The first-ever global analysis of plastic production found that “between 2002 and 2015 we made the exact same amount of plastic that we (humans) made between 1950 and 2002.” And much of this plastic ends up in the environment, including our rivers and oceans, by people littering, illegal dumping, and accidental loss of trash during strong winds or during transport.

Additionally, marine activities are a critical source of plastic waste in the ocean; ghost gear (lost or abandoned fishing nets, ropes, and other gear) is a growing problem. It should also be noted that all the rivers of the world are contributors to plastic pollution as they drain their respective populated land masses.

Plastics in the ocean absorb and release toxic pollutants, and these toxins enter marine food webs when animals accidentally consume plastics. Because plastic lingers in the oceans and waterways for extended periods of time, the threat is not only a continuing toxin threat, but the physical plastic item itself presents a bodily threat to marine life.

Plastic pollution is a critical threat to the world’s wildlife, particularly marine life. Scientists believe about 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010, and that number has probably increased since then.

Plastic is everywhere and unfortunately will be with us beyond its intended use unless we get serious about waste management strategies which necessarily begin with individuals.

One morning this past spring, I pondered this thought while I was out looking for birds and all the magic and joy they bring us. My trusty binoculars hung from my neck. My skill and luck with birding and fishing are about the same, so I am deeply thankful for anything I stumble across. 

I was reminded of Matthew 6:26 and its call to “look at the birds of the air.” I know there is a deeper and greater meaning to this passage than simply calling on us to look up and take in the wonder of birds in flight, but I enjoy thinking of it as the birder’s passage.

What struck me, though, was the realization that one day we may indeed look for the birds of the air, and many will be gone. Many of the species that we hold dear will have disappeared into the dark night of extinction from which there is no dawn. 

As I observed Endangered Species Day 2026, and contemplated the true meaning of extinction in the context of evolution and natural selection, it was hard not to think of its impact on faith and creation. The moral implications of allowing another species to fall victim to extinction are as profoundly catastrophic as the ecological ones.

I find it hard to differentiate between deep and profound faith and the concept that we have a responsibility to honor and respect, to care for and to cherish creation. The abundance and complexity of the majesty of the natural world is endlessly inspiring. I find inspiration and sustenance of my faith in it, just as I will in Church on Sunday morning. The two threads for me are deeply intertwined.

If you don’t share this view, I respect that completely.

If your passion for conservation is rooted more in a non-faith-based world view then I celebrate your right to follow that path and profoundly appreciate your love of the natural world.

Given the threats the Gulf faces, any ally on the front lines of preservation is a kindred spirit. I seek not to convince you of anything except to continue to advocate for all things wild. I celebrate and appreciate your efforts and hope to join you in solidarity.

I do question the profound hypocrisy of those in power, who lead efforts in Washington D.C. to gut the Endangered Species Act and who speak of their faith and how it guides them, only to recklessly and callously tear creation asunder.

I urge those who would cast the sea turtle, the Rice’s Whale and the other threatened and endangered species in the Gulf into oblivion in the name of oil and gas profits, to consider the moral and theological consequences of their actions.

Can they reconcile their passion for their faith with the wholesale destruction they seek to bring down on creation and the natural world?

Whether you walk the path of dominion or stewardship, there is an inherent responsibility to other species as part of caring for and honoring creation. Extinction at the hands of humanity shows none.

Humanity has assumed the role of being the agents of evolution and extinction. We now decide which species survive or which disappears. That is a greater power than we should have.

But as we have it, we need to be guided by our better angels. We need to adapt to the needs of other species, not selfishly expect them to adapt to ours.

As we ponder the true consequences of extinction and our moral responsibility to those species we have endangered, let us be guided by our higher purpose to seek improvement in the world and a better planet for our children, and for our kindred species.

I choose that as the legacy I hope to leave. I urge you too as well.

And to the leaders who profess adherence to a higher path while endangering the natural world, you must stop. For other species, for our country and as a matter of conscience.

Endangered Species Day 2026 could have been a day of mourning, it could have been a day of remembrance, or a day of reflection. But it can inspire us now to move forward and be a starting point for action and inspire days of recommitment across our great nation to the values of conservation and the commitment to cherish creation.

Joe Murphy is a native and lifelong Floridian who lives in Brooksville, Florida, along the Gulf Coast. Joe is a former Wildlife Policy Specialist with NWF’s Gulf Program. He contributes these blogs to NWF’s Gulf Program as a alumnus and supporter. You can follow Joe on Facebook. Portions of this blog post initially appeared in FAU’s The Invading Sea in an edited and abridged format.

But these wasps aren’t out for human blood, and their presence in your milkweed is a benefit to butterflies. Learn why these scary-looking insects are actually a wonder to have around the garden!

Your Milkweed is Working as Designed

Tarantula hawks are one of the main pollinators of milkweed. If you’re planting milkweed to support pollinators, then seeing these wasps around means your garden is succeeding!

Plus, by pollinating milkweed and other native plants, tarantula hawk wasps help ensure these important plants continue to grow in the landscape to provide habitat for monarchs and other pollinators. The wasp at the flower and the monarch you’re hoping to support are linked through the same plant.

Find milkweed for monarchs (and wasps) with our Native Plant Finder!

Tarantula Hawks are Docile While Foraging

Tarantula hawks at flowers are almost always docile. Foraging time is strictly for gaining energy, and aggression costs energy; there’s no reason for a nectaring wasp to spend its calories chasing a human. Pretty much the only time a foraging tarantula hawk will sting is if someone touches it or swats at it, in which case it is trying to protect itself. Stand near a milkweed full of these wasps and they will ignore you completely while they eat.

