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Leonardo DiCaprio’s Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund have launched the Phoenix Species Project, an initiative dedicated to recovering endangered species.
The project will provide support to recover 100 species facing
imminent extinction, spanning mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and plants from 30 countries in habitats ranging from oceans to volcanic plains. The initiative will work in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, scientists and conservationists.
The initial $200 million commitment makes it the largest single philanthropic initiative dedicated to recovering critically endangered species. The Bezos Earth Fund, recruited by DiCaprio thanks to his friendship with the couple, will commit $100 million. Re:wild will match this with support from DiCaprio, Age of Union and the Todd Graves Family Foundation.
The initiative will advance beyond small, short-term grants and provide a sustained investment in the work necessary to accelerate recovery for wildlife species. More than 100 local and international partners around the world will lead the work and tailor recovery efforts to each species and place.
The project supports countries that are trying to deliver Target 4 of the CBD Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for governments around the world to halt extinctions and improve the conservation status of endangered species. The Reverse the Red Action Partnership is a partner on this to support governments to identify priority species and activate recovery actions.
The project is in collaboration with the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the world’s largest volunteer conservation science network, as global knowledge partner.
Re:wild was founded in 2021 by DiCaprio, Dr. Wes Sechrest and other conservation scientists to protect and restore biodiversity and vulnerable wildlife habitats around the world.
The Bezos Earth Fund works to protect and restore the natural world through innovative solutions and partnerships around the globe. Tom Taylor is CEO, under the direction of Chairman Jeff Bezos and Vice Chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
