National Wildlife Federation

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"NWF" redirects here. For other uses, see NWF (disambiguation).

The National Wildlife Federation is the largest American conservation organization, with over 5 million members and supporters in 47 state-affiliated organizations; its annual budget is over $125 million as of 2006. Its mission statement is: "inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future."

1 History and Mission
2 Current Programs
3 Resources
4 Bibliography
5 External links

[edit] History and Mission

The NWF was founded in 1936 by editorial cartoonist Jay Norwood Darling (a.k.a. "Ding" Darling) when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt convened the first North American Wildlife Conference. In 2006, it marks its 70th anniversary.

Its three main areas of focus are:

connecting people to nature
reversing global warming
protecting and restoring critical wildlife habitats

The National Wildlife Federation unites sportsmen, outdoor enthusiasts, bird-watchers, wildlife gardeners, nature lovers, and others, bringing together a broad spectrum of people who share a passionate concern for wildlife. Affiliates from across the country have created a national network of like-minded state and local groups who seek balanced, common-sense solutions to environmental problems.

To achieve its mission, the NWF offers the following services to individuals, organizations, and businesses: accessible conservation training, leadership training, educational curricula, information outreach, and networking opportunities. The NWF frequently partners with other conservation organizations and corporations to achieve its goals.

The NWF seeks to educate people of all ages by publishing a variety of wildlife magazines, including Wild Animal Baby, Your Big Backyard, Ranger Rick, and National Wildlife, and by the Backyard Habitat series on Discovery's Animal Planet along with IMAX films, such as Coral Reef Adventure, India: Kingdom of the Tiger, Bears, Wolves, and Dolphins. It maintains an on-line field guide of flora and fauna called Enature.com. Additionally, the NWF offers hands-on training and support for habitat restoration through its Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Schoolyard Habitat programs. It has developed a new green hour program aimed at reversing the modern trend of nature deficit in children brought on by their spending an average of six daily hours indoors watching TV, playing video games or chatting online. See Green Hour site: [1]

Some of NWF's specific conservation priorities include: seeking solutions to global warming; reducing mercury pollution; strengthening the Endangered Species Act; combating invasive species; saving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling; restoring America's waterways; reforming the Army Corps of Engineers; and educating future environmental stewards.

The NWF's headquarters is currently located in Reston, Virginia.

[edit] Current Programs

The National Wildlife Federation continues its involvement in many leading environmental issues facing the country today, particularly in the areas of land stewardship, air quality, water resources, and wildlife conservation.