As I marvel at how quickly the summer has passed, I hope you found time for relaxation that only the lazy days of summer can create! I value the opportunity to share the following Wildlands Project big picture with you, and hope you enjoy delving further into our work featured in this issue’s articles.

The range of our work
As you will read in this issue, our work continues to span continents! We hosted another pivotal meeting with our conservation partners located along the Spine of the Continent Passage (MegaLinkage), to identify the on-the-ground work that must be accomplished in the near future. Along the Pacific Passage, we began gathering information from our conservation partners in order to create a future network in this region. And after an extensive four-year mapping process, the Greater Northern Appalachians Wildlands Network Design has just been completed. Finally, across the globe, the directors on our board continue to work diligently on large landscape conservation from Canada’s Boreal Forest to the Carpathians in Romania.

Mitigating climate change
Over time, we have influenced and inspired conservationists worldwide to think larger and push harder. Connecting protected areas has always been critical to mitigate the negative effects of habitat fragmentation and global warming. In order for wildlife to successfully adjust to these changes, barriers to their movement must be made permeable. And now that the climate appears to be changing at a far faster pace than initially predicted, the urgency to respond is even more critical. The Wildlands Project strategy is one that proactively addresses this issue and must happen more quickly and globally.

Increasing capacity
During the last two years, we strategically reduced our costs, created a virtual office and laid a strong financial foundation for our entrance into the next phase of leadership in the conservation movement. Now we must implement science on a scale never before attempted. To tackle this important work, we need to rebuild our capacity strategically and expediently.

To this end, I am happy to announce that Kellie Westervelt has joined Wildlands Project as our director of development. In fact, she adds more than fundraising expertise to our team. She has spent her career in the conservation field with an emphasis on ecological restoration. Her deep understanding of the critical nature of connectivity and biological processes coupled with her fundraising acumen makes her a tremendous asset to our team.

New supporters
We also are working hard to bring new supporters to our organization. This past summer, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet and recruit new members at house parties hosted by generous donors. Bruce Hayse and Louise Lasley hosted a party in Jackson Hole and Jonathan Frieman in the San Francisco Bay area. Both parties presented wonderful opportunities for us to share our story with a new audience, to get valuable feedback on our plans from our committed supporters and to explore new potential partnerships. I am also happy to announce Rick Flory and Lee Roberts of the Earth Friends Foundation have become our new supporters. In addition to funding, they bring tremendous business expertise to their grantees (see this article).

The fall campaign kicks off
We have just kicked off our annual fall fundraising campaign. Our goal this year: raise $250,000 in eight weeks. This money is critical to the ongoing conservation work that our lean and strong organization must get done every year. Our financial goals rise as our capacity must increase to meet the rising demand and continental scope of our work. We need you, our supporters, to continue to give generously to the Wildlands Project, introduce us to your friends and help keep it wild.