Our Fall 2008 Wildlands Connection is available for viewing or download in a PDF format (520kb). An introduction to each article may be found below.

Wildlands Project Grows with a New Name
Ralph Waldo Emerson, U.S. essayist and poet once said, “We do what we must, and call it by the best names.” For 18 years, our conservation community, scientists and supporters have embraced the Wildlands Project name. Creating a vision, developing science and spreading the word about continental-scale conservation have become goals synonymous with our monicker...read more

Spine of the Continent Initiative Hosts Conservation Summit
The strategic plan for the Spine of the Continent Initiative will be honed during a landmark event, “The Western Conservation Summit” hosted by the Wildlands Project and its partners next January. Leading conservation scientists E.O. Wilson, Paul Ehrlich, and Michael Soulé, and representatives of major foundations and leading conservation organizations from around the globe will be attending...read more

Notes from the Director
The decision to change our name to “Wildlands Network” (see cover story) has been both exciting and difficult. For both our Board of Directors and our staff, “Wildlands Project” has been a cherished part of our 18-year history...read more

Opposition to Border Fencing Gains Strength
Despite the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) mandate to wall off more than 470 additional miles of U.S.-Mexico borderlands by the end of 2008, numerous individuals, organizations, and local governments continue their efforts to halt that construction...read more

Wildlands Project Welcomes Strategic Director
As the Wildlands Project undertakes its continental implementation initiatives, intensive and innovative strategic planning has never been more critical. It is for this reason that Wildlands Project is excited to announce the addition of Strategy Director, Kenyon Fields to its staff...read more

Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic and Wolves
In his famous essay, “Thinking Like a Mountain,” wildlife biologist and father of modern wildlife management Aldo Leopold poignantly recounts shooting one of the last remaining wolves in the Southwest. As he approached the mortally wounded animal he witnessed “the fierce green fire dying in her eyes,” an experience that changed him forever...read more

Federal Court Returns Wolves to Endangered Status
Missoula, MT — In a victory for the gray wolves of the northern Rockies, a federal judge in Montana on July 18 reinstated federal Endangered Species Act protections for wolves, thus preventing Idaho, Montana and Wyoming from implementing fall wolf hunts. More than 100 wolves have already been killed in those states since the USFW delisted the species last March 28...read more

Donor Spotlight
Ben Hammett and his wife made their first donation to the Wildlands Project after reading a Wild Earth journal found at a local high school conservation event in December 1995. This date marked the beginning of an incredible commitment the Hammetts have made to the Wildlands Project for more than a decade...read more

Exciting News from Rancho Zetásora
Thanks to many of Wildlands Project supporters and many other international friends of jaguars, just over a year ago, Naturalia, our Mexico-based conservation organization, was able to purchase Rancho Zetasora. Representing 45,000 acres, this...read more

Spine of the Continent Partnerships Grow
The Spine of the Continent Initiative, led by Wildlands Project, welcomes two new partners: The Western Environmental Law Center and the New Mexico Priority Wildlife Linkage Project, each representing numerous other partner groups...read more