National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is a private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization based in Reston, Virginia. It operates through a nationwide network of state and territorial affiliates, regional offices, educators, conservation partners, members, and supporters. Its work combines public education, wildlife-habitat restoration, environmental policy advocacy, youth engagement, and communications intended to connect people with nature. The organization traces its origins to the North American Wildlife Conference convened in Washington, D.C., in February 1936 at the request of political cartoonist and conservation advocate Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling. Darling had served as chief of the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey and became frustrated by the lack of federal funding for wildlife restoration and conservation. The conference brought together more than 1,000 participants from across the United States, along with representatives from Canada and Mexico. On February 5, 1936, participants established the General Wildlife Federation, with Darling as its first president. The organization adopted a broad mission: unite people and institutions concerned with wildlife, develop a coordinated restoration and conservation plan, and educate the public. The General Wildlife Federation became the National Wildlife Federation in 1938. During its early years it promoted federal responsibility for wildlife restoration, stronger funding for biological and fisheries agencies, wildlife research supported by hunting and fishing excise taxes, protection of waterways from pollution, and enforcement of wildlife laws. Its membership expanded substantially in the late twentieth century, supported in part by public-awareness and cause-marketing initiatives. NWF’s present agenda covers fish and wildlife populations, protected and working lands, waterways, coasts, communities, climate change, wildlife disease, and environmental education. Its policy work has addressed subjects including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, bald eagles, the Everglades, grizzly bears, wolves, polar bears, Canada lynx, Great Lakes restoration, salmon habitat, public lands, and climate policy. The organization also supports engagement with hunting and angling communities and has promoted programs intended to connect children and families with outdoor activities and conservation. Education and participation are central to the NWF model. Its publishing activities have included National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Ranger Rick Jr., and Zoobooks. Its programs have included Certified Wildlife Habitat, Campus Ecology, Eco-Schools USA, schoolyard habitat initiatives, and the Great American Campout. The Certified Wildlife Habitat program helps households and communities create places that provide food, water, shelter, and locations for wildlife to raise young. Campus Ecology has supported student sustainability projects and climate leadership at colleges and universities. Eco-Schools USA provides schools with a framework for integrating sustainability into facilities, grounds, curriculum, and community action. NWF also developed Conservation Summits, later renamed Family Summits, which combined outdoor learning, environmental education, and nature-based recreation. The first summit was held in Colorado in 1970. In 2006, a separate nonprofit organization assumed responsibility for continuing the tradition under the Family Nature Summits name. NWF has additionally used television, web broadcasts, and films to communicate conservation themes. The federation’s headquarters occupies a rehabilitated former dump site near Reston and Lake Fairfax Park. NWF cleaned up the property before moving there in 2001. The building received recognition from the American Institute of Architects in 2002 as one of its top ten green projects. NWF remains an active national conservation organization with a broad portfolio spanning advocacy, education, habitat work, youth programs, regional conservation, and public mobilization.

The National Wildlife Federation emerged from the North American Wildlife Conference held in Washington, D.C., from February 3 to February 7, 1936. The conference was convened at the request of Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, a political cartoonist and conservation advocate who had briefly led the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey. Darling believed that years of neglect, pollution, and insufficient public investment had damaged the nation’s wildlife resources. After Congress repeatedly declined to provide the funding he sought, he resigned from the federal position and pressed President Franklin D. Roosevelt to bring together conservationists, government officials, scientists, educators, and outdoor interests. More than 1,000 people attended the conference, representing every U.S. state as well as Canada and Mexico. Participants created the General Wildlife Federation on February 5, 1936. Darling became its first president, joined by vice presidents Frederic C. Walcott, L. T. Quinn, and William L. Finley. The new organization sought to unite groups interested in wildlife restoration, formulate a coordinated national conservation plan, and educate the public about the need for active environmental stewardship. The federation held its first annual meeting in St. Louis in March 1937, attracting more than 1,200 delegates. In 1938 it sponsored National Wildlife Restoration Week. The initiative called for stronger government responsibility, congressional environmental committees, adequate funding for federal wildlife and fisheries agencies, cooperative research financed through existing hunting and fishing excise taxes, controls on water pollution and misuse, and enforcement of laws protecting wildlife. The organization adopted its current National Wildlife Federation name in 1938. During the following decades, NWF expanded from a wildlife-restoration advocacy body into a broad conservation-education network. Its membership grew from approximately 2.3 million in 1968 to about 4.1 million in 1974, with cause-marketing and public engagement helping broaden its reach. The federation developed magazines and children’s publications, habitat programs, school and campus initiatives, public campaigns, regional conservation centers, and audiovisual projects. Its policy agenda came to include habitat protection, endangered species, public lands, water resources, climate change, air quality, and wildlife disease. NWF created Conservation Summits in 1970, bringing environmental educators, naturalists, authors, and artists together for extended outdoor learning programs. The initiative was renamed Family Summits in 2000; in 2006, longtime participants created Family Summits, Inc., which continued the tradition independently as Family Nature Summits. The Backyard Wildlife Habitat program began in 1973 and later became the Certified Wildlife Habitat program. It gives households, schools, and communities practical guidance on providing wildlife with food, water, cover, and places to raise young. Campus Ecology developed as a higher-education sustainability program, awarding more than 100 fellowships across more than 65 campuses by the period described in the organization’s historical account. Its later work emphasized clean energy and conservation projects, including the Chill Out campus climate initiative. NWF became the U.S. host of Eco-Schools in 2008. The resulting Eco-Schools USA program provides a structure for students, teachers, administrators, and community volunteers to address school grounds, facilities, curriculum, and sustainability management. The federation has also used outdoor campaigns such as the Great American Campout to encourage families and communities to spend time in nature. In 2001, NWF moved to its Reston, Virginia, headquarters after cleaning up and rehabilitating a former dump site. The headquarters received an American Institute of Architects green-project award in 2002. Today, the federation works nationally through affiliated organizations and regional offices, combining advocacy, education, habitat restoration, youth engagement, publications, and partnerships to protect wildlife and connect people with the natural world.

