising initiative to block the Pebble Mine for good. In 2022, this initiative established a 44,000-acre conservation easement, protecting critical habitat and securing a brighter future for local communities that have lived harmoniously with this landscape for generations. 

© Samuel Littauer / WWF-US

As I departed Bear Camp, I carried with me more than just memories of brown bears and the vast Alaskan landscape. I left with a renewed sense of responsibility to advocate for the protection of these precious lands and their inhabitants. The bears, the land, and the people who have lived in harmony with this wilderness for generations remind us that nature’s balance is fragile—and it is up to us to ensure it endures. 

For me, this experience among the bears, on the ancestral land of the Dena’ina people, underscores the need to protect these last strongholds of nature. The conservation of land, to ensure the protection and flourishing of both people and wildlife, is imperative to creating a harmonious world where both can thrive. It’s in the Alaskan wilderness, among the bears, in places like Lake Clark, that people arrive in a gathering place and leave enchanted by the wild world to which we all belong. 

© Samuel Littauer / WWF-US

The post A Gathering Place: Nat Hab’s Alaska Bear Camp first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Conjuring the Spirit of the Himalaya Ghost Cat

“Love at first sight,” is how conservationist Helen Freeman described meeting a pair of Earth’s rarest creatures one fateful day in 1972. Nicholas and Alexandra had made the long journey from Russia (then known as the Soviet Union), to be raised and studied at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. Their silvery white fur, marbled by dark rosettes, looked like bare trees in a snow storm. Their piercing eyes met Helen’s, and with unbridled compassion, she embraced the cubs as her own. The siblings were a big cat species so obscure, local communities had consigned their kind to the name, ‘Ghost of the Mountains.’ But Helen Freeman was determined to save them, and their snow leopard kin, from vanishing from their Himalayan home.

Freeman was volunteering for the zoo’s veterinary staff when she fell in love. The position was an unusual calling for a woman trained in business administration and born into a family of Greek immigrant café-owners. However, Freeman was drawn to animals and was curious to learn more about their behavior—a yearning that ultimately led her back to the University of Washington to earn a second degree.

The countless hours spent observing Nicholas and Alexandra developed into a multinational research project, launching a series of successful captive-breeding programs. In 1979, Freeman was promoted to the zoo’s Curator of Education and tasked with increasing public awareness about the threats snow leopards faced. She taught visitors about the importance of protecting endangered felines and preserving their natural habitat.

Though Freeman filled this role until 1986, she wanted to do more for the species. She believed the most effective way to save snow leopards from extinction would be to inspire the local communities in Asia who lived among them. So, with cultural identity and grassroots efforts at the heart of her mission, Freeman founded the Snow Leopard Trust in 1981. At the time of Freeman’s passing in September of 2007, the Trust employed a diversity of staff throughout China, India, Mongolia, Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.

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A post shared by Snow Leopard Trust (@snowleopardtrust)

Her Leopard Legacy Lives On

On July 6, 2017, a male leopard was born at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, carrying forward the legacy of Helen Freeman, for whom the cub’s mother was named in honor. The zoo celebrated with the following announcement: “Helen’s cub will be a wonderful ambassador for its wild cousins, and we’re very excited to welcome him to the world and to our backyard!”

Under Helen’s leadership, the Snow Leopard Trust fostered integral relationships with the global conservation community and established conservation and research programs across the 12 range countries (Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan—a range that covers an area of nearly 772,204 square miles, with 60 percent of the habitat found in China).

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A post shared by Woodland Park Zoo (@woodlandparkzoo)

Woodland Park Zoo has remained an important ally throughout the organization’s 40+ years of existence. “Helen made a special connection with the snow leopards at the zoo and came to understand how these animals are conservation ambassadors for their cousins in the wild. Her drive to protect the species led her to build an organization that works with real communities to save these animals in their natural habitat. We miss Helen, but are proud to be part of helping her work and dream continue to succeed,” shared former Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen.

Throughout her illustrious career, Freeman consorted with Maharajas in India, trekked the Himalayas in Nepal, sailed the Yangtze River to Chungking in China and organized snow leopard symposia across the continents. She received numerous awards and acknowledgments for her achievements, including the Alumni Achievement Award from Washington State University in 1990, Acknowledgment of Appreciation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1997, the prestigious Evergreen Award in 1998–“In Recognition of Worldwide Partnerships in Wildlife Conservation and Understanding,” and also a medal of honor from the Woodland Park Zoological Society.

Save the Spirit of the Mountains with Nat Hab & WWF

Freeman’s tireless efforts to protect this snowy spectral are supported by Natural Habitat Adventures and World Wildlife Fund. More than 70 percent of snow leopard habitat remains unexplored. Through our innovative Travel Partnership, we are transforming how people perceive snow leopards with conservation through exploration.

