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Have you ever seen hope flourish in the most unexpected places?
Five years ago, we set forth an ambitious goal to address the biodiversity crisis by dramatically increasing the scale, scope and pace of island restorations globally. This year we are taking a moment to pause, reflect and celebrate not just the impact we had in 2023 – our most impactful year ever – but also the many successes we enjoyed and lessons we learned as we implemented our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan. We are humbled and inspired to see the number and magnitude of restorations increasing and the ever-growing tangible impact of these efforts.
Over the past year, our work has had an outsized impact on islands around the globe: Endangered Peruvian Diving-petrels returned for the first time in more than forty years to their island home on Chanaral Island, Chile; our partners began to employ marine monitoring to measure ocean changes from invasive species on Late Island, Tonga; and island nations in the Pacific committed to building climate resilience with island restoration. In total, we removed damaging invasive species from 7 large islands and 7 groups of islets (42 islets!).
These successes reflect our strategic investments in strong community partnerships, innovations that help us work smarter, and support from new audiences who recognize our outsized impact.
This year the 2030 Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) evolved from an urgent call to action into a global movement. As you are reading this, we are on the cusp of doubling the number of IOCC island-ocean ecosystems to be restored and rewilded, for a total of 16 incredible places, almost halfway to our goal.
Our gaze is now fixed on the horizon. In 2024 we will embark on our new five-year Strategic Vision and Plan, further endeavoring to expand Island Conservation’s impact. We look forward to sharing it with you early in the New Year.
Our deepest thanks to you, our partners, supporters, and friends – you make our work possible.
Islands and their marine environments host a disproportionate amount of our world’s species and communities for their size.
While this makes them extremely vulnerable to environmental crises, it also provides an unrealized opportunity for recovery and resilience.
Island species are highly vulnerable to change, particularly from damage caused by nonnative, invasive species, which are implicated in 86 percent of all recorded extinctions on islands.
Restoring islands by removing invasive species is repeatedly proven to be one of the best ways to build biodiversity. Biodiversity is critical to healthy islands, oceans, and communities. Here are a few of our favorite stories we shared in 2023.
September 8, 2023
The global economy loses more than $423 billion every year to invasive species which threaten nature, food security, and human health. A new report by the International Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) shows that invasive species pose a…
July 20, 2023
By: Paul Jacques, Island Restoration Specialist, Island Conservation In the face of rising sea levels, you might wonder the value of working to protect low-lying coral atolls. These fragile tropical ecosystems typically stand only two metres (six and a half…
April 26, 2023
Island Conservation recently welcomed Ted Haffner onto our Advisory Council – a wonderfully engaged, thoughtful and experienced thinker who brings a deep understanding of conservation to further guide our team. Ted’s vast experience connecting the natural world to the built…
If you like what you’re seeing, we could use your support.
Working smarter, not harder
At Island Conservation, we pride ourselves in creating a hub for ingenuity and innovative problem-solving. To do this, we harness the potential of modern technology to advance our conservation efforts.
Standing at the forefront of these efforts is our recently launched Drone Program, marking a significant leap in our approach to island restoration.
One of our most successful drone-powered restoration campaigns took place in Uvea in Wallis and Futuna. We conducted over 500 individual drone flights, delivering conservation bait across nine islands. These projects showcased the reliability, efficiency, and logistical capabilities of our drone operations.
As our methods evolve, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation.
Using drones, a new method that has proven to be faster and more cost effecitive than traditional methods like helicopters and ground crews, we’ve successfully conducted drone-powered eradications on 12 islands in four different countries, such as Ngerkeklau Island, Palau and Kamaka Island, French Polynesia.
Read more about our utilization of drones to enhance project efficiency, as well as our exploration of this innovative technology’s potential in machine-learning models.
Read about the latest Island Conversation news. This year we were able to reach millions through outreach efforts.
Covers Island Conservation’s successful efforts to build climate resiliency
Alongside our partners, we’re aiming to restore at least 40 globally significant island-ocean ecosystems from ridge to reef by 2030 to benefit people, wildlife and our planet.
In 2023, Island Conservation, Re:wild, and UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, along with a growing cadre of Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) partners announced the first nine island-ocean ecosystems selected to be restored and rewilded from ridge-to-reef.
