National Endangered Species Day is meant to draw awareness to the dwindling populations of certain animals and to inspire all of us to work together to help.
Conservation didn’t begin to gain traction until the mid 1800’s. It was President Theodore Roosevelt that set up the first National Wildlife Refuge at Pelican Island Florida.
America’s Endangered Species Act of 1973 sparked both domestic and international conservation by providing the framework for protection. Currently, there are over 1,300 species listed as either endangered or threatened in the United States under the Endangered Species Act.
Though somewhat controversial, as some argue that natural selection should decide whether a species lives or dies, the fact is humans have an unprecedented effect on the planet, and that, by its very nature has negative consequences on the lives of other animals.
Because every animal is a vital link in it’s own respective eco-system, when one becomes extinct that missing link has disastrous effects on other animals and the planet in general.
So here are a few things you can do:
- Make a donation to an organization dedicated to conserving endangered species.
- Volunteer at a local nature or rescue center. Learn more about the animals in your environment and how you can help them.
- Recycle and reuse as much as possible and do as much as you can to learn about where your products come from and what they’re made of.
- What are your products made of? For instance, Palm Oil is used in more than half of all packaged products Americans consume – it’s found in soaps, detergents, ice cream and even lipstick. Check your products to see if palm oil has been sourced in an environmentally-friendly way or if critical habitat for endangered species is being destroyed in order to plant groves for palm oil.
- Don’t waste water.
- Don’t use toxic chemicals in the garden or in your yard. Those toxins run into the water source and the environment killing fish, birds, and mammals that drink from the source.
- Use non-toxic dish soaps and shampoos.
But more than anything, find out about why animals are endangered and see what you can do on a local level to help that animal survive!