Interview with Defenders of Wildlife
With: Cindy Hoffman, Vice President of Communications
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Lisa Selvaggio: First off, I want to thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. For those who aren't very familiar with Defenders of Wildlife, can you tell us how this non-profit originated and how it made itself so big?
Cindy Hoffman: Defenders of Wildlife was founded 60 years ago. Today, we are one of the country's leaders in innovative science-based, results-oriented wildlife conservation. We stand out in our commitment to saving imperiled wildlife and habitat, and championing the Endangered Species Act, the landmark law that protects them. Defenders is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities.
Defenders employs over 150 full-time staff. We have over 1 million members and activists, and we continue to grow each year. It is our supporters who have enabled us to become the organization we are today.
LS: I've been a member of Defenders for a few years now. I've taken action online by submitting letters to government officials, I've made some adoptions, and I'm on the mailing list. I extremely appreciate the work you guys do. Even the Defenders Magazine is wonderful. How do you guys juggle all of the issues you tackle from around the world? How many people are actually working on any given project, and when do you know you've completed the project?
CH: Thanks so much for your support! I am so happy to hear that you enjoy the magazine. It is a true labor of love.
Your action, along with all our activists, gives flight to the many projects that our expert staff is working on. Usually, one person will be working on multiple projects within their field of expertise. Our lawyers may have several cases running at once, and our scientists are always working to find and analyze new data for a whole variety of issues, which gives our work so much credibility. Our field staff works with a variety of communities on regional issues.
As for completing a project, many of our projects are long term. For instance, once we win listing status for an imperiled species, it's time to work with government agencies and local communities to help that species recover. A great example of this is our work on wolves. Defenders played a significant role in getting wolves reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park and northern Idaho. Since then we have used our compensation and proactive funds to work with ranchers to implement best management practices so that ranchers and wolves can both survive and thrive on the landscape.
Robert Acocella: I'm also a long-time member of Defenders, and I've received some promotional mailers offering free gifts in return for donations. I was wondering, being that you are a non-profit group, how long it takes for you to recoup the costs of those gifts after they've been purchased and given out?
CH: According to our membership staff, we recoup the investment of offering the gift immediately from existing members.
LS: To be honest, I'm very much interested in one day starting my own non-profit organization to help animals in some way. How difficult is it for an individual to do so, and how hard is it to keep it going, especially if it's very small at first?
CH: Starting a business, whether it be a non-profit or a for-profit company takes real dedication, smarts, money and a lot of luck. Some succeed and some don't. But I always encourage people to follow their passions! If you are passionate about what you are doing, it will be contagious! One thing I would suggest is not to try to do it alone. Try to form a board or advisory group, with each member having a specific skill set that you will need. For instance, if you wanted to start an animal shelter, you would need to find a vet, an accountant, a fundraiser, an IT expert and a real estate agent who are all dedicated to the cause and willing to help out over the long-term. Good luck!
RA: I'm very much against cruelty towards all animals, and therefore, I disagree with people who kill animals for fur/fashion. There's an old joke that says animal rights activists will sooner attack a fur-wearing individual than one wearing leather because it's easier to harass rich women than it is to harass a motorcycle gang. Do you feel there's a difference between killing an animal strictly for its fur and killing one that will be used for both food and clothing?
CH: Defenders only takes a position on the issue of hunting when the program is scientifically unsound or has a direct impact on the survival of the population as a whole.
LS: What are the issues that Defenders is currently pushing for change in, that people really need to become aware of and take action on right away?
CH: We have three big priorities right now. The first is the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act - a great piece of legislation which, if passed and signed by the President, will help us help wildlife adapt to the impacts of global warming. I am happy to say that by the end of 2007, Congress passed this legislation in their broader energy bill and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee included comprehensive wildlife adaptation language in the Lieberman-Warner Bill, so we are well on our way. Global warming is the most significant threat to wildlife and its habitat and the Lieberman-Warner Bill commits an unprecedented level of funding from the auction of carbon allowances to help wildlife and natural resources survive global warming. Visit http://www.defenders.org/globalwarming to read Congressional testimony from some of our experts and check out our year-long series of fact sheets called "Navigating the Arctic Meltdown" that highlight the impacts of global warming on wildlife. You can also check out our award-winning public service announcements that have been viewed by millions of folks across the country.
The second is the campaign to end the aerial hunting of wolves in Alaska. It's hard to believe that in 2008, hunters still use aircraft to chase and kill wolves and other animals. They shoot these animals from the air or chase them to exhaustion before landing and shooting them point blank.
More than 30 years ago, Congress put an end to aerial hunting. But Alaska is exploiting a loophole in federal law to resume the practice. Other states could soon follow suit. Fortunately, Congressman George Miller of California (one of the great heroes in Congress for conservation!) introduced the Protect America's Wildlife Act - or PAW Act - in September. The PAW Act will close this unethical loophole in federal law.
