ABOUT US
Scientists, naturalists, wildlife biologists, government officials, wildlife photographers and outdoor filmmakers all tell the story of wildlife conservation. They emphasize our responsibility to be good stewards of wildlife and their habitat so wildlife will not be lost to us, our children, or our children's children.
Wildlife, Habitat, and Humanity’s Crossroads
With more than 8.1 billion people now living on Earth, and the vast majority disconnected from nature, the very survival of wild animals and the landscapes they call home is at stake. In the U.S. alone, over 80% of children are raised in urban environments, far removed from the wild. As human sprawl expands and traditional ways of life disappear, wild creatures face a bleak future—confined to parks, zoos, or lost entirely.
At Shepherds of Wildlife Society, we believe wildlife conservation is not just about animals—it’s about people. Our mission is to awaken modern society to the vital connection between rural communities and the wild, using the most powerful storytelling medium available: film.
Through award-winning documentary films like Killing the Shepherd, The Last Keeper, and The Real Yellowstone, we expose the beauty and tragedy of what’s happening in wild places—where human dignity, cultural rights, and ecological survival are intertwined. Our work goes beyond conservation clichés to reveal the true cost of failed policies and the urgent need to rethink modern conservation through the lens of sustainable use and local stewardship.
We don’t tell stories about animals in isolation. We tell stories about the people who live with them—who suffer when wildlife policies ignore their needs and thrive when they are empowered to protect and benefit from their natural resources.
Education is key. Our goal is to influence public opinion and shape a new understanding of wildlife conservation—one that includes rural voices, respects cultural traditions, and acknowledges that for wildlife to survive, local people must thrive.
Thank you for supporting our mission to create change through storytelling. With your help, we can reconnect millions with the natural world—and fight for a future where wildlife and people can coexist in dignity.
Tom A. Opre
Founder & CEO
Shepherds of Wildlife Society™
HISTORY & INVITATION.
MISSION & VISION.
Challenge
Our advanced civilization has lost its connection with nature. Nature has become abstract, it has become distant, something ‘out there,’ no longer a part of us. The more "advanced" we become the more abstract nature seems to be. This increasing disconnect with nature has led to the destruction of wild places and the creatures who live in them. This disconnect adversely impacts wildlife, the habitat in which it lives, and indigenous people worldwide.
Mission
The Shepherds of Wildlife Society™ was formed to reconnect our society with nature, to make the abstract real, and to preserve and protect wildlife and its habitat for generations to come through the development of educational and motivational materials that support habitat sustainability and management of wildlife through established wise-use principles of active conservation, sustainable utilization and hunting.
Vision
We see a world connected with wildlife, a world that values wildlife, and a world where civilization and wildlife are in balance. The Shepherds of Wildlife Society, Inc. is intended to be the spark, the catalyst in re-establishing that connection by:
Education: By making real the value of wildlife and its habitat to all, young and old alike, Nature becomes less abstract, more tangible. By reconnecting all to Nature through educational programs, films, and photography, we seek to inspire this and future generations to continue our quest in the preservation and protection of wildlife and its habitat.
Motivation: Through the educational and motivational materials prepared and presented by Shepherds of Wildlife Society™, we envision policy makers, business leaders, educators, influencers, and others will want to share the message that wildlife has value, that civilization must reconnect with nature, and that balance can be re-established. We envision the creation of policies and practices that encourage modern-day active conservation that will lead to the preservation and protection of wildlife and its habitat.