Some of California’s most iconic redwoods are at risk — not from logging, but from a highway expansion through protected public lands. Right now, plans to expand Highway 101 would cut into the root systems of ancient trees on the North Coast. These roots are essential to their survival. When they’re damaged, trees can weaken, decline, and die. Less than 5% of original redwood forests remain. These groves support entire ecosystems and can’t simply recover once they’re damaged. Governor Gavin Newsom has the authority to step in and stop this from moving forward. Tell Newsom: Protect redwoods before it’s too late. https://act.biologicaldiversity.org/Q8zhKD6k_0WPC_R3viC_KA2

Introducing our weekly news round up where we share the latest in environmental news including the good, bad and the ugly and what we're doing to protect wildlife and wild places. Check out some of the environmental issues we worked on this week. We are successfully winning cases and getting courts to step in to uphold the Endangered Species Act and protect wildlife, even as destructive projects move forward and new threats emerge. These fights are happening right now in our forests, our rivers, and our communities. A lot is happening and it can feel overwhelming, but this is what we were founded to do. Follow along, stay informed, and share. Join our fight for the wild at biodiv.us/join

Tune in for live updates on the "Alligator Alcatraz Case" from the Center's Florida and Caribbean Director. Get the latest on the lawsuit to protect Big Cypress National Preserve.

The Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Everglades, Earthjustice, and the Miccosukee Tribe sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to halt a project impacting the Everglades. This vital ecosystem, designated an endangered UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010, is the Western Hemisphere's largest mangrove system and a critical bird breeding ground.

Read our most recent press release: Florida Banked on $1.4 Billion in Federal Funds for Everglades Detention Center

The Center for Biological Diversity is again under attack. Far-right congressmen on the House Resources Committee have launched a baseless "investigation" against us for protecting the Arctic and polar bears from an oil conglomerate. Our Executive Director, Kierán, denounced this as a weaponization of government power, a smear tactic by oil-funded politicians to silence environmental advocates.

This "investigation" is a politically motivated witch hunt, devoid of legal merit and making absurd accusations. To combat this antidemocratic power-mongering and defend our critical work, we've established the Freedom Defense Fund. Your support is crucial to our survival against these persistent threats. Please donate today, or consider a monthly contribution to sustain our defense.

The Trump administration is initiating oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's Coastal Plain, inviting companies to identify drilling sites. This 1.56-million-acre area is the biological heart of the Arctic Refuge, vital for the Porcupine caribou herd, migratory birds, and polar bears.

Industrializing this irreplaceable sanctuary will harm wildlife and accelerate climate change. The Arctic is already warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. Drilling will displace animals, endanger polar bear families, and pollute air and water, fueling a climate disaster. Past lease sales have failed due to public demand for protection over short-term corporate profit. Stand up for the Coastal Plain.

The America the Beautiful Annual Pass, used by over a million visitors, grants entry to national parks and federal lands. The 2026 pass was legally mandated to feature a Glacier National Park photograph. However, the Trump administration instead inserted the president's image, reportedly discouraging sales and potentially voiding passes if the image is covered.

A new bill, the Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act, seeks to ban images of living political figures on park passes. This aims to ensure public lands remain neutral spaces for all Americans, free from partisan politics.

U.S. residents should contact their representatives to support this act, ensuring passes feature natural beauty and wildlife, not political figures.

The Center for Biological Diversity experienced a fast and successful 2025, despite multiple investigations and attacks from President Trump and far-right House members aimed at intimidation. These efforts failed to slow us down.

Since Trump's second inauguration on January 20, we have filed 65 lawsuits. These actions targeted destructive policies, climate-killing fossil fuels, widespread chemical approvals, and the despoilment of vital ecosystems like the Everglades. We also fought corruption threatening wilderness areas and defended national parks from exploitation.

We are deeply grateful for your continued faith and anticipate more hard-fought battles and victories in 2026.

Human activity globally threatens biodiversity. David Attenborough emphasizes its vital importance, the impact of its loss, and that there's still time to act if we change direction now.

