mid-1990s - 2022 CE
Arctic migratory caribou populations have declined by 65% over the last 2-3 decades. “Thirty-four of the 43 major herds that scientists have studied worldwide in the last decade, are in decline, with caribou numbers plunging 57 percent from their historical peaks. According to scientists the causes of the global caribou decline are straightforward: rapidly rising Arctic temperatures are throwing caribou out of sync with the environment in which they evolved; oil and gas development, mining, logging, and hydropower projects in the Far North are impinging on the caribou's range; and, though not a major factor, hunting is further depleting already beleaguered caribou populations.” - NOAA, Yale Environment 360
Support sustainable, wildlife-smart renewable energy development that safeguards migration routes
Help restore Caribou habitats to keep them undisturbed by industrial activities over sufficiently large, connected areas
Support Indigenous-led stewardship and community monitoring programs
Support groups making active conservation and protection efforts for caribou
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Sources: Gunn A. et al. (5 Dec 2024) “Migratory Tundra Caribou in a Warmer Climate” NOAA. https://arctic.noaa.gov/report-card/report-card-2024/migratory-tundra-caribou-in-a-warmer-climate. Accessed 13 May 2026. | Struzik E. (23 Sept 2010) A Troubling Decline in the Caribou Herds of the Arctic” Yale Environment 360. https://e360.yale.edu/features/a_troubling_decline_in_the_caribou_herds_of_the_arctic. Accessed 13 May 2026.
Video & Audio: Pond 5

Learn about Maya Lin’s fifth and final memorial: a multi-platform science based artwork that presents an ecological history of our world - past, present, and future.

Discover ecological histories and stories of former abundance, loss, and recovery on the map of memory.

Learn how we can reduce our emissions and protect and restore species and habitats – around the world.
See how art can help us rethink the problems we face, and give us hope that each one of us can make a difference.
Help make a global memorial something personal and close to home. Share your stories of the natural world.
