April 21, 2026 6:17 AM
Amazon funding helps bring once-extinct bandicoots back to the Australian wild
Photo by James D Morgan / Getty Images for AmazonAmazon’s Right Now Climate Fund has supported efforts to save the eastern barred bandicoot from the brink of extinction.
In the late 1980s, just 60 of these small marsupials remained, surviving in a rubbish tip in Victoria, Australia. These survivors were moved into captivity for breeding and, by 1991, they were declared extinct in the wild.
The bandicoot species is now taking its most significant step toward recovery, with conservationists releasing 100 of them—carefully bred to be better equipped for survival—onto Phillip Island near Melbourne.
The animals have a fighting chance thanks to a world-first genetic rescue program led by the Odonata Foundation, Cesar Australia, and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team.
The Right Now Climate Fund supported with a AU$2.5 million (US$1.8 million) donation to help restore populations of endangered species in Australia. The three-year project will help save the eastern barred bandicoot and other species including the eastern quoll and southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby.
How genetic rescue changed the game
Eastern barred bandicoots are powerful ecosystem engineers, their burrowing improves soil health and strengthens landscapes against flood and drought.
Photo by James D Morgan / Getty Images for Amazon
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Previous attempts to reintroduce the bandicoots failed to thrive because of genetic inbreeding. Through a world-first gene-mixing approach, the team bred mainland Australian bandicoots with those from Tasmania—two genetically distinct populations isolated from each other for more than 10,000 years.
“We've built a fit, feisty bandicoot population with far greater genetic health and a much better chance of survival than their inbred predecessors," said Dr. Andrew Weeks, director of Cesar Australia and science advisor to Odonata.
Odonata Foundation is relocating these bandicoots to a minimum of five different sites across Australia. This approach—aiming to build a population of at least 500 animals across a minimum of five different locations—is known as their '500-in-5 Species Recovery Model’, ensuring that animals are geographically dispersed and less likely to be wiped out by natural disaster.
How Amazon’s investment supported the project
Photo by James D Morgan / Getty Images for AmazonAmazon’s Right Now Climate Fund is supporting key conservation initiatives by the Odonata Foundation over a three-year period, including breeding programs, maintenance of wildlife sanctuaries, movement of animals between sites, and educational tours.
“30 years ago, these bandicoots were gone from mainland Australia. What makes their recovery incredible is the science behind it—a genetic rescue program which is science-backed, scalable, and transformative for conservation,” said Michael Miller, Amazon VP and spokesperson for Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund. "The same methodology could help save endangered animals all over the world."
February 17, 2026 12:00 AM
Amazon grants €1.5 million to restore nature in earthquake-hit regions of Türkiye
Three years after a series of earthquakes struck Türkiye, Amazon is supporting the country’s environmental recovery with a €1.5 million (US$1.8 million) grant to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The funding will help restore 450 hectares of natural ecosystems damaged across the earthquake-affected region while creating economic opportunities for communities still recovering from the disaster. It will support restoration activities including artificial wetlands for wastewater treatment, rainwater harvesting systems, sustainable compost production, seedling planting, and the establishment of small community seedbanks.
The grant from Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund marks the company's first nature restoration project in the country. It will build on Amazon's immediate response in 2023, when the company donated relief supplies and essential items to affected communities following the earthquakes.
“We initiated our immediate relief efforts the day after the devastating earthquakes in 2023 and since then, we have never wavered in our support for the region,” Burak Erdem, Retail General Manager of Amazon Türkiye said. “Today, we are raising the bar in our support for Türkiye’s long-term future. This project will restore forests destroyed by the earthquakes while creating sustainable livelihoods—proving that environmental and economic recovery go hand in hand.”
The earthquakes affected 11 provinces in southern and south eastern Türkiye. More than 50,000 lives were lost, 3.5 million people were left homeless, and nearly 40,000 buildings were destroyed.
The UNDP team will begin work in Yukarı Nasırlı Village in Adıyaman Province, which will serve as a model for scaling efforts to other affected areas. UNDP will provide operational guidelines, equipment, and training for approximately 2,000 people, including local forestry and municipal staff as well as community members. The pilot village will function as a learning hub, enabling trained participants to replicate restoration activities in an estimated 20 other villages across the region.
February 16, 2026 2:15 AM
How the Right Now Climate Fund has driven climate action in 16 countries, protecting and restoring nature
The funding will support the preservation, restoration and management of an estimated 600,000m2 of land in France, an area larger than 80 football pitches!Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund has been investing in nature-based projects that protect, restore, and improve natural ecosystems across the globe since 2019. The fund was launched to address the urgent need for climate action and focuses on initiatives that deliver benefits for both people and the planet.
The fund aims to mitigate the impacts of climate change, enhance biodiversity and climate resilience, and add green space to urban areas. To date, it has restored more than 72,500 hectares of land and safeguarded more than 2,200 species across 16 countries.
Supported initiatives span multiple continents and address a variety of needs, from tropical deforestation to wetland degradation. In London, for example, Amazon worked with the London Wildlife Trust to restore wild habitats and reintroduce native species across the capital, while in India, Amazon contributed $1 million to help create a network of 75 urban food gardens in schools for disadvantaged children.
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By partnering with organizations that have deep expertise in conservation and community development, the Right Now Climate Fund has been creating lasting impact in regions facing significant challenges. Local communities are at the forefront of every project, with the aim of equipping their people with the tools and knowledge needed to continue the work after we leave.
In 2024, the fund contributed AU$2.5 million ($1.7 million) to a three-year project to help protect endangered species in Australia, which faces one of the world’s highest rates of species extinction. Meanwhile, in Brazil, a reforestation project used satellite data and collaborations with farmers to preserve biodiversity in Pará, one of the most threatened parts of the Amazon rainforest.
The fund's approach recognizes that ecological recovery and economic opportunity are interconnected. By investing in initiatives that create jobs and livelihoods, provide training, and establish sustainable income sources, the Right Now Climate Fund helps communities build long-term resilience while addressing degradation of natural resources.