Leonardo DiCaprio has announced a new initiative to “Re:wild” the Earth.
Together with non-profit Global Wildlife Conservation where he’s a founding board member, the Hollywood star and environmentalist is bringing together wildlife experts, platforms and indigenous voices from over 50 countries to not only protect existing wildlife but also reintroduce lost animal species to various environments and restore biodiversity.
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Big job, right?
Well, it is. But the Re:wild team has already kicked off a major project, making a $43 million commitment to help save the entirety of the Galápagos Islands and Latin America’s archipelagos in the Pacific Ocean.
“More than half of Earth’s remaining wild areas could disappear in the next few decades if we don’t decisively act,” Leonardo says in a post on his socials.
“This is why today, I am excited to launch Re:wild – to help protect what’s still wild and restore the rest.”
More than half of Earth’s remaining wild areas could disappear in the next few decades if we don’t decisively act. This is why today I am excited to launch @Rewild – to help protect what’s still wild and restore the rest. pic.twitter.com/Sxmrx2uhwd
— Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) May 17, 2021
So how exactly will those $43 million be spent?
“To bring the Pink Iguana, the Floreana Giant Tortoise and Floreana Mockingbird back from the brink of extinction and to ensure the people of the Galápagos thrive with the wild,” Leo explains in his post.
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He also handed over his Insta account earlier this week to Paula Castaño, a wildlife veterinarian and island restoration specialist who lives on the Galápagos Islands, as part of Re:wild’s commitment to amplify the voices of those doing the ground work. As Leo says, “the environmental heroes that the planet needs are already here. Now we all must rise to the challenge and join them”
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Rewilding the Galápagos Islands is just one of many projects that Re:wild has on their list. The organisation also plans to create a breeding program for the Sumatran rhino in Indonesia, continue returning Tasmanian Devils to mainland Australia (after 3,000 years!) and help restore Cuba’s ecosystem by saving their critically endangered crocodiles.
(Feature Image Credit: Andrea Raffin/Shutterstock.com)