Photographed by Nat Hab & WWF Expedition Leader © Surya Ramachandran

Snow leopards not only play a key role in managing prey species populations as an apex predator, but they are also sentinels of snow—melting snow that is. They serve as indicators of the impacts of climate change and human encroachment on the health of their high-altitude environments. If snow leopards thrive, so will countless other species, as well as the largest freshwater reservoirs of the planet. This big cat is under threat, however; poaching for their fur and bones, habitat fragmentation, prey depletion and retaliatory killings resulting from human-wildlife conflict are driving them to the edge.

In the Eastern Himalayas, WWF reduces human-leopard conflict by helping local communities install predator-proof pens for their livestock, create livelihood enterprises and innovate local insurance plans. WWF also works on public education programs, including with goat herders in Mongolia, to build awareness.

You can learn more about the snow leopard plight by watching the video below or any of the other Daily Dose of Nature webinars we host!

If you’re feeling adventurous, join us on our next trip to the Land of the Snow Leopard and search for these mysterious cats in the heights of Ladakh alongside top trackers and naturalists!

The post Helen Freeman: The “Jane Goodall” of Snow Leopards first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

It seems fitting that WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024 arrived in my inbox the day Hurricane Milton slammed into my hometown.

I grew up on Little Sarasota Bay, with the Intracoastal Waterway and a view over to Siesta Key in the backyard.

When we moved into that waterfront house in the summer of 1981, jumping mullet slapped the surface of the bay constantly and pelicans were plentiful. Now you can spend the day in the backyard before you hear a mullet splash, pelicans are rarer, and an alligator was even spotted nearby—runoff makes the bay’s salt water brackish.

On September 26, 2024, the storm surge from Hurricane Helene flooded homes on our block for the first time; the water was several feet deep in living rooms.

Less than two weeks later, on Wednesday night, October 9, Milton, the second-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall in a direct hit to Siesta Key.

Sunset at Siesta Beach in Siesta Key © Rebecca Self

We are at a Tipping Point

On the west coast of Florida, we’ve seen multiple hurricanes in a single year before, even in rapid succession, but the scale and intensity of these storms and their storm surges are unprecedented.

WWF’s report makes clear something Floridians are seeing firsthand: we are at a tipping point.

What is a tipping point? The term has been applied to a wide variety of processes in which, beyond a certain point, the rate of the process increases dramatically. From human behavioral sciences like economics and sociology to epidemiology, ecology and physics, the fundamental notion remains the same. In colloquial terms, if we were being pessimistic, we might call it the point of no return.

WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024 authors describe tipping points as:

“When cumulative impacts reach a threshold, the change becomes self-perpetuating, resulting in substantial, often abrupt and potentially irreversible change – a tipping point.

The Living Planet Report details numerous case studies in which ecological degradation combined with climate change increases the likelihood of reaching local and regional tipping points:

• North America: fire suppression, drought and pest invasion
• Great Barrier Reef: overfishing, pollution and warming waters
• India: wetland loss, drought and flooding
• Tipping points with global impact: drought in Amazon Rainforest, Greenland’s melting ice

Tipping points, whether local, regional or planetary, can initially be gradual, but then sudden and irreversible. Ecosystems may not instantaneously change from one state to another, but beyond a certain point of stress, change becomes unavoidable and rapid.

The Power of Positive Tipping Points

There are also positive tipping points. For example, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore has long used the term tipping point in a different way, fighting climate inaction and despair with the power of positive tipping points.

In a recent interview, he shared his belief, and rationale, that we are at a political tipping point:

• The power of fossil fuel companies to determine legislative outcomes is diminishing. Surging oil and gas costs spur governments to decarbonize faster, and fossil fuels are losing the electricity generation marketplace.
• Last year, worldwide, 90% of the new (generating capacity) was renewable. (Fossil fuel companies are in) the process of losing their second-largest market, transportation. The job market reflects this shift, with the clean economy generating three times as many jobs.

Momentum toward positive tipping points is undeniably growing; WWF’s report shows it’s just not fast enough.

Takeaway #1: Double down on support

In the face of global tipping points, WWF’s Living Planet Report asserts it is urgent to recognize the interconnectedness of nature, climate and human well-being. Tackling climate, biodiversity and development goals together simultaneously opens up opportunities to conserve and restore nature, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and improve human well-being.

My first takeaway from the report is to redouble my own efforts to support businesses, non-governmental and political organizations and individuals actively addressing ecological tipping points—to build toward positive, regenerative tipping points.

What is WWF’s Living Planet Report?