Aggression is for Rival Wasps, Not Humans

Male tarantula hawks claim dominance through a behavior called hilltopping, which is essentially the children’s game King of the Hill played by wasps.

A dominant male perches on the highest, most conspicuous post near foraging grounds—a tall shrub, the corner of a building, the tip of a fence—and launches out to investigate anything that moves past, including humans!

He’s checking whether the moving object is a rival male to be chased away or a receptive female to mate with. Either way, he needs to arrive at speed. Wait a few seconds, and the male will return to his post once he realizes you are not a wasp.

Male Wasps Can’t Sting

This is the most important point: only female tarantula hawks have stingers. The males doing the dramatic intercept flights from their perches, the ones that might feel like they are “chasing” you, are physically incapable of stinging. They might look terrifying but are completely harmless.

Females, meanwhile, spend most of their time in that calm, can’t-be-bothered foraging mood. When they’re not foraging, they’re hunting tarantulas—which is what the species name refers to. This is the only kind of animal they will sting aggressively, and they do it for a reason: to bring back to her nest, alive but paralyzed, to feed her young. Females do not chase humans. They chase tarantulas!

Designing Gardens with Tarantula Hawks in Mind

When gardening with milkweed in tarantula hawk territory, a couple design choices can substantially reduce unwanted encounters:

1. Tuck milkweed away from high-traffic paths and tall conspicuous perches. Doorways, walkways, and the immediate edges of buildings are exactly where you don’t want a hilltopping male to set up. Group plantings away from those zones when possible.
2. Build a better perch. If the affected area is near a building or other structure that’s currently the tallest perch around, consider installing a pole with a small platform on top, taller than the building, set about thirty feet away in a quieter spot. This may pull territorial males off the building edge and into a location where their displays won’t startle anyone.

The Bigger Picture

A milkweed planting that attracts tarantula hawks is a planting that’s pulling in real pollinator diversity. The same flowers feeding the wasps are feeding monarchs, native bees, and more. The wasps are also keeping the local tarantula population in check, which, depending on where you live, is a service worth keeping around.

Once you can read the behavior, these encounters stop feeling like attacks and start looking like what they actually are: a healthy native ecosystem doing its thing, loudly, right outside the front door.

#1: Snowberry Clearwing Moth

Is it a bumblebee? A hummingbird? Nope, this magnificent creature is a snowberry clearwing moth. It’s one of a few species of moths found flying by day, while most are active at night. They mimic the flight of hummingbirds, hovering to sip nectar. This moth belongs to the family Sphingidae, commonly known as sphinx or hawk moths. These are some of the fastest flying insects in the world, with some reaching speeds at over 33 m.p.h.! 

#2: Luna Moth

Luna moths are fascinating. In their adult form, they have no mouth! They don’t eat as adults, and only live for a week in this adult stage.

The tail-like structures on their wings are not only beautiful, but they also help luna moths to evade bats. They flutter them and disrupt the bat’s sonar.  

#3: Texas Wasp Moth

This species has evolved to mimic paper wasps to protect themselves. Predators that are averse to wasps will stay away from these moths as well. Pure genius. 

#4: Rosy Maple Moth

As its name suggests, these moths depend on maple trees! As caterpillars, they eat the leaves. Many moths and butterflies have “host plants” that are the only food source for the caterpillars. One great way to support moths and butterflies is to plant their host species. 

#5: Cecropia Moth

Female Cecropia moths, like many other species, produce pheromones to attract mates. Following this scent can be dangerous for male Cecropia moths, however. Bolas spiders are able to mimic these pheromones and eat whichever male moths show up!

#6 Pandorus Sphinx Moth

These moths, like others in the sphinx moth family, have a very long proboscis that helps them to drink nectar from flowers.

#7 Io Moth

The large eye-spots on its wings can mimic the eyes of larger animals. When threatened, io moths can flash their wings and scare away predators by tricking them into thinking they are a larger animal looking at them!

How to Help Moths

Like many insects, moths are experiencing a worrying decline. Some are even becoming listed as threatened or endangered. 

You can help by planting native species in your own garden! These plants can serve as host plants for the caterpillars to eat, and as nectar sources for the adults. In fall, support moths by leaving the natural leaf layer. Many of these moths overwinter in the leaves!

Summer doesn’t mean we need to neglect nature to have fun in the sun. It just takes a few moments from time to time to stop and consider if there is a better option out there. That is why we created the Plastic Free July Bingo Card. Print this card and make strides to do better for yourself and the planet this year. Don’t fret if you can’t get a bingo by the end of July. Just keep working on it ’til you finally get it, then aim for a total blackout!

Let’s talk more about some swaps you can do this year

Say “no” to free items you won’t use. 

We have all been there before. You are at a festival or event, checking out vendors. You are offered stickers, water bottles, beer koozies, hats, and keychains as free marketing swag. It’s okay to say yes to these things IF and only IF you will use them.

However, if you have 20 water bottles in your cabinet at home, you might want to consider skipping out on this item going forward. If the item is going to end up in the trash or in a donate pile, it’s probably safe to say “no” to those items as well. 

Air-Dry Synthetic Clothing 

Why would I want to air-dry my clothing when I have a dryer? Well, let’s start with what synthetic clothing is. It’s anything not made from organic materials, such as cotton, linen, silk, or wool.

Synthetic fibers include polyester, nylon, acrylic, and rayon, and are typically made from fossil fuel-based chemicals, or, as we colloquially call them, plastics. When these fibers heat up in the dryer, the fabric starts to break down, releasing microplastics into the environment. 

