We’re not actually THAT obsessed with public lands. Unless “obsessed” means that we think about public lands all the time, love them with our whole hearts and slide public lands into every conversation, then yeah, we are a bit obsessed. But aren’t all of you too? Happy Public Lands Day!

These little ferrets are facing extinction, but with emerging technologies, the tools to fight against their extinction are expanding. Read more on our blog to see the state-of-the-art world of wildlife protection. Happy Black-Footed Ferret Day! #[dfnd.us/4nKpaRs

Despite the constant attacks, the time we have with sea otters, humpback whales, manatees, dolphins and countless other marine animals is a luxury. So many of these species should be extinct, but thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act we still have them today.

Just below the surface in Monterey Bay is a vast forest – of kelp! You can find sea otters resting in these coastal kelp forests, draping the kelp over their bodies to keep them from drifting away. If we were otters, we’d certainly lounge in kelp forests too!

I’m so hungry I could eat like a sea otter. If you weigh 160 pounds, that’d be 40 pounds of food! That’s right, a sea otter eats approximately 25% of their weight in food each day. With male southern sea otters weighing up to 65 pounds, that’s a lot of seafood! Learn more: dfnd.us/3Ip5cNb

It begins… Let the fattest bear win – Fat Bear Week STARTS TODAY!

Cuddling while drifting on their backs, paws folded across their chests, a raft of sea otters bobs in the cold Alaskan water. Whether seen from a research plane or tracked by satellite, sea otters are telling us important stories about Alaska’s coasts. Now it’s up to us to listen. dfnd.us/46k5le6

Millions of acres of national forests are on the chopping block – lands that belong to all of us. These are the backcountry places where we sit around a campfire under a sea of stars and pass our traditions down to the next generation. Without the Roadless Rule, we could lose them. dfnd.us/4lTa8HL

Just followed? Meet our pack! We are scientists, biologists, policy-shapers, advocates, and lawyers. While our days look a lot different, from field work to research to map-making, one thing is true: at Defenders, we give it our all to advocate, educate, and fight for wildlife across the country. 🐾

We aren’t the only animal that goes “goo goo ga ga” as a baby! In the piñon pine forests in the American Southwest, you may hear beeps, toots, whistles and clicks during a young pinyon jay’s first summer – all very non-jay-like sounds like a baby babbling. Learn more: dfnd.us/4prvRJT ⬅️

We are on Capitol Hill right now sharing our message to protect the Marine Mammal Protection Act – join us at home and tell your representatives: don’t betray marine mammals by voting to gut the MMPA! ➡️ dfnd.us/4nzaCUN ⬅️

There’s a hidden world out there just like ours all waiting to be discovered – and you’ve likely already dipped a toe in it before. Covering two-thirds of our planet, our oceans are a vast and deep habitat that we often overlook. See how similar "other world" is to ours here on land…

We’re kicking off #LatinoConservationWeek2025! Join us this week for community, cultura & conservation. Whether you’re at an in-person event or tuning in from home, there are many ways to celebrate while staying safe. ➡️ bit.ly/LCW25-Events 🌱 #LCW2025Kic#LCW2025KickOff

Sometimes a beluga can look just like a wave! But the moment you spot one is certainly a cool one. Just ask the residents of Alaska’s Cook Inlet! Each year Cook Inlet hosts Belugas Count!, an annual event to engage and inform residents about Cook Inlet belugas and count as many as they can.

Can you imagine every time you go to the kitchen there’s a rock concert? Or every time you go on a walk, there’s a jackhammer on every block? That doesn’t sound very pleasant, but it can be the norm for a Cook Inlet beluga. Learn more about how sound affects Cook Inlet belugas: dfnd.us/45UDIrK ⬅️

When we say take a walk on the wild side with us, we mean: In Texas, checking out field sites, In California, lobbying for aquatic species, In Colorado, checking trail cameras for gray wolves, In Alaska, watching for belugas, In D.C., making this video and much more!

