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Wildlife and the Environment
You can make a difference for wildlife. Encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Speak up for wildlife. Let your friends and family know how much you care about animals.
With a few simple actions, every one of us can make a difference for wildlife. The conservation actions below are sustainable practices based on Disney's Animal Kingdom's 7 Guidelines to Wildlife Conservation.
Seek out information about conservation issues.
- Read a book about your favorite animal and learn all you can about it
- Subscribe to wildlife conservation magazines like National Geographic World
- Watch wildlife shows on television
- Contact local chapters of conservation groups to find out what they're doing in your areas
- Obtain a list of endangered plant and animal species from CITES or from your national list
Spread the word to others about the value of wildlife.
- Encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to reduce, reuse, and recycle
- Speak up for wildlife. Let your friends and family know how much you care about animals
- Teach children to respect nature and the environment
- Take children camping, hiking, or on zoo and aquarium trips
- Ensure schools have a balanced environmental education program
Look for and purchase products that are friendly to the environment.
- "Adopt" an animal or habitat as a present for family or friends
- Take a thermos for lunch instead of a juice box to save on packaging
- Shop for school supplies that are made from recycled materials
- Use organic fertilizers
- Don't buy ivory, or other products, made from wild animals
- Purchase shade grown coffee that benefits wildlife by conserving forests
Create habitats for wildlife in your backyard.
- Hang a bird feeder, put out a birdbath, or plant a small tree to show you care for wildlife
- Plant a wildlife garden with flowers that butterflies like
- Help your family build a bat box to eat all the mosquitoes in your backyard
- Create a small pond in your backyard for aquatic wildlife
- Contain domestic pets so they do not disturb wildlife
- Help children discover the many wonders of their backyard, like the tiny world of insects
Reduce, reuses, recycle and replenish.
- Recycle everything you can; newspapers, glass, cans, foil, etc.
- Turn off the water when you brush your teeth. This saves precious water
- Ride the bus, the subway,bike or walk to school instead of taking you car -- this saves energy and keeps you fit too!
- Use cold water in the washer whenever possible
- Take unwanted, reusable items to charitable organizations or thrift shops
- Lower your thermostat one degree per hour for every hour that you are away
Choose your pets wisely.
- Leave wild babies where you find them, their mothers can care for them best
- Be a responsible pet owner. Make sure they have food, water, and a safe, comfortable place to live
- Learn everything about the pet you want. Some pets have a very long life span - a tortoise or parrot may live over 100 years!
- Veterinary expenses for wild or exotic pets can be high
- Be sure the pet you choose was not taken from the wild
- Some animals have special care needs; be sure you are aware of these and can provide the care and costs that are required
Support conservation organizations through contributions and volunteerism.
- Join a beach or river clean-up
- Visit a nature park where the money will go to help wildlife
- Join a conservation organization
- Volunteer at your local zoo or nature center
Contribute dollars to conservation programs
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