This is the 11977th most frequent Russian word.
защитник
Defender.
'защитником' refers to a person who defends or supports an idea or a cause, in this case, nature preservation.
Он был великим защитником природы.
He was a great advocate for nature.
'защитник' refers to a player in a sports team whose role is to protect their side's goal, specifically in soccer or similar games.
На поле защитник успешно отбил мяч у нападающего.
On the field, the defender successfully took the ball from the forward.
'защитники' refers to individuals who support or advocate for a cause, giving the term a more general and figurative meaning.