Disney's 'Step Into Wonder' Touts Conservation Amid Scrutiny

BURBANK, Calif. and WASHINGTON – April 01, 2026 – The Walt Disney Company, in partnership with National Geographic, has launched a global, month-long initiative for Earth Month, inviting audiences to "Step Into Wonder." The campaign aims to leverage the media giant's vast storytelling empire to foster a deeper connection with the natural world through a slate of new content, interactive experiences, and a spotlight on its decades-long conservation funding.

This enterprise-wide effort reflects a strategic alignment of Disney's entertainment prowess with its long-professed commitment to environmental stewardship, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Disney Conservation Fund. The campaign seeks to inspire action by turning planetary education into an immersive experience for families worldwide.

"For 138 years, National Geographic has been guided by a spirit of exploration that opens hearts as much as it expands minds," said Courteney Monroe, president of National Geographic. "With 'Step Into Wonder,' we're putting that spirit at the center of Disney's Earth Month, creating a platform for stories that spark a love for our planet and inspire families to step outside and celebrate the everyday wonders of our world."

From Screen to Street: An Interactive Call to Explore

Moving beyond passive viewership, the "Step Into Wonder" campaign is heavily focused on active participation. A central component is "The Wonder List," a digital hub and YouTube series for kids that provides simple, daily prompts for hands-on discovery. Each week in April will focus on a different theme—Stars, Clouds, Trees, or Rocks—encouraging families to engage directly with their immediate environment.

This digital initiative is complemented by a physical activation at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles from April 17-23. The event will feature large, photo-worthy versions of National Geographic's iconic yellow border, inviting guests to frame and capture the natural world around them. The campaign also includes a social media series with talent like Will Smith and Kermit the Frog sharing their own moments of wonder, aiming to leverage National Geographic's massive social media community of over 801 million followers.

Further incentivizing engagement, a new Disney+ Perk offers eligible subscribers a free six-month digital subscription to National Geographic, bridging the gap between streaming content and the brand's deep well of educational material. The entire initiative is designed to transform inspiration into tangible exploration, urging audiences to not just watch, but to do.

The Narrative of Nature: New Films and a Storytelling Legacy

At the heart of the campaign is Disney's core strength: storytelling. Two major global premieres anchor the Earth Month content slate. National Geographic's Secrets of the Bees, now streaming, has garnered positive early reviews, with an 82% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. The two-part series, from executive producer James Cameron, uses groundbreaking filming technology to offer an unprecedented look into the complex societies of various bee species, aiming to cultivate awe for these critical pollinators.

On Earth Day, April 22, Disneynature will premiere Orangutan, a film following an adolescent orangutan named Indah as she learns to navigate the rainforest. The film's release is directly tied to a conservation initiative, with the Disney Conservation Fund supporting Wildlife Conservation International and its partners in protecting Sumatran orangutan habitat and rebuilding a research center impacted by flooding.

This approach builds on a legacy stretching back to Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures series, which first brought real-world wildlife stories to cinematic life in 1948. From animated classics like Bambi to modern documentary filmmaking, the company has long operated on the principle that narrative is a powerful tool for fostering empathy and environmental awareness.

A 30-Year, $141 Million Commitment to Conservation

This year's Earth Month celebration carries special weight as it marks the 30th anniversary of the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF). Since its inception in 1995, the fund has directed over $141 million to non-profit organizations, supporting projects that have helped protect more than 1,000 species and over 300 million acres of habitat across the globe.

To make these large numbers tangible, the company is highlighting specific long-term projects. These include nearly two decades of sea turtle monitoring at Disney's Vero Beach Resort, which has tracked over 20,000 nests, and the successful reintroduction of threatened butterfly species in Florida in partnership with local universities. In Kenya, DCF support is enabling Save the Elephants to secure a critical wildlife corridor, while in Mexico, a grant to Bat Conservation International is helping create a "nectar corridor" of agave plants for pollinator bats.

For its 30th anniversary, the DCF is supporting 25 organizations in a targeted effort to protect 120,000 square miles of wildlife corridors globally. This is being promoted through a "30 Days of Stories" initiative, counting down to Earth Day with daily reports on conservation and sustainability projects from around the world.

Balancing Magic with Measurement: Disney's Broader Environmental Picture

While the "Step Into Wonder" campaign presents a polished vision of environmental stewardship, it operates against the backdrop of The Walt Disney Company's immense operational footprint. Under its "Disney Planet Possible" framework, the company has set ambitious environmental goals, including a long-held target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from its direct operations by 2030. These goals are validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), lending them scientific credibility.

Progress is visible at its theme parks and resorts. New solar arrays brought Walt Disney World's renewable electricity use to 25% of its total consumption in 2024. Reclaimed water meets approximately 80% of irrigation needs at the Florida resort, while Disneyland Paris operates its own wastewater treatment plant. The company has also eliminated single-use plastic straws and stirrers and is expanding the use of recycled materials in its merchandise.

However, independent analysis highlights the scale of the challenge. A June 2024 report from Green Digest estimated Disney's annual carbon footprint at 23 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, with water consumption around 35.6 million cubic meters, a significant portion of which occurs in regions with high water stress. The report also noted that while 61% of the company's 244,363 tons of annual operational waste is diverted from landfills, a substantial amount remains. These figures underscore the tension between the company's public-facing conservation messaging and the environmental cost of its sprawling global operations. As part of its ongoing efforts, the company continues to track its impact, with projects like the new 10-year bird monitoring report for the wetland park at Shanghai Disney Resort demonstrating a commitment to local biodiversity on a long-term scale.