Each year on February 2nd, we celebrate World Wetlands Day, created to raise awareness about wetland conservation efforts. Wetlands are essential ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, world economies and more. Despite their importance, nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s and they are disappearing three times faster than forests. 

The theme for World Wetlands Day 2024 is “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing.” The official website for World Wetlands Day shares “This year’s campaign spotlights how interconnected wetlands and human life are – with people drawing sustenance, inspiration and resilience from these productive ecosystems. Importantly, the theme for 2024 underscores how all aspects of human wellbeing are tied to the health of the world’s wetlands.”

Today, we are sharing five nonprofits whose conservation efforts in areas with wetlands are making a difference. 

The nonprofits

Amazon Conservation

This organization's mission is to unite science, innovation and people to protect the western Amazon – the greatest wild forest on Earth. Despite the Amazon’s globally acknowledged importance, unchecked deforestation is pushing it closer to a “tipping point” beyond which it will no longer be able to generate its own rainfall and support its ecosystems. By combining a boots-on-the-ground approach with the latest in science and technology, as well as working to empower local peoples, governments and indigenous communities, Amazon Conservation is doing what it can to save the Amazon.

Amazon Conservation took a creative and fun approach to fundraising when it collaborated with Seattle-based tattoo artist Matt Hildebrand to solicit donations via the Give Lively-powered Tattoo Raffle in support of the Amazon Rainforest. The nonprofit also uses a Give Lively Branded Widget to capture donations on its website. 

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Bainbridge Island Land Trust

This Washington-based organization’s mission is to conserve and steward the diverse natural environments of Bainbridge Island for the benefit of all. The Bainbridge Island Land Trust’s work to protect and restore Bainbridge lands and waters is done to honor past generations, preserve a legacy for future generations and build a network of protected lands resilient to a changing climate. To achieve its conservation goals, the Land Trust acquires interests in lands having significant or potentially significant conservation values such as shorelines, streams, wetlands, forests, tidelands and unique plant and animal habitat networks. 

The Land Trust uses a Give Lively-powered Simple Donation Widget for collecting membership dues, as well as a Campaign Page for the ongoing “Stand for the Land” campaign that has protected 120 acres across six properties of ecologically significant land so far. 

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California Ocean Science Trust

California Ocean Science Trust’s mission is to advance a constructive role for science in decision-making by promoting collaboration and mutual understanding among scientists, citizens, managers and policymakers working toward sustained, healthy and productive coastal and ocean ecosystems. California Ocean Science Trust was created by the California Ocean Resources Stewardship Act (CORSA).

California Ocean Science Trust uses a Give Lively-powered Simple Donation Widget, with dedications enabled, to collect donations on its website. 

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Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge

This nonprofit studies and protects threatened ecosystems – from Alaska to southern Chile – by involving diverse communities through scientific and artistic collaborations. It approaches its projects from a multidisciplinary perspective in close collaboration with local communities and public and private institutions, protecting both species and their habitats. Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge seeks to leave a positive footprint on the planet, with science-based conservation solutions that are sustainable over time.

Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge uses a Give Lively-powered Simple Donation Widget, with dedications enabled, to collect donations on its website. Although this example is not specifically for a wetland, This Campaign Page supporting seabird habitats on Año Nuevo Island is an excellent example of a powerfully written page description that lays out exactly why this initiative is so important. 

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Paso Pacífico

This nonprofit aims to restore and protect the endangered dry tropical forest and coastal ecosystems of Mesoamerica's Pacific Slope, home to unique habitats and dozens of threatened and endangered species. Paso Pacífico's innovative programs work to overcome widespread poverty, high population density, and severely fragmented landscape by connecting people to their landscapes in ways that benefit people and nature alike. By working with local communities, landowners and partner organizations, Paso Pacífico restores and protects the habitats that form building blocks for wildlife corridors. 

Paso Pacífico links to a Give Lively-powered Campaign Page to collect donations on its website. The nonprofit has also activated its supporters to fundraise on its behalf through Peer-to-Peer Fundraising pages like this one by 10-year-old Charlie to raise money for the InvestEGGator, a 3D printed sea turtle egg with a GPS tracker inside designed to help track illegal poachers.