LightHawk is a U.S.-based nonprofit that partners with conservation organizations, agencies, and communities to provide free aerial support for environmental work. Founded in 1979, the organization mobilizes a network of more than 200 volunteer pilots and a small fleet of aircraft to fly conservation missions across North America. LightHawk is headquartered in Buena Vista, Colorado.
The organization’s work centers on three program areas: transporting wildlife and supporting reintroduction efforts (notably the January 2025 airlift of 15 endangered gray wolves from British Columbia to Colorado for Colorado Parks and Wildlife), conducting aerial surveys and habitat monitoring of rivers, wetlands, and forests, and supporting species recovery efforts including the California condor. LightHawk has completed more than 230 conservation flights in the past year, providing the bird’s-eye perspective that on-the-ground biologists and policymakers cannot easily obtain.
LightHawk holds Candid Gold Transparency and is a 1% for the Planet member. Its long-running partnerships with state and federal agencies, combined with the unique capability of donated flight time, give member organizations a tool that complements traditional field conservation.
