What does conservation mean to you? According to Merriam-Webster conservation is the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources. Walt Disney World has a major impact on conservation because they are a big company. They have their own conservation organization called The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund which was founded in 1995. Over the years they have done a lot of work in order to help the environment and get their purpose across. The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund does everything from education to research to breeding programs. Every year they make a significant impact on the world's ecosystems.

2008 was known as "The Year of the Frog" according to Amphibian Ark which was created by the IUCN and WAZA. This year was made to focus on frogs and other amphibians who are threatened by extinction. It is estimated that up to one third of all amphibians are threatened by extinction. Causes of amphibians becoming extinct include habitat destruction, pollution, climatic changes, UV radiation, predators and disease, overexploitation of frogs, and the pet trade. In honor of "The Year of the Frog", Disney made a commercial starring Kermit the Frog and Selena Gomez to help raise awareness. Disney also contributed $250,000 to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to acknowledge the declining amphibian populations.

2009 was a big year for the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. On Earth day in 2009, Disney released their first movie under their new Disneynature label. 2.7 million trees were planted in Brazil's Atlantic Forest for each person who saw the film opening week. In May 2009 Disney started up something called Disney's Friends for Change: Project Green. It helps kids realize that they can help change the world just by doing simple everyday things like recycling. Planet Challenge was formed in September 2009 to challenge children from 4th to 6th grade to create and execute their own projects to help the environment (Disney Conservation Report). In November of 2009 Disney declared a $7 million grant in forest projects around the world.

In June 2009, Disney's Animal Kingdom celebrated the first rhino born in Uganda in 27 years. The mother of the calf once belonged to Disney's Animal Kingdom and was reintroduced to Uganda where she gave birth. Other significant births connected with Disney, according to the Disney Conservation Report, include: two western lowland gorillas, two black rhinos, four african elephants, twenty eight micronesian kingfisher birds, and thirty key largo woodrats. All of these animals are part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) which is way Disney bred them. The AZA states that the Species Survival Plan is a program used to oversee the population of select species in AZA accredited zoos and aquariums and to enhance conservation of this species in the wild.

Since 2012, Disney has connected 52 million kids and families with nature experiences implemented through grants given to nonprofit organizations. In 2015 Disneynature released another movie called "Monkey Kingdom". For every ticket sold on opening week, funds were made through Disneynature to help support Conservation International programs in Indonesia, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. The funds will help protect monkeys and other endangered species and also help restore forest areas (Conservation International).

In the Philippines Disney works alongside Bat Conservation International to drive bat research, education and conservation, and preserve habitats. They also work with The International Snow Leopard Trust by giving them funds to help the human threats to these animals. Disney has been funding an original plan for using beehives as an obstacle to crop-raiding by elephants. The Worldwide Conservation Fund has also help fun for research on the Golden Lion Tamarin.

Disney cast members monitor sea turtles by recording how many new sea turtle nests there are. Disney's Animal Kingdom collaborated with the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service to reintroduce the Key Largo woodrats into the wild. The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has also done lots of work focusing on elephants and the protection of the species. In the past Disney also worked with Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International to build the first center in eastern Africa to rescue, rehabilitate and reintroduce orphaned gorilla's back into the wild (Disney Conservation Report).

Disney Youth Education Series are different types of educational programs for kids from in elementary school through high school. Programs include educational courses in applied sciences, environmental studies, liberal arts, and leadership development (Disney Youth Education Series). There is a total of 26 different programs to choose from. Sustainable Practices in Wildlife Conservation is one of the programs to choose. This program teaches children how diverse people and animals respond to conservation challenges on a global level.

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund recognizes many conservation heroes. Rikapo Lentiyoo helped save a population of remaining Grevy's Zebra after Kenya endured a severe anthrax outbreak. Sam Han worked with the Cambodian Forestry Administration to save the remaining, 250 critically endangered Siamese crocodiles. Willie Tucker works closely with chimpanzees in sanctuaries. Jackson Kamwi has been working on ways to protect the rare black rhino for over two decades. Jealous Mpofu works for the Painted Dog Conservation tracking and studying the carnivores (Disney Conservation Report).

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has helped protect over 400 species from animals as small as butterflies to the huge elephant and everything in between. They also help protect ecosystems like coral reefs and forests which then lead to the protection of the animals that live in those environments. To date, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has donated over $40 million to help conserve wildlife and wild places throughout the world. They have given those grants to projects in 115 different countries.