The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over 5 million members and supporters in 48 state-affiliated organizations. The NWF strives to remain "A national network of like-minded state and territorial groups, seeking balanced, common-sense solutions to environmental problems that work for wildlife and people." The NWF has an annual budget of over $125 million as of 2006. Its mission statement is "to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future."

History and Mission

On March 1, 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed political cartoonist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling to be the chief of the U.S. Biological Survey. At Darling's behest, the president created plans to convene a conference in Washington D.C. to unite individuals, organizations and agencies interested in the restoration and conservation of wildlife resources. The conference took place from February 3- 7, 1936 and was called the North American Wildlife Conference.

At this conference, an organization called the General Wildlife Federation was created; Darling was elected president. The first annual meeting was held March 3, 1937 in St. Louis, Missouri. The General Wildlife Federation became the National Wildlife Federation in 1938. The numbers of members of this Federation increased from 2.3 million in 1968 to 4.1 million in 1974.

Its three main areas of focus are:

1. connecting people to nature
2. reversing global warming
3. protecting and restoring critical wildlife habitats

The National Wildlife Federation unites sportsmen, outdoor enthusiasts, bird-watchers, wildlife gardeners, nature lovers, and others, bringing together a broad spectrum of people who share a passionate concern for wildlife. Affiliates from across the country have created a national network of like-minded state and local groups who seek balanced, common-sense solutions to environmental problems.

To achieve its mission, NWF offers the following services to individuals, organizations, and businesses: accessible conservation training, leadership training, educational curricula, information outreach, and networking opportunities. NWF frequently partners with other conservation organizations and corporations to achieve its goals.

NWF seeks to educate people of all ages by publishing a variety of wildlife magazines, including Wild Animal Baby, Your Big Backyard, Ranger Rick, and National Wildlife, and by the Backyard Habitat series on Discovery's Animal Planet along with IMAX films, such as Coral Reef Adventure, India: Kingdom of the Tiger, Bears, Wolves, and Dolphins. It maintains an on-line field guide of flora and fauna called Enature.com. Additionally, the NWF offers hands-on training and support for habitat restoration through its Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Schoolyard Habitat programs. It has developed a new Green Hour program aimed at Reversing Nature Deficit in children brought on by their spending an average of six daily hours indoors watching TV, playing video games or chatting online.