Izilwane reminds me everyday that this earth is a home we share with all creatures. As the species that has carved out the largest claim on the planet we have a responsibility to be good stewards, a job we often dismally fail at and sometimes rise to the challenge. Izilwane brings both to light and informs across continents the work that needs to be done. I have written articles for this non-profit that focuses on the science and politics of our threatened biodiversity, while celebrating the beauty and soul of the natural world.

When I first heard about Izilwane, I was puzzled by the name. It means "animals" in Zulu, with the richness of a language that ties everything in the biosphere together, the human animal included. The mission of this non-profit organization is to hold the tide of extinction before our eyes. The losses of species, traditional land-based societies, and our precious wild places may seem to be as inexorable as the tug of the moon on our watery planet, but there is hope in this call to attention. Izilwane calls us to notice what is passing before it is too late. It gives hope with the stories of research and activism that touch our deep connection to nature and remind us that in caring, we can work to boom the tide, all of us, together.