Check out our video and learn more about this issue by visiting our web site at: www.defenders.org/aerial_hunting We are currently conducting an aggressive co-sponsorship drive in Congress. I would encourage all of your readers to contact their member of Congress and make sure that he or she has signed on to this important legislation.
Finally, Defenders will carry on our efforts to ensure that wolves continue to recover in the lower 48 states. Efforts by the Bush administration are underway to remove the gray wolf in the Rocky Mountain region from the list of threatened and endangered species. While wolves have made a dramatic comeback in the Northern Rockies, and are currently thriving in the region, we are concerned that, once delisted, Idaho and Wyoming have plans for wide-scale removal of wolves with the goal of dramatically reducing the region's overall wolf population.
If Idaho and Wyoming move forward with their plans to eliminate the majority of wolves in their states, their actions could lead to a need to relist them in the near future. Until reasonable, sustainable state management plans are in place, the Fish and Wildlife Service should not remove protections from the Northern Rockies wolves. We have come too far to backslide now in recovering these amazing creatures to their rightful and historic place on the landscape. Defenders of Wildlife is working to ensure that the Service keeps its promise to safeguard wolves as a vital part of the Northern Rockies ecosystem and the American landscape. We expect to see the Service remove the wolf from the endangered species list by March 2008 so stay tuned.
We are also working aggressively to ensure recovery of the Mexican wolf in Arizona and New Mexico. A recent High Country News article highlights the pressures these wolves are under. http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=17419
The Fish and Wildlife Service has reintroduced almost 100 Mexican wolves over the past 10 years, but less than 60 wolves are still on the landscape in the southwest today. Despite the ease with which they have taken to their new home and reproduced, numerous factors prevent the wolf from establishing enough stable, healthy packs to thrive in the long term. These include restricting wolves to a small recovery area and relocating those that leave the area, a 25 year old out of date recovery plan, and illegal shootings. In addition, the Service takes out wolves that have a history of preying on cattle. These wolves need all the help they can get. The Fish and Wildlife Service has recently conducted a series of scoping meetings in the region to get feedback from people on the wolf reintroduction effort. Our supporters came out in force to encourage the Service to continue wolf recovery efforts; allow wolves to roam beyond the current restrictive boundaries to find suitable habitat and prey; help resolve livestock-wolf conflicts; and expand reintroduction to other appropriate areas in the future. With these changes, we hope to see success in the southwest in the future.
You can learn more about all these campaigns, and how you can help, on our website - http://www.defenders.org
LS: Are there any issues that Defenders foresees getting involved in in the near future?
CH: Yes. Global warming is becoming a much bigger priority for us. Looking ahead, global warming puts us in a whole new game. The stakes are so high. The Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act is a good first step, but it will take many more to ensure that wildlife and people are protected in the future.
LS: Does Defenders work closely with other organizations? If so, which?
CH: We certainly do and it varies depending on the project. Our partners range from those you might expect, like Environmental Defense and National Wildlife Federation to local groups and individuals. We have lots of partners depending on the issue.
LS: Defenders is a very large organization that does a ton of work around the world and across the U.S. You guys have several offices and a large staff, so you obviously have an advantage over smaller groups. Do you ever collaborate with smaller organizations and help them out in any way?
CH: We often have the ability to help smaller groups out on local issues. They help us too with their history and knowledge of very specific regional issues. We have many experts at Defenders, but we can't possibly cover every species and issue, so there is a mutual benefit to working with smaller, local organizations. When we work together we can utilize the best of both groups. We not only work with other local organizations, but we also work with individuals. Many of our field staff works with ranchers and other landowners on wildlife issues. In the Rockies and the southwest, we work with ranchers to develop and implement best management practices for ranching in wolf country. We also work with local landowners in the southwest to track jaguars by setting up "trip cameras." We love working with local groups and individuals.
RA: Is there any competition between non-profits? On one hand, you're all out to spread a positive message and promote change, but on the other hand, you do need the monetary donations to keep going, so is there any conflict between larger groups, or is there a sort of brotherhood?
CH: The conservation community works closely together. The job is too big for just one organization, so it is great to have a diversity of organizations working together. We have unique focuses and expertise, which allows us all to bring myriad perspectives to the table. It also allows us to break up the vast array of issues. For instance, American Rivers focuses on rivers and their ecosystems; Defenders focuses on wildlife, especially endangered species and the habitat they need to survive; the Wilderness Society, as the name suggests, focuses on wilderness areas; and Ducks Unlimited focuses on ducks and the wetlands. As you can see, just from these four groups, we have common issues that bind us together, but we have different special areas of expertise that make us unique. Thanks to this kind of diversity, people have the choice to donate to an organization which best reflects their personal priorities.
LS: If someone were to want to get into environmental conservation/wildlife protection/animal rights, Defenders would be a great place to work. What advice can you give to those aspiring to get into animal careers and organizations like yours? What do they need in terms of educational background, contacts, skills, experience, etc.?
