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World Wildlife Day might be a lesser known holiday, but also one of the more fun to celebrate! On December 20, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 3rd as World Wildlife Day in honor of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Its goal is to raise awareness and celebrate our world’s flora and fauna (aka plants and animals!) and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet. Pretty cool, right?! There are many amazing ways to celebrate this holiday and we’ve captured a few of those below for you!
1. Participate in World Wildlife Day celebrations. Whether you’re in the United States, Thailand, Australia, Kenya, Italy, or anywhere in between, there are celebrations taking place around the world. Some are virtual that you can watch from the comfort of your own home, or in person and include planting trees or learning how to conserve our Earth’s natural resources, just to name a few. Use the World Wildlife Day website to find an event near you!
2. Explore the World Wildlife Fund’s free toolkits. With over 15 different tool kits, appealing to audiences from kindergarten through twelfth grade, parents and educators have free access to resource guides, classroom presentations, learning activities, and printables for a range of animals and environmental topics.
3. If you or your kids want to test your endangered species knowledge, try out this quiz from We Are Teachers. This is a great way to start the conversation with kids about endangered species and environmental conservation efforts to save these species.
4. Visit places that are working hard to protect animals and the environment. If you have a national park, open space preserve, or botanical garden nearby, these are great places to visit and learn about our earth’s flora and fauna and the work people are doing to protect them.
5. Volunteer your time! Planting trees, maintaining walking trails, or participating in a beach clean up are amazing ways to get outside and actively help the environment. Check with your local park service, Audubon Society, or Sierra Club to see if they have any group activities planned, or if they know of other organizations that need volunteers. This is definitely time well spent!
Celebrating World Wildlife Day is a fun and meaningful way to show support for the planet's flora and fauna. Whether you're participating in global events, exploring educational resources, volunteering in your community, or simply visiting local parks and gardens, there are so many ways to get involved and take action. By raising awareness and learning more about environmental conservation efforts, we can all make a difference in protecting the world's endangered species and preserving our planet for future generations. So mark your calendars for March 3rd and join the celebration!
(AIA)
