EXPLORE WILD HOPE

In the face of extreme habitat loss, wildlife biologist Dr. Chris Jenkins puts an ambitious plan in motion to save two uniquely American reptiles — the eastern indigo snake and the gopher tortoise — and the longleaf pine forest they call home.

Dr. James Bogan is the Director for the Central Florida Zoo’s Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation, the only facility that breeds the eastern indigo snake for the sole purpose of reintroducing the offspring into regions where the population is believed to be locally extinct.

Captive breeding is a technique used by conservationists to help imperiled wild species reproduce in a safe and stable environment.

Olivia Woosnam’s career began in 2005 as an international environmental officer at the United Nations Environment Program in Europe, working on international environmental policy and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The axolotl has been called a “conservation paradox” — a creature that is ubiquitous in pet stores, science labs and pop culture… yet almost extinct in the wild.