Letter from the Chair of the Board and Interim President & CEO
Thank you for your partnership in advancing WCS’s mission to save wildlife and wild places. We hope you see yourself in the pages that follow, because without your generosity we could not achieve the results highlighted in this Impact Report.
In the most important places for nature in 50+ countries, WCS is conserving landscapes and seascapes that are bursting with biodiversity, keeping planet-warming CO₂ out of our atmosphere, and reducing the chances of dangerous diseases jumping from animals to people, which can cause pandemics.
At the same time, through our four zoos and aquarium in New York City, we are opening a gateway to nature in one of the busiest cities on Earth, creating pathways to science and conservation careers, and inspiring the next generation of wildlife champions.
I hope the stories in this report inspire you to share our vision for the future—from rising tiger populations across Asia to stronger forest protections in Africa; from the reopening of the Prospect Park Zoo to our diverse and talented staff around the world.
We stand for wildlife. Thank you for standing with us.
Alejandro Santo Domingo
Chair of the Board
Robert G. Menzi
Interim President & CEO
WCS: Turning Hope into Action
WCS IMPACT around the world
-
360+
protected areas WCS helped create since our founding
-
-
~5,000+
scientists, conservationists, animal experts, and other dedicated staff
-
95%
of staff are citizens of the country they work in
-
-
350+
peer-reviewed scientific publications each year
-
150+
scholarships for emerging conservation leaders awarded by WCS in the last 3 decades
-
440+
local partner organizations, including local communities and Indigenous Peoples
-
Conserves habitat for
40%
of the world’s biodiversity
-
5
wildlife parks in New York City
-
3.5M
visitors to our zoos and aquarium in 2023
-
20K+
animals at our zoos and aquarium
-
1M+
students, educators, and families reached with science education programs annually
2024 Impact Highlights
Jaguars on the Rise Spotlight on Tikal, Guatemala
2030 Goals
Inspire millions of people to advocate for the conservation of wildlife and wild places
Save Wildlife
Priority species stable or increasing at WCS sites
-
Apes
-
Whales & Dolphins
-
Elephants
-
Sharks
-
Tigers
Save Wild Places
WCS will help nations significantly scale up conservation impact, supporting the creation of at least 50 new protected and conserved areas in the next 5 years, preserving millions of km2 of tropical forests, peatlands, grasslands, oceans, and other key ecosystems.
-
Tropical Forests
Protect 2.5 million km2 of some of the world’s high-integrity forests and restore degraded areas
-
Peatlands
Protect the ecological integrity of 500,000 km2 of the world’s remaining intact peatlands
-
Grasslands
Safeguard 2.3 million km2 of grasslands
-
-1.png)
Oceans
Secure 500,000 km2 of new protected areas in coastal seas
Our efforts to conserve Nature’s Strongholds will help drive global progress on climate and biodiversity targets:
-
Protect and restore natural systems, which could offer as much as 1/3 of the climate action needed to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement
-
Partner with nations and communities to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030
-
Advance policies toward ending wildlife trade and preventing zoonotic pandemics
Please Donate to Help Save Wildlife
Species are disappearing at alarming rates today. We need your help to secure their future before it's too late. There are a number of ways you can help us succeed.
Sign Up for Email Updates
Get news from the field and learn about ways you can help Earth’s most threatened species.
