In short: On August 11, 2026, the National Geographic Society and forNature announced 10 Explorer-led projects spanning five continents, each working to build the scientific, legal and community evidence behind the Rights of Nature movement. What is the forNature program? The forNature program is a collaboration between National Geographic Explorer Callie Veelenturf and the National Geographic Society, made possible through the support of The Alfred Kobacker and Elizabeth Tri

In short: Panama passed the world's third national Rights of Nature law in 2022, then partnered with forNature to push the idea onto the global stage. In April 2026, that effort became a formal diplomatic campaign for a UN Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature, a non-binding but precedent-setting global standard, not a treaty. What is the Rights of Nature movement? The Rights of Nature movement holds that ecosystems and species have an inherent right to exist, thrive,

Panama was fertile ground for the Rights of Nature movement long before it passed a single law. The country has placed nearly one-third of its land and more than half of its ocean territory under conservation, exceeding the international 30 by 30 target, a level of commitment few nations can match. So when the Rights of Nature concept reached Panama's government, it landed with a country already inclined to lead. A national law with global implications That concept reached Pa

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are not separate crises. They are interconnected symptoms of a legal, economic, and cultural system that has treated Nature as property, a resource, and an object to be managed primarily for human benefit. Rights of Nature frameworks are emerging around the world as a powerful response to this challenge, and a solution for a paradigm shift. Recognizing the Rights of Nature is not a new idea. Indigenous Peoples and local communi

forNature supports landmark step toward global recognition of nature’s intrinsic rights PANAMA CITY, Panama (April 10, 2026) — In a historic development, the Government of Panama and forNature have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly advance the adoption of a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature before the United Nations General Assembly, marking a significant milestone in the growing global movement to recognize ecosystems and species as rights-bearing e

A female leatherback sea turtle returning to the ocean after laying her eggs, tagged with a satellite transmitter on Playa Pajonal, Ecuador. All photos taken with red light only under Ministry of the Environment and Energy permits. Photo credit: Will Lucero. SAN CLEMENTE, MANABÍ, ECUADOR (21 March 2026) – A team of scientists has successfully satellite tagged the first Eastern Pacific leatherback sea turtle in Ecuador, unlocking critical new data for a population that has dec