2005 Annual Report     GRANTEES     WILD NATURE AWARD

	photo by Dave Parks

The Board's ideology is rooted in biocentrism and the belief that the human experience has become increasingly distressed because society has disconnected from Nature, and has attempted to control natural systems for short-sighted consumption. We may perceive comfort and convenience, but the waste we leave degrades our quality of life, and inflicts a great deal of suffering on the other life with which we share the Earth. When we realize our kinship with these other life forms, we re-discover our natural, wilder selves.

By renouncing unlimited growth and the requisite domination of Nature, we shed the apathy and disempowerment induced by a corporate-dominated culture. This will ultimately enrich our lives because these ideas are grounded in our bedrock social and emotional needs dating to our species' origin.

FROM THE BOARD
Today we are witnessing some of the most egregious assaults ever to occur against our natural environment. In this landscape the Fund for Wild Nature is diligently seeking out the organizations that are taking bold action to counter these assaults and to protect and restore imperiled plants and animals and the wild places they call home.

The Fund’s philosophy is rooted in the idea that we are all - animal, plant and human - integrally linked together, and as humans continue to pollute the air and water, destroy forests, and push plants and animals to the brink of extinction, the entire planet will suffer irreversible harm. In light of this, the Fund is more committed than ever to see that every dollar we spend is invested in groups who are winning battles that are making tangible gains on the ground. These ‘little’ gains actually translate into bigger gains such as increased biodiversity protection, cleaner air, and more wildland conservation.

This on-the-ground success can be found with the Center for Native Ecosystems, a group that successfully implements the Fund’s philosophy on a daily basis. Their Species & Ecosystem Defense Program prevents the extinction of native species, recovers ecosystems that have suffered significant degradation and continues to grow public and political support for endangered species and environmental protection throughout the Greater Southern Rockies region. The Center uses the best available science to forward its mission through participation in policy, administrative processes, legal action, public outreach and organizing. Through their work they are passionately challenging oil and gas lease proposals, protecting roadless areas, and working to uphold key national laws and regulations.

In addition to funding groups that create change through advocacy and science, we also fund innovative, yet frequently underfunded, new strategies. Often there are simple things people can do to help protect biological diversity – if they only knew about them. With the Fund’s support, the Arizona Native Plant Society is implementing their “Grow Native: Don’t Plant a Pest” campaign, which includes brochures and a website to educate landscapers, homeowners, nurseries, and the public about the harm caused by invasive plants and promotes native alternatives.

Finally, the Fund is proud to invest in groups that are often the only organization fighting in a particular region on behalf of all of us. Los Padres Forest Watch, in central California, is one such group. Tasked with protecting and restoring the natural and cultural heritage of the Los Padres National Forest and other public lands along California’s central coast, they have been instrumental in their efforts to protect this unique and diverse region of California’s coastline.

Naturalist John Muir is quoted as saying “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” The Fund for Wild Nature, with the generosity of our donors is committed to identifying groups that enbody this notion and work to keep our natural environment protected and flourishing.