Field Projects:
Conservation in Action
Learn how Wildlife Friendly partnerships support and deliver practical, science-based solutions that conserve wildlife, regenerate ecosystems, and strengthen resilient livelihoods where raw materials are grown and sourced.
REGENERATIVE AND WILDLIFE FRIENDLY® FIBERS THAT IMPROVE LIVELIHOODS, CONSERVE WILDLIFE AND BUILD RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN PATAGONIA
This project, a collaboration between WCS and Wildlife Friendly, is funded by the Regenerative Fund for Nature. Together, we aim to encourage the widespread adoption of Regenerative + Wildlife Friendly livestock management in Patagonia. We believe that new fiber markets value not only the fibers themselves, but also the conservation of wildlife, habitats, and human livelihoods. By promoting Certified Wildlife Friendly fiber production methods, this growing market contributes to the regeneration of natural vegetation, the increase of soil carbon storage and water retention, and allows people, livestock, and wildlife to coexist harmoniously and thrive. The project sees agricultural producers in Argentina consolidate or adopt methods that improve their resilience to climate change and encourage coexistence with regional wildlife.
REGENERATIVE AND CERTIFIED WILDLIFE FRIENDLY® LEATHER FROM THE CALDENAL OF CENTRAL ARGENTINA
This project goal is to develop Regenerative + Wildlife Friendly cattle production in the Caldenal, a woodland-grassland region in central Argentina. Here, the regional ecosystem is globally unique, and hence the project seeks to make a significant contribution towards its conservation. An additional project goal is to protect several threatened wild species, including the Pampas Deer (classified by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered in Argentina) and the Pampas Meadowlark. The project promotes the acceptance of nature conservation and regeneration among the regional cattle rancher community. The regenerated habitat in the surrounding ranches contributes to local livelihoods, climate resilience, and landscape-level connectivity for biodiversity.
EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH REGENERATIVE AND WILDLIFE FRIENDLY® CERTIFIED COTTON PRODUCTION IN THE SATPURA-PENCH CORRIDOR, INDIA
India is one of the largest exporters of cotton, and for centuries, cotton has played a dominant role in the fashion industry and agricultural economy of the country. However, conventional cotton farming continues to present multiple environmental challenges (such as the use of pesticides and fertilizers that impact water quality and biodiversity health), as well as social injustice. This project was designed to improve cotton farming practices in the Satpura-Pench Corridor, India, by equipping farmers with on-the-ground agricultural extension services to improve knowledge and practical application of Regenerative + Wildlife Friendly farming practices. By supporting farmers to adopt practices that restore soil health, reduce chemical dependency, protect wildlife habitat, and strengthen livelihoods, the project aims to demonstrate how cotton production can contribute to more resilient farming systems and biodiversity conservation in a critical tiger landscape.
REDUCED RISK OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION TO GORILLAS THROUGH CERTIFIED GORILLA FRIENDLY® TOURISM
For Mountain Gorillas, conservation and tourism are inextricably linked. Revenue generated through responsible tourism has provided a powerful incentive for governments, communities, and the private sector to invest in gorilla conservation, contributing to the recovery of populations that might otherwise have continued to decline. Despite this progress, Mountain Gorillas remain Endangered and are highly vulnerable to disease transmission, armed conflict, poaching, the illegal trade in live infants, and habitat degradation. Certified Gorilla Friendly Tourism was developed to strengthen this conservation model by reconfiguring the incentive structure around responsible tourism. The certification helps educate and empower visitors, while working alongside Rangers, protected area authorities, communities, and tourism operators to promote best practice. By encouraging lower-impact tourism and creating additional opportunities for local communities to benefit from conservation, the program reinforces the long-term protection of Mountain Gorillas and the forests on which they depend.
TRANSFORMING THE FASHION SECTOR TO DRIVE POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE, AND OCEANS
As part of the Transforming the Fashion Sector with Nature initiative, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by Conservation International in partnership with The Fashion Pact, Wildlife Friendly® provided technical expertise to help leading global fashion brands better understand the role of biodiversity conservation within responsible sourcing. Wildlife Friendly® delivered a series of webinars and one-to-one engagements with Fashion Pact member companies, introducing the principles of Certified Wildlife Friendly® sourcing and exploring opportunities to integrate biodiversity outcomes into agricultural supply chains. WFEN also authored the guidance document, Best Practices for Sustainable Sourcing for Biodiversity, Livelihoods and Climate – What Does it Mean to Be Wildlife Friendly®?, which remains available through The Fashion Pact as a resource for member companies seeking to strengthen biodiversity considerations within their sourcing strategies. The project demonstrated how independent certification, producer engagement and responsible sourcing can help fashion brands connect biodiversity conservation with resilient livelihoods, regenerative production systems and nature-positive supply chains.