Everyone can make a difference by understanding the facts. Explore biodiversity further at royalsociety.org/biodiversity. Learn about climate change basics (60 seconds) and net zero (what is net zero?). Stay informed via the Royal Society's email newsletter at royalsociety.org/stay-in-touch/email-newsletters/. The Royal Society, a fellowship of eminent scientists and the oldest scientific academy, offers more information on its website: royalsociety.org/.

The Center for Biological Diversity is actively fighting to save the Everglades from the destructive "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center. Join our upcoming webinar for an inside look at this critical legal battle, what lies ahead, and how your support drives this lifesaving campaign.

As a 501c3 nonprofit, the Center believes human welfare is deeply linked to nature. We use science, law, and creative media to protect lands, waters, and climate, securing a future for all species on the brink of extinction. Learn more at our website, take action, or donate to support our work. Find us on Facebook. For questions, email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a leading organization of lawyers, scientists, and activists. They are dedicated to fighting for endangered species and habitat protections across the planet.

To learn more about their vital work, please visit their website: biologicaldiversity.org

The Center for Biological Diversity is a leading organization. Its lawyers, scientists, and activists work globally to protect endangered species and their habitats.

Learn more about their vital work: biologicaldiversity.org

All footage © 2025.

Legal protections have enabled wolves to return to the West Coast, an inspiring conservation success story. By late 2024, 75 wolf families were known across the three-state region, with recovery still in early stages due to ample habitat.

The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit, believes human well-being is tied to nature’s diversity. We use science, law, and media to protect species, their habitats, and climate, ensuring a wild world for future generations.

For more information, visit our website, take action, or connect with us on social media. Direct questions to center@biologicaldiversity.org.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a leading organization of lawyers, scientists, and activists dedicated to protecting endangered species and habitats worldwide.

Learn more about their work: biologicaldiversity.org

The Center for Biological Diversity is a leading organization of lawyers, scientists, and activists dedicated to protecting endangered species and habitats globally.

Learn more about their work: biologicaldiversity.org

Mountain lions, more closely related to housecats than lions, face challenging lives in Central California's urban wildlands. Their habitat is fragmented by freeways and development. Despite their wild nature, puma kittens behave much like domestic cats, and their mothers even purr. (Footage courtesy of the National Park Service)

The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit, believes human welfare is deeply linked to nature's biodiversity. We use science, law, and creative media to protect species on the brink of extinction and safeguard the lands, waters, and climate they need. Our mission is to ensure future generations inherit a world where the wild thrives.

Meet the bone collector caterpillar, a newly described Hyposmocoma species. This rare carnivore (only 0.13% of caterpillars) lurks in spider webs, camouflaged by insect corpses, even preying on its own kind. Roughly the length of a fingernail, it's a fascinating example of nature's unique adaptations.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature's vast diversity. Through science, law, and creative media, we work to protect species, their habitats, and climate, ensuring a wild world for future generations.

Connect with us: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Take Action. Email center@biologicaldiversity.org for inquiries.

For a dopamine boost, watch baby kit fox siblings frolicking near a California den site on Instagram or YouTube. These tiny foxes—North America’s smallest native canines—frequently move den sites to evade predators, using over 60 different dens annually.

For decades, the Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit, has fought to save these foxes from habitat loss, oil and gas development, and other threats. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature, working through science, law, and creative media to protect species and their habitats, ensuring a wild world for future generations.

A remotely operated submersible recently captured a rare video of a living juvenile colossal squid near the Atlantic Ocean's South Sandwich Islands. This foot-long creature, with a transparent body and glowing eyes, offers a glimpse of a species whose adults, never filmed alive, can reach 23 feet and weigh over 1,000 pounds, typically inhabiting Antarctic waters over 3,200 feet deep.

The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit, believes human welfare is deeply tied to nature's diversity. We work to protect all species from extinction through science, law, and creative media, focusing on safeguarding essential lands, waters, and climate. Our goal is a future where the wild thrives.

On Saturday, an estimated 3 million people, including Center for Biological Diversity staff and supporters, protested President Donald Trump and Elon Musk across 1,400 U.S. cities and internationally. Rallies occurred in Tucson, Jacksonville, Washington D.C., London, and Paris.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit. We protect wild species and their habitats through science, law, and media, ensuring a future where nature thrives for generations to come.

Visit our website, take action, or email center@biologicaldiversity.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.