Recognizing the common roots of all forms of oppression, Wetlands Activism Collective fights for human, earth, and animal liberation through protest, direct action, street theater, political advocacy, and public education. We always welcome volunteers and interns!
Learn about our many victories!
On July 22, Colombian independence day, Wetlands and our allies in the NYC People's Referendum on Free Trade, demonstrates against bilateral free trade agreements with street theater and other expressions of dissent at Flushing Meadows Park (more).
Black Bear, Big Horned Owl, Caribou Evict J. Crew from Boreal Forest at Corporate Office Environmental Protest
Culminating a national weekend of protests targeting the catalogs industry,on Monday, April 23, 2007 environmental activists from Wetlands Activism Collective staged a protest at the corporate office of J. Crew, demanding that they stop destroying boreal forests for catalog paper. Activists dressed as boreal forest animals served a notice of eviction from Canada’s Boreal forest to a mock-chainsaw wielding activist dressed as J. Crew CEO Millard Drexler. The notice informed the company that they have 30 days to get out of Endangered Forests, increase recycled content, and reduce paper use (more).
Three Protests on the Week of Valentine's Day Tell J. Crew to Have a Heart and Stop Destroying Forests!
On Valentine's Day week, Wetlands Activism Collective helped kick off the next phase of the campaign to end the destruction of forests by the catalogs industry with three protests at J. Crew stores, With pink pastel signs, activists called on the company to "show some love for the forests" (more).
Party to Celebrate Victoria's Secret Victory & Wetlands' 18th Anniversary!
Join us at Times Up! to celebrate a major win in the campaign to stop catalog producers from destroying endangered forests! Celebrate 18 years of action for human, earth, and animal liberation! (more)
2006: A Year of Victories!
Learn about the highlights of Wetlands' activism highlights in 2006 and find out how you can support our efforts. (more)
Wetlands' "Greening the Comics Industry" Campaign Featured as Cover Story in Comics Magazine
Comics Foundry, an online magazine aimed at comic book fans, featured a cover story on Wetlands' campaign to shift the comic book industry towards the use of recycled paper in their December 2006 edition. (more)
Documentary on Wetlands Preserve Wins 2 Awards
"Wetlands Preserved," a new documentary film on the history of Wetlands' 161 Hudson Street nightclub, took the honors at the Ashville Film Festival for Best Documentary and received the "Best Unreleased Film." Award at the High Times Stony Awards.
(more)
Wetlands' Book Collection Joins Vito Marcantonio Library
Wetlands radical library collection has become part of the Vito Marcantonio Library in Hackensack, NJ. The library can be visited by appointment and our collection of books and videos is now available on loan.(more)
Victoria's Secret Victory for Forests!
After two years of campaigning to stop Victoria's Secret's printing of 395 million catalogs every year on unrecycled paper from southern US forests and Canadian boreal forests, environmental activists have declared a victory! On December 6th, 2006, ForestEthics and Victoria's Secret have reached an agreement to reform Victoria's Secret's catalog paper policy.(more)
Global Justice for Animals Releases Report Condemning Peru Free Trade Agreement
Global Justice for Animals has released a report, "The U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement:
Protecting Investors Rights To Exploit Animals & The Environment" that documents how the proposed free trade agreement between the United States and Peru will threaten wildlife (like this Amazon milk frog) and expand cruel factory farming of animals.(more)
Long-time Wetlands Friend Brad Will Murdered in Oaxaca, Mexico
Activist and independent media journalist Brad Will (pictured here standing in front of the banner at our June 2006 Victoria's Secret action) was murdered in Oaxaca, Mexico on October 27, 2006, one of a growing list of casualities as the Oaxacan paramilitaries and Mexican Federal Police suppress the popular movement demanding self-governance and the removal of illegitimate Oaxacan governor Ulises Ruiz. Wetlands activsts have joined the newly formed Friends of Brad Will to demand accountability for the murders and disappearances in Oaxaca and to support the struggle of the Oaxcan people. (more)
Former Wetlands Activist Jailed for Nonviolent Animal Advocacy
Andy Stepanian, who worked with Wetlands in the late nineties on our Endangered Species Action and NYC Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade projects before going on to relaunch the Long Island Animal Defense League, has been jailed under the free-speech squelching Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act as one of the SHAC 7 for the "crime" of organizing peaceful protests against financiers of animal research. (more)
