WILD Sápmi
Indigenous-led solutions to save Sápmi’s boreal forests
Strengthening Sámi lifeways to protect biodiversity and the climate
- Boreal forests
- Climate Defense
- Indigenous-led ecosystem protection
IUCN Motion 131: Defending Sápmi’s Old Growth Forests Learn More
WILD Call to Action: WILD Sápmi Learn More
WILD SÁPMI: A New Alliance to Defend Old Growth Press Release Learn More
Swedish Forest Company SCA’s Exit from FSC Certification Learn More
Protecting the Sápmi Forest Learn More
Protect the Sámi, Protect the Planet
The boreal forest is home to the indigenous Sámi people and the reindeer – an ecosystem engineer and keystone species central to Sámi culture. These functional ecosystems are our planet’s largest terrestrial carbon sink. For thousands of years, Sámi stewardship sustained their diversity and resilience — until colonial and industrial pressures began undermining that relationship. Today it is being logged at a rate faster than the Amazon, threatening global climate systems, eroding biodiversity and fragmenting the vast connected landscape the reindeer depend upon. Acting now to protect these old-growth forests is essential to safeguard and support life on Earth.
WILD Sápmi is a sámi-led initiative, building on WILD.org long-standing landscape-scale conservation as well as the local teams’ extensive experience in Sápmi. We aim to regenerate boreal ecosystems by strengthening sámi stewardship and sustain local livelihoods.
Area Size: 61,700 sq miles
Global Ecological Services: carbon sequestration, biodiversity
Local Ecological Services: water cycle regulation, biodiversity, vegetation regulation
Species: scots pine, norway spruce, reindeer, lichen
Human Population: 10 ppl / sq mile
Major Threats: logging, mining, windpower, hydropower, infrastructure, climate change
Sámi-Led Solutions
We’re training, equipping, and funding community-led biodiversity monitoring to ensure Sámi communities have the best possible data about the ecosystems that sustain them. These insights strengthen traditional stewardship and support science-based decision-making for the future of Sápmi.
Connecting Local Leadership with Global Institutions
We are bridging global communication to ensure Sámi voices guide conservation priorities and the protection of old-growth forests.
Sharing Knowledge, Shaping Global Action
Through regular educational exchanges, we will amplify Sámi conservation leadership, counter misinformation from extractive industries, and align Sápmi’s efforts with global nature conservation goals, building a more integrated and effective movement for people and the planet.
What happens in Sweden has consequences for the entire planet. Will you stand with the Sámi?
Sámi reindeer herders are the most dedicated advocates of the old growth forests, but without international support they confront enormous odds. WILD Sápmi is partnering with Sámi communities to capacitate successful grassroots conservation and secure lasting protection for old-growth forests.
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