Hello from Kelly at Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
Today, March 3rd is WORLD WILDLIFE DAY!
World Wildlife Day is an especially important day to celebrate the many beautiful and varied animal and plant species that inhabit earth and raise awareness to the wide array of benefits that their conservation provides us.
Importance of Wildlife
Wildlife conservation refers to the well-planned practice of restoration, enhancement and maintenance ensuring protection for wild animal species, their habitats, and plants.
Without animals and plants, our lives would not be possible. Oxygen, clean water and soil, and our earliest tools, food, and clothing came from animals and plants. We domesticated some wild animals to become our livestock, providing milk, meat, and clothing. Facts that are often forgot.
We depend on animal and plant biodiversity to keep ecosystems functional. Healthy ecosystems allow us to survive, get enough food to eat and make a living.
Human Impact
The role wildlife (animals, plants, microorganisms) plays in each of our lives is often undervalued because the services provided occur naturally. This can lead to people thinking natural resources and the services provided by wildlife and the ecosystems they support are infinite. This is not the case at all.
Human activities such as land development, agriculture expansion, logging (deforestation) have contributed significantly to habitat loss, biodiversity loss and extinction. Other human induced factors that directly and indirectly endanger wildlife species include: poaching, human overpopulation, consumer culture and climate change causing frequent droughts and flooding are also to blame for endangering wildlife species. Illegal wildlife activities including poaching has pushed some animal species to near extinction with an estimated loss of 10,000 species per year accounting for the loss of half of the world’s wildlife population. Over the years human population on earth has increased exponentially while wildlife population have dramatically declined.
In a bid to counteract this, wildlife conservation is ‘vital’ as we benefit and depend on the services wildlife and their interactions provide. Preserving and protecting wildlife and their habitat is a no brainer.
When we conserve and protect the natural habitat of wildlife species, we enrich our planet. To do so, we must keep the animals in their natural place. Conservation of natural habitats will also be beneficial for humans since it helps keep the essential watersheds intact and ensuring clean, fresh water.
Wildlife keeps ecosystems functional. Healthy ecosystems allow us to survive, get enough food to eat and make a living. When species disappear or fall in number, ecosystems and people suffer.
Why it is Important to Conserve Wildlife
Promotes Pollination & Native Plant Species
Small animals particularly bees, insects, butterflies, and birds play an important role in food production.
Medicinal Value
Plants are the major sources of medications and some animals are also vital in the production of medications. It is worth noting that conserving wildlife also means conserving their natural habitats including trees and vegetation, which is paramount for medicinal research and the sustainability of the pharmaceutical industries.
Protection of Biodiversity & Endangered Species
Animals depend on each other through food chains and food webs.
Protecting Ecological Stability & Balance
Conserving animals and plants encourages ecological stability and balance in the world.
Food security
By protecting natural habitats from degradation and forests against deforestation, this ensures there are sufficient and reliable natural resources for supporting agricultural activities thereby enhancing food security.
Plant & Animal Species for Research
Despite the increased animal research over the last decades, it is estimated that a significant number of animals and plant are not yet discovered. When one puts into consideration the fact that most human medications came from microbial organisms, animals, and plants, it highlights the need to conserve wildlife and its habitats.
Aesthetic Benefits
Animals and plants spread across the earth contribute to the aesthetic value of the earth. People visit biosphere reserves, national parks and zoos, forests, botanical gardens, game parks, lakes, oceans and mountains to enjoy the beauty of landmarks and for activities such as bird watching, camping, fishing, boating, and hiking just to mention a few. Watching animals in their natural habitat is not only fun, but also relaxing.
Preserves Culture & Heritage
Conserving wildlife means conserving heritage and traditional culture. Some places are known for their animals and plants in relation to the native practices and ways of livelihood, which means that failing to conserve the environment, will lead to loss of their land and native heritage.
Economic Benefits & Tourism
Animals and plants contribute to the local economies through tourism. The reason why most people choose to visit a certain country over others is often due to the country’s animals and plants, as well as natural habitats such as forests, mountains, and water bodies. The tourism sector is recorded to account for 10.4% of the world’s GDP. This means that if wild animals are not conserved, it will not only endanger the survival of those animals but it would also result in major tourism-related economic losses.
Education
Studying wildlife and their habitat is an important learning and development experience for children, students, and scholars of all ages.
Creation of Jobs
Wildlife has helped create thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly.
Entertainment Value
People spend time on their television and computers watching wild animal documentaries as their source of fun and entertainment. Failing to conserve wildlife and their habitat will mean that there will be no more animal documentation and thus, lack of entertainment.
Inspiration
Animals, plants and their habitat have inspired many works of art and products we buy. The mediums that artists use to inspire and create their pieces are from nature. Wood, charcoal, graphite, clay, mixed pigments, water. Artists literally use nature to create their works.
Preserve for Future Generations
If conservation measures are not put in place, future generations will not have a chance to see some of the wild animals that exist today.
The conservation of wildlife and their habitat is not based on sentiment, that of course factors into wanting to help animals but more then that we need wildlife. It should be cherished and respected and just like humans wildlife needs a home to live and a healthy environment to thrive. Please help do what you can to help wildlife thrive and lead the life they are intended to live.
The oxygen we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat – they all depend on other forms of life. Without the rest of species on the planet, there would be no prosperity, no economy, no us.
Thank you for being a friend to wildlife and taking the time to understand why it is in everyone’s best interests to defend and preserve wildlife and their natural habitat for our generation and generations to come.
THREE CHEERS FOR WILDLIFE!!!
Please be safe on the roads and mindful of wildlife we share the roads with this time of the year.
Kindest Regards,
Kelly Wallace. Managing Director
Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
Cell/Text: 647-606-9537
E-mail: thinkturtle@yahoo.com
Facebook: thinkturtleci
Username: Wallace Kathleen Kelly
Website: thinkturtle.ca
Facebook Post #975
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