International Wilderness Leadership Foundation (WILD Foundation)

Background

The International Wilderness Leadership Foundation, also known as the WILD Foundation or WILD, was initially co-founded in 1974 by South African game ranger Ian Player and Zulu chief and wilderness guide Magqubu Ntombela during their joint work to protect southern white rhinoceros populations in South Africa. ⁵ In addition to the WILD Foundation, Player also helped found the Wilderness Leadership School, the Wilderness Foundation SA, the Wilderness Foundation UK, and the Magqubu Ntombela Foundation. ⁶

Programs and Campaigns

The WILD Foundation provides funding and advocacy towards supporting left-of-center environmentalist and conservation policies to protect wildlife populations and their natural habitats. The foundation previously founded the World Wilderness Congress, a network of national and international environmentalist activists whose membership had included late conservationist Jane Goodall, former president of Mexico Felipe Calderon, former Norwegian prime minister and World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Gro Harlem Brundtland, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. ^{7  8}

In 1995, the WILD Foundation began the International Journal of Wilderness (IJW), a publication focused on international wilderness issues and solutions. It has published three issues each year since 1995. ⁹  Supporters of the IJW include Conservation International, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (USDI) Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service. ¹⁰

In 2003, WILD founded the Wilderness Specialist Group within the World Commission on Protected Areas of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The group is active as of 2026. ⁹

In 2009, WILD launched Nature Needs Half, ⁹ a coalition formed to protect 50 percent of the planet by 2030 to “stop the sixth mass extinction.” ¹¹ Coalition members include EarthX, the Conservation Biology Institute, Bioneers, the Sierra Club, Rewilding Earth, Walk For Water, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Foundation Earth, and the Weeden Foundation. ¹²

In 2013, WILD launched Coalition WILD, ⁹ a conservation initiative that provides training for youth around the world to advocate environmentalist advocacy. The workshop includes a six-month EXCELerator program, a six-month mentorship pairing program, workshops, and networking opportunities. ¹³

In 2015, WILD co-founded Wilderness Foundation Global, an international networking group based in South Africa. ⁹ Other founding members include the Wilderness Foundation Africa, the Wilderness Foundation UK, and the Wilderness Leadership School in South Africa. ¹⁴

The Survival Revolution campaign was launched in 2021 by the WILD Foundation to recruit and mobilize social media content users and influencers to promote WILD activities and programing. This includes promoting a “Global Deal for Nature,” or a commitment to protect the wildlife and natural habitats for 50 percent of the planet while abiding by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ^{15 16}

Partners

As of 2024, listed partner groups and organizations with the WILD Foundation include the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Canadian Parks Department, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas in Mexico, the USDA Forest Service, the USDI Bureau of Land Management, the USDI National Park Service, and the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service. ^{17  4}

Funding

The WILD Foundation received $310,052 in government grants in 2024 and $2 million in 2023. ³

Other 2024 donors included Climate Ride, the Common Counsel Foundation, the First Nations Development Institute, the Hillman Family Foundations, ImpactAssets Inc, the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the Schmidt Family Foundation, the Tides Foundation, the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation, and the Wilburforce Foundation. Several donor-advised fund providers reported donations to WILD, including the American Online Giving Foundation, Donor Advised Charitable Giving (DAFgiving360), and the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program. ¹⁸

Leadership

Joel Holtrop is the board chair for the WILD Foundation, serving in the role since 2017. He previously worked for the USDA Forest Service in several positions including deputy chief before retiring. ^{19  20  21}

Jennifer Meyer and Adam Hanson are listed as managing directors of the WILD Foundation. ²² Meyer has held several positions with WILD since 2014, including director of operations and COO. ²³ Hanson joined WILD in 2014 as a managing director. He is board chair of the Wilderness Specialist Group, a part of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. ^{24  25}