For more information contact:
Amy Lewis, Managing Director of Policy & Campaigns, WILD.org
Johanna Nilsson, Director, WILD Sápmi Program, WILD.org

Press Release

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025, JULEVU/LULEÅ, SÁPMI – WILD.org continues its +50 year tradition of protecting the self-willed, intact ecosystems – which many refer to as wilderness[1] – by launching a new program that allies the autonomous and sovereign defenders of old growth boreal forests: Sámi reindeer herders and reindeer herding districts in Sweden.

Sweden is eradicating old-growth forest at a rate 6-7x faster[2] than the destruction of the Amazon. Sámi reindeer herders are the most dedicated advocates of the old growth trees, but without international help they confront enormous odds. WILD Sápmi is partnering with Sámi communities to capacitate successful grassroots efforts to defend the forest.

Amy Lewis, Managing Director of WILD.org, says:

“Many don’t realize that Sámi reindeer herders are probably the most effective and dedicated protectors of old growth trees because their herds depend on them for their survival. By defending and empowering Sámi lifeways we are leveraging existing knowledge and expertise to mount a more effective defense of the forest and Earth’s climate.”

The boreal forest is the largest terrestrial carbon sink, with one hectare alone sequestering potential emissions equal to more than that produced by 20 cars annually. Unfortunately, Scandinavian timber extraction has taken priority over the climate crisis and every year tens of thousands of acres are lost to the forest industry. 

Meanwhile, the Sámi lifeway is also besieged by the very forces threatening the forest.

Johanna Nilsson, Director of WILD Sápmi, says:

“Protecting Indigenous Sámi rights means safeguarding the heart of Sápmi and honoring a way of life deeply connected to the land. When we fight for our rights, we stand for the right of all Indigenous Peoples to live with dignity, respect, and sovereignty.”

WILD.org (also known as WILD Foundation) has a long history of protecting wild areas and wilderness and has initiated new wilderness policy tools in countries around the world including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) protecting area category known as Wilderness Category 1b [3] which places emphasis on the protection of wild ecosystems and the traditional, non-industrial lifestyles that coexist within these places.

But since its inception in 1970s South Africa as a partnership between the South African game ranger, Ian Player, and his Zulu mentor, Magqubu Ntombela, WILD has sought to address the root causes of ecological collapse which it maintains is a broken relationship between humanity and nature. For this reason, WILD has historically placed a special emphasis on allying with Indigenous Peoples not just as an effective method for protecting wild places, but also as a necessary action to maintain the values, knowledge, and institutions that can help global civilization adopt a more harmonious coexistence with the natural world.

WILD.org is proud to launch WILD Sápmi, which has already taken its first action by proposing a ban on old growth deforestation at the IUCN’s World Conservation Congress to be held in October of 2025. Program leaders are actively seeking pilot areas to participate in forest monitor trainings in 2026 which they hope will lead to improved data about Sápmi’s forests as well as new income avenues for Sámi communities.

Earth’s ecosystems are interconnected. What happens in Sweden has consequences for the entire planet.

Media Contact:
Amy Lewis, Managing Director of Policy & Campaigns, WILD.org
Johanna Nilsson, Director, WILD Sápmi Program, WILD.org

References
[1] The Hé Sapa Resolution (12th World Wilderness Congress)
[2] Sweden has vast ‘old growth’ forests – but they are being chopped down faster than the Amazon (The Conversation)
[3] Wilderness Protected Areas: Management guidelines for IUCN Category 1b protected areas