WWF’s Living Planet Report (LPR) is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. Now in its 15th edition, the report provides a science-led overview of the state of the natural world and includes the Living Planet Index (LPI), which tracks how species populations are faring around the world.

This year’s Living Planet report reveals a catastrophic 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations over just 50 years from 1970 to 2020.

I was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1970. The report indicates that in my lifetime, based on almost 35,000 population trends and 5,495 species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles:

• Freshwater populations have suffered the heaviest declines, falling by 85%,
• terrestrial (69%) and
• marine populations (56%).

At a regional level, the fastest declines have been seen in:

• Latin America and the Caribbean—a staggering 95% decline
• Africa (76%) and
• Asia and the Pacific (60%).

Declines have been less dramatic in Europe and Central Asia (35%) and North America (39%) because large-scale impacts on nature were already apparent before 1970; some populations have stabilized or increased thanks to conservation efforts and species reintroductions.

Wolverine, Russia.

What is the Living Planet Index?

The LPI monitors changes in the size of species populations over time, which is an early warning indicator of extinction risk and helps us understand ecosystem health.

When a population falls below a certain level, a species may not be able to perform its usual role within the ecosystem—whether that’s seed dispersal, pollination, grazing, nutrient cycling or other processes that keep ecosystems functioning.

Stable populations provide resilience against disturbances like disease and extreme weather events; a decline in populations, as shown in the global LPI, decreases resilience and threatens the functioning of the ecosystem.

Kirsten Schuijt, Director General, WWF International, shared:

“The linked crises of nature loss and climate change are pushing wildlife and ecosystems beyond their limits, with dangerous global tipping points threatening to damage Earth’s life-support systems and destabilize societies.

Although the situation is desperate, we are not yet past the point of no return. The decisions made and action taken over the next five years will be crucial for the future of life on Earth. The power—and opportunity—are in our hands to change the trajectory. We can restore our living planet if we act now.”

Wildlife Russia. Tiger in the water pool in the forest habitat. Siberian tiger cat in the lake.

Takeaway #2: Focus on Solutions

There is good news, too: despite the alarming overall decline in species populations, many populations have stabilized or increased as a result of conservation efforts. Protected and conserved areas have slowed the extinction rate for mammals, birds and amphibians by an estimated 20–29%. Recent analysis showed that conservation actions have had a net positive effect.

Isolated successes, species-based approaches, and merely slowing nature’s decline are not enough. We need to do more, faster, and in a more coordinated, regenerative way.

It’s a message Al Gore has been sharing for decades, and his stress is on solutions, too. He says:

“A lot of people go straight from denial to despair without pausing, intermediate, to solving the problem. And so that’s definitely an issue and I have been emphasizing justifiable optimism for quite a long time. And it’s not an artifice.

…We are gaining momentum in an impressive way and we have the basis for success. …We’re in the midst of a major sustainability revolution that has the magnitude of the Industrial Revolution coupled with the speed of the digital revolution. …It is still undeniably true that the crisis is still getting worse faster than we have yet begun to deploy these available solutions. Now we are gaining momentum, and I’m certain that we will soon be gaining on the crisis itself.”

In his climate presentations and trainings, Gore ends with a call to take hopeful action, emphasizing facts like:

• If and when we reach true net zero, the temperatures on Earth will stop going up with a lag time of as little as three to five years.
• If we stay at true net zero, half of the human-caused CO2 will fall out of the atmosphere in as little as 25 to 30 years.

My second takeaway from the Living Planet Report is really a reminder: all the solutions we need already exist. We already have the frameworks, technologies and nature-based solutions needed. This is a matter of will and collective action.

WWF’s Living Planet Report provides a framework for solutions, pointing to 4 urgent transformations to focus upon.

Sloth in nature habitat. Beautiful Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth, Choloepus hoffmanni, climbing on the tree in dark green forest vegetation. Cute animal in the habitat, Costa Rica. Wildlife in jungle.

WWF’s Living Planet Report: The 4 Transformations

To maintain a living planet where people and nature thrive, we need collective action that meets the scale of the challenge, including more coordinated, effective conservation efforts while addressing drivers of nature loss. It will require nothing less than a transformation of our food, energy and finance systems.

• Transforming Conservation

Protected areas currently cover 16% of the planet’s lands and 8% of its oceans. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls for 30% of lands, waters and sea to be protected by 2030, and to restore 30% of degraded areas by 2030.

Countries need to:

• extend, enhance, connect and properly fund systems of protected areas in a fair and inclusive way.
• Effective conservation outside of protected areas is also essential. 

Wildlife ranger protecting Uganda and Rwanda’s great apes © Richard de Gouveia

• Transforming Food Systems

Food production is one of the main drivers of nature’s decline: it uses 40% of all habitable land, is the leading cause of habitat loss, accounts for 70% of water use and is responsible for over a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.

