WHY WILDLIFE

Where Rivers Flow, Life Thrives

From freshwater mussels filtering water to salmon fueling entire food webs, to birds soaring overhead and mammals roaming river corridors, rivers sustain some of the most diverse and fragile ecosystems on Earth. All wildlife, in water, on land, and in the sky, is connected to rivers.

Wildlife is more than scenery; it is a living measure of planetary health and a vital part of the balance that keeps our world thriving. When rivers are threatened, so is the life that depends on them, which ultimately means all of us.

At Rivers are Life, we see wildlife as part of an interconnected system. Rivers provide habitat, air shapes migration and climate, and science helps us understand the delicate balance between them all.

Rivers sustain the habitats where fish, mussels, amphibians, birds, and mammals live.
Air quality and climate patterns shape migration and breeding cycles.
Wildlife tells the story of ecosystem health, thriving when rivers run clean, declining when they do not.
Science provides the data we need to track species, restore habitats, and protect biodiversity.

Protecting wildlife means protecting the entire system of life.

THE CHALLENGE

Wildlife everywhere is under pressure, and rivers are at the heart of the crisis:

Populations of freshwater vertebrates have declined by 83% since 1970, the steepest drop of any ecosystem.
Habitat loss, pollution, dams, and climate change threaten fish, amphibians, mammals, birds, and countless other species that rely on healthy river systems.
From salmon and sturgeon in the water, to eagles and herons in the sky, to elephants, bears, and deer along the banks, all wildlife depends on rivers.
When keystone species decline, the balance of entire ecosystems begins to unravel.

The health of rivers and the survival of wildlife in every ecosystem are inseparable.

Our Solution

Rivers are Life funds and supports projects that protect wildlife by restoring the rivers they depend on. From tagging endangered sturgeon in the Great Lakes, to restoring habitats for freshwater mussels in Michigan, to protecting coastal bird populations through debris removal in Alaska, to strengthening river corridors for mammals like bears, deer, and elephants, our projects demonstrate how river health and biodiversity are deeply linked.

Through storytelling, we elevate the voices of River Heroes and communities protecting species across the globe, inspiring action to safeguard all wildlife for generations to come.