Now, you may be thinking, well, wouldn’t this happen on a hot wash too? Yes, but we are in the mindset that the most environmentally friendly purchase you can make is the one you didn’t make, so we will not be encouraging you to ditch all synthetic clothing to go out and buy all new, natural clothing. Wear what you have, but use a new lens going forward. Take care of your clothing so it lasts longer.

Skipping the dryer prevents the clothing from breaking down faster. Repair clothing where possible, then either upcycle it or ethically offload or recycle it. 

Purchase Unpackaged Products 

What if I told you that the tomato you were buying didn’t need to go in that single-use plastic bag? You can keep your fruits and veggies naked, free to roll around as they please (this is how I do it!), or you can get your own reusable cloth bags to put them in. 

“Hey, what about things like meat or bread? Those have to come packaged!”

Actually, they don’t. Well, not in plastic. Meat can be purchased from a local butcher and wrapped in freezer paper (make sure it’s actually plastic-free). Food can also be frozen in glass jars (careful not to fill too tightly), beeswax, stainless steel, and many other container options.

To get bread and other pastries, go out and find a local bakery that makes what you are looking for and will box or wrap the items in paper or cardboard. Not only does this cut down packaging waste, but it also reduces your carbon footprint by buying things locally made and keeps your money in your local economy instead of going to big-box stores. 

The Plastic You Just Can’t Avoid

It’s not the end of the world if there is just something you have to have, whether it’s your favorite food or your dog’s favorite food. Here is where we get to problem-solving. Can it be recycled or reused? Packaging can be reused as trash bags. We love to see a 20 LBS dog food bag reused to collect other trash. If it’s too small to be used as a trash bag, find the best way to recycle it or upcycle it. Researching if a facility in your local community will take it or looking online for services like Terracycle or Ridwell. 

Conduct A Waste Audit

No time better than the present to dive through your own trash. Select a time frame when you aren’t hosting or having a party. Collect all your waste in a designated area. Wash anything that will become smelly or attract little crawling insects. After the designated time frame, conduct a study of what you have thrown out and set some goals on how to reduce your findings.

You can learn more about a waste audit here at plasticfreejuly.org.

Plasticfreejuly.org will also provide you with more ways to reduce your plastic waste. Reducing our plastic waste helps the environment by not only ensuring it’s pristine, but it also prevents plastic from being ingested by wildlife, where injury and death are common outcomes when they interact with plastic. Plastic is also a known hormone disruptor, which can and does affect wildlife and humans.

To read more about the effects of plastic on wildlife, read our blog, Plastic Summer.

To learn more about lowering your waste, consider following Kathryn Kellogg @going.zero.waste, author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste, and Ashlee Piper @ashleepiper, author of Give A Sh*t: Do good. Live better. Save the planet, who are among many outstanding humans, trying to show the world easier and simpler ways to decrease waste. 

On March 10, 2026, the New York State Board of Regents voted to approve a new statewide instructional requirement for climate education. The National Wildlife Federation’s Climate & Resilience Education Task Force (CRETF) and Youth Steering Committee (YSC) were instrumental in that victory which took years of coordinated intergenerational advocacy, movement-building, and collaboration with state policymakers. NWF ensured that YSC students were at the center of the legislative effort in New York.

Through facilitated weekly meetings throughout the school year, sessions with expert guest speakers, field trips, and plenty of opportunities for civic engagement, the program is continuing to nurture the next generation of climate literate leaders and changemakers.

Young Climate Leaders Build a Statewide Community Across New York

Since launching with seven students in 2020, the YSC program has grown into a statewide cohort of 54 high schoolers from New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Buffalo. At their first in-person gathering on October 25, 2025, students met at the New York Society for Ethical Culture in Manhattan for lunch, climate-themed activities, and time to build community.

Over the course of 26 facilitated weekly meetings and six in-person events, students learned from more than a dozen climate professionals, and built skills in public speaking, facilitation, collaboration, and project management. They then put those skills to work in the real world by advocating for state climate education funding and greener, healthier schools at New York City Hall. Highlights from the 2025–26 program follow.

Students Joined Partners at City Hall to Advocate for Green, Healthy Schools

As a member of the Climate Works for All coalition, CRETF joined labor, community, faith, environmental justice, and climate partners on the steps of New York City Hall in 2025 and 2026. Faiza Azam, an Align New York climate and labor organizer and former NWF RiSC student, invited YSC members to bring youth voices to the coalition’s Green, Healthy Schools campaign.

On the steps of City Hall, Sarah Z. and Ginger C. spoke at press events on September 3, 2025, and May 20, 2026 respectively, urging city leaders to invest in safer, greener school buildings while their peers stood with them in support.

Honoring Representatives of the New York State Board of Regents

On January 16, 2026, eight YSC students prepared and delivered remarks at an in-person CRETF event honoring three New York State Board of Regents representatives who supported CRETF’s push for a statewide climate change learning requirement. The students shared how the YSC program deepened their understanding of climate change, connected them with like-minded peers and mentors, and influenced their college and career goals. They thanked the Regents and presented them with personalized crystal awards.

“Participating in the YSC program this year was an incredibly meaningful and rewarding experience. The program gave me the opportunity to learn more deeply about climate change . . . while also connecting with students and educators who are passionate about creating positive change in their communities. Before joining YSC, I understood climate change in a general sense, but the program helped me see how closely environmental issues are connected to everyday life, public health, social justice, and the future of our world.” – James, New York City

A Field Trip to Windscape: Brooklyn’s Offshore Wind Education Center

On January 23, 2026, seven YSC students joined NWF Climate Education Program Manager Abby Jordan and NWF Offshore Wind Campaign Coordinator and former YSC participant Sasha Horvath at Windscape, New York’s first offshore wind education center, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. From Windscape’s large windows, students could see the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, a 60-acre facility set to become one of the nation’s largest offshore wind staging and assembly ports.

