Earthwatch

10/09/2026

Namibia is home to the world's largest free-roaming cheetah population. But the open landscapes these predators depend on are changing. Across the country's savannas, dense thornbush is spreading into grasslands, making it harder for cheetahs to hunt and move through their habitat.

At the Cheetah Conservation Fund's research center, Earthwatch's new Namibia expedition supports scientists studying whether restoring open habitat can help cheetahs and their prey thrive. Research includes monitoring wildlife, checking camera traps and comparing restored landscapes with areas still dominated by thornbush. The findings help identify where habitat restoration and wildlife corridors can improve prey availability, support biodiversity and protect the future of Namibia's cheetahs.

10/06/2026

What happens when degraded land is given the chance to recover?
At Kenya’s Enarau Conservancy, more than 3,000 acres of former farmland are being restored to native habitat on the northern edge of the Greater Maasai Mara ecosystem. After decades of farming and overgrazing fragmented habitat and pushed wildlife away, scientists are now tracking what happens as the landscape recovers.
Research on our Kenya Maasai Mara Expedition brings Earthwatch together with scientists and Maasai landowners to monitor the return of elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelope and predators like lions and cheetahs, while collecting data on how wildlife responds to restoration.
The findings are helping determine which restoration methods work and how recovering this land can rebuild an important wildlife corridor across the Greater Maasai Mara.

Images by Andy Corbett

10/02/2026

While many orca populations specialize in a particular prey, Iceland’s killer whales show remarkable flexibility. Some primarily follow herring, while others hunt both fish and marine mammals- a difference scientists are studying to better understand how diet shapes their movement, health and survival.
On our Iceland expedition, travelers spend time alongside the scientists leading this long-term research, observing orcas at sea and learning what their behavior can tell us about how these top predators are responding to a changing North Atlantic.
Video by Amelia Cavan

09/28/2026

The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than nearly every ocean region on Earth.

At Acadia National Park, scientists are studying what that rapid change means for the wildlife and ecosystems along its coast. On the Schoodic Peninsula, Earthwatch research takes a closer look at parts of the park most visitors never see—from spruce forests and rare plant communities to rugged shorelines shaped by the sea.

Working alongside researchers, you’ll examine wildlife camera images, search for signs left behind by foxes and mink, and help document how species are responding as conditions change.

These observations help scientists identify which species are adapting, which are declining and where conservation efforts may matter most as Acadia continues to warm.

09/25/2026

A healthy cloud forest depends on some of its smallest residents.

In Costa Rica’s Monteverde region, native bees connect forests, farms and flowering plants through pollination. But as climate change and habitat loss reshape tropical ecosystems, scientists need to understand which pollinator species are present, where they’re thriving and how their communities are changing.

Earthwatch research tracks native bee diversity across cloud forests, agricultural lands and restoration sites, with findings contributing to efforts like the global Bee Barcode of Life Initiative.

With more than three-quarters of global crops dependent on pollinators, understanding and protecting these species matters far beyond Monteverde.

09/22/2026

In the Peruvian Amazon, the rise and fall of water shapes nearly every aspect of life.

For more than three decades, scientists have studied how changing floods, droughts and extreme heat affect wildlife across this interconnected ecosystem- from river dolphins and fish to birds, monkeys and caimans.

Earthwatch research spans rivers, flooded forests and rainforest habitats, building the long-term record needed to understand which species are adapting, where populations are shifting and how the ecosystem is changing.

That data helps Peruvian agencies make decisions about wildlife conservation and protected areas as the Amazon faces a changing climate.

09/20/2026

On these new trips around the world, you're not just watching wildlife—you're helping to understand and conserve it.

On these new trips around the world, you're not just watching wildlife—you're helping to understand and conserve it.

09/20/2026

Most people never hear the owls hidden deep within the forests of Utah and Arizona.

These small, nocturnal species depend on tree cavities and healthy forests to survive. But as climate change alters temperatures, precipitation and forest conditions, scientists are working to understand what those changes mean for owl populations.

On Earthwatch’s Following Forest Owls in the Western U.S. expedition, research with includes monitoring nesting sites, surveying habitat and listening for owl calls beneath some of the darkest skies in the American West.

The long-term data helps scientists identify important habitat, track environmental change and guide forest owl conservation across the region.

*These birds were handled for scientific research under federally authorized permits and in accordance with all state permitting requirements.*

Images by Mike Hillman

09/15/2026

What does successful shark conservation look like? In Belize, more than a decade of research is helping scientists understand how shark populations move, use coastal habitats and respond to fishing pressure. Through tagging and release, underwater monitoring and long-term surveys, the research is building a clearer picture of how these populations are changing over time.

Just as important is the knowledge of the people who know these waters best. By combining scientific research with generations of local knowledge, the project supports healthier shark populations, sustainable fisheries and the coastal communities that depend on them.

In the first year of the collaboration, shark landings were reduced by nearly half- a powerful example of what science and local partnership can accomplish together.

Swipe to see shark conservation research in action with Earthwatch in Belize!

09/12/2026

How are marine heat waves reshaping life in the Sea of Cortez?

On our Baja California Marine Research Expedition, scientists are studying how warming seas and coastal development are affecting humpback whales, bottlenose dolphins and whale sharks.

Critical gaps remain in understanding how climate change and urbanization affect these marine giants. Working alongside researchers, you’ll help monitor wildlife behavior and collect baseline data needed to track change over time and inform more effective conservation strategies.

Understanding how these species respond today can help shape how they’re protected in a changing ocean.