• 2015

  Great American Backyard Campout expanded and renamed

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  The outdoor participation campaign was broadened beyond backyard camping and renamed the Great American Campout.

• 2008

  Eco-Schools USA host status granted

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  NWF became the U.S. host for the Eco-Schools program.

• 2007

  Chill Out campus climate broadcast launched

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  Campus Ecology introduced an annual web broadcast highlighting student climate and sustainability projects.

• 2002

  Headquarters recognized as a green project

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  The American Institute of Architects placed the headquarters among its top ten green projects.

• 2001

  Move to Reston headquarters

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  NWF moved into a rehabilitated site overlooking a wildlife sanctuary near Reston and Lake Fairfax Park.

• 1973

  Backyard Wildlife Habitat program begins

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  The federation launched a program to help people make yards and communities more hospitable to wildlife.

• 1970

  First Conservation Summit

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  NWF began its week-long Conservation Summits at the YMCA of the Rockies in Colorado.

• 1938

  Organization renamed National Wildlife Federation

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  The General Wildlife Federation adopted the National Wildlife Federation name and sponsored National Wildlife Restoration Week.

• 1937

  First annual meeting held in St. Louis

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  The federation’s first annual meeting brought together more than 1,200 delegates.

• 1936

  General Wildlife Federation established

  [1]National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org

  Delegates to the North American Wildlife Conference created the General Wildlife Federation, with Jay Norwood Darling as its first president.

A nationwide, science-informed conservation organization that combines wildlife advocacy, habitat restoration, environmental education, and public participation.

• Habitat certification program · 1973

  Certified Wildlife Habitat

  A program that helps households, schools, and communities create wildlife-supportive spaces. Certification criteria include supplying food, water, cover, and locations where wildlife can raise young, often through native plants, nest boxes, water features, and other habitat improvements.

• Higher-education sustainability program · 2000

  Campus Ecology

  A program supporting environmental leadership and sustainability on college and university campuses through resources, technical assistance, case studies, networking, events, fellowships, and climate-focused student projects.

• K-12 environmental education · 2008

  Eco-Schools USA

  A school sustainability framework that brings students, educators, administrators, and community volunteers together to improve school facilities, grounds, curriculum, and environmental management.

• Outdoor engagement campaign · 2005

  Great American Campout

  An annual campaign encouraging people to camp in backyards, neighborhoods, communities, and public parks as a way to reconnect with nature and participate in Great Outdoors Month.

• Children’s wildlife publication

  Ranger Rick

  A wildlife and nature publication for children produced as part of NWF’s environmental education and public communication activities.

• Conservation magazine

  National Wildlife

  An adult-oriented magazine covering wildlife, habitats, conservation issues, and environmental subjects associated with the federation’s educational mission.

• 2015Great American Campout

  United States

  NWF expanded its Great American Backyard Campout to include more forms of camping and renamed it the Great American Campout.

  Outcome. The revised campaign broadened the invitation from backyard camping to outdoor participation in communities and parks.

  Source
• 2007Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming

  United States

  An annual web broadcast and competition highlighting student-led clean-energy, conservation, and climate projects on college campuses.

  Outcome. The initiative provided a recurring platform for student projects and climate education.

  Source
• 1970Conservation Summits

  United States · Canada

  Week-long outdoor education gatherings brought together naturalists, environmental educators, writers, artists, and families to study wildlife and conservation.

  Outcome. The program continued under the Family Summits name from 2000 and later as Family Nature Summits under an independent nonprofit.

  Source
• 1938National Wildlife Restoration Week

  United States

  A public campaign calling for stronger government responsibility for wildlife restoration, better agency funding, wildlife research, waterway protection, and enforcement of conservation laws.

  Outcome. The campaign established a broad early expression of the federation’s national conservation agenda; a distinct quantified outcome is not specified.

  Source

• 2015

  Expanded and renamed the camping campaignStrategy

  Background

  The earlier Great American Backyard Campout focused primarily on backyard camping.

  Action taken

  NWF broadened the campaign to include different forms of camping and renamed it the Great American Campout.

  Aftermath

  The campaign was positioned as a wider invitation to reconnect with nature during Great Outdoors Month.

  Source

• 2000

  Renamed Conservation Summits as Family SummitsStrategy

  Background

  The summit program had developed from an environmental education gathering into a broader nature and family engagement activity.

  Action taken

  NWF changed the program name to Family Summits.

  Aftermath

  An independent nonprofit later assumed the project and continued it as Family Nature Summits.

  Source

• 1938

  Adopted the National Wildlife Federation nameStrategy

  Background

  The General Wildlife Federation was developing a nationwide identity for conservation advocacy and education.

  Action taken

  The organization changed its name to the National Wildlife Federation.

  Aftermath

  The new name became the enduring identity of the national conservation organization.

  Source

• 2021.10.25

  Reported2021.10.25

  IndexIQ launches three thematic ESG ETFs[3]IndexIQ推出三只主题ESG ETFwealthmanagement.com

  IndexIQ launched three thematic ESG ETFs: IQ Engender Equality ETF, IQ Clean Oceans ETF and IQ Cleaner Transport ETF. Each fund is partnered with a nonprofit organization and will donate 10% of management fees to its cause.

Read more

1. 1National Wildlife Federationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2National Wildlife Federation official websitenwf.org
3. 3IndexIQ推出三只主题ESG ETFwealthmanagement.com