Wildlife Conservation Network

Since 2002, the Wildlife Conservation Network has been helping endangered species by supporting conservationists.

The Wildlife Conservation Network supports conservationists working in a variety of arenas across the United States. It is also home to the California Wildlife Program, a statewide chapter that “safeguards connectivity for wildlife.”

California has the largest biodiversity in the United States, but is also home to one of the largest human populations, which means wildlife have significant challenges not found in all other states. WCN works to ensure ecosystem integrity, including monitoring land use, protecting and restoring regions, and biodiversity conservation. The California Wildlife Program was founded in 2021, so it is still relatively new on the WCN scene.

One example of the importance of ecological connectivity was observed in California’s native puma population. Instances of inbreeding and genetic drift have been reported. WCN is stepping in to study on the ground exactly why there has been habitat fragmentation, while also deciding how to best restore habitat.

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