What happens after a lost species is rediscovered? First, we celebrate. Then we get to work.

Setting out to rediscover a lost species is a little like embarking on a winding journey into the unknown, full of twists, turns, clues, and dead ends. When the moment confirming rediscovery arrives, it can feel a bit miraculous. As Re:wild’s lost species program officer, I would know.

But finding lost species is no miracle, as the track record of our Search for Lost Species program proves. Since its 2017 launch, 13 species of plants, animals, and fungi from Re:wild's most wanted lost species list have been rediscovered, species lost to science for at least a decade, sometimes even centuries.

They say the end of one journey is the start of another. While rediscoveries often make for exciting headlines, inspiring hope for biodiversity and marking the culmination of planning, collective effort, and sometimes a bit of luck, the real conservation journey begins after the species is found. Seven years into the Search for Lost Species, we’re seeing measurable ripple effects and success stories highlighting the power of putting species —whether a toad or a tree— back on the map.

Let’s go back to the first species rediscovered from our most wanted lost species list —a salamander success story that catalyzed crucial ecosystem protection: the Jackson’s Climbing Salamander.

An elusive cloud forest species known as the “golden wonder” for its brilliant yellow hues, the Jackson’s Climbing Salamander was found on the borders of the existing Finca San Isidro Amphibian Reserve in Guatemala. Its rediscovery helped raise funds to expand the reserve, just in the nick of time. Thanks to the rediscovery of the “golden wonder,” land originally slated for clearing for coffee production was turned into protected habitat —an incredible first sign of what a rediscovery could mean for increased conservation efforts.

Another rediscovery that comes to mind is the Pernambuco Holly, which set a precedent for future conservation processes safeguarding some of the planet’s last irreplaceable habitats. Found a year ago in Brazil after it had been missing for almost two centuries, the tree was rediscovered in a fragile state, surrounded by sugarcane plantations and urban neighborhoods. The habitat surrounding the endangered Pernambuco Holly was a prime candidate to be classified as an Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) site. AZE sites are Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA), places critical for the global persistence of biodiversity and the health of our planet. Thanks to the Pernambuco Holly, we were able to establish analysis criteria to classify the site an AZE and KBA, creating systems and processes for future protection of this irreplaceable place.

In most cases, rediscovering lost species and filling critical knowledge gaps simply wouldn’t be possible without the partnership of Indigenous and local communities. These partnerships can merge Western scientific knowledge and Indigenous scientific, cultural, and spiritual knowledge for long-term stewardship of ecosystems.

Such was the case with the Starry Night Harlequin Toad, which was lost to science until Re:wild’s local partner, the Colombia NGO, Fundación Atelopus connected with the Indigenous Arhuaco people of the Sogrome community in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. 

Classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Starry Night Harlequin Toad eluded researchers for nearly 30 years in part because biologists did not have access to its habitat. But for the Arhuaco people, not only was the toad never lost, it was a revered guardian of water and a symbol of fertility, safeguarded alongside other species in the sacred ecosystem of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Over years of building trust and respect, Fundación Atelopus worked with the Arhuaco people to not only scientifically document the lost species but also better understand and conserve its ecosystem. Now the groups are working together to look at options for agroforestry systems for the Arhuaco people, not only to help protect the Starry Night Harlequin Toad’s habitat, but to provide alternative food sources for the community and support the local economy. The Starry Night Harlequin Toad has been the centerpiece for long-term cooperation between Fundación Atelopus and the Arhuaco people, weaving together a framework for lasting partnership and collaboration. 

I have a saying each time a rediscovery is made: “First, we celebrate. Then we get to work.”

Reflecting on nearly a decade of success stories, we can take a bird’s-eye view of how the Search for Lost Species program has sparked conservation efforts. The stories I’ve shared offer just a glimpse into a larger pattern of policy change, contributions to science and data, meaningful partnerships, and emerging scientific careers that we’ve witnessed over the years.

Those who work in conservation understand that it doesn’t happen overnight, and rediscovering a rare species doesn’t automatically mean it is saved. But the first step in saving a species is knowing it still exists. We can’t protect what we don’t know.

As we strive to understand and protect the complex, interconnected web of life on Earth, we recognize that every lost frog or flying squirrel we rediscover has the potential to drive meaningful conservation change. While the headlines announcing a rediscovery offer us hope, the ongoing conservation efforts that follow can inspire us to appreciate the dedicated work behind the scenes that moves the needle forward.