Environment Program Director Moira Mcdonald introduces a new Walton Family Foundation storytelling series, The Ripple Effect, featuring women who are leading the way in protecting water resources in the face of climate change.

Watch this featured conversation about the foundation’s support for Planet Forward and the work it’s doing to build a unique movement of young journalists telling the stories of people affected by climate change.

Senior Environment Program Officer Morgan Snyder speaks with Navajo Nation member Heather Tanana, who leads the Universal Access to Clean Water for Tribal Communities Project, about the water challenges and opportunities facing tribal nations.

Environment Program director Moira Mcdonald shares her thoughts on the connection between water and climate change - and what gives her hope about the future.

Environment Program Director Moira Mcdonald discusses the important role sustainable agriculture must play in ensuring healthier rivers and oceans.

Joshua Ventress, a 2022 Walton Family Foundation Environment Program intern, produced this report on how artisanal fishers in the Yucatán Peninsula are embracing sustainable fishing to protect the oceans – and their communities.

We’re in one of the most consequential moments in history but one that also allows us to break from the past and innovate for the future. What does this mean for the conservation movement, and what lessons apply to other challenges?

How are environmental reporters thinking about this moment, when there is so much at stake but also so much potential? What do they predict will be this year’s biggest headlines? Our panel of reporters answers all of this and more.

We believe tomorrow’s solutions start with progress today. We find hope in progress to preserve rivers and oceans and the communities they support – sustaining nature because nature sustains us.

For Iowa farmer Mitchell Hora, cover crops hold the key to healthier, more resilient soil and higher corn and soybean yields even in years with heavy rains or drought.

Healthy rivers create more prosperous communities.

Utah's Escalante River is a place of respite for outfitter Nathan Waggoner. “It really recharges the soul to be out on the river and fishing," Nathan says. "It's a nice, calming place to be." Nathan's appreciation for the Escalante's natural beauty drives his concern about the environmental threat posed by the invasive Russian olive tree, which overtakes native riparian species and alters water flow and temperature on the river.

In just over 20 years, the global seafood sustainability movement has helped turn the tide against overfishing that has damaged or destroyed fisheries. Teresa Ish of the Walton Family Foundation explains how seafood companies that once paid little heed to sustainability are embracing the pressing need for fisheries reforms, recognizing they can’t sell fish if there are none to catch.

Bill Brandau has lived more than 30 years and raised his family on his ranch along the Gila River in southeastern Arizona. He is working with the Gila Watershed Partnership, and RiversEdge West to restore the river's riparian ecosystem and remove invasive species.

"I come to work every day because I feel like I am really making a positive impact," says Emily Kasyon. As watershed program coordinator for the Southwest Conservation Corps, Emily is helping protect the Dolores River from invasive species, such as tamarisk, that are crowding out native plants and damaging riparian habitat throughout the Colorado River basin.

We're proud to showcase the special regions we’re trying to protect through our Environment Program and feature the voices of the people whose commitment to conservation demonstrates the power of individuals to make a difference.

Captain Bobby Kelly credits the Magnusson-Stevens Act, passed by Congress in 2006, as the catalyst for the recovery of the red snapper population.