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Take action

Take action for endangered species

We don't collect donations: we point you to the people doing the work on the ground. Here are four practical ways anyone can help.

Choose an organization to support

Support a field organization

For each of the ten species, we have selected two trusted organizations working directly to protect it. The links take you to their own donation or symbolic adoption page: your money goes straight to them, with no middleman.

How we choose organizations

We only recommend an organization if it meets all of the following conditions:

  1. It is officially registered as a charity, non-profit, public body or scientific institution in its country.
  2. It is transparent: it publishes activity reports or financial statements.
  3. It works in the field for the species concerned, with an identifiable programme: population monitoring, habitat protection, anti-poaching, breeding or research.
  4. It has a donation or symbolic adoption page that can be reached directly online.

And on our side:

  • We receive nothing: no payment, no commission, no affiliate links.
  • We check the links every time we update the species pages.
  • Know an organization that should be listed here? Email us your suggestion.

Before giving, take a moment to visit the organization’s website. Depending on where you and the organization are based, your donation may or may not be eligible for a tax receipt.

Everyday habits

The biggest threats play out far from home, but some of our choices still matter.

  • Never buy a wild animal or any product made from one, especially when travelling. The pet trade has pushed the ploughshare tortoise to the brink, and demand for illegal products caused the collapse of the vaquita. If in doubt about a souvenir, leave it: international trade in many species is regulated by the CITES convention.
  • Find out where your seafood comes from: the species, the fishing area and how it was caught. Fishing nets and ropes are among the main causes of death for both the vaquita and the right whale.
  • Never release a pet or a plant into the wild. Introduced species can devastate local wildlife, just as introduced predators did to the kākāpō.
  • On a boat, slow down and follow navigation rules in areas where whales live, like those protecting the right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
  • When visiting natural areas, follow the rules: stay on trails, don’t disturb animals and don’t feed wildlife.

Take part in science

Scientists need observations from everywhere, all the time. With a phone, anyone can contribute:

  • iNaturalist: photograph a plant or animal, the community helps you identify it, and your observations can be used in research. Free app.
  • eBird: record the birds you see. Run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it feeds a vast database used by researchers.

No experience needed: a pigeon or sparrow seen on your street is useful too.

Spread the word

Many of these species are unknown to the general public. Getting a species known is already a way of helping. Send a species page to a friend, a teacher or a class.

Send by email

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