Activists Shut Down Victoria's Secret Store to Protest Forest Destruction for Catalog Paper
Activists chained their necks to the doors of the Victoria's Secret store at 85th Street and Broadway in Manhattan to protest the printing of over one million catalogs every day on paper from southern US and Canadian boreal forests. They were accompanied by protesters from Wetlands Activism Collective and Catalogs Without Clearcuts, demanding that Victoria's Secret increase its use of post-consumer recycled paper and stop destroying forests for catalogs. (more)
Wetlands Launches Global Justice for Animals to Defend Animals from Pro-Corporate Trade Agreements
Animals like this Peruvian brown capuchin monkey are threatened by trade agreements that sacrifice habitat protections and animal rights in the interest of corporate profits. Wetlands has established Global Justice for Animals to provide analysis and leadership to the animal rights movement in opposition to trade agreements that threaten animals' welfare and lives (more)
Former Wetlands Activist
Imprisoned for
Environmental Direct Actions
Environmental and social justice activist Daniel McGowan, who participated in Wetlands campaigns against Mitsubishi, Home Depot, and other corporate criminals in the late nineties, was arrested on December 7th, 2005 and charged in federal court on counts of arson, property destruction and conspiracy, all relating to two environmental direct actions in Oregon in 2001. The sweep of arrests that Daniel's was a part of was indicative of the government's 'Green Scare' focus which has activists being arrested and threatened with life in prison while way more serious crimes go ignored.
For more information on the Green Scare, go here.
Initially, Daniel was offered two choices by the government: cooperate by informing on other people, or go to trial and potentially spend the rest of his life in prison. His only real option was to plead not guilty until he could reach a resolution of the case that permitted him to honor his principles. As a result of months of litigation and negotiation, Daniel was able to admit to his role in these two incidents, while not implicating or identifying any other people who might have been involved. He is currently imprisoned at FCI Sandstone in Minnesota, far from his family and friends in New York, and he can always use letters and support. For more information on Daniel and current support efforts, go here.
Write to Daniel at:
Daniel McGowan
#63794-053, Unit I
FCI Sandstone
P.O. Box 1000
Sandstone, MN 55072
See important letter writing guidelines here.
Wetlands SLAMS Victoria's Secret at Two Stores with Giant Banner, Puppet, and In-Store Disruptions
On Thursday, June 29th, 2006 Wetlands activists made Victoria's Secret feel the summer heat, slamming them with actions at their stores in the Manhattan Mall and on the corner of 34th Street and 6th Avenue. "Victoria," a fang-toothed, tree-consuming bra and panties monster puppet joined protesters as they raised a 120 square foot,banner, leafletted and chanted "What's Victoria's Secret? Forest Destruction!", and stormed both locations to cause disruptions to alert customer's to Victoria's Secret complicity in forest destruction.(more)
ANIMAL PROTECTION GROUPS TO CONGRESS: VOTE NO ON WILDLIFE-DEADLY TRADE DEAL WITH OMAN
28 animal rights groups, including Wetlands Activism Collective signed a letter that was sent to every member of the House of Representatives today, condemning the Oman Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., scheduled for a today in the House of Representatives, as "a deadly disaster" for wildlife like this sea turtle. (more)
Activists Face Off with OfficeMax Execs Over Company’s Destruction of Endangered Forests
OfficeMax executives scheduled to speak at the Credit Suisse Consumer and Retail Conference were met with a surprise demonstration. Protestors who were denied access to the invitation-only event were on hand to call on the company to make an environmental commitment that meets or beats its rivals, Staples and Office Depot, who were also participating in the conference. (more)
Over 100 Animal Protection Groups Decry Congress Vote on DR-CAFTA as "Deadly Disaster" for Animals
Animal advocates denounced the passage of the Dominican Republic Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), which passed the House of Representatives on July 28 by a vote of 217-215 as "a deadly disaster"? for farmed animals and wildlife. Prior to the vote, a letter signed by over 100 animal organizations, including Wetlands Preserve, PETA, In Defense of Animals, Friends of Animals, and Farm Sanctuary, was sent every member of the House condemning the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement.
