$200M Phoenix Project to Save 100 Endangered Species

One hundred species teetering on the edge of extinction just got a fighting chance. The newly launched Phoenix Species Project is committing $200 million over multiple years to support recovery efforts for creatures ranging from Madagascar's golden-crowned sifaka to Australia's elusive night parrot.

The Bezos Earth Fund and Re:wild announced the initiative with $100 million from each organization. Additional support comes from Re:wild co-founder Leonardo DiCaprio, Age of Union, and the Todd Graves Family Foundation.

What makes this different from typical conservation grants is the long-term funding approach. Local organizations and Indigenous communities leading recovery efforts will receive sustained support over multiple years instead of scrambling for short-term grants that often run out before species can recover.

The 100 selected species span every habitat imaginable. Ocean dwellers like the bowmouth guitarfish join land creatures such as North Carolina's Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander and even plants like South Africa's fuzzy belly button succulent. More than 100 local partners, including Indigenous Peoples and governments, will lead species-specific programs.

Some of these creatures face desperate circumstances. Mexico's Charco Azul pupfish is already extinct in the wild after drought and agricultural water use dried up its only home. The night parrot was missing for nearly 150 years before being rediscovered in Australia.

Recovery strategies will vary by species but include conservation breeding, habitat restoration, disease management, and removing invasive species. The IUCN Species Survival Commission is partnering on the project to share global knowledge and track population improvements over time.

The Ripple Effect

Saving these species does more than prevent extinctions. Each recovered animal or plant helps restore entire ecosystems that support countless other species and local communities who depend on healthy forests, wetlands, grasslands, and oceans.

The initiative also helps governments meet commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for urgent action to halt extinctions worldwide. Nearly 176,000 species have been assessed on the IUCN Red List, with more than 31,000 classified as critically endangered or extinct in the wild.

Research shows that sustained conservation intervention works, even for species whose populations have crashed to extremely low levels. The key is staying committed long enough to see results, which this funding model finally makes possible.

The Phoenix Species Project is inviting additional donors to join the effort and expand resources available for recovery work. This could mark a turning point in how we approach conservation globally, shifting from managing decline to actively restoring what we've nearly lost.