Protecting Elephants and Rhinos in Malawi

In our 50 year history, Earthwatch has weathered countless major storms: economic downturns, political uprisings, catastrophic weather events, even other disease outbreaks… but this pandemic is on track to be the most devastating of them all.

When news of the coronavirus broke at the beginning of the year, we knew that Earthwatch would be impacted, but I doubt any of us expected to go more than a year without fielding a single volunteer. Yet, that’s where we are today, with hundreds of expeditions cancelled through February 2021. This has not only impacted the organization financially, but has also impacted our ability to fulfill our mission as we lose hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteer service and even more in critical research funding for our scientists, student and teacher fellows, and community partners.

The toll this has taken on Earthwatch is unthinkable, but thanks to a Paycheck Protection Program grant, tremendous personal sacrifices from our staff, a history of prudent fiscal management that had us on solid footing heading into the year, and our generous donors, we’re still standing. Indeed, donors like you have made all the difference between Earthwatch potentially having to close its doors indefinitely and where we stand today—operating at strategically reduced capacity, but still fulfilling our mission the best we can through several new virtual programs.

And now that effective vaccines are on the horizon, we can say with confidence that we WILL make it through this. Earthwatch is one of the lucky ones. However, there are still many uncertainties as we prepare for a variety of reopening scenarios. What is certain though is that Earthwatch’s road to a full recovery will be long and rocky, and that we’ll be relying on donor and volunteer support more than ever in the months ahead to help get us there.

As we get ready to turn the page on 2020, we look forward to a new year filled with renewed hope and possibilities. Thank you for your support that turns scientific discoveries into lasting conservation victories around the world. If you are able to make a special year-end gift now towards Earthwatch’s reopening efforts, please do. We cannot wait until our volunteers are able to safely return to the field and our scientists can resume their research, and your gift today will be a huge help in getting us there!

With best wishes for a healthy and happy holiday season,

Your Friends at Earthwatch