(More)
Wetlands Eco-Activists Survey Comic Book Fans' Environmental Consciousness
As part of a year-long market research survey, Wetlands activists polled comic book fans at Big Apple Comic Book, Art, and Toy Show on June 18th. Additional surveys were conducted on September 10th and 11th. Comic fans filled out survey forms asking if they would support an industry-wide move to recycled paper and whether they would be willing to pay more to make this possible. At the end of the survey, Wetlands reps will be presenting the data to major comic book publishers, asking them to be environmental super heroes and to make the switch to recycled paper.
(More)
Global Justice Activists Take to the Streets Against CAFTA!
On Saturday, June 4th, Wetlands activists united with over a hundred marchers from unions, Latin American solidarity groups, Latino community organizations, and peace groups in a diverse and energetic 60 block march through Washington heights to say NO to the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). DR-CAFTA will strip away protective legislation in the name of "free trade" and is opposed by a wide array of constituencies, including students, AIDS activists, workers, environmentalsts, farmers, beneficiaries of public services (a.k.a. everyone!), and animal advocates. Wetlands is part of the NYC People's Referendum on Free Trade, a coaltion working to unite these diverse interest against a trade agreement that serves the interests of mega-corporations-- at everyone else's expense! (More)
Crate & Barrel Rainforest Victory!
With a quick response to the Rainforest Relief-led Nyatoh Day of Action (including NYC actions by Wetlands and Rainforest Relief at Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, and Target) and following two years of letters and postcards, Crate & Barrel recently became the first company to announce that they will end the sales of furniture made from nyatoh, a wood logged from the rainforests of Indonesia. In a telephone conversation, company spokeswoman Betty Kahn stated that as of next year, Crate & Barrel will not carry nyatoh. (More)
Hundreds Attend Grassroots Animal Rights Conference!
From March 31st to April 3rd, 2005, over 300 community-based animal advocates from throughout the US and Canada participated in the Grassroots Animal Rights Conference, a gathering intended to empower grassroots organizers with concrete skills and networking opportunities an explore the interconnections of all forms of oppression. Wetlands activists worked with volunteer animal advocates from around the nation to organize this event, and we will be working together again on future projects to build a more effective animal advocacy movement. (More)
Valentine's Day Victoria's Secret Protest at Herald Square
After the Christmas season, Victoria's Secret does its strongest business around Valentine's Day, so environmental activists used the week of Valentine's Day as an opportunity to educate consumers about Victoria's Secret's complicity in the destruction of US Southern forests and Canadian boreal forests.(More)
Victoria's Dirty Secret Exposed!
To prevent a Wetlands protest from revealing the devastating impact of Victoria's Secrets catalogs on our planet's forests, the company sent a last minute news release to the media announcing that they were canceling the launch of their Angels Across America supermodel national tour at their Herald Square store. Suspicious media reps went to the store to get the real story on the cancellation. The protest was covered in Hoy, Women's Wear Daily, and Direct Marketing News.(More)
Freegan.info Generates An Explosion of Media Attention for Sustainable Living
Within the last few months, our efforts to expose the massive waste of resources in our mass-consumption economy have been covered in literally dozens of major newspapers and on local, national, and international television and radio programs.
(More)
Bank of America Victory!
On the eve of the national day of action against Bank of America/Fleet, as Wetlands volunteers were busily preparing placards for our demonstration the next day, we received word from the Rainforest Action Network that the 2nd largest US bank had caved under the pressure at the 11th hour, agreeing to new climate change and forest policies that make the company the clear world financial leader on the environment. (More)
