Fund For Wild Nature

2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

1999 1998 1997 1996

2002 Fund for Wild Nature Grantees - First-time grantees are italicized.
All projects are within the US unless otherwise specified.
(Please let us know if links are broken by sending us email)

Action for Community & Ecology in the Rainforests of Central America (VT) $2000

To support a campaign against Plan Puebla Panama, a corporate-driven effort to build a giant industrial corridor along the entire meso-American Isthmus, complete with modern high-speed transportation systems, massive deforestation, mining and oil exploration, refineries, smelters, sweatshops, and the relocation of numerous indigenous peoples.

Action for Social & Ecological Justice (VT) $3000

For a grassroots, global organizing campaign against the research, development and deployment of genetically engineered trees. GE trees would trigger profound and irrevocable changes in forest ecosystems throughout the world, especially if designed to withstand chemical pesticides and halt fruit, nut and seed production as is sought by industry.

A Sense of Humus (MA) $1500

To assist in the production of public performances of poetry, puppetry and song to educate adults and engage children in issues connected with industrial agriculture, personal gardening, and how genetic engineering changes plants, our food supply and society.

BARK (OR) $2500

To oppose, and ultimately halt commercial logging on public lands by investigating and appealing proposed 'restoration' projects, educating the public about the role of fire in healthy ecosystems, and urging consumers not to buy wood cut from public lands.

Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters (CA) $2000

Although a core area of ancient redwoods in Headwaters Forest was protected in 1999 through public purchase, timber companies still seek to log the forest's periphery. This is typically the most diverse region of ecosystems, and vital to the integrity of the protected portion of the forest. This grant helped activists to monitor unprotected redwood groves and advocate for their protection through public outreach.

Beehive Design Collective (ME) $2200

In our consumer society, symbols often carry more clout than refined arguments. This grant helped a collective of artist activists produce and distribute graphics to grassroots organizers and educators opposing the Free Trade Area of the Americas and Plan Colombia. These international agreements systematically fray the strands in environmental and citizen safety nets.

Bikes Across Borders (TX) $2500

To construct a more lasting connection, and to turn one society's superfluities into another's instruments of empowerment, Bikes Across Borders refurbishes old bicycles, and provides them to working women on the Mexico-Texas border. This enables their personal transportation, and builds personal ties in an attempt to jointly address poverty and environmental degradation.

Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project (OR) $3000

This grant supported an ongoing campaign to halt logging in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon, where the high desert merges with the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains. The region also has stood in the shadow of public attention during the high profile debate over the fate of the Pacific coastal forests west of the Cascades -- enabling logging companies to quietly plunder many of the Blue Mountains' giant ponderosa pines.

Border Action Network (AZ) $2500

The U.S. Border Patrol has turned the Mexican border into a war zone of helicopters, all terrain vehicles, glaring lights, and extensive fencing. Effected species include jaguar and possibly neo-tropical songbirds. BAN is building a broad coalition to end destructive Border Patrol projects, and compel strict adherence to environmental laws and regulations by the Border Patrol.

Broken Chain: The Untold Tale of the Klamath Ecosystem (OR) $2500

To support research for a full-length book by veteran environmental journalist Orna Izakson on the ecology, natural history, politics and indigenous peoples' of the Klamath Basin, to expose our society's ecological dissonance and reinvent western myths to help lead us on a different course.

Buffalo Field Campaign (MT) $2000

To support a legal and public relations campaign to stop the harassment and killing of bison in the Horse Butte region adjoining Yellowstone National Park. Horse Butte is a relatively low-altitude historical wintering ground and vital corridor for the buffalo and a host of other rare species. A large portion of Horse Butte is leased out by the Forest Service as below-cost cattle allotments where Montana state management continues to haze, capture and slaughter buffalo.

Canadian Ocean Habitat Protection Society (Nova Scotia) $2000

To purchase computer equipment for production of a CD-ROM containing pictures, text and video clips of the world's coldwater coral habitats and to encourage greater appreciation of these complex and little-understood ecosystems.

Cascadia Leadership & Action Workshops (OR) $2000

To provide office space so this small group can offer strategic training to activists on forest protection strategies. Additional educational, outreach, field-checking and publicity-oriented activities will take place in the office space.

Cascade Resources Advocacy Group (OR) $2000

To assist with office rent for a public interest law firm that provides professional and legal representation to environmental activists and grassroots groups in the Pacific Northwest.