The terminal currently serves as the main hub for the 54-turbine Empire Wind 1 project under construction off Long Island. During the tour, students learned about offshore wind careers, turbine physics, how renewable energy connects to the grid, and industry practices for siting and managing installations.

Windscape staff offered a presentation about the center, offshore wind projects in New York and their career journeys. Afterward, Sasha shared her path from YSC participant to NWF employee and discussed NWF’s work to advance wildlife-friendly offshore wind projects across the United States.

Guest Speakers Enriched Student Learning and Inspired Career Pathways

YSC students heard from 13 guest speakers whose work spans science, education, communications, policy, labor organizing, coastal resilience, and sustainability.

Speakers included Arctic scientist Frances Crable; NWF Chief Scientist Dr. Diane Pataki; Climate Mama founder Harriet Shugarman; educator and Born Carbon founder Paola Garcia; Align New York climate and labor organizer Faiza Azam; CRETF policy team members Lynn Tiede, Megan Nordgren, and Laura Kosbar; YSC alumna Ellery Spikes; NWF Coastal Resilience Director Chris Hilke; Columbia Climate School Associate Dean Sandra Goldmark; New York Sea Grant specialist Nate Drag; and NYU sustainability communicator Alisson Vera.

“I am very glad I joined the YSC. . . the guest speakers helped me learn about diverse fields and what I wanted to study or learn more about.” – Anna, New York City

Beachgrass Planting in Coney Island Creek Park

YSC member Ridley and his father came down to Brooklyn from Buffalo to join several other YSC students, NWF staff, as well as corporate and community volunteers to plant beachgrass in Coney Island Creek Park on April 4, 2026 as part of NWF’s Resilient Schools and Communities (RiSC) program. They contributed to the tally of 40,000 plants planted in 2026 to combat sand migration, erosion, and coastal flooding in the community.

YSC Students Launch Their Own Peer-to-Peer Climate Education Initiative

In April 2026, YSC members Lottie, Madelyn, Charlotte and Ava formally launched Advancing Climate Education in Schools (ACES). ACES brings climate education directly into schools through a peer-to-peer model that has high school volunteers teaching interactive, hands-on workshops to elementary and middle school students. Lottie won a 2026 Green Difference Award from Project Green Schools for her role in advancing ACES.

ACES founders have developed age-appropriate mini-lessons across five themes (Sun, Water, Air, Land, and Human Behavior) covering topics like solar energy, wind energy, fast fashion and water conservation. Workshops include hands-on activities that help abstract concepts make sense. Schools are gifted with books related to each presentation so that learning can continue. By the end of the summer, ACES will have visited seven New York City schools and participated in a Youth Climate Summit.

Celebrating Another Successful Year

The YSC program concluded on May 27 with an in-person meeting and dinner at New York University (NYU), featuring a visit from Alisson Vera of NYU’s Office of Sustainability, who spoke with students about the university’s Swap Shop. The shop collects and sorts items donated through the university’s Green Apple Move Out program, offers them free to incoming students, and kept 12,000 items out of landfills in its first year.

During the closing ceremony, YSC students received certificates of completion, some were recognized for perfect attendance, and two students won copies of Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s paperback, What If We Get It Right? Most participants will receive honorariums for their participation and engagement. Student testimonials reveal the undeniable impact of the YSC program on participants in terms of bonds formed, and knowledge, confidence, and leadership skills gained.

Many seniors are going on to their choice colleges including Stanford, Yale, Cornell, Georgia Institute of Technology, SUNY Binghamton, McGill, and Vassar. Several received prestigious scholarships and many are planning to study environmental topics in college including environmental science/engineering/policy, government, journalism, and global health.

YSC alums, like Ellery Spikes, have continued their climate education advocacy in college. We couldn’t be more proud of what these young people have already accomplished, and look forward to seeing the remarkable ways they will shape their communities and the world in the years to come.

“The CRETF allowed me to connect to peers and build closer relationships with those around me. It opened doors of opportunities in my community for climate action and enabled me to expand my climate literacy. I really loved the experiences, and it will be something I carry with me for the rest of my life.” – Rafael (at CRETF meeting, January 16, 2026. Credit: Cynthia Carris) Yonkers, NY

To learn more about the YSC visit the website.

Drought occurs when an area experiences below-average precipitation over an extended period of time. Some droughts develop slowly over months or even years, while others, known as “flash droughts,” emerge rapidly when extreme heat and low rainfall quickly dry out soils and vegetation. Although drought is a natural climate phenomenon, climate change is amplifying its severity and reshaping how it affects communities, wildlife, and ecosystems.

Drought Across the Nation

Across the South, drought is intensifying water stress and increasing wildfire risk in places not historically associated with large fires. Georgia, a state often considered water-rich because it averages roughly 50 inches of rainfall annually, experienced severe drought conditions in 2026. At the same time, the  Pineland Road and Highway 82 Fires burned more than 55,000 acres. Researchers suggest that Hurricane Helene may have contributed to these fires by knocking down large numbers of trees, creating dry fuel that later intensified wildfire conditions. Events that once seemed disconnected—hurricanes, drought, heat, and wildfire—are increasingly compounding one another in a warming climate.