You don’t have to feel wild to feel like an animal. If you’ve ever explored, played, traveled, protected, or loved, then you’re a lot closer to wildlife than you think. 🐾

You don’t want our last wild places to be paved over, do you? This administration is putting the Roadless Rule, which protects America’s national forests from industrial logging and roadways, on the chopping block. So, if they want roads, we’ll give them a roadblock. dfnd.us/4gjzOfL

Could you spend your whole life in one spot? How about underwater? If yes, you could be a Barton Springs salamander! This salamander lives only in the spring outflows of Barton Springs where it relies on clear, clean, flowing water and lives an entirely aquatic life. Learn more: dfnd.us/4lzgsE5

We’re taking deep breaths now that Congress is in recess, but we aren’t taking any breaks. Before they return to their war on wildlife, we’re building an emergency defense. Now until Aug. 31, every $ we receive will be 8X MATCHED to stop Congress from cashing out wildlife’s future. dfnd.us/41pZvF7

Just a day in the life of a ✨showgirl✨, and showgrouse, and showwhale, and showowl, and a–

Did you know that there are new Red Wolf pups? Yes! Five Red Wolf pairs are currently spread across the Albemarle Peninsula, with an estimated wild population around 18 adults and 10-12 pups. With public support and open space to roam, we know they can flourish! dfnd.us/45cZwi3

Good news! Lake Mattamuskeet – a 40k-acre sanctuary for migratory birds in eastern North Carolina – will not be turned into a testing ground for toxic chemicals. The Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge & other refuges must be managed for wildlife, rather than any other interest. dfnd.us/40GUg3t

Environmentalism used to be a unifying cause in the United States, when preserving wild places and protecting biodiversity were matters of shared American pride. Now it’s seen as radical. Learn more about the bipartisan history of modern conservation. dfnd.us/4ob8m7d

If bison went extinct, we’d lose our national mammal. If bison went extinct, the Great Plains ecosystem would lose a keystone species. If bison went extinct, many tribes and Indigenous communities would lose a relative. So, let’s keep bison around and prevent their extinction.

To us, animals aren’t numbers in spreadsheets or returns-on-investment; they’re living, breathing, playing things that signal revival. To us, three new wolf packs playing in the sun in Colorado is a moment to celebrate. And we celebrate every win! So, when you ask us why we fight, this is why.

In the Western Arctic, you will have your breath taken away. It’ll be done under the flocks of migratory birds overhead, in the cotton grass where caribou roam, or when lost in the wetlands and lagoons that dot the coast. Read about development endangering the Western Arctic. dfnd.us/4lTetuQ

The recently signed Budget Reconciliation Bill will sacrifice American lands, waters and wildlife for a cash grab to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Acres and acres of forests, coasts, grasslands, and more will be put up for sale while countless species lose homes and habitat. dfnd.us/3TYcrOd

USDA is rescinding the roadless rule, which protects 58.5 million acres of national forestland from road construction and timber harvesting. “Secretary Rollins is taking a blowtorch to a landmark rule,” – Vera Smith, director the national forests and public lands program. dfnd.us/4kT8OF5

Our Southeast representative, Heather Clarkson walks readers through North and South Carolina's history of saying "no" to offshore oil drilling and calls upon residents to tell the federal government "No," now as loudly as ever. dfnd.us/3FzhlOk

The Trump administration is proposing to rescind the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act in an attempt to remove protection for listed animals depending on particular habitats. But what does harm mean in this context? Read our blog to learn more! dfnd.us/4dPsbMI

“The fate of over 1,600 species listed under the Endangered Species Act is largely up to Congress which must reject the Trump Extinction Budget and affirm the nation’s longstanding commitment to saving wildlife.” Read more about the Trump administration's updated budget request. dfnd.us/4dOhwBU

Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling is the latest blow to NEPA. “Our highest court has just thrown away decades of jurisprudence at a moment when the Trump admin. is hellbent on burning our bedrock environmental laws to the ground,” – Mike Senatore, SVP of conservation programs. dfnd.us/450eTdR

Cutting close to 200 California DFW staff while the agency is underfunded and understaffed would be a short-sighted move. With nationwide staff reductions making it harder to protect wildlife as it is, we urge #caleg and @governor.ca.gov‬ to reinstate these positions in the final state budget!

