Visit the World Rainforest Day's website

The 22^nd June is World Rainforests Day.  Rainforests are vital for life to survive on Earth.   Their loss  threatens our biodiversity and imperils earth’s health. We ignore this loss at our peril.

World Rainforest Day was founded back in 2017 by the Rainforest Partnership.  It celebrates the importance of healthy, standing rainforests for climate, biodiversity, culture and livelihoods.  Crucially, it convenes a global movement to protect them and restore them.  The Pledge programme mentioned below is launching in 2024 to drive rainforest and climate action across all sectors immediately.  

Natural climate solutions such as protecting and restoring forests could reverse global emissions by a third, according to World Rainforest Day.

This day is held to celebrate rainforests and encourage us all to protect them.  If we can all unite and become a forest of action that rains on earth, then we can make a huge difference.  Wherever you are in the world, rainforests are impacting you.  And there's something all of us can to to help with rainforest protection and appreciation. 

In 2026, the theme is  The Forest Within You

In 2026, World Rainforest Day is aiming "to reignite and amplify global appreciation for rainforests through three key calls to action."

One of these calls is to join the global video campaign reflecting on your connection to rainforests or what this year's theme means to you.  There's a global toolkit to help you, plus a prompts guide.  For instance, you could think about... 

your connection to rainforests, wherever you live

Your wellbeing - you could talk about the role nature plays in your wellbeing

How your daily choices reflect care for the planet

A memory - perhaps there's a moment, palce or tree which represents your "inner forest"

Perhaps there's a story from your local area, or folklore or ancestralknowledge which reflects long and cherished connection to forests

Share your video on social media, using tags #WorldRainforestDay + #WorldRainforestDay2026

There's information about this and legal bits on the World Rainforest Day's website here.  

The website has other ways you can get involved, such as:

• get your hands dirty and volunteer with a rainforest organisation
• go greener with your food - try vegan or vegetarian for one day this week or every week
• Find out more about climate change and nature driven solutions.   Be inspired by the winners and finalists of the Earthshot Prize - there are some amazing things going on to help nature 
• Discover more about those organisations helping rainforests.  You can see the list of partners of World Rainforest Day here - why not see how many you recognise and find out about those you don't?  
  
  

#WorldRainforestDay

Be a Planet Walker - take yourself through a forest or park or trail.  Share your journey on social media.  Why not explain what nature and these forests or parks mean to you and how they benefit your wellbeing? 

The World Rainforest Day website has these things we can all do to make a positive impact on rainforests, today and every day:

Ways to help rainforests

• Volunteer for a rainforest charity!  Many charities need help not just from a practical sense but also in the "back office" with those behind-the-scenes but essential tasks.
• Vote with nature in mind!   Show leaders that you care about our natural world and want to preserve it.
• Choose local products and ask about where items are sourced.   Many rainforests are cut down for agriculture and cattle ranching.  Go meat free one day a week if you can.  
• Find out about the different fauna and flora in rainforests, such as lichen.  The British Lichen Society has this great video about it from one of Dartmoor's temperate rainforests
• Take a look at Global Forest Watch.  It is a fascinating site and it provides tools and data for monitoring forests.  For instance, you can see the alerts for forests fires 
• Discover about temperate rainforests, too!  The Woodland Trust has 8 rainforests to explore in the UK - check them out here.
• Share your discoveries and what is being done to help rainforests on social media.   We need to show people that there is a lot going on - and that people can and do make a difference.
• Visit , Rainforest Rescuewhose mission is to give the rainforest a voice and preserve it in all its splendor.   It has petitions you can sign to give rainforests your voice, and projects it runs to protect them, thanks to donor support.  The petitions expose destructive projects and name the perpetrators, so they are important.
• There are many charities you can donate to to help rainforests such as the  World Land Trust.    £100 is one acre protected, but you don't have to give £100.  Every bit helps! They have an Action Fund which enables them to respond fast when urgent conservation action is needed - find out about that here.  They have a current appeal to help orangutans in Borneo which you could spread the word about (and donate to, if you can).  
• You could read the story I wrote about an orangutan and a tiger called Where has my home gone?  

 Find out more from World Rainforest Day’s website.   

#WorldRainforestDay #WorldRainforestDay2026

The 2^nd February is World Wetlands Day.  The day aims to raise awareness about wetlands, and it marks the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, which was adopted as an international treaty back in 1971.  Back in 1971 on 2 February, the Convention on Wetlands was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar which sits on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

What are wetlands?

Wetlands cover areas such as shores, estuaries, mudflats, floodplains, coastal marshes, local ponds, the bog and pond in your garden, mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and rivers.  They cover a very small of the earth’s surface – and yet they are one of the most important habitats on our planet.  WWT has lots of information about these areas - you can click to see it here.