Drought also affects wildlife. Wetlands, rivers, and streams shrink during prolonged dry periods, reducing habitat for fish, amphibians, birds, and other species that depend on freshwater ecosystems. In the western United States, another form of drought called “snow drought” is becoming more common. Snowpack acts as a natural reservoir, slowly releasing water into rivers and streams throughout spring and summer. But warmer winters are reducing that snow storage. States including Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico experienced significant snow drought conditions in 2026. Less snow means less water available during hotter summer months, increasing stress on cities, agriculture, fish populations, and wildlife habitats. Reduced streamflow can disrupt fish migration and reproduction, while dry vegetation increases wildfire risk.

The Great Plains are also experiencing severe agricultural stress, with drought conditions impacting Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Prolonged drought damages crop yields, degrades soil quality, and threatens livestock production. Drought is increasingly being felt and no region is fully immune from its effects.

The Dust Bowl demonstrated how drought, poor land management, and extreme heat can devastate entire regions. Today, climate change, when combined with poor planning policies, may reinforce similar environmental feedback loops that prolong drought and the likelihood of severe climate disasters across the U.S. 

Global Systems and Compound Disasters

Large global climate systems also shape drought patterns. These large-scale climate systems do not act in isolation. They interact with rising global temperatures to influence drought severity, rainfall variability, and the likelihood of cascading disasters. La Niña conditions, part of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), can contribute to drier conditions across parts of the southern and western United States. Scientists are also studying how changes in major ocean circulation systems, such as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), could shift rainfall patterns.

Climate change is also increasing the likelihood of compound disasters, where one extreme event intensifies another. Although intense rainfall can temporarily ease drought, prolonged dry periods harden soil, destroy vegetation, and leave wildfire ash behind, reducing the ground’s ability to absorb water. When heavy rain finally arrives, flash floods and erosion can follow, causing further habitat destruction, wildlife death, and human displacement.

On July 4, 2025 the Central Texas Hill Country Floods, a drought impacted region, where the Guadalupe River rose roughly 26 feet in just 45 minutes, killing 135 people, destroying homes, and devastating aquatic habitats and species.

To learn more about how natural disasters intensified by climate change are affecting people and wildlife across the United States check out NWF’s Unnatural Disasters Map.

Where We Go From Here

Drought is no longer simply an isolated lack of rain. It is becoming part of a larger web of interconnected climate impacts affecting people, wildlife, water systems, and entire ecosystems. 

Water scarcity is becoming more complex as demand continues to grow. Rapidly expanding hyperscale AI data centers require enormous amounts of water for cooling, placing additional pressure on already stressed water systems in some regions.

Understanding drought as part of a larger interconnected climate system is essential for preparing communities for a hotter, drier, and more unpredictable future.

Stay informed on local, state, and/or federal projects that may be water intensive, such as data center buildouts, and check to see if there are any voting opportunities on your ballot. 

Take a look at NWF’s Action Fund to explore more ways to help protect our wildlife, environment, and one another. 

We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2026 Wild Kingdom grant awards: California State University Sacramento, Fort Valley State University (Georgia), Massasoit Community College (Massachusetts), Stony Brook University (New York), Thomas More University (Kentucky), the University of Mississippi, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The University of Texas at El Paso, and West Virginia University.

Read the grant project summaries below.

California State University, Sacramento

California State University (CSU) Sacramento, better known as Sac State, is located along the American River and is the only public university in the capital of California (the fourth-largest economy in the world). Sac State has grown to the sixth-largest campus in the CSU system and is one of the region’s leading centers of research, innovation, and community engagement.

Sac State is a proud federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, as well as a California State Assembly recognized Black-Serving Institution.

Through the support of the Wild Kingdom grant program, Sac State will conduct research to improve conservation strategies for wildlife species affected by environmental change, particularly those living in close association with human infrastructure. This project will focus on the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), a species that forms large colonies throughout California’s Central Valley and frequently roosts in bridges and buildings.

These anthropogenic structures create opportunities for human-wildlife coexistence but may also expose bats to dangerous thermal conditions during extreme heat events. By studying how bats regulate body temperature during heat waves, this project aims to generate data that can guide wildlife-friendly infrastructure design and improve conservation outcomes for this important species.

Fort Valley State University, Georgia

Located in the heart of Georgia, Fort Valley State University occupies the second-largest acreage of any Georgia university and is the only university in the world that is simultaneously a University System of Georgia institution, a historically black university, and an 1890 land-grant institution.  

Through the support of the Wild Kingdom grant program, Fort Valley will help restore 100 acres of longleaf pine forest (Pinus palustris) on campus property. The longleaf pine ecosystem—once spanning 90 million acres stretching from Virginia to Texas—is crucial to the Southeast, but human activity has caused a drastic decline in acreage.

The restoration will aid in the recovery of native species around the university and serve as an educational forest for both students and landowners and will ultimately provide a healthy habitat for people and wildlife. This project will not only provide an outdoor classroom for students but will also cultivate a deeper bond between students and the invaluable forests, fostering a sense of stewardship and connection to the natural world.

Massasoit Community College, Massachusetts

Massasoit Community College is a public institution in Brockton, Massachusetts. The Massasoit Pollinator Monitoring Project has monitored wild bee populations at six campus study sites on a bi-weekly schedule for the past ten years.

The program has collected, preserved, and identified approximately 23,000 bee specimens, creating a robust long-term dataset on pollinator diversity and abundance in an urban campus ecosystem. Because the proposed native meadow restoration will occur adjacent to one of these established monitoring sites, this new project benefits from an existing quantitative framework to measure ecological outcomes.

