Sam's News — conservation — 2026-08-04¶
TL;DR¶
Conservation¶
Phoenix Species Project launches with $200 million to recover 100 critically endangered species¶
Leonardo DiCaprio's Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund announced the Phoenix Species Project on August 4, 2026, a $200 million initiative to actively recover 100 of the world's most threatened species across 30 countries. The project represents a strategic shift from defensive habitat protection to intensive species-recovery programs for populations that have declined to critically low levels.
- $200 million commitment across Re:wild ($100M from DiCaprio, Age of Union, Todd Graves Family Foundation) and Bezos Earth Fund ($100M)
- Targets 100 species spanning mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates, and plants across 30 countries and diverse habitats
- Focuses on species-specific recovery programs rather than broad landscape protection, addressing populations too small or fragmented to survive habitat protection alone
- Largest single philanthropic initiative dedicated exclusively to endangered species recovery
Sources: Bezos Earth Fund Web Search, Al Día News Web Search, Variety Web Search