“Wild lands and waters are best conserved not in private hands, locked behind gates, but as public national parks, wildlife refuges and marine reserves, forever open for everyone to experience and explore.”
— Hansjörg Wyss
Since its establishment in 1998, the Wyss Foundation has worked alongside local and Indigenous communities, national governments, land trusts, and non-profit partners to permanently protect more than 130 million acres of land and 5.7 million square kilometers of ocean — conserved in perpetuity for current and future generations to enjoy and explore.
In 2018, the Foundation launched the Wyss Campaign for Nature, a $1.5 billion commitment to protect 30% of the planet's lands and oceans by 2030. The campaign’s goal is to help conserve 30% of the planet in a natural state by creating and expanding protected areas, implementing international conservation targets, and inspiring conservation action worldwide. Only by dramatically increasing the capacity of communities, Indigenous Peoples, and nations to conserve lands, waters, and wildlife can we hope to safeguard the natural world upon which we all depend.
Visit the Wyss Campaign for Nature’s News and Projects pages regularly to learn more about the land and ocean protection projects that the Wyss Foundation is supporting.
Focus On
Trout Unlimited
With thousands of volunteers working out of more than 400 chapters nationwide, Trout Unlimited (TU) works to conserve, protect and restore coldwater fisheries. TU’s volunteers donate well over 500,000 hours every year to clean up polluted streams, restore water to dried-up rivers, and teach children about responsible stewardship and good fishing. The Wyss Foundation has been a strong supporter of Trout Unlimited, investing more than $19 million over the past 20 years. Through this partnership, sportsmen will now always be able to experience the backcountry solitude of the Wyoming Range, the undeveloped expanses on the Rocky Mountain Front, and clear, cold streams in forests throughout the West.
Learn more about our grantees:
Trout Unlimited | Trust for Public Land | The Nature Conservancy
Focus On
Badger-Two Medicine
In the 1980s, more than 150,000 acres of public land in the Rocky Mountains was leased for oil and gas exploration, threatening sacred and pristine land known as the Badger-Two Medicine. The Badger-Two Medicine lands hold deep spiritual significance for the Blackfeet Nation, and the Wyss Foundation and other conservation partners have been working to stop development in this ecologically and culturally significant area. The coalition has had remarkable success, including getting Badger-Two permanently withdrawn from future oil and gas leasing, as well as permanently retiring the lease. We will continue to work to permanently protect the Badger-Two and surrounding areas, and ensure the Blackfeet Nation’s homeland is secure in perpetuity.
Learn More:
