Strategic Plan
2024-2029
Summer 2024
Artwork: Detail from Back, a painting by Isabella Kirkland, featuring 48 species brought back from the brink of extinction
Our mission is to revive biodiversity and restore ecosystems through the genetic rescue of endangered and extinct species.
Ecosystems worldwide face unparalleled biodiversity loss. The consequences of extinction extend far beyond the natural world, degrading economies, livelihoods, and the well-being of communities. Biodiversity loss will take decades to reverse and could result in a planet unable to sustain future generations.
While traditional conservation tools, including habitat restoration and captive breeding, are critical aspects of species recovery, they cannot keep pace with the extinction crisis and cannot restore genetic diversity lost from living populations. Biotechnologies can enhance conservation outcomes by accelerating evolutionary processes, restoring genetic diversity, and fostering the long-term recovery of endangered species. This is why we are creating the Genetic Rescue Toolkit.
Revive & Restore is the only wildlife conservation nonprofit solely focused on advancing biotechnologies to solve wildlife conservation challenges.
The Challenge
The current global extinction crisis demands immediate attention. With species disappearing at an alarming rate—10,000 times higher than historical averages—we face an ongoing mass extinction. This not only endangers the natural world but also threatens critical ecological functions supporting life on Earth.
Our work addresses key conservation challenges, including
- Wildlife disease
- Invasive species
- Loss of genetic diversity
- Coral bleaching
- Wildlife poaching & trafficking
- Climate Change
Figure: Extinctions since 1500 for vertebrate groups, measured by cumulative percentage of species-driven extinct | Wildlife Society 2019
The Opportunity
With the increasing affordability of genomic sequencing and the expansion of gene-editing technologies, there is an opportunity to develop new genetic rescue tools that complement conventional conservation practices. To advance biotechnologies for wildlife, Revive & Restore is building the Genetic Rescue Toolkit, a suite of biotechnology tools that help solve some of the world’s most pressing conservation challenges.
As threats to wildlife increase with the pace of climate change, so too must our conservation strategies. By advancing the Genetic Rescue Toolkit, we are laying the foundation for unprecedented conservation approaches to tackle unprecedented conservation challenges. Genetic rescue is the goal, and the Genetic Rescue Toolkit provides the tools we need to get there.
The Genetic Rescue Toolkit for Wildlife Conservation
The Genetic Rescue Toolkit: From bottom to top, these biotechnologies form the building blocks of genetic rescue. Sequencing and biobanking are foundational tools that enable more advanced technologies, from cloning to genetic engineering.
Our Theory of Change
Conventional tools, including habitat restoration and captive breeding, struggle to keep pace with today’s threats to wildlife. The number of species becoming endangered vastly exceeds those saved. Extinctions continue.
The failure of conventional approaches has led to a stagnation of ideas and inertia to innovate. A sense of despair has created donor fatigue, funding cuts, and worse – conservationists prematurely abandoning promising interventions.
The Genetic Rescue Toolkit is the foundation for our theory of change: it provides biotechnology tools that can accelerate evolutionary processes and foster adaptations at the pace needed to save species. By creating and promoting new tools, Revive & Restore inspires conservation practitioners to field-test new strategies, advocate for widespread adoption, and drive innovation further.
Revive & Restore is uniquely positioned to de-risk conservation biotechnologies, from research to implementation. We can improve our stagnant methodologies and expand our toolkit to save species and restore ecosystems.
Our Theory of Change: In order to turn the tide on biodiversity loss, we must fully realize the potential of the Genetic Rescue Toolkit, from technology development to widespread adoption and deployment in the conservation community.
Our Approach
Revive & Restore provides funds to researcher partners worldwide to develop new tools for the Genetic Rescue Toolkit, which help revive species and restore ecosystems. We support earlystage, proof-of-concept projects that translate advanced biotechnologies to wildlife conservation applications that currently lack viable solutions. Our projects come with a lot of technical risk, but offer the potential of major rewards for species restoration.
Identify the White Space
Revive & Restore brings together conservationists, geneticists, technology developers, and field scientists to identify opportunities for conservation innovation.
Advance Technologies
We fund the research and development of cuttingedge biotechnologies, including applied genomics, biobanking, and advanced reproductive tools.
Enable Application
We amplify the impact of our work by building communities of practice, advocating for the adoption of new technologies, and getting these tools deployed in the field.
In 2023, Dr. Mary Hagedorn and colleagues developed the first successful technique for cryopreserving and reviving coral fragments, funded by Revive & Restore. Credit: Smithsonian Institution
Our Portfolio
Our projects support the research, development and field testing of new genetic rescue tools that address global conservation crises. Our portfolio spans the breadth of the Genetic Rescue Toolkit, from genome sequencing to advanced reproductive techniques to the de-extinction of lost species.
To date, we have funded over 70 genetic rescue projects, with more than 98 focal species. Our projects span 60 institutions across 26 nations. You can browse our portfolio of programs here →
The projects we fund are often the first to demonstrate the measurable impact genetic rescue tools can have on wildlife conservation. As a small and agile organization, we are both opportunistic and strategic with our projects to better meet the needs of conservation.
All Revive & Restore projects meet the following criteria:
- Address a significant conservation problem or build new capacity for conservation practice via genetic rescue tools
- Provide compelling and inspiring examples of the value of genetic rescue technologies for wildlife conservation
- Have clear potential for application
In 2020, Revive & Restore announced the world’s first cloned black- ViaGen Pets & Equine footed ferret, Elizabeth Ann (pictured here). Our goal is to restore lost genetic diversity in the living population of ferrets.
