Celebrating 30 Years of CELDF and Looking Forward
Reflecting on what we have done and where we are going
In 1995, CELDF’s journey began. The organization was launched that year to help communities protect themselves using conventional environmental law. Within a few years, it became clear to us that environmental regulations are set up to regulate communities, not corporations, and we pivoted to a transformative strategy.
In 2002, we assisted two communities in Pennsylvania to draft and adopt the nation’s first local laws directly challenging corporate “rights.” And in 2006, with our help, another community in Pennsylvania — Tamaqua Borough — became the first to adopt a law recognizing the rights of nature and ecosystems. This marked the beginning of the modern Rights of Nature Movement in the U.S. and across the globe.
Thirty years later, we’re stronger than ever.
We haven’t rested on past accomplishments as reflected in our activities just in the last six months. First, we helped bring rights of nature to New York state with a law to protect the Great Lakes and all waterways introduced for the second time into the state legislature. Rolling Stone featured CELDF yet again. We also met with international wetland rights advocates in the Netherlands. CELDF.org received a whole new look and organization. CELDF’s latest book Can You Handle the Truth? is hot off the presses. And, we launched our major new project, community resistance and resilience. And that’s just some of what we’ve been up to.
We captured these major happenings in CELDF’s 2025 Mid-Year Impact Report.
And, we started this new newsletter and launched the podcast "Truth and Reckoning.” Here’s a few of the stories we’ve covered here:
Now, we need your help
Changing the world is not a spectator sport. Not when we’re facing down corporate power, a co-opted political system, rising authoritarianism, and the spectre of progressive ecological collapse. Facing this crisis will require the best from all of us. And we need your support. We need allies, supporters, and collaborators. We need people to inspire us and people to be inspired by us. And we need financial support.
We’re aiming to raise $5 million over the next 5 years. CELDF’s ability to keep innovating, disrupting, and supporting community level action in the name of right-relationship will come from individuals who invest in CELDF so that we can help you shape the future. Expanding our community resistance + resilience capabilities, offering more educational tools, and developing our readiness to guide and support individuals, organizations, and governments into being part of social transformation will only come if we at CELDF invest in these primary areas of focus.
Your donations are what makes this all happen, and we need you to contribute towards the goal of $5 million over the next 5 years. There are many ways to support CELDF. Some people choose todonate monthly. Others choose to make aone-time contribution, gift securities, or make an IRA gift. Or, you can sign up for a paid subscription to this newsletter.
CELDF isn’t just a job for us. It’s a way of life. It’s a commitment to future generations and to all life on Earth. It’s our calling. It’s our sense of honor and justice and dignity made manifest and put into the world. And most of it would be impossible without your support. The time and work we put into this mission is made possible by the generous financial support of our community, donors, subscribers, and funders.
On behalf of the entire team, the communities we work alongside, and the natural world of which we are a part: thank you.