Through the support of the Wild Kingdom grant program, Massasoit will restore and revitalize a native habitat meadow located on its Brockton campus by increasing the diversity and abundance of native plants, shrubs, and trees while removing invasive non-native species.

The meadow is home to the half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), a bumble bee species experiencing regional population decline in northeastern North America, and the Carlin’s mining bee (Andrena carlini), a ground-nesting bee whose status has shifted over time according to historical museum records.

Meadow restoration will involve the introduction and expansion of populations including several regionally significant and threatened native plants, such as Nantucket shadbush (Amelanchier nantucketensis), mayflower (Epigaea repens), and wild senna (Senna hebecarpa).

Stony Brook University, New York

Stony Brook University is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, an internationally recognized research institution, located on the north shore of Long Island in southeastern New York.

Global trade has facilitated the widespread invasion of the infectious fungus Batrochochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which can cause the lethal chytridiomycosis disease in amphibians. Over 500 species have suffered population decline, and 90 species have gone extinct worldwide.

Stony Brook will conduct research on the current disease landscape of Long Island, NY, specifically looking at the Atlantic coast leopard frog (Rana kauffeldi), an endangered species in New York.

Through the support of the Wild Kingdom grant program, Stony Brook will employ an entirely noninvasive methodological toolkit to survey pathogens without unnecessary stress to amphibians. Infectious Bd spores and Ranavirus eDNA can persist in the water column without a host, enabling the use of water eDNA to detect their presence.

Additionally, Macrobdella leeches are widespread on Long Island and feed preferentially on amphibians presenting an opportunity to test the use of aquatic leeches for pathogen detection via analysis of their blood-meals. Stony Brook will use both water eDNA and leech iDNA to diagnose the status of Bd and Ranavirus, model host-pathogen disease dynamics, and devise evidence-based conservation plans for the long-term management of endangered species.

Thomas More University, Kentucky

Thomas More University is a Catholic liberal arts university of the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, located 25 minutes from Cincinnati, Ohio. Thomas More’s project will expand their current conservation work focused on the Eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis), North America’s largest salamander.

This species has declined significantly throughout the species range, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in December 2024 a proposal to list the eastern hellbender as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Through the support of the Wild Kingdom grant program, Thomas More will upgrade an existing facility at the campus’s biology field station to allow for needed experimentation and research and to support the entire lifecycle of hellbenders from egg to adult. The expanded laboratory space will house more hellbenders than is currently possible and include five systems for holding hellbenders: large raceways, smaller ancillary tanks, a quarantine tank, a display tank, and two hatcheries.

The revamped facility will monitor conductivity, dissolved oxygen, water flow, pH, temperature, and other physiochemical parameters with conventional probes and novel sensors enabling the evaluation of the performance of such instrumentation.

These proposed upgrades will increase the station’s capability to test various experimental designs, manipulate a variety of parameters, refine husbandry methods, and derive recommendations that will be adopted by facilities across the 15-state network of hellbender working groups.

University of Mississippi

The University of Mississippi, better known as Ole Miss, is located in Oxford, Mississippi. Ole Miss is a large campus, spanning 3,400 acres that include “The Grove”, a 10-acre grassy area dotted with hundreds of oak, elm, and maple trees. 

With the support from the Wild Kingdom grant program, Ole Miss will create and demonstrate the conservation and public health value of aquatic odonate (dragonflies and damselflies) habitat in urban environments, specifically the endangered southern snaketail dragonfly (Ophiogomphus australis).

The campus will use research-informed best practices to create a demonstration aquatic habitat on campus that is ecologically balanced and self-regulating in order to attract and rear odonate species throughout their life cycle. The university aims to attract both common and threatened dragonflies and damselflies, as well as a host of other beneficial species, such as amphibians, birds, and reptiles.

Ole Miss will monitor the created habitat along with unmodified control sites on campus, as well as at a natural pond site at their UM Field Station over several months to assess the wildlife and community benefits of the newly created habitat, including potential impact on local mosquito populations. Dragonflies are valuable sentinel taxa for water and ecological quality, as well as premier predators of invertebrate pest species such as mosquitoes.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) is a land-grant university with grounds spanning 861 acres. The campus is divided into City Campus and East Campus, the latter hosting the 5-acre Maxwell Arboretum. The campus serves as a comprehensive arboretum, highlighting regional native plants and trees.

Through support from the Wild Kingdom grant program, UNL will focus its conservation efforts on the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) on the East Campus; the flying squirrel is listed as threatened in Nebraska. UNL will conduct a habitat-focused tree inventory and canopy assessment to identify mature tree resources, connectivity gaps, and areas with high potential for nesting and movement.

Because southern flying squirrels depend heavily on mature deciduous tree habitat, especially for food resources and cavities or other protected nesting sites, campus tree condition and spatial arrangement are central to their conservation. Additionally, UNL will install and monitor nest boxes in locations identified through the habitat assessment and prior local observations.

The campus will also involve students and campus partners through guided field activities, citizen science, and educational outreach to increase awareness of urban wildlife habitat needs and the importance of retaining and managing mature trees in ways that support biodiversity.

The University of Texas at El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a Hispanic-Serving Institution located along the Rio Grande and directly within the northern portion of the Chihuahuan Desert at the westernmost tip of Texas.

UTEP’s project will investigate how environmental conditions and human disturbance influence the physiology and movement behavior of the eastern black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus ornatus) in Franklin Mountains State Park, an urban desert park in El Paso and the largest urban park in the U.S.

