Conservationists Megan Parker and Peter Coppolillo explain — with a demonstration from conservation dog Ruger — how dogs can help organizations collect crucial conservation data ranging from detecting contraband to helping track and preserve endangered species.

Conservation champion and TED Fellow Adjany Costa is on a mission to empower Indigenous communities. Instead of imposing pre-designed policy and plans on local people, she says, conservation efforts should center those who know the land best, enabling them to tailor solutions to their unique environmental, social and economic realities. She pres...

Conservation efforts in Africa have typically been led by "parachute conservationists" -- outsiders who drop in thinking they have all the answers, hire locals to implement them and then disappear. But conservationist Resson Kantai Duff has a better way to save wildlife in Africa: let locals lead these efforts themselves. She calls for a major s...

Ecologist Lian Pin Koh makes a persuasive case for using drones to protect the world's forests and wildlife. These lightweight autonomous flying vehicles can track animals in their natural habitat, monitor the health of rainforests, even combat crime by detecting poachers via thermal imaging. Added bonus? They're also entirely affordable.

We need a radically new approach to ocean conservation, says marine biologist and TED Fellow Alasdair Harris. In a visionary talk, he lays out a surprising solution to the problem of overfishing that could both revive marine life and rebuild local fisheries -- all by taking less from the ocean. "When we design it right, marine conservation reaps...

Arjan Dwarshuis, a lifelong bird enthusiast and the current world record holder, shares some of his favorite finds from spotting 6,852 species of birds around the world to inspire everyone to find their inner naturalist.

For thousands of years, native Takhi horses roamed the steppes of Central Asia. But by the late 1960s, their extinction seemed inevitable. To prevent this, scientists and zoos started a breeding program and soon began releasing new generations of Asia's ancient wild horse back into their native habitat. Nigel Rothfels explains the twists and tur...

Conservationist and TED Fellow Moreangels Mbizah studied the famous Cecil the lion until he was shot by a trophy hunter in 2015. She wonders how things could've gone differently, asking: "What if the community that lived next to Cecil was involved in protecting him?" In a quick talk, Mbizah shares the state of conservation in her home of Zimbabw...

The first step to saving nature is the rewilding of our own minds, says conservationist and former Patagonia CEO Kristine McDivitt Tompkins. With an unwavering commitment to protecting ecosystems, she and her late husband Douglas Tompkins created vast conservation parks across South America that allowed ancient flora and fauna to flourish once a...

Mangrove forests are crucial to the health of the planet, gobbling up CO2 from the atmosphere and providing a home for a diverse array of species. But these rich habitats are under continual threat from deforestation and industry. In an empowering talk, conservationist and TED Fellow Ashwin Naidu shares how community-driven efforts in South and ...

"I think of my paintings as alarm clocks," says artist Isabella Kirkland. "They're reminders of what's at stake; the only problem is we keep pushing the snooze button." Investigating humanity's relationship to nature, she shares work that takes a creative stand against ecological despair — and quietly urges climate action through permanent image...

Island and coastal nations need to protect their waters to keep the oceans healthy. But they often have lots of debt and aren't able to prioritize ocean conservation over other needs. The team at The Nature Conservancy sees a way to solve both problems at once: restructuring a nation's debt in exchange for its government's commitment to protect ...

Conservation photographer Danae Wolfe wants to dispel the notion that "the only good bug is a dead bug," using data, images and humor to demonstrate how bugs are an integral part of our ecosystem and, on occasion, just as lovable as the rest of the animal kingdom.

What if we could hear nature's ultrasonic communication -- and talk back? From a bat's shrill speech to a peacock's infrasound mating call, conservation technology researcher Karen Bakker takes us through a sound bath of animal noises that are far outside humanity's range of hearing, demonstrating how artificial intelligence has translated the i...

What do you picture when you think about a wolf? A bloodthirsty alpha predator or a pack-oriented living being with a complex emotional life? Recalling experiences rescuing wolf pups, biologist Regina Mossotti explains why debunking negative stereotypes about these proud animals is key to saving endangered species and reshaping conservation effo...

Lian Pin Koh expands conservation efforts by championing the use of low-cost autonomous aerial vehicles.

Artist and marine biologist Guy Harvey painted his first sea creature in school while illustrating Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea." In this inspirational talk, he describes how -- despite an intervening PhD in marine biology -- those early forays into painting drew him away from academia and into a lifelong dedication to causes of m...

How can Africans find solutions to Africa's problems? Conservation biologist Kevin Njabo tells his personal story of how he nearly became part of the group of African scientists who seek an education abroad and never return -- and why he's now building a permanent base on the continent to nurture and support local talent. "I'm not coming back al...

As Arctic ice melts, polar bears are being forced on land -- and they're hungry. With the apex predators frequently turning to human junkyards for a snack, northern towns have had to get creative in order to keep both their people and wildlife safe. Biologist and conservationist Alysa McCall shares lessons from the field on how to safely navigat...

Thomas Peschak strives to merge photojournalism and cutting edge science to create powerful media projects that tackle critical marine conservation issues.

Representing the Scottish indie-folk scene, fiddler Hannah Fisher and guitarist Sorren Maclean perform two beautiful, transportive songs -- and call attention to the dire need for marine conservation.

Prior to the mid-20th century, art restorers took a heavy-handed approach, often drastically altering paintings in the name of "improving" art. Today, they focus on keeping the original work intact with minimal intervention, and must regularly contend with past modifications. So, how is damaged artwork repaired? Noah Charney explains the painsta...

Insightful talks that can help improve political debate so that we can build toward a better society.

Welcome to "Shape Your Future," a groundbreaking selection of new talks from the TED Fellows. These talks are snapshots of influential, new ideas from leading voices in medicine, human rights, conservation, astrophysics, education and beyond. Dive in to discover what (and who) is shaping your future -- and apply to become a TED Fellow at go.ted....

How much is one living blue whale worth in the fight against climate change? A lot more than you may think, says financial economist Ralph Chami. He explains the value of bringing the language of dollars and cents to conservation -- and offers his vision of a new economy that would profit off regenerating nature, not extracting from it.

Legendary primatologist Jane Goodall says that humanity's survival depends on conservation of the natural world. In conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, she tells the story of her formative days working with chimpanzees, how she transformed from a revered naturalist into a dedicated activist and how she's empowering communities around t...

In this captivating talk, journey into the surprisingly colorful nights of the Amazon Rainforest, as artistic entomologist Leo Lanna and designer Lvcas Fiat introduce us to the shapeshifting wonder of a creature they've fallen in love with: the praying mantis. Using an innovative approach that fuses science, art and conservation, Lanna and Fiat ...

From a special black-footed ferret to coral that can withstand warming waters, genetic rescue efforts that use genomics and synthetic biology are helping nature thrive. But despite the huge successes of this kind of intervention, conservation innovator Ryan Phelan points out that fear of unintended consequences often stifles innovation -- riskin...

We're losing animal and plant species at such a swift, unprecedented rate that it's nearly impossible to keep up. Computational biologist Tanya Berger-Wolf demonstrates how harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and one of the internet's biggest resources -- public images and video -- supports the crucial collection of data to save thre...

Nalini Nadkarni challenges our perspective on trees and prisons -- she says both can be more dynamic than we think. Through a partnership with the state of Washington, she brings science classes and conservation programs to inmates, with unexpected results.