Coordinated action is needed to:

• scale up nature-positive production to provide enough food for everyone while also allowing nature to flourish;
• reduce food loss and waste;
• increase financial support and foster good governance including by redirecting environmentally harmful subsidies. 

Indigenous women harvesting tea, Sri Lanka.

• Transforming Energy

The way we produce and consume energy is the principal driver of climate change. We must

rapidly transition away from fossil fuels to cut greenhouse emissions in half by 2030. In the last

decade, global renewable energy capacity has roughly doubled; costs for wind, solar and

batteries have fallen by up to 85%.

Over the next five years, we need to:

• triple renewable energy,
• double energy efficiency,
• modernize energy grids. 

Nat Hab Electric Safari Vehicle © Justin Sullivan

• Transforming Finance

Redirecting finance toward business models and activities that contribute to the global goals on nature, climate and sustainable development is essential. Globally, over half of GDP (55%)—or an estimated US $58 trillion—is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services. Our current economic system values nature at close to zero. In fact, private finance, tax incentives and subsidies that exacerbate climate change, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are estimated at almost $7 trillion US dollars per year.

Financing green involves mobilizing finance for conservation and climate impact at scale, while greening finance entails aligning financial systems to deliver nature, climate and sustainable development goals. We need both.

Living Planet Report Takeaway #3: Share the Story

The Report states that what happens in the next five years will determine the future of life on Earth. What can we each do?

I heard an idea at the Mountainfilm Festival earlier this year that has stuck with me:

As explorers and travelers, our returns are essential. How we share our adventures and expeditions determines how exploration makes a difference and how it translates into action toward positive tipping points.

I am a researcher, writer, leadership advisor and professor; that’s how I make a difference. Photographers document the environment and practice visual advocacy when they share their photos and the stories behind them. 

How will you contribute toward transformation and positive tipping points? Are groups and organizations you are a part of driving transformation?

Sunda bearded pigs, Borneo, Malaysia.

How We’re Transforming Travel

At Nat Hab, we’re working to transform travel so it contributes to the conservation and regeneration of the local communities and wild places we visit. Our mission is conservation through exploration: protecting our planet by inspiring travelers, supporting local communities and boldly influencing the entire travel industry.

Since 2007, Natural Habitat Adventures has been the world’s first 100% carbon-neutral travel company. We embarked on that ambitious project in partnership with Sustainable Travel International, reducing and offsetting the carbon emissions that result from all office- and trip-related activities.

In 2018, we began partnering with South Pole, a sustainability consultancy that works with businesses and governments to reduce carbon impacts by offsetting greenhouse gas emissions via third-party verified projects around the world. In 2019, we offset all our travelers’ flights to and from our global adventure destinations, increasing the total amount of our carbon offset by 300-400%.

Nat Hab & WWF “Discovering Our Planet Together.” Photographed by Nat Hab Expedition Leader & Sustainability Director © Court Whelan

Nat Hab’s efforts are currently focused in these areas:

• Conservation
• Supporting Local Communities – Philanthropy & Community Relief
• Transportation
• Reducing waste
• Offsets & a Green Office Culture

Conservation travel makes natural habitats even more valuable and appreciated by bringing positive attention and economic resources into local communities. From Madagascar to Namibia, conservation travel has inspired individuals and whole communities to protect wild places and the life that thrives there. Our hope is that after travelers experience the beauty and silence of the wilderness, they become ambassadors for conservation in their own communities.

Coastal brown bear in Lake Clark National Park. Photographed at Nat Hab’s Alaska Bear Camp by Expedition Leader © Rylee Jensen

The post WWF’s Living Planet Report: Biodiversity, the Climate Crisis & What’s Next first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Indigenous activists have always been front and center in protecting the Earth and its resources, and we can all learn from their deep spiritual, cultural and economic connections with the land. But despite the considerable impact climate change has on Indigenous cultures, they’re often marginalized and discriminated against when it comes to their rights and territories. Here are five Indigenous climate activists that are fighting back in big ways. If their names aren’t already in your lexicon, it’s only a matter of time.

Autumn Peltier 

Autumn Peltier has been a force to be reckoned with since childhood. The Anishinaabe activist from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory in Ontario, Canada, has been advocating for the preservation of drinking water for Indigenous communities for a decade. When she was only eight years old, Peltier noticed signs of toxicity while attending a water ceremony in Ontario’s Serpent River First Nation, an experience that helped propel her role as an advocate for clean drinking water in Indigenous communities worldwide. Along with campaigning for the universal right to clean drinking water, she’s been working to ensure communities have access to it ever since.

