Leonardo DiCaprio's Re:wild used 90 countries to fight ecosystem loss through local partnerships; its work still spans 590 million acres in active conservation worldwide

Leonardo DiCaprio founded Re:wild alongside a team of experienced conservation scientists. Their strategy shifts authority away from central offices and places it directly with frontline communities. Instead of imposing top-down rules, the group works alongside Indigenous guardians, regional researchers, and local organizations who best understand their native habitats.

Today, this collaborative network spans 90 countries and safeguards over 590 million acres of vital land and marine habitat. Re:wild backs more than 600 local partners, helping protect roughly 36,000 wild species. The organization runs active field initiatives in 39 nations, offers financial backing across 34 others, and manages 17 targeted funds for urgent ecological crises.

To ensure every dollar makes a tangible difference, primary donors cover all core administrative and operational expenses. This structure allows 100 percent of public contributions to flow directly into field operations. By funding local knowledge instead of expanding corporate overhead, Re:wild turns grassroots dedication into long-term global stability.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Re:wild: A different way to approach conservation

DiCaprio founded Re:wild with experienced conservation scientists and built its work around a simple idea: local people should have a meaningful voice in protecting their own environments. The organization does not rely only on decisions made from distant offices. Instead, it works with Indigenous guardians, regional researchers and local conservation groups. These partners bring knowledge that cannot easily be replaced by a report or satellite image.

That approach matters because every ecosystem has its own pressures. A forest community may be dealing with illegal hunting or habitat loss. A coastal community may be watching its reefs and fisheries change. The people living closest to those problems often understand them in ways outsiders cannot. Re:wild provides funding, science and other resources while allowing local expertise to shape the work.

A network that stretches across the world

The scale of that network is substantial. Re:wild says its conservation partnerships now extend across 90 countries and benefit roughly 36,000 wild species. The organization reports active field initiatives in 39 countries and financial support reaching another 34. It also operates 17 targeted funds aimed at urgent conservation needs.

Those numbers are impressive, but they are not simply a count of places on a map. Each location represents a different conservation challenge. In some regions, the focus is on endangered wildlife. In others, it may involve restoring damaged ecosystems or creating stronger protection for areas of exceptional biodiversity.

Finding the places that matter most

One tool that helps conservation groups decide where to focus is the Key Biodiversity Area, or KBA, framework. These are places considered especially important for the survival of species and ecosystems. The system was developed through the IUCN and gives researchers a consistent way to identify sites with exceptional biological importance.

More than 16,600 KBAs have been identified around the world. They include forests, freshwater environments, grasslands, islands and marine habitats. The idea is useful because conservation is not only about asking which animals are endangered. It is also about asking which places hold extraordinary concentrations of life and which habitats cannot easily be replaced.

Re:wild uses KBA information as part of its conservation planning. That can help direct attention toward areas where protecting one landscape may benefit many species at once.

Why 90 countries does not mean one strategy

Re:wild’s presence in 90 countries does not mean it uses the same formula everywhere. In some places, its teams work closely with partners on field projects. In others, the organization mainly provides funding and technical support to groups already doing the work.

The difference is important. Conservation is rarely solved by one action. Protecting an endangered animal may require habitat protection, monitoring, patrols and cooperation with nearby communities. In Vietnam’s Annamite Mountains, for example, conservation efforts have included wildlife monitoring, snare removal and technology to strengthen patrols. The work also considers the human realities surrounding poaching.

The picture changes in the Bahamas. There, conservation priorities include marine biodiversity, protected areas, reefs, mangroves and fisheries. Those ecosystems are not only important to wildlife. They are also connected to the lives and livelihoods of people living along the coast.

The human value of protecting nature

That connection is easy to overlook when conservation is described only through endangered species and protected acres. Healthy ecosystems also support people. Forests can help regulate water. Wetlands can reduce environmental risks. Coastal habitats can provide food and protection. Biodiversity itself supports the natural systems on which communities depend.

This is why Re:wild’s local partnership model carries significance beyond wildlife protection. A conservation project can become stronger when the people affected by environmental change have a role in shaping the solution. Their knowledge can help researchers understand what is changing and what might actually work on the ground.

What the numbers really represent

Re:wild reports more than 590 million acres in active conservation with its partners. It also reports more than 197 million acres in new conservation areas being created. The organization says 276 threatened species are part of active conservation efforts, while its broader work benefits more than 36,000 species.

These figures should not be read as land directly owned or independently managed by Re:wild. Much of the organization’s work happens through partnerships. Its role is often to provide resources, expertise and support to groups already protecting their landscapes.

That distinction makes the human side of the work clearer. The numbers are not the story by themselves. They are evidence of a network built around people who are already doing the difficult work of conservation.

Where the work goes from here

Re:wild’s long-term plans include expanding protected and conserved areas, helping threatened species recover and strengthening Indigenous and local conservation leadership. Its broader goal is to make protection more durable, rather than treating each environmental crisis as an isolated emergency.

The challenge is enormous. Identifying an important ecosystem does not automatically protect it. A forest can still face development. A species can still lose its habitat. A reef can still suffer from warming oceans and other pressures.

That is why the most interesting part of Re:wild’s 90-country reach may not be the number itself. It is the connection between global science and local knowledge. Leonardo DiCaprio’s conservation organization is helping put resources behind people who understand these landscapes firsthand. In that sense, its biggest contribution may be less about speaking for nature and more about helping the people already fighting to protect it.