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    Wildlife habitats are decreasing at an alarming rate.

    At this moment, more than a third of our country’s species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades.

    • America’s free-ranging bison, which once numbered 20 to 30 million, are down to fewer than 5,000 individuals.

    • In the last 20 years, the monarch butterfly’s population has declined by 90 percent.

    • There is a net population loss of almost 3 billion birds across all bird species in the continental United States and Canada since 1970.

    • The decline of the endangered Florida panther — its population has been reduced to approximately 100 cats occupying just 5 percent of their former range — is attributed to human activity.

    Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Land trusts are gaining ground for wildlife.

    When it comes to saving biodiversity, preserving land is a vital tool enriched by a strong scientific foundation, a variety of funding sources and partnerships. Land trusts are using science to prioritize areas that provide clean water and ample food sources, and corridors that connect natural areas, to support healthy ecosystems and biodiversity throughout the country.

    Together, we are gaining ground.

    Land trusts at work

    Learn how land trusts across the country are gaining ground.

    There is still a chance for us to conserve, restore and use nature sustainably, but only through transformative change.

    Right now, there is neither the political will nor the funding for the federal government to purchase hundreds of millions of acres of land to reach the 30x30 goal. With 60% of all U.S. land privately owned, we must empower private landowners to conserve their natural and working lands at a much greater pace and scale. Land trusts make that happen.

    Making progress on today’s challenges might seem out of reach for one individual. Supporting your local land trust is an easy and tangible way to have a positive impact as part of a larger team.

    Join us in ensuring that we can protect land and waters that are key to supporting the life cycles of our nation’s plants and animals.

    Make a lasting impact