“It’s time to ‘warrior up’, stop polluting the planet and give water the same rights and protections as human beings.” That’s the message Autumn Peltier delivered personally to the United Nations General Assembly. This was created in her honor, by © David Bernie, a Chicago-based Indigenous artist of the Ihanktonwan Dakota Oyate (“People of the End Village”).

In 2016, Peltier presented Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a copper water pot at a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations and confronted him on both his water protection policies and his support for pipelines. This incident led to the creation of the Niabi Odacidae fund for clean water.

Along with youth advocacy, another key element of Peltier’s work is environmental justice activism, addressing the unjust exposure of Canada’s Indigenous communities to environmental hazards, including contaminated water. Today she’s the chief water commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation, a role that she took on after the passing of her great-aunt, Josephine Mandamin, whose own activism work was one of Peltier’s main inspirations.

“Fridays 4 Future” protest inside COP25. © John Englart

Peltier’s received numerous nominations for the International Children’s Peace Prize, including one in 2022, and has received plenty of other accolades ranging from the 2017 Ontario Newspaper Association’s Ontario Junior Citizens Award to being a part of BBC’s 100 Women list for 2019.

The Water Walker is a 2019 short documentary highlighting Peltier’s journey as she prepares to speak at the United Nations General Assembly regarding water protection.

You can follow her on Instagram at @autumn.peltier.

Dallas Goldtooth

Indigenous community members and supporters gathered outside Minneapolis City Hall to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline © Fibonacci Blue

Dallas Goldtooth is a man of many hats. Not only does the climate activist oversee Keep it in the Ground, a campaign of over 400 organizations from more than 60 countries, all calling on world leaders to end new fossil fuel development, but he’s also a comedian. Goldtooth is co-founder of the Indigenous sketch comedy group, The 1491s, which highlights contemporary Native American life in the U.S. and is an actor and writer in FX’s series Reservation Dogs, a show about the exploits of four Indigenous teens.

For his work with Keep It In The Ground, Goodtooth—who’s of Mdewakanton Dakota & Dińe heritage—was featured as a part of 2017’s Grist 50, an annual list of climate and justice leaders focused on solutions to some of the world’s biggest environmental issues. He gathered a large group of Indigenous people, farmers, green organizers and groups that helped convince President Obama to dismiss the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline. He is now fighting against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, a 1,172-mile-long underground system that—if built—would interfere with sacred sites and potentially contaminate local water supplies.

© Fibonacci Blue

Keep it in the Ground is one of several campaigns run by the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), an organization of Indigenous, grassroots environmental justice activists. Goldtooth’s father, Tom B.K. Goldtooth, is IEN’s founder and executive director.

Learn more about Goldtooth on Instagram at @dallasgoldtooth.

Mina Susana Setra

Mina Susana Setra is an Indigenous Dayak Pompakng from the Indonesian section of Borneo, where forests have long been a source of food, medicine, and supplies for her people. However, the lands where Setra grew up were turned into palm oil plantations in 1976, completely altering the cultural and environmental landscape. Rather than sit tight, Setra decided to do something about it: by working with an organization dedicated to implementing policies that support and strengthen the rights of Indonesia’s Indigenous peoples.

Endangered orangutan mother and baby in forests of Borneo, Indonesia

Since its founding in 1999, Mina Susana Setra has been an activist for the Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of Nusantara (AMAN), an Indonesian Indigenous peoples’ human rights and advocacy organization that’s today made up of nearly 2,300 Indigenous communities and approximately 15 million people. AMAN also collaborates with NGOs and civil society networks supporting Indigenous peoples. She’s protested the exclusion of Indigenous people from governmental negotiations on forest and climate initiatives and worked on the global program Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), a framework for guiding activities to reduce emissions in forests, along with the sustainable management of forests in developing countries.

In 2012, Setra was instrumental in a review of the Forestry Law to the Constitutional Court, which led to the invalidation of the Indonesian government’s claim to customary forest areas. She’s also president of If Not Us Then Who, Inc., a global awareness campaign utilizing tools like photography, filmmaking, content curating and local artworks to showcase the role Indigenous and local peoples play in planet protection.

Indigenous woman celebrating her Bornean heritage

If this all isn’t enough, Setra is also a founder of Indonesia’s Ruai TV, which focuses on citizen journalism to give marginalized communities in West Kalimantan a voice.

She’s on Instagram at @minasetra.

Amelia Telford

When Amelia Telford graduated high school in 2012, the young Aboriginal and South Sea Islander woman from Bundjalung country (in Australia’s New South Wales) decided to take a bit of time away from her studies and focus on climate change—inspired by coastal erosion in her hometown—instead. The following year she took on the role of Indigenous coordinator for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Australia’s largest youth-run organization, aimed at building a movement of young people leading solutions to the climate crisis. While there, Telford developed a program that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in leading roles in climate action and in efforts to run sustainability projects in their local communities.

