Dear John,
Since 2000, we’ve seen an alarming surge of border wall construction across the planet, with the majority built in the last decade. It’s not just the U.S.-Mexico border with over 700 miles of border barriers, but also in 74 other countries, totaling over 20,000 miles, with thousands of more miles planned.
These border walls are an uncontrolled ecological experiment, blocking continental wildlife movement and connectivity without an understanding of their true impact. Border communities are some of the most culturally and biologically diverse places, and residents and wildlife suffer most from this division.
In North America, the crucial north-south corridor along the U.S.-Mexico border wall, a vital place for connectivity and the evolution of many species such as black bear, jaguar, mountain lion, Mexican grey wolf, among others, is being closed off, disrupting migration routes that have existed since the Pleistocene.
Wildlands Network has connected with people globally to study, document, and advocate for animals to move freely through border barriers. Our work was recently highlighted in “Nature Divided,” a new documentary from Scripps News’ Emmy Award-winning “In Real Life” series. This film reveals landscapes across the world fractured by walls and how conservation experts are bridging the divide.
