By donating today, you are joining a team dedicated to reconnecting, restoring, and rewilding North America so that life—in all its diversity—can thrive. One example of this work: the Pigeon River Gorge, where Interstate 40 winds through the North Carolina mountains, splitting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from neighboring national forests. Sadly, it’s notorious for wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Bear biologists call the Pigeon River Gorge the "bear death zone." While the road endangers other wildlife such as elk and white-tailed deer as well as people, it accounts for dozens of black bear deaths annually.

Our Wildlife Scientist Dr. Liz Hillard is embedded in the region, collecting data through road mortality surveys, GPS tracking of elk, and field cameras. Dr. Hillard recognizes this work as “one of the most important projects in the Eastern United States to improve safety for wildlife and humans on roads.”