Wildlife Restoration Foundation

05/23/2026

Last week, we recognized Endangered Species Day, a time to reflect on the many species that remain at risk and the ongoing efforts needed to support their recovery. While the day serves as an important reminder, the work of conservation continues year-round.

Across North America, habitat loss, development, and environmental change continue to impact wildlife populations. Recovery takes time and requires more than protection alone. It depends on restoring habitats, strengthening population resilience, and finding ways for human actions to meet wildlife needs so species can survive, repopulate, and thrive. These ideas are at the heart of the inaugural North American Summit on Collaborating with Wildlife, taking place February 2–4, 2027, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Learn more and register: https://whova.com/portal/registration/qf4LmtlcagPM1OhdGhpc/?source=i3dwby5j

At Wildlife Restoration Foundation, we believe lasting conservation is built through science, partnerships, and practical restoration efforts that create long-term outcomes. As we reflect on Endangered Species Day, we remain committed to supporting the work needed to help species move beyond survival and toward sustainable recovery.

05/14/2026

Ten years ago, the National Bison Legacy Act was signed into law under President Barack Obama, officially recognizing the American bison as the National Mammal of the United States. The designation reflects both the ecological importance of bison and their deep cultural significance to Tribal Nations who have long stewarded them.

Our founder, Julie Anton Randall, worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society, InterTribal Buffalo Council, and National Bison Association to spearhead a coalition of NGOs, Tribes, businesses, and zoos to help pass the Act with a bipartisan group of co-sponsors in Congress.

Once nearly driven to extinction, bison recovery has depended on decades of conservation, habitat restoration, and partnerships across North America. That work continues today through efforts to restore healthy wildlife populations and help people collaborate with wildlife.

As we celebrate this milestone, we’re also working to support the future of bison conservation through

Yellowstone Phil, a genetically important Yellowstone bison who now has the opportunity to continue contributing to restoration efforts in a new herd.

If you’d like to support Phil’s journey and the future of bison restoration, please consider donating:
https://www.wildlifeandparks.org/donate

05/09/2026

Please help us save Yellowstone Phil! Phil is no ordinary bison. Bred through the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, he represents something extraordinarily rare: he descends from the tiny Yellowstone herd that was spared from hunters and roamed wild in Wyoming during the late 1800s.

Phil lived on a private ranch in Minnesota. As the ranch no longer needed Phil for breeding, we have the opportunity to move him to a new herd to continue his part in the restoration of bison across North America. We need your help to get Phil settled in a new home!

Please visit the WRF website to learn more about Phil and how your donation can help: https://www.wildlifeandparks.org/donate

Phil's story is a reminder that wildlife restoration happens one animal at a time. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE THIS POST WITH YOUR NETWORKS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND SAVE PHIL.

05/01/2026

The Wildlife Restoration Foundation (WRF), in partnership with cross-sector leaders, is launching the Collaborating with Wildlife Training Workshop (CWTW) Series, beginning May 13 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM ET.

This series focuses on how human actions in park gateway areas can directly meet wildlife needs through practical, measurable approaches.

The first session will introduce the series, outline what’s ahead, and begin building toward the North American Summit on Collaborating with Wildlife in Park Gateways.
Participants will explore existing models and real-world efforts, and contribute to shaping frameworks and best practices that can be applied across sectors.

This is not just a discussion; it is a working process to develop actionable strategies that support both wildlife and human systems.

Can’t attend live? A recording will be shared with all registrants following the session.
Join us in building solutions.

Sign up today: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/collaborating-with-wildlife-training-workshop

04/21/2026

Earth Day is about more than protecting nature. It is about restoring it.
Across North America, wildlife populations are being pushed out of places where they once thrived. Many of those systems are still out of balance today.

At Wildlife Restoration Foundation, the focus is on bringing wildlife back to parks and supporting the habitats that make that possible. This work happens through partnerships, science, and a shared responsibility between people and the natural world.

Restoration is not a one-day effort. It is long-term work that requires commitment, collaboration, and care.

Earth Day is a reminder of that responsibility and the opportunity to keep moving it forward.

Your support makes a real difference. Help continue this work by supporting WRF here: https://www.wildlifeandparks.org/donate

04/17/2026

WRF is happy to help spread the word about Pathways Europe 2026 - Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference, Hosted by Oxford Brookes University and Colorado State University!

Register now for Pathways Europe 2026 - we can't wait to see you there!

https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/pathways-europe/registration-2/

04/08/2026

The Greenland Wildlife Overpass, North America’s largest, officially opened in December. The lush, landscaped bridge spanning highway I-25 in Colorado allows wildlife such as moose, elk, black bears and mountain lions to cross six lanes of interstate traffic in an area that averaged one wildlife-vehicle collision every single day — many deadly. The $15 million overpass connects 39,000 acres of habitat and aims to reduce accidents by 90%.

This is just one of many projects that demonstrate when humans collaborate with wildlife, everybody wins - in this case saving lives of both people and animals, while connecting vital habitats for generations to come.

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02/27/2026

Please join our latest Beary Brews event tonight, February 27, at Perks! in St. George, UT. Proceeds help us mitigate human-bear conflicts in park gateway towns.

https://www.wildlifeandparks.org/projects
https://utahcoffee.com/
https://buzzedarts.com/

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02/11/2026

The Wildlife Restoration Foundation is proud to announce the launch of Beary Brews, our new partnership with local small businesses, with our first event on February 21 at Agave Jones vintage clothing store in St. George, UT. If you are a local business owner anywhere in the US and are interested in hosting an event in support of bears and other wildlife, we'd love to hear from you!

https://www.wildlifeandparks.org/projects

https://agavejones.com/

01/15/2026

We are excited to share that registration is now open for the inaugural North American Summit on Collaborating with Wildlife (CW), hosted by WRF and the Oceans & Wildlife Institute, taking place May 18–20, 2026 in Corpus Christi, TX, with a field trip on May 21. This innovative summit brings together leaders across conservation, Tribal/First Nations, government, academia, industry, and more to advance how we value, protect, and adapt for wildlife in park gateway communities.

Learn more and register here: https://www.wildlifeandparks.org/cw-summit-home
Looking forward to seeing how these collaborations shape the future of wildlife stewardship.

Wildlife Restoration Foundation is in the business of bringing healthy wildlife back to America's land and seascapes.