Defenders of Wildlife strongly condemns the budget reconciliation bill passed by the House as disastrous for American wildlife and imperiled species. “The House bill would cause permanent and far-reaching damage to wildlife conservation, and we urge the Senate to reject it.” dfnd.us/43FZiPo

New population estimates for the Southern Beaufort and Chukchi Sea polar bears signal trouble for these Alaskan bears. The two polar bear populations that live in, and are named after, these seas make up about one-tenth of the global polar bear population. dfnd.us/3FdP9QP

The House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources is taking up legislation today that would prioritize oil and gas production over environmental preservation of U.S. coastal waters. dfnd.us/4mwTBLl

Over 150,000 Americans have submitted comments in opposition to a proposed rulemaking by the Trump administration to eliminate major habitat protections for endangered species in the U.S. after it was unveiled in April. dfnd.us/43ttexb

We strongly oppose the Trump administration’s proposed rescission of the definition of “harm” under the ESA. “The consideration of habitat loss as ‘harm’ is an integral reason that the ESA has a 99% success rate of saving imperiled species,” – Sierra Weaver, senior attorney. dfnd.us/4j9PZf6

Congress is poised to gut the Endangered Species Act. The proposed ESA Amendments Act of 2025, authored by Rep. Bruce Westerman, would more aptly be called the Extinction Act, as it could mean a death sentence for countless species already teetering on the edge of extinction. dfnd.us/45bN962

Get the latest on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the EPA, and other agencies as we track how changes in legislation, staffing and more affect our wildlife and our work. Check out our Wildlife in Politics page! dfnd.us/43s30fO

Thank you @rephuffman.bsky.social for introducing the Migratory Bird Protection Act of 2025! “Supporting this bill should come as common sense to all those who value bipartisan solutions to wildlife protection over politically motivated attacks by the Trump administration.” dfnd.us/4iKEbzP

A budget proposal asking Congress to cut significant resources will have perilous consequences for wildlife. “Through and through, this budget is a reckless and irresponsible attack on America’s lands and wildlife.” - Robert Dewey, VP of Gov. Relations at Defenders. Learn more here: dfnd.us/437euE2

May is #NationalWildfireAwarenessMonth and for the latest installment in our Animals in the Aftermath series, we looked at the Southern Sierra Nevada fisher and the impacts wildfires have had on its habitat in California. Read more from our blog! dfnd.us/3GwGNE9

“We urge Congress to act swiftly to pass the Arctic Refuge Protection Act and finally give the Refuge the permanent wilderness protection it deserves,” – Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska & Northwest senior director. Read more about the Arctic Refuge Protection Act. dfnd.us/42CvfI9

After more than 100 days of the 119th Congress, there have been over 20 pieces of legislation introduced to weaken the Endangered Species Act and the wildlife it protects – that’s one every five days. It may be hard to keep track, so let us do it for you. dfnd.us/3F8O3Fv

Rather than celebrating emerging and untested technology attempting to recreate animals that have long since been extinct, our focus must be on real, present-day threats to existing species facing extinction. Read more from our SVP of conservation programs, via @commondreams.org. dfnd.us/4jEsDil

Last night, the Trump administration announced emergency procedures to fast-track oil, gas, and mining projects on national lands. These procedures remove opportunities for meaningful public engagement and notification and bypass protections for threatened and endangered species. dfnd.us/44afXvg

Now is not the time for Democrats to join in weakening bedrock environmental laws in the name of delivering an "abundance agenda." Instead, they need to make clear that they remain champions of our natural infrastructure and not only infrastructure made of concrete and steel. dfnd.us/3GpXSj5

Thirteen new bills in Congress seek to stop offshore oil drilling from endangering coastal communities and wildlife. Hear from our experts in Florida, California, Alaska and more on what these bills mean for wildlife across the country. dfnd.us/42Hvu38