Dear WILD11 Delegates,

Thank you for joining us in Jaipur for the 11th World Wilderness Congress (WILD11)!  I am pleased to inform you that the Executive Committee continues to monitor the world health situation and, after reviewing the daily World Health Organization (WHO) assessments, has recommended that Congress registrations proceed.

A little over ten days ago, we recommended pausing registrations as we assessed the impact coronavirus could have on international travel and the risk it posed to WILD11 delegates. After extensive consultation of global protocols and closely monitoring the development of coronavirus, and in light of findings that suggest that standard travel safety protocols are sufficient to minimize risks to our delegates, we have decided to proceed with WILD11.

The health and safety of our delegates and their families are chief among our considerations, as is the opportunity this year, 2020, presents for the conservation of our wild planet and the elevation of biodiversity on the global political agenda.

Few years in our lifetime, especially at such a critical moment for our planet and its many lifeforms, channel the potential for large-scale conservation wins like 2020. In October of this year, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity convenes world leaders who will ask for the first time, “How much wild nature do humans need to survive?”

The 11th World Wilderness Congress is poised to influence that process with an answer based in scientific reality, not political expediency. And our delegates are needed to amplify the influence and energy surrounding these efforts by participating in our programme and outcomes, which are very strong, diverse, and well-developed.

While we continue to monitor global advisories around coronavirus, we also are keeping our gaze closely fixed on the larger objective: a planet rich in life and the life-giving services we and our children need to survive.

For these reasons, we continue planning the 11th World Wilderness Congress, and are excited to invite you to attend and to lend your voice to the historic effort to save our planet’s biosphere.

We will continue to update you on the coronavirus as the situation requires. We continue to encourage delegates to consult with their doctors and review the CDC’s website. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you in Jaipur this March.

Together, we will keep Earth wild!

With gratitude,

Amy Lewis
Vice President, Policy & Communications
The WILD Foundation