“One million species at risk of extinction.” “World on notice.” “Humans accelerating extinction of other species.” These alarming headlines earlier this month were prompted by the United Nations release of a summary of its upcoming report on the grave threats that human activity poses to the Earth’s biodiversity.

The report outlines four main areas of concern: overfishing, the acceleration of climate change due to the burning of fossil fuels, pollution, and the impact of invasive species. We work to combat each of these threats by funding:

• Marine reserves (we’ve set up or supported more than 100) that ensure healthy local fisheries
• Green energy projects that use sustainable technology like solar panels and micro-hydro generators
• Protection of hundreds of thousands of acres of mangroves and other forests that prevent carbon from entering the atmosphere
• Clean-up of contaminated land and waste management efforts
• Removal of invasive species, which can quickly wipe out native island plants and animals

Of course, we’re just one small organization, and tackling these global problems requires a multifaceted, worldwide effort. Seacology focuses on protecting island habitats because most extinctions happen on islands—on an isolated island, a local threat can wipe out entire species. Because we work only on islands, dollar-for-dollar, our work has an outsized positive impact. Thank you for supporting Seacology as we do our part in facing these unprecedented challenges.