“Climate Guardian Angels” outside the U.S. consulate in Melbourne, Australia. © John Englart

Today, she is the national director and founder of SEED, Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network. First launched in 2014, the rapidly expanding organization of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youths has grown into a national network of Indigenous youth focused on creative, positive change and protecting their land and people from climate change impacts and fossil fuel extraction. Along with 13 other environmental groups, Seed was responsible for getting the country’s four largest banks to eliminate funding for a Queensland coal mine.

“Two turtles against climate change” Australian rally for Climate Action. © John Englart

In 2014, Telford was named the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’s (NAIDOC) Youth of the Year, followed by both Young Environmentalist of the Year for Australia’s Bob Brown Foundation and Australian Geographic’s Young Conservationist of the Year in 2015.

Levi Sucre Romero

A farmer and Indigenous leader from Costa Rica, Levi Sucre Romero is a coordinator for the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (MAPF). This organization helps ensure and protect the land rights of Indigenous and forest communities. He’s also an organizer and manager for the technical side of the RIBCA, a MAPF project representing eight Indigenous Costa Rican territories and their people.

Romero, who comes from eastern Costa Rica’s Bribri Talamanca Indigenous community, has worked in rural development and community organization for over two decades. The Indigenous leader is a strong proponent in the fight against forest degradation, which causes the planet’s imbalance. This, he says, accelerates climate change and in turn limits the production of certain foods and increases the risk of health endemics such as Covid 19 due to the mismanagement of natural resources.

According to Romero, one possible solution is for governments to create more space for Indigenous knowledge regarding natural resource management policies. He believes traditional know-how can go a long way toward protecting biodiversity and, in turn, the world.

Indigenous territories are increasingly under siege. A recent study in the U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the situation in the Amazon concluded, “The trend toward weakening of environmental protections, Indigenous land rights, and the rule of law … poses an existential threat to [Indigenous peoples and local communities] and their territories. Reversing this trend is critical for the future of climate-buffering Amazon forests and the success of the Paris Agreement.”

“We know that 25% of the medicines [the world] uses come out of the forests and that by losing the forests, we put in danger future solutions,” said Sucre Romero. Variety and diversification are the alternatives, and the forests hold the keys.

Says Sucre Romero, “I believe that Costa Rica is a reflection of what is happening regionally: The governments have not been able to understand that the communities—that is, the people, the Indigenous people, those of us who live with the forest—are a key factor in the protection of those resources and a key factor of human survival. Politicians just do not understand.”

Costa Rica three-toed sloth and baby © Ben Hulsey

The post 5 Indigenous Climate Activists You Should Know first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

What do Internet memes and Icelandic moss have in common? More than you might think!

In September 2016, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber played two shows in Kópavogur, then shot a video for the song “Cold Water,” a collaboration with American electronic band Major Lazer and Danish musician MØ.

The video shows four dancers jumping and dancing on top of moss-covered boulders in Iceland’s Eldhraun lava field; it provoked widespread controversy in Iceland.

Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association, criticized the pop star and his team’s behavior. Snorri Baldursson, head of the association, told Vísir, “This is probably the worst treatment you can imagine for the moss, to jump on it. This type of moss that we have in the Eldhraun lava field is… one of the country’s most sensitive ecosystems.”

It is also strikingly beautiful. The video is gorgeous, and it’s one of a long list of popular films and music videos shot on location in Iceland. Shooting the music video reportedly took around four days and twenty people. The number of Iceland adventure tours it’s inspired? Countless.

A tourist wanders off the designated path to take photos in the moss.

Iceland’s moss and lichen, though, are both fragile essential ecosystems and cultural treasures.

Eldhraun is the largest lava field in Iceland. It formed between 1783 and 1784 when the Laki fissure and the adjoining Grímsvötn volcano erupted. It can be seen from Ring Road 1 before reaching the turning to Fjadrargljufur.

And that’s where Bieber’s Icelandic moss problems started.

“I’ll Show You” in Fjadrargljufur Canyon

The Environment Agency of Iceland closed all public paths to Fjadrargljufur Canyon in 2019 for all but five weeks out of the year after it became clear the fragile canyon was struggling under the strain of its popularity.

Fjadrargljufur Canyon

The primary reason cited for the closure was environmental damage caused by an ever-increasing number of visitors. Visitor numbers to the canyon increased from 150,000 to 282,000 between 2017 and 2018.

While Iceland has many gorgeous natural formations, Fjadrargljufur has become especially popular for multiple reasons:

Its tall, slender canyon walls are sheer, creating beautiful lighting and effects photographers love. Photos were going viral on social media.

