"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, 1901-1978
Around the world, there are many groups of committed people who are making sure wildlife have the space they need to survive and thrive. Please find a group to join so that you can be a part of their journey to help wildlife. If we all pull together, we can really power through change for the better. The more of us who help create, protect, care for and save existing and new spaces, the better.
22 Sept: World Rhino Day
The 22nd September is World Rhino Day and a chance to look at some of the charities helping rhinos? Take a look at Helping Rhinos, Save the Rhino, Rhino Ark, and the International Rhino Foundation.
African Parks have just announced they will be moving 2,000 rhino from a private breeding operation they have just purchased. Find out more
Those amazing people at the Koala Clancy Foundation have great news for koalas and other wildlife - they've all been very busy planting trees and they've hit over 30,000 trees in 2023! This just shows what can be done when groups of people work together for a cause. Find out more
A new paper from Polar Bears International's chief scientist emeritus tackles a loophole in the Endangered Species Act. Find out more from Polar Bears International here.
Find out about sponsoring an anti-poaching K9! Heroes in action with their handlers
Find out how sniffer dogs are advancing giraffe conservation in Africa
In 2023, the week focuses on "innovation at a time of unprecedented challenges." The theme is Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World and it invites us to rethink about how we manage water.
Take a look at different ways in which we can get water to animals, and also make our water go further. For instance, take a look at the RHS's Mains2Rains initiative.
The 19th August is International Orangutan Day and the Orangutan Foundation has an appeal, asking us all to donate from £2 to sponsor an acre of rainforest! Find out more here
And there was a milk match until 13 August 2023, as the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary strove to secure 25,000 bottles of milk for the elephants it cares for (including the match). Find out more here.
Footage of a sun bear at a zoo in China has gone viral - not least because people who have seen the bear wanted to know if the bear, Angela, was fur real! Find out more here
World Ranger Day
It was a big weekend for conservation, with International Tiger Day on 29th July, and World Ranger Day immediately after on the 31st July. Find out more about World Ranger Day here.
The 29th July is International (or World) Tiger Day, and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation has launched a Tiger Appeal. These are such wonderful big cats - please find out more about the Tiger Appeal here
Conservation charity the RSPB and the Co-op have joined forces to work for peat restoration at two UK sites, one in Wales and one in Scotland.
The National Trust for Scotland has a Love our Islands Appeal. And they've recently added the Treshnish Isles to their care.
Arctic Sea Ice Day is on 15th July. Apart from polar bears, the Arctic has many, many different species who need sea ice, and local communities there use it too. The Arctic sea ice is earth's air conditioner, helping to cool earth down. Find out more here..
The image left is from Polar Bears International's tool kit for Arctic Sea Ice Day.
The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust in the UK have an appeal to secure funding to purchase and protect Archers' Green, home to globally rare and fast declining wildlife habitats. Amongst the vital habitats are a chalk river. Find out more about the appeal here.
Armenia's Caucasus Wildlife Reguge
JULY 2023: The World Land Trust has a new appeal to help restore degraded landscape in Armenia. Amongst the species there are the leopard and lynx. Find out more about it here.
Did you know...
about Britain's temperate rainforests? The Woodland Trust has produced this short video to tell us more about them. And they have a Rainforest Appeal here
(You can also take a look at their cameras watching the osprey at the Loch Arkaig Pine Forest in the beautiful Scottish Highlands.)
A historic agreement has been reached to protect the world's oceans - the High Seas Treaty aims to place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030. This is to safeguard and recuperate marine nature.
Watch Paul Whitehouse's programme on BBC2, 5 March 2023, about the state of British rivers.
The book "Earthshot" says that you and I can be part of the problem facing the planet - or we can be part of the solution. Two things we can do is to protect the natural world and to reduce our impact. "Urgency + Optimism = Action."
There's a website aiming to educate people into why you shouldn't poison bats you find in your home - it's a wonderful resource. Find out more here
There are lots of committed groups around the world working to help wildlife, the natural world and conservation. Join in their efforts!
From ponds and rivers to mountains and deserts, wildlife need space to survive and thrive. You and I can help save, protect and care for this habitat, and help create more space for wildlife. We share the planet with them.