Among the first island-ocean ecosystems selected are: Floreana Island, Galápagos, Kamaka Island, French Polynesia, and Late Island, Tonga.
However, as you are reading this, we are on the cusp of nearly doubling the number of IOCC islands, for a total of 16 island-ocean ecosystems to be restored.
The efforts in these special places will involve a variety of activities, including the removal of invasive species, the reintroduction of native species, the restoration of habitats, and the protection of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
As we begin implementation on the first 9 selected island-ocean ecosystems in the IOCC, we’re already seeing remarkable success.
In a groundbreaking conservation initiative, Late Island in the Kingdom of Tonga stands as potentially the largest island in the Pacific to have been cleared of invasive rats.
Once confirmed successful, the partners plan to reintroduce threatened, native species back to the island.
That’s right – we recently were awarded a 100% rating on Charity Navigator, the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit evaluator.
This rating designates Island Conservation as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that our organization is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria.
This is further validation that our supporters can trust our commitment to good management and financial health.
Thank you to our collective of dedicated supporters that make this work possible.
“When I donate to Island Conservation, I know that I’m not just helping restore biodiversity, I’m also helping secure healthy oceans and support island communities, particularly against the impacts of climate change.” – Breton Fischetti, Monthly Donor and Board Member
Learn more about Breton’s journey with Island Conservation and why he chose to become a monthly donor.
Thank you to our collective of dedicated partners that make this work possible.
Chad Hanson – Deputy Vice President Conservation
Heath Packard – Chief Philanthropy Officer
Karen Poiani – Chief Executive Officer
Penny Becker – Vice President Conservation
Richard Fehler – Controller
Sandra Sottomano – Director of Human Resources
Amariah Thomas – Social Media Fellow
Bren Ram – Communications Manager – Project Support
Monica McLenigan – Communications Manager – External
Sally Esposito – Strategic Communications Director
Aleida Fuentes-Boles – Board and Donor Experience Officer
Carleigh McDonald – IOCC Managing Campaign Director
Holly Johansson – Major Gifts Officer
Ken Mullins – Philanthropy and Salesforce Administrator
Lisa Kelly – Senior Major Gifts Officer
Maddy Pott – Institutional Gifts Officer
Justin Lacy – Finance Manager
Vivian Sakovich – Staff Accountant
Carolina Torres Trueba – International Legal & Admin Manager
Amy Levine – Conservation Impact Director
Angie Carrion – Island Restoration Specialist
Anthoni Munoz – Island Restoration Specialist
Austin Hall – Restoration and Global Support Specialist
Baudouin des Monstiers – Island Restoration Specialist
Cielo Figuerola – Island Restoration Specialist
Coral Wolf – Conservation Science Program Manager
David Will – Head of Innovation
Jesse Friedlander – South and West Pacific Project Manager
Jose Luis Cabello – Head of Operations Latin America
Jose Luis Herrera-Giraldo – Project Manager
Julie Alach – Island Restoration Specialist
Julie Sullivan – Project Manager
Loyola Darius – Palau Program Manager
Maria Jose Vilches – Island Restoration Specialist
Maximiliano Bello – Partnerships Manager
Patty Baiao – Director Partnerships
Paul Jacques – Island Restoration Specialist, S&W Pacific
Paula A. Castaño – Native Species Manager
Richard Griffiths – Head of Operations, South and West Pacific
Sara de Rodt Araya – Island Restoration Specialist
Solange Goldswosthy – Project Manager
Sierra Moore – GIS Data Science Specialist
Timo Sullivan – Drone and Data Insights Specialist
Tommy Hall – Project Manager
Tutii Chilton – Micronesian Program Manager
Ulf Hardter – GEF Project Manager
Vasco Melgarejo – Island Restoration Specialist
Wes Jolley – Head of Operations – US
Thank you for your dedicated support as we continue to grow our impact. Cheers to a hope-filled 2024 and
Artwork: Bren Ram
Drone: Timo Sullivan
Hero Image: Loraine and Rena, two Palaun women
working closely with Island Conservation from Kayangel Island, Palau.
Photo Credit: Tommy Hall, Callum Thompson, Paul
Jacques, Andy Wright, and Irene Espinosa
There’s more than one way to make an impact. Join our collective of dedicated supporters by donating today or signing up for our newsletter to stay informed.
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