Our Mission: We are a community group educating people to recognize the inherent rights of the Southern Resident Orcas. Under our current legal system humans and corporations have legal standing but animals and ecosystems don’t. We believe that animals and ecosystems should also have legal rights, not just protections that can be changed by different administrations.

We began this work in 2016. In 2018, we were fortunate to partner with Michelle Bender who was working at the Earth Law Center, but she left the organization in 2023, and we ended our partnership with ELC that year.

Early in 2023, the Northwest Animal Rights Network, NARN, came on board to help with our work. NARN provides legal support, connections and assistance with all aspects of our campaign. We are also fortunate to work with Dam Truth, leading the way to breaching the lower Snake River dams in order to save salmon and the SROs.  

Rights of Nature means that we recognize that the Earth and all her ecosystems are living beings with inalienable rights: to exist, to live free of cruel treatment, to maintain vital processes necessary for the harmonious balance that supports all life. ~Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.

We are grateful to Jill Neumeister at Orca Design Group for creating our logos.