CH: There are so many areas of work you can go into, even within one organization. Check out our website where you can read the biographies of our staff to see how they ended up working for Defenders. You will be surprised by the diverse expertise of our staff!
And remember, you don't have to be a biologist to work for a conservation organization. We also employ people like me in communications, accountants, economists, development and IT professionals! So there are many careers tracks you can take into a conservation organization.
If you're just starting out, a great place to begin is with an internship. Spending some time with highly qualified, experienced staff is a fantastic way of getting some experience while making you more employable.
LS: Be honest: Is there money in doing the kind of work that Defenders does/working for an organization like Defenders? The cost of living is going up by the day and it's getting more difficult to survive on low income. Do you think a lot of people that would love to work with animals and conservation turn away from it because they can't afford it? What advice can you give?
CH: We pay all our staff a very fair salary and while they may be able to earn more money in the private sector, there are certain trade-offs that come with that money. I have worked in the non-profit community much of my career and while I certainly could be paid more in the corporate sector, my job satisfaction and sense of self are worth a lot to me. Everyone has to make a choice and each person has their own priorities. I consider myself lucky to work in the non-profit community.
LS: I get extremely frustrated when I try to push important issues and convince my friends and family that it's important to care and make a difference. I seem to be surrounded by indifferent people and I get pretty upset and downhearted. It's got to be just as difficult, if not worse, when you're working for a place like Defenders, pushing issues and trying to get laws created but sometimes to no avail. How do you cope with situations like that; what keeps your morale up?
CH: There are frustrating elements to the work we do, particularly when we're offering simple solutions that aren't being enacted. But we have also won some major victories over the years. Most recently our lobbying efforts paid off in California, where Governor Schwarzenegger signed a new piece of legislation banning lead shot used for hunting. The lead had been killing condors feeding off carcasses, so this simple measure should stop condors dying needlessly. They don't come every day, but these sorts of victories are very rewarding when they do come.
RA: I first learned about aerial wolf hunts through Defenders. It's one of the issues that I've learned about which really bothers me deep down. Can you just take a minute to explain to our readers the changes that Defenders has been trying to make regarding the hunting? What has the organization done to end this atrocity? How have lobbyists gotten in the way of the legislation you've been trying so desperately to change?
CH: This is a longstanding campaign for us, but recently we've seriously upped the ante. We have been working very hard with certain members of Congress to pass a new law closing the loophole in the Federal Airborne Hunting Act which Alaska officials are exploiting. In September the Protect America's Wildlife Act - or PAW Act - was introduced and we're now on a major lobbying tour of Congress to get Members to sign on to the bill. We're also running advertisements on the issue, to make sure people know that this brutal practice is still going on. It's going to be a tough fight but we know that the majority of Alaskans are on our side. On the state level our Alaska staff is working with Alaskans for Wildlife to pass a third ballot initiative that will end the aerial hunting of wolves. Alaskans for Wildlife has prevailed twice before and hopefully will again in 2008. This state effort combined with our national effort will hopefully put an end to aerial hunting of wolves once and for all.
LS: What are the major hardships Defenders faces on a day-to-day basis?
CH: I guess I would just have to say that there is so much to do! Global warming, endangered species recovery, protection of habitat through our national wildlife refuges... the list goes on. Defenders staff are all committed to ensuring that our precious wildlife heritage is there for future generations. With the help of our hundreds of thousands of members and activists, we will continue to fight the good fight!
LS: In your opinion, what have been some of Defenders greatest accomplishments?
CH: This past year was our 60th anniversary celebration so we have spent some time as an organization reflecting on this exact question. Some of our greatest accomplishments include restoring wolves to the Northern Rockies; reforming the National Wildlife Refuge System; protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling; requiring "dolphin safe" tuna labeling; stopping more than 100 airlines from transporting wild caught parrots; and ensuring protections for grizzlies, panthers, condors, woodland caribou and many more species. It's been exciting and inspiring to reflect back on the past 60 years. Here's to 60 more good years!
LS: Since this past summer, it seems that a lot of people have been "going green," and I've been seeing more advertisements for large corporations claiming they've "gone green." You have an insider's view - how sincere are these claims? We know all too well how corporations can lie and manipulate the truth to make themselves look good and generate more sales...
CH: Corporations will be as green as their customers want them to be. So it's really up to us to spend our money wisely, buying services and products which don't harm our environment. If green products and services become profitable for them, they will follow the money.
LS: Okay, I think we've taken up enough of your time, ::wink:: and I want to thank you again, and I really hope that we can do follow-up interviews with you in the future. Thank you for all the work you do! Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers that wasn't already mentioned?
CH: Thank you for giving me an opportunity to talk with you. It's been fun. The next few years will be critical to the future of our planet. Remember to vote and speak out on the issues you care about! There is nothing more powerful than people joining together and demanding change. And for people that are interested in Defenders' work, please go to our website and find out more about what you can do: http://www.defenders.org