Defenders of Wildlife is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization based in the United States. It works to protect all native animals and plants throughout North America in their natural communities.

Background

Defenders of Wildlife is a national conservation organization that works to conserve wildlife, protect wildlife habitat and safeguard biodiversity. Founded in 1947, Defenders of Wildlife was originally called Defenders of Fur Bearers, and worked to preserve wild animals. Although its work has broadened to include wildlife habitat and biodiversity, protecting wild animals—especially large carnivores—remains a central goal. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with field offices in Anchorage, Sacramento, Denver, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Asheville, North Carolina and Seattle.

Areas of work

History

From 1948 to 1976, Dorothy Burney Richards served as director of Defenders of Wildlife. She held the position of honorary director from 1976 until her death in 1985. The organization filed suit against the federal government when it claimed that the Endangered Species Act did not apply to government projects outside the United States. In a 1992 ruling that reshaped standing qualifications in US courts, the US Supreme Court ruled in Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife that the suit lacked standing. Defenders of Wildlife was listed as one of the best wildlife charities in 2006 by the magazine Reader's Digest. In 2009, Defenders of Wildlife announced a new media campaign named "Eye on Palin". The campaign focused on what the group termed the "extreme anti-conservation policies" of the Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, in particular, her support of the aerial hunting of wolves. In response, Governor Palin put out a statement calling Defenders of Wildlife an "extreme fringe group" defending her "predator control program". She attacked the non-profit group for allegedly "twisting the truth in an effort to raise funds from innocent and hard-pressed Americans". In October 2021, Defenders of Wildlife began partnering with Litton Entertainment to produce Jeff Corwin's North American zoological television series Wildlife Nation with Jeff Corwin as part of ABC's Litton's Weekend Adventure.

Labor disputes

Defenders acquired a reputation for toxic work culture while under the leadership of Jamie Rappaport Clark, who started with Defenders in 2004 and took on the role of President and CEO in 2011. Staff credited Clark accused Clark of creating a "culture of fear" at the organization. Clark refused to voluntarily recognize the staff union of Defenders of Wildlife, Defenders United, triggering an election sponsored by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in 2021. In August 2022, the NLRB found that Defenders of Wildlife management had violated labor law by terminating a former employee for their union organizing efforts, failing and refusing to provide the staff union with information needed for contract bargaining, and bypassing the union and direct dealing with staff. Defenders' executive team decided not to settle the case with the unlawfully terminated employee until just before the NLRB was set to prosecute the case in front of an administrative law judge in February 2023. In the subsequent settlement, the fired worker, Erica Prather, agreed to waive her right to reinstatement and was awarded a mandated $87,000 in backpay. Defenders has retained the services of two law firms for contract bargaining and management of unfair labor practices, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Littler Mendelson, the latter a known "union avoidance" firm retained by Starbucks. As of May 2024, several unfair labor practice charges filed against Defenders of Wildlife management are still pending investigation by the NLRB. According to the staff union, Clark deprived union members of access to improved leave benefits and annual merit increases in late 2023. A few months later, Clark announced her intention to step down as President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife sometime in 2024.

Related organizations

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is a 501 (c)(4) that works to influence elected federal officials to protect natural heritage and hold leaders accountable. The action fund is affiliated with Defenders of Wildlife and shares the same conservation goals. It conducts accountability campaigns, petition drives and grassroots advocacy. The action fund voluntarily discloses its large political contributions.