The other reason Fjadrargljufur has become so popular? Another Justin Bieber music video,“I’ll Show You,” was filmed there in 2015.

Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, then Iceland’s Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources, confirmed to The Guardian it was “a bit too simplistic to blame the entire situation on Justin Bieber” but urged visitors, especially famous or otherwise influential ones, to consider the consequences of their actions.

“In Justin Bieber’s defense,” Guðbrandsson added, “the canyon did not—at the time he visited—have rope fences and designated paths to show what was allowed and what was not.”

The nature conservation areas Fjadrargljufur Canyon and Skógaheiði at Skógafoss reopened on June 1 with more infrastructure in place to guide visitors and protect the moss.

Skógaheiði at Skógafoss, Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Eddy Savage

Visit South Iceland shared that the Environment Agency of Iceland reopened the sites, requesting all guests to walk only on designed paths and not to step over fences or go into restricted areas with sensitive vegetation or wildlife. The reopening statement included:

“It has been difficult for our rangers to hold the areas closed, and sadly, many people ignore the closures. The areas are very damaged because of too much traffic, too much pressure on nature and a lack of infrastructure to protect the vegetation. Help us protect nature and follow the rules in the nature conservation areas.”

On Nat Hab’s Iceland & Greenland: A Nordic Discovery, you can enjoy an early hike up on the rim of Fjadrargljufur Canyon, a narrow, serpentine gorge contained by 328-foot-high vertical walls covered in bright green moss. Walking along the rim, you can look down into its shadowy depths where the twisting, silver Fjadra River flows and see exactly what drew Bieber to the area.

Icelandic turf sustainable houses

Sustainable Travel Infrastructure to Protect Iceland’s Spectacular Sensitive Ecosystems

Inga Hlin Palsdottir, director of the national tourism agency Visit Iceland, told CNN Travel that it’s not fair to blame overtourism—or music videos, or individual pop stars—for Fjadrargljufur’s closure:

“It’s just a natural wonder that wasn’t meant to be that popular. We need to build a better infrastructure there so we can invite people all year-round. We need paths that can be discovered all year-round. It’s not only because of nature; it’s a safety issue.”

Given Iceland’s spectacular landscapes, it’s a wonder more people haven’t always visited.

Iceland is a geologically young island on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge tectonic plate, which separates the Eurasian and the North American plates. This results in Iceland’s volcanic activity – and fantastic snorkeling and diving in the fissure between the tectonic plates at Silfra.

Large glaciers and gushing glacial rivers and waterfalls sculpt the country, bubbling geothermal pools and spouting geysers entertain visitors. Adding to the mixture there are vast fields of moss, black sand, lava fields, numerous waterfalls, lush wetlands, as well as birch forests and mineral rich springs.

The Icelandic government is committed to protect and secure sustainable use of these spectacular natural assets. Around 25% of the country is under protection in either national parks or protected areas, including Vatnajökull National Park, Surtsey and Thingvellir National park; both are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Thingvellir National park

The Mývatn-Laxá area is a Ramsar wetland of international importance, home to one of the world’s richest populations of breeding aquatic birds. One hundred fifteen species of birds have been recorded in the area, including 28 species of ducks.

Many of Iceland’s natural wonders are only just being discovered – visitor numbers are expected to increase in the coming years.

Nat Hab spoke with Professor Brack Hale, academic director of the Master´s in Coastal and Marine Management at the University Center of the Westfjords in Ísafjörður. He shared a similar perspective on infrastructure development:

“When I first started coming to Iceland in 2010, there were somewhere around 500,000 visitors annually. In 2018, it was 2.2 million, which is a very rapid increase. We’ve nearly exceeded pre-COVID numbers now. And most official foreign visitor numbers do not include cruise ship passengers, which has grown exponentially.

Atlantic puffins nest in colonies on small islands covered in turf. They rely on healthy moss and grass to thrive. Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Anthony Amsel

The speed and scale of the increase in tourism means we do not have the infrastructure to support the number of visitors.

That’s true across the country. It’s what’s going on with the moss, too. The moss is extremely sensitive to people walking on it. A footprint might take 100 years to disappear.”

In early June 2024, Iceland’s population is 377,483 according to the World Population Review. After a dip during the pandemic, visitor numbers returned to 2.2 annually, entering through Keflavík airport alone; that number is expected to reach 2.5 million annual visitors through Iceland’s main airport in the next few years.

When well over six times the number of inhabitants visit an island country to witness its majestic scenery, natural phenomena like Icelandic geysers and hot springs, and its rich local culture, how do we do so responsibly? What’s important to know or do, especially around Iceland’s beautiful and widespread moss?

