A new philanthropic initiative, the Phoenix Species Project, has announced a $200 million commitment to conserve and restore 100 endangered animal and plant species worldwide. The fund, unveiled Tuesday, represents one of the largest targeted investments focused specifically on species recovery and is a joint effort by Re:wild, a nonprofit co-founded by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and the Bezos Earth Fund, established by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The project comes amid mounting global biodiversity losses driven by habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. The 100 species selected for support are all critically threatened with extinction but have active local conservation teams working on their behalf. They also represent a broad range of habitats, countries, and taxonomic groups.
Among the included species are the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander in North Carolina, whose habitat was severely damaged by mudslides linked to remnants of Hurricane Helene in 2024; the fuzzy belly button, a plant native to South Africa that has been overharvested due to surging demand as a houseplant in East Asia; and the bowmouth guitarfish in the Indo-Pacific, a ray-like fish targeted for its high-value fins.
Wes Sechrest, co-founder and CEO of Re:wild, said the fund aims to provide necessary resources and on-the-ground partnerships to enable populations to rebound. While some recoveries are anticipated to be relatively straightforward, others, such as the vaquita porpoise in Mexico, face more complex and uncertain pathways to survival.
Conservation experts welcomed the financial boost but stressed broader systemic reforms are essential to address the ongoing pressures on natural ecosystems. Julia Jones, a conservation science professor at Bangor University, pointed to the need for large-scale changes in humanity’s interaction with the environment to secure the long-term coexistence of wildlife and people.
Critics also highlighted tensions between conservation efforts supported by corporate philanthropy and the environmental impacts of those same companies. Amazon, led by Bezos, recently topped the Fortune Global 500 list, yet its large-scale consumer business contributes to habitat loss and other threats that drive extinction, according to Brian O’Donnell, director of a nature advocacy organization funded by the Bezos Earth Fund. O’Donnell praised the fund’s value but noted it does not absolve the company of responsibility for its broader environmental footprint.
The Phoenix Species Project illustrates an emerging model of large-scale targeted philanthropy paired with local conservation action, aiming to mitigate some of the most urgent extinctions amid accelerating global environmental challenges.