Although 17% of all forest carbon and 39% of global lands in good ecological condition are managed or governed by Indigenous Peoples, just a tiny fraction of climate and biodiversity financing gets directed to them. Most of the funding seems to evaporate in webs of institutions before reaching communities. "To meet biodiversity and climate goals," writes WCS's Sushil Raj in a new essay for Mongabay with Minnie Degawan and Rony Brodsky, "a deeper transformation in partnerships between multilateral funders and Indigenous Peoples and local communities is urgently needed."

"Peace with nature," writes WCS's Catalina Gutierrez Chacon in an opinion essay for PBS Nature, "advocates for a profound shift in the relationship between human societies and the natural world. This approach promotes sustainable development that respects planetary boundaries and fosters environmental justice."

This month, the world’s governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, the conservation community, Indigenous Peoples organizations, business and industry representatives, and others will convene in Cali, Colombia for the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD CoP16). "The conference arrives as we confront three global existential crises caused by human actions—biodiversity collapse, climate change, and global health and pandemics," writes WCS's Sue Lieberman in a new essay for PBS Nature. "No one country can solve this problem alone—and multilateralism can drive action in ways that individual national-level actions cannot."

When the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity meet in Colombia next week at COP16, the U.S. is expected to have a significant presence. Over the years, the U.S. government has been successful at driving ambition in policy, action, and nature finance pledges. In our 3rd episode exploring the themes of the coming CBD COP, Wild Audio checked in with WCS's Kelly Keenan Aylward to learn more.

Cali, Colombia will soon play host to the biennial gathering of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The theme of this important international meeting will be “Peace with Nature.” WCS will have a significant delegation on the ground. For our 2nd episode highlighting the CBD’s 16th Conference of the Parties, or COP, WCS Wild Audio caught up with a few critical members of that delegation to hear their thoughts on the coming meeting and what WCS’s priorities will be.

In a new commentary for The Conversation, WCS's Iain Caldwell and his colleague Joshua Cinner argue that no-take zones punch above their weight. "Of the fish biomass attributable to protection efforts," they write, "about 20% comes from just 3% of sites in no-take zones. This proportion would be even higher if illegal fishing in no-take zones was stamped out."

The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity—or CBD COP16—convenes in Cali, Colombia beginning on October 21. More than 14,000 participants are expected to attend, representing national governments, NGOs, Indigenous groups, the private sector, and others. In the first of a three-part series on the coming COP, WCS Wild Audio spoke with CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper to learn more about what brings the conservation community to Latin America and what they hope to achieve there.

In Part 2 of our podcast series exploring the themes of New York Climate Week, we look at a new initiative being piloted by the WCS Forests and Climate Change program to attract investment in large tropical areas with healthy ecosystems. The High Integrity Forest Investment Initiative, or HIFOR, say WCS's Ashley Camhi and Tom Evans, provides a novel approach to compensate nature and its protectors for the services they provide.

How do we study wildlife in extreme environments? The premiere of the One Wild World podcast's Season 2 features a conversation with WCS's Joel Berger, who provides his expert perspective on challenges in conservation, the importance of public engagement, and some tips on daily actions we can take to support wildlife conservation.

Cassandra, daughter of the King and Queen of Troy, knew that if her brother Paris went to Sparta and came back with Queen Helen, the destruction of Troy would follow. Cassandra had the gift of prophecy bestowed upon her by Apollo, but because she refused to give herself to the god, he added this curse: No one would believe her. "Thousands of years separate us from this story," writes WCS's Dan Zarin in a new essay for PBS Nature. "But dire prophecy, deeply rooted in truth, is staring us in the face. Like the ancient Trojans, we refuse to take action. The arrival of New York Climate Week that coincides each year with the gathering of global leaders for the UN General Assembly meetings must inspire us to do just that."

Season 5 of the WCS Wild Audio podcast begins with a two-part series looking to NY Climate Week, which runs during the US General Assembly this month. For Part 1, we explore how WCS is focusing on ecological restoration, transforming degraded lands into thriving habitats with the collaboration of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and innovative tools enabling real-time tracking of conservation progress. Hannah Kaplan explores how restoration, technology, and community partnerships are shaping a sustainable future.

With an estimated 25 million cumulative excess deaths during COVID-19 and the WHO declaring Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, we must ask how many more millions must die before governments take the necessary action to prevent the spillover of pathogens between wildlife, people and other animals.

The world produces over 400 metric tons of plastic every year today. Single-use plastics—from utensils and straws to soda bottles and packaging—enter our waste stream at an alarming rate. Less than 10 percent of all plastic is recycled. For Part 6—and the final episode—of our summer series on marine conservation, we investigate the impact of plastic pollution on marine life and steps being taken to reduce single-use plastic consumption at WCS and its home in New York City.

"Never has it been more urgent than now to protect the right to self-determination of Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact," write WCS's Sushil Raj and Dawa Yangi Sherpa with several colleagues at PBS Nature for International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The loss of their stewardship of nature, the authors say, will lead to the destruction of high integrity forests, biodiversity, and our ability to combat the climate crisis.

As the WCS Bolivia program's Llanos de Moxos expedition proceeds, writes senior conservationist Rob Wallace in a new essay at Medium, the team encounters extraordinary biodiversity and archaeological artifacts. Bolivian biologists, notes Rob, registered 297 butterfly subspecies, 75 fish, 42 amphibians and reptiles, 301 birds, and 100 mammals.

WCS's Fiona "Boo" Maisels reflects on her work, recent research, and career as a conservation scientist in an interview with Marie McNeely for the People Behind the Science podcast.