The world is full of environment heroes who are doing their best to protect all life on earth – and YOU can help them! Take action, make a difference, even in the smallest way – it all counts and it all matters.
Here are some of the most well-known environment groups across the planet, and we will be adding more specific campaigning organisations for particular interests. Be a green hero!
The African Conservation Foundation
A charity protecting Africa’s endangered wildlife and their habitats. Current projects include Saving Cross River Gorillas From Extinction, Chimpanzee Conservation and African Forest Elephants Protection.
African Wildlife Foundation
For 60 years this organisation has focused on African leadership and ownership, in conserving the continent’s magnificent wildlife while rapid development continues. A new 10-year plan is in action to create an Africa that makes wildlife and wild lands the centrepiece of sustainable development.
American Forests
The oldest national nonprofit conservation organisation in the United States, founded in 1875, projects range from planting trees to educating politicians about policies to reforest America.
Birdlife International
A global partnership of 115 organisations and two million volunteers across all continents, land and sea, tracks and protects all species of bird. But loss of birds is also an early warning system for human population devastation. This year is the 100th anniversary of Birdlife International.
Born Free Foundation
The high profile animal charity was founded by Virginia McKenna and the late Bill Travers, who in 1966 starred in the classic wildlife film Born Free. Their son Will was also instrumental in setting up the BFF and now runs the charity with his mother.
Born Free works hard to ensure that all wild animals are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives according to their needs.
Born Free also opposes the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaigns to keep them where they belong – in the wild.
Climate Action Network
More than 1,500 organisations in more than 130 countries driving collective, sustainable action to fight the climate crisis and achieve social and racial justice.
Conservation International
The global organisation has helped protect more than 2.3 million square miles of land and sea across more than 70 countries since 1987, through fieldwork and innovations in science, policy and finance.
Earth Day
Earth Day is marked every year on April 22 and is organised by a group of the same name. The theme of Earth Day 2022 is #InvestInOurPlanet. More than a billion people each year across the world recognise Earth Day as a day of action to change our behaviour, call for policy changes and save life on earth.
Extinction Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion is one of the most visual and audible environmental protest groups on the planet, making no excuses for high profile acts of non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act on the climate emergency.
Fauna & Flora International
The world’s oldest international wildlife conservation organisation, founded in 1903. Its focus is on protecting biodiversity and current projects stretch across the planet, from Kenya to Kyrgyzstan.
Friends of the Earth
The world’s largest grassroots environmental network, with more than two million members and supporters around the world. FOE campaigns on the most urgent environmental and social issues and is particularly active in the United Kingdom.
Greenpeace
One of the most well-known, active, campaigning environmental groups. Greenpeace is a global network of independent national and regional organisations, overseen by Greenpeace International. Famously, Greenpeace has a fleet of ships which have been sailing the world’s oceans for 50 years, protecting our planet and fighting for environmental justice.
International Rivers
The global organisation protects rivers and defends the rights of communities that depend on them. Rivers are crucial to the food security, livelihoods, and cultural traditions of millions, yet only one-third of the world’s rivers remain free-flowing.
Rainforest Action Network
RAN preserves forests, protects the climate and upholds human rights through partnerships and campaigns. The group has set out eight priorities for 2022, including stopping the flow of money to fossil fuel projects.
Rainforest Trust
The Trust saves endangered wildlife and protects the planet by creating rainforest reserves – through partnerships and donations. Rainforest Trust allocates 100% of donations to conservation action.
Rewilding Europe
Rewilding is about letting nature take care of itself, enabling natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems and restore degraded landscapes. Rewilding works to restore lost species and habitats. Check out the campaigns for Europe, Britain and Scotland.
Sea Shepherd UK
An international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organisation, Sea Shepherd formed in 1977 to protect marine wildlife in direct-action campaigns around the world. Today, its fleet includes 10 vessels and several smaller boats.
Sea Shepherd’s mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans, in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.
Tree Aid
The organisation works with people in the drylands of Africa to tackle poverty and the effects of the climate crisis, by growing trees, improving people’s incomes, and restoring and protecting land.
The Wildlife Trusts
A grassroots movement aiming to restore a third of the UK’s land and seas for nature by 2030. If you are based in the UK, you are never too far away from a Wildlife Trust.
Each regional Trust is an independent charity and as a whole there are more than 870,000 members, plus more than 32,500 volunteers.
Wildlife Conservation Society
WCS’s goal is to conserve the world’s largest wild places in 14 priority regions, which are home to more than half of the world’s biodiversity. WCS is implementing conservation programs across the world to mitigate the impacts of CO2 emissions.
World Wide Fund for Nature
Possibly the most well known of environmental protecting and campaigning groups, WWF is an independent conservation organisation active in nearly 100 countries, working to sustain the natural world. World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund) is part of a coalition calling on world leaders to set a New Deal for Nature and People.
