Dear Friends,

This Earth Day feels different.

Since the first Earth Day in 1970—which itself emerged from a wave of environmental disasters and rising public outrage—we’ve seen moments of progress, setbacks, and profound challenges. That first Earth Day was sparked by a series of shocking events: the Cuyahoga River catching fire in Ohio, the massive oil spill off Santa Barbara’s coast, and smog so thick in cities like Los Angeles that children couldn’t play outside. It was born from a crisis—just as we now find ourselves in another.

We are watching hard-won environmental protections of the past 50 years unravel. Political leadership that once championed science and sustainability is now accelerating destruction. And the climate crisis, once a distant warning, is here—flooding our cities, burning our forests, reshaping our world.

But perhaps the most unsettling part is this: it’s not just that we’re moving in the wrong direction. It’s that we’re losing the very mechanisms we need to find our way back. Trust in institutions. International cooperation. Shared truth.

And yet—despite it all—millions of people around the world are still fighting for the Earth.

In every region, on every continent, conservationists, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth activists, and everyday citizens are protecting wild places, restoring broken ecosystems, and defending the future.

Their work is not always in the headlines. But it is unwavering. And it is full of hope.

At the International Conservation Fund, we draw strength from these stories. We believe in the power of resilience, in the quiet courage of those who refuse to give up, and in the deep, abiding truth that nature can recover—if we give it a chance.

So yes, this may be the darkest Earth Day since the first. But it does not have to stay that way.

Let us carry the torch through this dark age—together. Let us listen, learn, act, and give. Let us remind ourselves and each other that despair is not a strategy and that the future will be decided by what we choose to do now.

ICF funds cutting-edge conservation partners around the world, protecting some of the most endangered habitats and species against ever-increasing threats. Please take a moment to learn more about our Field Partners and consider making a donation to support their work.

This Earth Day, don’t turn away. Turn toward the work. Toward each other. Toward the Earth.

With resolve and hope,
International Conservation Fund