Discover Icelandic Moss: A Lichen Thriving in the Arctic

First of all, Icelandic moss (Cetraria islandica) is not actually moss but a lichen, which is a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae. This lichen is characterized by its brown to grayish-white color and its upright, leaf-like thallus that can grow up to 2.75 inches tall. The branches are trough-shaped and fork into flattened lobes with fringed edges. Icelandic moss is found in the mountainous regions of northern countries, including the lava slopes and plains of Iceland, which is how it got its name.

The prevalence of the lichen we call Icelandic moss reflects various environmental factors, such as the climate and the repeated formation of new substrates, particularly lava fields.

In the harsh climates of Iceland, this lichen thrives by clinging to rocks and soil, absorbing moisture and nutrients directly through its surface. It reproduces both sexually, through the formation of spores that are dispersed by the wind, and asexually, by fragmentation, where a piece of the lichen breaks off and grows into a new organism.

Remarkably resilient, Icelandic moss can endure long periods of dryness, rehydrating rapidly with the return of moisture. Its growth is extremely slow, reflecting the challenging conditions it endures.

When the moss is crushed or torn, it loses its ability to photosynthesize efficiently, which is critical for its survival and growth. Additionally, the structure of the moss is delicate, and the pressure from footsteps can compress the soil, reducing aeration and making it harder for the moss to re-establish itself.

Öxarárfoss Waterfall in Thingvellier National Park

Iceland’s Green Mantle: How Moss Shapes the Land of Fire and Ice

Icelandic moss contributes to the ecosystem in several ways:

• Soil Formation and Stability: It helps in the formation of soil from volcanic rock and stabilizes the soil, preventing erosion.
• Water Retention: Mosses retain water and humidity, which is crucial in the harsh Icelandic environment.
• Biodiversity Support: They provide habitat for a variety of microorganisms and invertebrates.
• Food Source: It serves as an important food source for grazing animals like reindeer and caribou.
• Carbon Sequestration: By absorbing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, mosses help reduce atmospheric CO2 levels.
• Nutrient Cycling: They play a role in nutrient cycling by breaking down organic material and returning nutrients to the soil.
• Indicator Species: Mosses can indicate the health of an ecosystem, as they are sensitive to environmental changes.
• Climate Regulation: Through their water retention and carbon sequestration abilities, mosses contribute to climate regulation.

These contributions are essential for maintaining the delicate balance of Iceland’s ecosystems, and they underscore the importance of preserving these unique organisms. Visitors should be mindful of the moss’s role and ensure their activities do not disrupt this balance.

© Andrew Ackerman

Watch Where You Walk: How to Preserve Iceland’s Mossy Terrain

How will we preserve and respect the fragile wetland, woodland and mossy ecosystems of Iceland? Specific guidelines for hiking near Icelandic moss to ensure its protection on your Iceland Nature Adventure:

• Stay on Designated Paths: Always hike on marked trails to avoid damaging the moss, which is very fragile and slow to recover.
• Do Not Touch or Walk on the Moss: Moss is incredibly sensitive and can be easily damaged by human touch. Look and take photos, but do not touch.
• Respect Closures: Adhere to any specific rules or closures in the area you are hiking. These are in place to protect the moss and other natural features. Areas may be temporarily closed to restore the natural landscape.
• Educate Yourself: Before hiking, learn about the local ecosystem, conservation measures and land management practices to better understand, appreciate and help preserve it.
• Leave No Trace: Practice Leave No Trace principles to minimize your impact on the environment.
• Make Sure You’re Properly Equipped, Professor Hale added:

“In some parts of Iceland, you can’t expect any services, and the weather can change very quickly. It could be a sunny day and feel like it’s 55°F degrees outside, then all of a sudden, it’s snowing, and you can’t see anything. Be prepared for all conditions. Assume you need a backpack with layers and food and water.”

By following these guidelines, hikers can enjoy Iceland’s stunning landscapes while also contributing to the conservation of its delicate and crucial uniquely mossy ecosystems and culture.

The Icelandic Institute for Natural History compiles Red Lists for species threatened or at risk of extinction.  Those lists include 67 species of lichen, 74 moss species, and 56 vascular plants. Assessment of lichens on the Red List has not been revised since 1996, as data on the distribution of most species is lacking. Icelandic authorities note that it is forbidden to break offshoots, leaves, flowers, or roots of these protected species, to step on them, to dig them up, or to otherwise compromise these plants.

Efforts to protect Icelandic moss are crucial, not only for the preservation of natural ecosystems but also for the cultural and economic value they represent. Education on the importance of this lichen and the establishment of guidelines for responsible tourism are key to ensuring that Icelandic moss continues to thrive for generations to come.

The post Icelandic Moss & Internet Memes: How to Protect Iceland’s Fragile Ecosystem first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.