Stories

Gray whales migrate more than 10,000 miles roundtrip each year—the longest for any mammal on Earth. Each winter and spring, their spectacular migration between northern feeding grounds and southern nursery areas offers amazing opportunities for whale watchers along the west coast. The Arctic feeding grounds of the gray whale are critical to their survival, as they must eat enough to sustain them until they return the next year.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra pledged to start a legislative process to end ivory trade in Thailand, seizing a key opportunity to stem global wildlife trafficking at the opening of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Bangkok.

Leonardo DiCaprio and WWF's Carter Roberts remind Thailand that the world will be watching as Bangkok hosts CITES delegates from 177 nations who stand in solidarity with an international chorus calling for a ban of the nation's domestic ivory trade.

Every year, monarch butterflies mirgrate between 1,200 to 2,800 miles, leaving their summer breeding areas in Canada and the United States to return to hibernation colonies in the forests of central Mexico. To help local communities keep the forest intact, WWF helps establish alternative income-generating ventures, including sustainable mushroom and tree nurseries.

WWF handed over a global petition with more than half a million initial signatures from around the world demanding an end to Thailand's ivory trade. The petition was delivered personally to Prime Minister Shinawatra today in Bangkok.

Royal Dutch Shell today announced today that it will forgo its plans to drill for oil and gas in Alaska’s Beaufort and Chukchi seas in 2013 so it can be more prepared to drill in the future. The decision by Shell comes on the heels of the company’s 2012 drilling season in Alaska, which was fraught with challenges, including the near-grounding of one of its drill rigs, a fire later on the same rig, the failure of its oil spill containment dome, and, ultimately, the grounding of a drilling rig on a pristine, wildlife-rich island in Alaska in late December.

Today Richmond is one of 29 participating cities in WWF's Earth Hour City Challenge. But in the 1970s and 1980s the situation was far different. Pollution from tobacco plantations and chemicals plants had sullied the river to the point where fishing in the James River was banned in 1975.

As governements convene at CITES, they must recognize the impact that escalating wildlife crime has not only on wildlife but also on people, economies and regional security. We can’t afford to turn a blind eye and treat this crisis lightly. Leniency will only allow this dangerous crime to flourish unchecked.

WWF works with Arctic communities to protect people and polar bears from avoidable cases of conflict

Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) announced that it has ceased tropical forest clearance pending assessment of conservation values and carbon stocks. In effect, APP has accepted calls that WWF has been making on the company for many years. WWF welcomes the announcement but will remain vigilant through independent monitoring and through the Eyes on the Forest coalition.

The world's largest wetland site was declared by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The site, known as Llanos de Moxos, is located in the South American country of Bolivia. At more than 17 million acres, the wetland is roughly equal in size to the US state of North Dakota.

Today in the Arctic, we are tackling the most defining resource issues. We are talking about the health of our planet, the survival of intact ecosystems from one generation to the next, and the world that my children and their children will inherit.

WWF went to Capitol Hill to call on the U.S. government to prohibit offshore oil and gas drilling activities in the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea’s off of Alaska, and not to issue any new permits until companies demonstrate that they can drill safely in the region.

A prescribed burn is part of WWF’s long-term approach to maintaining healthy habitats and human communities in the Northern Great Plains region, supporting native species expansion and reducing encroachment by invasive species.

Whether it’s reducing waste, saving energy, or being a conscious consumer, small actions can make a big difference. Think about ways that you could save energy and water.

WWF has launched a global petition asking Thai Prime Minister to ban all ivory trade in Thailand in order to curb the illegal killing of African elephants. Thailand is the biggest unregulated ivory market in the world and a top driver of poaching and illegal trade.

The suburban city of Beaverton has outsized ambitions for climate action and sustainability that belie its size.

Now available for free in the iTunes App Store, ‘WWF Together’ is a unique interactive experience that brings you closer to the stories of elephants, whales, rhinos and other fascinating species. Discover the animal’s lives and the work of WWF in a way you’ve never seen before. Try out “tiger vision,” stay as still as the polar bear during a hunt, and chop the panda’s bamboo.

At the urging of international governments and conservation organizations—including WWF—South Korea did not follow through on their intention to begin killing an endangered population of minke whales in 2013.

Poaching statistics released by the South African government reveal 668 rhinos were slaughtered—a 50% increase over 2011 and a staggering 5000% increase since 2007. Already, an additional five rhinos have been killed since the beginning of this year.

The first joint tiger survey in the Terai Arc Landscape was announced by the governments of India and Nepal. With help from WWF, this new tiger survey will use camera traps and other tools estimate tiger populations in an effort to protect this landscape that is home to an estimated 500 tigers.