Cascadia Times (OR) $3000

To support printing and distribution costs of a special publication covering the effects of livestock grazing on water quality, streamside vegetation, and describing and depicting conditions in the ten most heavily damaged watersheds in the West.

Cascadia Wildlands Project (OR) $3000

A grant in support of hikes and other participatory events to engage the public in a variety of grassroots actions to end old growth logging in the Pacific Northwest.

Center for Environmental Politics (MT) $2000

The Center for Environmental Politics exposes government officials' records on environmental and social justice issues in Montana, and fosters cross-movement collaboration in making officials accountable to the broad public interest.

Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers (MT) $2000

For education and advocacy efforts to secure habitat outside the national park for Yellowstone's native buffalo and to defend the integrity of Yellowstone’s wild ecosystem.

Committee for Idaho's High Desert (ID) $3500

To watchdog the Bureau of Land Management as it prepares two large and technically complex environmental planning documents that will guide land use decisions and track federal fire fund projects on public lands in both western and eastern Idaho.

Community Environment Legal Defense Fund (PA) $2500

CELDF helps municipal governments in Pennsylvania adopt laws that prohibit corporate agribusiness involvement in agriculture and seeks to remove constitutional privileges from corporations at the municipal level through CELDF’s “Corporate Personhood” ordinance. These actions hold potential to not just enhance community life and ecosystem integrity in one state, but to create broader case law and legal precedents that would invigorate our entire political process.

Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains (NE) $2000

Prairie dogs once lived in vast 'towns' that stretched for hundreds of miles across the Great Plains supporting a community of avian, mammalian and reptilian predators and evolving complex communications to warn each other of danger. The U.S. government has systematically poisoned untold millions of prairie dogs. This grant helped launch a campaign to protect prairie dogs under Nebraska law, and curtail the killing of prairie dogs on public lands.

Eastern Forest Project Action Camp (VA) $3000

To train activists in strategic on-the-ground forest defense tactics, with a focus on threats and responses specific to the six most significant remaining forested regions of the East.

Ecosolidarity Andes (AZ) $2500

To produce a bilingual Spanish/English booklet about alternatives to corporate globalization, and to distribute it at workshops in Latin America. The workshops will help build alliances between activists in the global North and South, and tie together issues of conservation, human rights, and economic policy.

Environmental Flying Services (AZ) $1000

The Fund's multi-year support of this one woman, one airplane, two-country organization providing an eye in the sky for biologists and activists to protect wildlife and habitat in Mexico, was backed up in 2001 , when pilot and principal Sandra Lanham was awarded a MacArthur 'genius grant.' Funds helped support for expensive maintenance of the aircraft before Sandra's award, and continued to do so in 2002.

Forest Watch of British Columbia (BC) $2000

To support an investigation of planned logging and road building in the old-growth forests along part of Canada's border with Idaho and Washington states, which is critical habitat for the endangered South Selkirk mountain caribou herd.

Gateway Green Alliance (MO) $2000

To challenge, expose and oppose genetic engineering through creative outreach and action in St. Louis, the hometown of Monsanto Corporation, a leading proponent and developer of genetic engineering technologies.

Gifford Pinchot Task Force (WA) $2500

To support a series of forums in non-urban areas to discuss the future of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, focusing on forest restoration and associated opportunities for employment and community revitalization.

Grant County Conservationists (OR) $1000

To develop and build public support for a conservation biology alternative in the blue Mountains for the Forest Service to analyze in its long term planning document. The alternative focuses on creating benchmarks for ecological integrity through conserving keystone aquatic species such as beaver and salmon.

Great Plains Restoration Council (CO) $3500

Organizing among Ogallala Lakota people at the family clan level, and among inner city youth, the Great Plains Restoration Council links environmental concerns, human rights and community health to create a vast 'Buffalo Commons.' This Commons would secure the future of the grasslands' iconic ungulate, all the other creatures with which the bison evolved, and reinvigorate native cultural connections with the animal.

Grizzly People (CA) $2000

To support an expedition of continued study of Alaskan wilderness and wildlife, and to photograph and videotape some of the most pristine regions of North America for ongoing traveling presentations, with a special emphasis on early education, that advocate their protection.

Heartwood (IN) $2000

To support the annual Heartwood Forest Council, which brings together people from the eastern U.S. to learn new skills, develop shared strategies and broaden alliances to protect biodiversity.

Home Grown Media (MI) $500

To provide travel expenses related to screenings of the video Water War: The Battle Against Perrier in Michigan, as an outreach tool to oppose corporate water privatization.

Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (OR) $2000

To support production of a quarterly newsletter that reports on legal and other forms of advocacy for one of the most botanically diverse ecosystems in the western United States.

Medicine for Activists Seeking Health & Healing (OR) $2500

To support a Wilderness First Responder certification course in Spring 2003 to qualify activists to respond to emergencies at backcountry civil disobedience tree-sits and forest blockades as well as in urban protests where people exercising First Amendment rights may be subjected to tear gas or police violence.

Montana Trout (MT) $2000

To advocate at the grassroots level for ecosystem protection and restoration of wild trout streams in the northern Rocky Mountains.

National Forest Protection Alliance (DC) $2000

To support printing and distribution of Forest Advocate, a bi-annual newsletter featuring success stories and campaign updates from grassroots groups working to halt commercial exploitation of public lands.

Native Forest Network-Missoula (MT) 2000

For public education and policy development concerning fire on western public lands, and to protect roadless areas in the northern Rocky Mountains of the U.S. and Canada.

Native Trout Watch (CO) $2000

To create a detailed database about cutthroat trout populations in order to compel the highest level of compliance with legal requirements to protect these sensitive indicators of the health of high mountain streams.

NW Resistance Against Genetic Engineering (OR) $3000

To support education about and consumer boycotts of genetically engineered foods in grocery stores, and to help expose the development of genetically engineered trees.

Ootsa-Nechako Watershed Protection Committee (BC) $1500

To fight hydroelectric development of two coastal watersheds that support grizzly and black bears, numerous species of freshwater fish, caribou, and a world-renowned osprey population.

The Polaris Institute (Ontario) $2500

To support the sixth in a series of international grassroots gatherings to oppose genetic engineering, coinciding with an annual biotechnology industry meeting.

Predator Defense Institute (OR) $ 3500

To oppose the production, use and stockpiling of Compound 1080, an odorless poison that causes an excruciating, lengthy and untreatable death for wildlife or (during periodic accidents) humans and their pets. President Richard Nixon banned this poison because it is inhumane, non-selective and persists when scavenger animals eat previous victims of the poison. President Ronald Reagan re-authorized its use.

Public Lands Without Livestock (NY) $1700

For travel costs to provide slide presentations throughout the eastern U.S. to educate people about the environmental and taxpayer costs of livestock production on their western public lands.

Rainforest Relief (NY) $2500

To support efforts to convince New York City Government, to end the use of tropical hardwoods. These woods have traditionally been utilized as park benches, bridges, boardwalks, subway ties, and at ferry terminals; New York City is the largest municipal purchaser of tropical hardwoods.

Rocky Mountain Recreation Initiative (CO) $2000

This grant enabled monitoring, public organizing and planning for possible litigation to compel the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to restrict off-road vehicle use on six administrative jurisdictions in Colorado where the pressure for industrial recreation is strong.

San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (CO) $2000

The San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado were the southern-most locale for survival of grizzly bears in the United States until 1979. The region supports reintroduced lynx and is a prime candidate for future wolf reintroduction -- if it stays wild. This grant helped map roadless areas and ecological conditions on the Rio Grande National Forest and develop policies to limit off-road vehicle use in wild areas.

Sixth Street Community Center (NY) $3000

To educate New Yorkers and others about the risks and dangers of genetically engineered foods, and to organize for natural, non-tampered foods in supermarkets and schools.

Southern Plains Land Trust (CO) $3000

To assist with building a wildlife preserve closed to livestock and to hunting on the once (and future) Great Plains.

Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project (CO) $2500

To analyze and publicize the effects on wildlife migrations of Interstate 70 where it crosses the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, and to propose solutions that will enable survival of wide-ranging species.

Southern Rockies Forest Network (CO) $1000

To organize and empower outdoor enthusiasts who use the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest in northern Colorado to influence public lands management decisions.

Walama Restoration Project (OR) $2000

To provide opportunities for children to learn local ecosystem awareness and rehabilitation by conducting fieldwork, primarily removing invasive species and replanting with natives.

Wild Alabama (AL) $2000

To support widespread public involvement and commentary on the US Forest Service Revision Plan for Alabama through educational and outreach activities that embrace conservation principles and cultural values.

Wild Farm Alliance (CA) $1700

To allow this network of farmers, conservationists and consumers to develop a slide show and speakers bureau to promote agriculture that protects and restores the wild.

Wild Rockies Earth First! (MT) $2000

To support an itinerant series of presentations throughout the nation about fire's natural role in the West and the Forest Service's cynical use of fire hysteria to justify logging.