In 2025, UTEP successfully deployed biologging sensors on overwintering rattlesnakes in the park that continuously recorded heart rates and body temperatures. This has yielded exciting new questions and insights into how these reptiles’ physiology fluctuates seasonally.

Through the support of the Wild Kingdom grant program, the university will use additional novel GPS trackers and mobile relay gateway stations in the field, with the goal of providing insight into seasonal fine-scaled snakes’ movement and the effect of roads (disturbance) snakes in a protected urban park in the Chihuahuan Desert.

The following strategies will be implemented as part of this grant project: deployment of biologging sensors to monitor physiological bio-markers (heart rate and body temperatures) in free-ranging rattlesnakes across seasons; tracking fine-scale movements in rattlesnakes using miniature GPS trackers to quantify microhabitat use, daily movement patterns, and spatial behavior; setting up mobile gateway relay stations for GPS data retrieval; and studying the influence of environmental conditions and human disturbance (e.g. trails and roads) for measuring human activity levels and inform park managers in strategies to reduce human-snake conflict. 

West Virginia University

West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university located in Morgantown. WVU has a sustainable landscapes committee made up of faculty, staff and students, with a goal of managing the campus’ 900 acres of land more sustainably including protecting and enhancing pollinator habitat.

With support of the Wild Kingdom grant program, WVU will create a new habitat that is friendly to both the monarch butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) and the rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), which is a federally endangered species, protected under the Endangered Species Act.

WVU will overhaul an existing green roof that currently features overgrown plant vegetation. This existing structure is about 3,900 square feet with full sun and is in a very visible part of campus near the main entrance of the agricultural sciences building. The plant material chosen for this new pollinator habitat will include native species such as heath and aromatic asters and lanceleaf to attract bees and butterflies.

The plants have a variety of bloom periods—including early spring and late fall—to extend the foraging season for insects. This student-led planting will help WVU continue to advance its pollinator conservation efforts; the campus’s first pollinator plot was installed in 2022 and their second plot in 2023. In addition to the planting, the final piece of this project will be student-led crowdsourcing surveys of species using the iNaturalist web tool, pre- and post-garden installation.

Read about the 2025 grant recipients, Colleges & Universities Protect Vulnerable & Endangered Species. Read about the 2024 grant recipients, Wild Kingdom Grant Awardees

About Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom

Since its network television premiered in 1963, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom has been one of the most loved and respected wildlife programs in television history. The Daytime Emmy® nominated Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, now airing weekends on NBC’s “The More You Know” time block, celebrates stories of conservation success, including the great work of caring, compassionate experts and how they are making a positive impact on the Wild Kingdom. For more information about Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, visit their website.

About National Wildlife Federation

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state and territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, educators, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes.

Each year, NWF Graduate Student Research Fellows support the advancement of NWF Education and Engagement programs through dedicated research projects. This research helps to expand the content and development of a variety of efforts across NWF’s Education and Engagement programs while also providing the student Fellows with the opportunity to develop their research and professional skills.

Meet Natalie Charlson

Natalie Charlson, the 2026 National Wildlife Federation Graduate Student EcoCareers Green Jobs Research Fellow, is a third-year Master of Landscape Architecture student at North Carolina State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University.  

Natalie grew up in Baytown, Texas, surrounded by children due to her parents’ educational careers, spending her life watching how environments shape a child’s confidence, curiosity, and sense of belonging. Her own relationship with nature deepened as a teenager camping along the Frio River at Garner State Park, which set her on a path of public parks and recreation. She is driven by a belief that the natural world is not just a backdrop to childhood, but rather a teacher, which can truly shape who a child becomes.  

At NC State, Natalie has worked with the Natural Learning Initiative, researching state and county-wide outdoor learning environment design and development, and nature-based play in early childhood settings and state parks, building hands-on experience translating to real-world design strategies. A consistent thread of curiosity has been implemented into her studio work: How do we design landscapes that invite people back into relationships with natural systems?  

Through the EcoCareers Green Jobs Research Fellowship, Natalie will bring her human-centered, design-thinking lens to address a question: what makes a green career feel reachable and real to a young person? Drawing on her own non-traditional career path from parks and recreation to landscape architecture, she will examine how the Career Center can better represent the full spectrum of environmental careers.

Not only the expected science and policy tracks, but design, planning, education, and recreation, along with expanding how pathways are framed to include non-traditional routes such as certificates and trade programs for a broader range of aspiring environmental professionals. She will work to ground the platform’s content in real places, connecting users to local programs and sites that can serve as genuine paths into green careers. Recognizing that young people rarely find their path alone, Natalie will develop resources through a mentorship lens, creating content for educators, caregivers, and mentors who help them see what is possible.  

Her long-term goal is to design public landscapes where children and families can play, explore, and grow in connection with the natural world, as she sees this fellowship as a vital bridge between that vision and the young people who will one day build it.  

Meet Kelsey Cronin

Kelsey Cronin, the 2026 National Wildlife Federation Graduate Student Wildlife Education Research Fellow, is a graduate student studying wildlife population ecology at the University of Montana. Originally from southern Oregon, Kelsey has spent the past decade living and working throughout the mountain West, contributing to a variety of natural resource projects related to wildlife conservation.  

Currently, Kelsey’s thesis research focuses on improving understanding of monitoring and management for a sparse, fragmented population of common loons in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Although loons are an ancient species, modern threats such as climate change, pollution, and ever-increasing human recreation threaten the species’ persistence at the southern edge of its range. Kelsey uses cutting-edge statistical modeling techniques paired with on-the-ground conservation efforts in hopes of bridging the gap between research and applied management.  