“Revive & Restore is an invaluable partner in our genetic preservation and cloning efforts. The list of accomplishments is impressive today, but we are only beginning to see the benefits that we can create together. We share a bold vision for using proven technology for positive change.“
Blake Russell
President, ViaGen Pets & Equine
Our Impact
Revive & Restore is the leading wildlife conservation organization promoting the incorporation of biotechnologies into standard conservation practice. To date, we have raised over $25M to support catalytic research and development projects worldwide.
As a small and agile organization, we are both opportunistic and strategic with our projects to better meet the needs of conservation. By integrating biotechnology, genetics, and conservation science, Revive & Restore enhances the resilience of ecosystems and positively impacts species that are on the brink of extinction.
Our Kenya-based project, Invisible Elephants, funds the development of sequencing tools to count elephants using stool samples collected at the water hole | Getty Images
Over the past 10 years, we have
Successfully cloned multiple individuals of two endangered species, the black-footed ferret and the Przewalski’s horse
These successes provide evidence that cloning is an increasingly viable tool for species conservation and restoring lost genetic diversity.
Established a partnership and pipeline with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to biobank U.S. endangered species
This is the first time the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has partnered on an agency-wide biobanking initiative.
Pioneered new cryopreservation methods to biobank endangered coral species
This proof-of-concept project, funded by Revive & Restore, established a new method to preserve entire coral fragments easily and rapidly at an urgent moment for coral worldwide.
Cultivated a growing community of conservation practitioners applying biotechnologies in the field
Our vision is to advance biotechnology tools and approaches that see widespread adoption in the conservation community. Our role is to inspire and enable a technological revolution in conservation.
Strategic Partners
Revive & Restore has forged strategic partnerships to propel genetic rescue technologies forward. Collaborating with leading scientific institutions, conservation organizations, and technology companies, we leverage diverse expertise and resources to advance approaches to species conservation and genetic rescue. By fostering partnerships, we accelerate progress in genetic rescue technologies, conservation strategies, and public engagement.
Our goal is to cultivate a collaborative ecosystem where knowledge is shared, spread, and radically advanced together.
Media & Coverage
We collaborate with influential media partners to amplify our message and expose new audiences to genetic rescue approaches. Through our media partnerships, we leverage the power of storytelling, science-driven journalism, and multimedia platforms to communicate the importance of innovation in conservation and highlight the potential of cutting-edge technologies to address biodiversity challenges.
By collaborating with media outlets, we can reach diverse audiences, engage with policymakers, and cultivate public support for novel conservation strategies.
Our Funders & Partners
Featured Media Partners
Future Directions
Through collaborative efforts with science, conservation, and technology partners, we have made significant strides in advancing genetic rescue technologies and raising awareness about the need for interventions in conservation. And we’re just getting started.
Looking ahead, our organization is poised to expand the Genetic Rescue Toolkit, field-test emerging technologies, and expand our communities of practice. By leveraging the power of the Genetic Rescue Toolkit, we will continue to build meaningful change in conservation practices that turn the tide on biodiversity loss.
Stem Cell Development
Revive & Restore’s newest program leverages ethical stem cell technology for wildlife conservation. In addition to improving biobanking, stem cells offer (1) New ways to create sperm, eggs, and embryos, (2) Solutions to wildlife disease, and (3) An opportunity for engineered resilience. Yet, stem cell technologies remain severely underdeveloped for wildlife.
A.I. for Wildlife Conservation
AI holds immense potential to revolutionize genetic rescue tools with unprecedented efficiency, scale, and precision. Through machine learning algorithms, AI can analyze vast amounts of genomic and biological data to identify patterns, problems, and solutions. By harnessing AI, Revive & Restore can accelerate genomic technologies for conservation.
Expanding Biobanking
By preserving living cells, biobanking offers a safeguard for the genetic diversity of species. Biobanking also provides a foundation for advanced genetic rescue technologies and can reveal genetic strategies to mitigate disease and climate change. Our goal is to make biobanking standard practice in wildlife conservation.
Long-Term Outcomes
Revive & Restore’s efforts promise long-term outcomes that extend far beyond the conservation of individual species. Biodiversity is the foundation of stable ecosystems and resilient communities. By harnessing the power of the Genetic Rescue Toolkit, we are building a future where species thrive, ecosystems flourish, and humanity becomes an active partner in rebuilding the nature we’ve lost.
By leveraging cutting-edge biotechnologies, such as cloning, gene editing, and de-extinction, we pioneer bold solutions to the extinction crisis.
Simultaneously, we catalyze a global movement to embrace our responsibility to undo the ecological damage humanity has wrought. Through collaborations with science, technology, and conservation practitioners, we cultivate a sense of shared responsibility and collective action, uniting diverse skill sets for a common cause.
As we navigate complex conservation challenges, the importance of innovation cannot be overstated. Staring down the pathway toward a sixth mass extinction, we stand at a critical juncture in history. Yet, amidst the challenges, we find cause for hope in the transformative potential of genetic rescue technologies. By embracing innovation and genetic rescue, we chart a course toward a brighter, sustainable future. The sixth mass extinction does not have to come to pass – with biotechnologies we can stop it. We can reverse it. We can revive species and restore ecosystems for millennia to come.
“It’s an honor to support an organization so effectively devoted to developing answers to the environmental challenges that we face and to preserving the diversity of the species with which we live and on which we depend. Revive & Restore’s continued progress is both a comfort and an inspiration.”
Lawrence Wilkinson
Recurring Donor to Revive & Restore
Please Consider Making Your Tax-Deductible Donation Today To Help Change The Future Of Conservation. Together, we can turn the tide on biodiversity loss.
Revive & Restore is a 501(c)3 non-profit
Charity Navigator Score 100
★★★★
