Who
We Are
Wildlife Trust is a USA-based wildlife conservation organization founded in
1971, and until 2000 known as Wildlife Preservation Trust International Wildlife Trust works worldwide
to save threatened species from extinction through collaborative projects with local
scientists and educators. The Wildlife Trust Team works in high biodiversity areas that
because of habitat loss and high human population pressures have placed wildlife species
at great risk, and where local ability to manage wildlife is limited.
Vision
We envision a world where
wildlife is abundant and extinctions are rare, a world where people esteem wildlife and
recognize the importance of biological diversity to their own well-being. We envision a
world where humans behave responsibly toward wildlife and where trained conservation
professionals in every country are engaged in ensuring species survival Mission
Wildlife Trust conserves
threatened wild species and their habitats in partnership with local scientists and
educators around the world.
Values
We believe conservation of
biodiversity and prevention of the extinction of individual species are ethical and
practical imperatives. We believe biodiversity is critical to the
health of the ecosystems that support life on our planet. We believe species conservation is a key
to maintaining ecosystems. We believe there are cultural, ethical,
spiritual, and aesthetic reasons to conserve species. We believe that well designed and
focused research is the necessary precondition for effective strategies to protect
species.
We
believe in investing in local scientists and educators, the conservationists in
the best position to effect change for preserving wildlife species. We believe Wildlife
Trust's ability to be responsive and flexible derives from its independence, programmatic
focus on species and local conservation practitioners, and lean structure. We are
determined to have a major impact on conservation through the creation of model projects
and by leveraging activity through partnerships.
We believe science-based
knowledge, an educated public, and wildlife management capacity gained through
professional training are critical for conservation action and biodiversity protection.
Niche
At its core, Wildlife Trust builds local ability for species recovery and long-term
wildlife management in a world that is increasingly fragmented, environmentally degraded,
and dominated by humans. Wildlife Trust has for nearly three decades been an international
leader in species conservation research, conservation education, and professional training
of conservation scientists. In 1996, Wildlife Trust established an International Field
Veterinary Program that has helped define the new discipline of conservation medicine.
Wildlife Trust is most needed in those parts of the world where rapidly growing human
populations are placing wildlife species at great risk, and where professional ability for
conservation activity is limited. Wildlife Trust's principal resources are its field-based
project leaders -- local scientists and educators who excel at interdisciplinary
conservation activities, and communicate effectively with local people of diverse
backgrounds.
Species Selection
Choice of a species depends on its degree of endangerment, ecological importance,
lack of attention from other conservationists, local identification as a priority, and
potential to leverage greater conservation action.
The Local
Conservationist Imperative
Once a target species is
identified, Wildlife Trust moves forward only
if there is a dedicated and
effective local conservation scientist or conservation educator available. The Trust chooses to work with
conservationists we believe will make a lifelong commitment to wildlife conservation.
The
Conservation Tool Box
Wildlife Trust's
multidisciplinary approach to species and biodiversity conservation can be thought of as a
"conservation tool box." Recent advances in conservation science
and technology have provided us with a set of important tools for biodiversity protection. The Trust strives to make sure these tools
get into the hands of our project leaders around the world. We especially seek to use tools falling
into three categories:
- Science-based wildlife management expertise. Species
conservation assessments, animal surveys, scientific research leading to management
recommendations, wildlife health evaluations, and species restoration.
- Socially-oriented expertise.
Human-wildlife conflict resolution, public education, and policy design.
- Professional training expertise. Formal short courses, workshops, and onsite
instruction in conservation practice and environmental education.
We use these
tools to develop projects that we hope will also serve as models to be duplicated by
others. We apply our tools to solving problems that address direct and proximate causes of
wildlife decline, such as habitat fragmentation and wildlife disease, rather than more
general causes, such as overpopulation and rural poverty. Wildlife Trust is committed to
species conservation that leverages biodiversity conservation, and building local ability
for wildlife stewardship. |