Kelsey did not grow up in an outdoorsy family and was instead inspired toward a career in nature from enthusiastic teachers, mentors, and a bedroom shelf full of Ranger Ricks. Outside of her research interests, Kelsey is passionate about recruiting and mentoring aspiring biologists, especially from communities historically underrepresented in conservation spaces. “I hope my participation in this fellowship demonstrates how critical it is to remain optimistic and action-oriented in the face of historic conservation setbacks. I am excited not only to sharpen my skills in science communication and outreach, but also contribute to the NWF’s model of long-term, sustained advocacy for wildlife and habitat conservation.” 

Meet Anna Vaughn

Anna Vaughn, , the 2026 National Wildlife Federation Graduate Student EcoLeaders Research Fellow,  is a current Ph.D. student in Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability at Northern Arizona University. Anna has always been drawn to understanding the relationship between people, nature, and conservation efforts. Her love of the outdoors, public lands, wildlife, and environmental education has shaped her path toward applied conservation work focusing on protecting ecosystems and priorities supporting the communities who depend on them.

Anna holds an M.S. in Applied Geospatial Sciences from Northern Arizona University, where her thesis examined climate adaptation and land management on the Colorado Plateau. Her graduate work has combined social science, geospatial analysis, natural resource management, and science communication to address complex conservation challenges across the Southwest. 

As a current Ph.D. student, Anna’s research focuses on culturally informed ecological restoration efforts, community resilience, climate adaptation, and culturally significant plant species. Her dissertation work examines Western Apache relationships with Emory oak acorn harvesting, examining how access, ecological change, intergenerational knowledge, and land management shape the continuation of this important cultural practice.

Through collaboration with Tribal partners and federal agencies, her work aims to support community-informed conservation and adaptation planning. She is especially interested in conservation efforts that are respectful, collaborative, and useful to communities.  

Anna truly admires the National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to advancing science-based solutions that allow wildlife and people to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. She is especially inspired by NWF’s focus on protecting endangered species and threatened landscapes, confronting the climate crisis through collaborative solutions, supporting environmental justice and providing science education tools through the diverse subject material included in the NWF’s EcoLeaders EcoTopic webpages.

Through this opportunity, Anna looks forward to learning more about ecological resilience efforts led by the National Wildlife Federation and affiliate organizations. She is especially excited to build her experience in community engagement and science communication while also helping benefit the organization through  academic research and public outreach to encourage conservation action across diverse audiences through working on updating the EcoLeaders Community platform. 

Congratulations to our new class of Fellows! These Fellows join a national network of current and alumni fellows, many of whom have gone on to lead new businesses, agencies, and programs for sustainability all across the U.S. 

Read their stories and connect with them directly in the NWF EcoLeaders Community. 

Each day of the summit opened with inspiring keynote addresses, followed by sector-specific career panels where industry professionals shared their career paths and engaged with participants through Q&A sessions. The program also featured career development workshops that offered practical networking strategies, actionable career advice, and guidance for experienced professionals seeking to transition into new roles or industries. 

In delivering the Summit’s opening keynote, Àngel Peña, Executive Director of the Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, emphasized this point, remarking, “We need young folks; we need their vision and their energy and their motivation and their want to change the world.” 

The Demand for Green Job Skills Continues to Grow Across Sectors 

While the annual EcoCareers Summit is grounded in NWF’s commitment to equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to be environmental stewards and change makers, it also responds to a real demand for green skills in the workforce.  

According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Green Skills Report, demand for workers with sustainability-related skills exceeds the available talent supply across industries. Green skills, defined as abilities that help address climate change through mitigation, adaptation, or circular economy practices, are no longer limited to sustainability-focused roles. Instead, they are becoming essential for employability, business competitiveness, and resilience in nearly every sector. 

A Focus on Climate and Biodiversity Jobs 

As the climate and biodiversity crises continue to accelerate and require professionals with sustainability skills, the Summit’s two career panels brought together professionals working in different intersections within these sectors. From justice to security and education to adaptation, the panels shared their individual and varied career journeys and advice for young people looking to pursue careers in these fields.  

In speaking about their own career paths, most of the panelists and presenters noted that the paths that they ended up taking did not end up as linear as they may have imagined while still in school and demonstrated the importance of staying adaptable and open to opportunities that you may not have planned for. 

Noah Fritzhand, Research Fellow, The Center for Climate and Security, encouraged current students to, “Take advantage of opportunities to really dip your toes into a bunch of different areas to get a sense for what you like, and also, really importantly, what you don’t like. I think a lot of experiences have shown me that I’m not that interested in X or I’m not that interested in Y, and I think that’s just as important as figuring out what you are interested in.” 

Building a Network 

A recurring theme throughout the Summit was the importance of building a network as a vital tool for career development, including the value of professional mentors. To help dispel the often-daunting view that many hold regarding networking, Ife Shoola, Leadership Development Professional, hosted a workshop to dig into the ins and outs of the topic and give actionable advice to help individuals who may feel daunted by the concept to build their confidence, and their network. 

Speaking to the importance of networks, Ife shared, “you will find the people that are for you, that will support you, that want to champion your cause, that want to help you move forward in your career, that want to help you get the grad school application going, that want to donate to your nonprofit. They are out there, okay? Don’t go in with a scarcity mindset. Go in with the mindset that you will find those people.” 

To learn more, you can view the archive of Summit session recordings on our NWF EcoLeader YouTube page: EcoCareers Summit 2026 Playlist 

Thank you to GM and Worcester Polytechnic Institute for sponsoring this year’s conference. Thanks also to all the speakers and attendees for making this event an interactive, exciting and dynamic experience for all.