"If rainforests are the lungs of the planet, then wetlands are the lifeblood.  As much as we need air to breathe, we need water to live.   The conservation of our wetlands is essential to all life on earth.”  

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT)

In 2026, the theme is Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge:  Celebrating cultural heritage

#CelebratingWetlands
#Wetlands and Cultural Heritage

Raising awareness is critical – most people have heard of forests and rainforests, but fewer have heard of wetlands.  Yet they are vital ecosystems.  Despite this, the World Wetlands Day website explains that, since the 1700s, almost 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s.   And we’re losing wetlands 3x faster than forests.  

A recent global IPBES assessment identified wetlands as the most threatened ecosystem. This impacts 40% of the world’s plant and animal species that live or breed in wetlands.

What are the threats to wetlands?

• Habitat loss:  many thousands of hectares have been drained for land  by humans for their purposes of housing, industry and agriculture
• Pollution:  WWT says that 80% of global wastewater gets released into wetlands without being treated.  Wetlands are under threat from pollution, fertilisers, pesticides – and yet wetlands can act as natural filters, removing pollutants from the water.
• Invasive species such as the common water hyacinth and animals (e.g. the killer shrimp) devastate wetlands. Unfortunately, water provides easy pathways for them to spread and grow.
• Our changing climate can cause wetlands to dry out – and this can have a terrible impact on amphibians, migratory birds and corals  for instance. But wetlands are carbon sinks – when we destroy wetlands, carbon gets released into the atmosphere. 
• Development, such as dams, and draining
  
  

Why wetlands matter to people:

• They provide us with drinking water
• They store a third of the world’s carbon emissions
• They buffer us from floods and droughts
• They are important for our health and wellbeing

Why do wetlands matter to wildlife?

40% of all plant and animal species live or breed here.

They are vital breeding and feeding grounds for migratory birds – stopover points, if you like. Banc d’Arguin National Park (Mauritania) is one of the most important zones in the world for nesting birds and Palearctic migratory waders, Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) (China).  These birds use wetlands such as our coastlines to stop, moult, rest, winter or nest.  

Pantanal Conservation Area (Brazil) is one of the world's largest freshwater wetland ecosystems.

Sundarbans National Park (India) is formed of tidal rivers, creeks and canals and supports species such as the single largest population of tiger, and aquatic mammals such as the Irrawaddy and Ganges River dolphins, all under threat.

Mud, mud, glorious mud
The power of mud....Preventing climate change
Watch this video from WWT on You Tube 
to find out what mud can do to combat climate change

So what can we all do to help wetland conservation?

 WWT can create new wetlands in a few months and years – so your support can really make a difference quickly.  But there’s something we can all do to help and you’ll find more links and further resources further down. 

• Find out why they matter to people and wildlife.
• See what you can do at home to help wildlife.  Create a (mini) pond in your garden, local area or school - WWT or the RSPB can show you how
• Visit a wetland close to you if there is one, and spend time there.   Use your senses while you visit.  Listen to the sounds you can hear; look at the sights, smell the scents.  Connect with them.
• Find out which of your local conservation charities are working to protect and restore wetlands.  How can you get involved and support them?  Many of them will be working on projects which you may be able to get involved with. This could be by volunteering, donating, buying something from their online shop, becoming a member, spreading the word about them - there are lots of ways to help. 
• #WetlandBiodiversityMatters to see what’s happening
• Support an appeal for wetlands somewhere in the world
• Make a pledge to act for wetlands 
  
  

You can create your own wetland in your garden...
Here's how...



Will you make a pledge to protect wetlands?
See pledges already made here - 
and make your own pledge here!

There are a lot of efforts being made to help protect and restore and create wetlands.  For instance, the International Crane Foundation has been working to protect Africa’s wetlands for 30 years.  Find out about their work here.

On this World Wetland Day, they are advocating for:

• Protection of wetlands
• The reduction of human impact to minimise habitat destruction caused by human activity 
• Supporting crane conservation efforts
• Promoting awareness and education
• Encouraging sustainabity
• Advocating for climate change
• Getting involved in citizen science such as birdwatching or local conservation projects to help monitor populations and track their movements - this all helps contribute important details to build up a picture of the status of cranes and other animals

Further Resources

World Wetland Network – a collection of NGOs and Civil Society Groups all working for wetland conservation

Wetland Link International – a support network for wetland education centres which deliver engagement activities on site.  The WWT in the UK lead it; it has 350 members over 6 continents!

RAMSAR –  The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. 

World Wetlands Day – held every year on 2 February to raise awareness of the importance of wetlands and how we can all help

WWT – the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in the UK.   Visit one of their 10 sites around the UK and/or visit their website to see how you can get involved.

The MedWet mission is "to ensure and support the effective conservation of the functions and values of Mediterranean wetlands and the sustainable use of their resources and services".  Visit their website here.  The Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative brings together 27 Mediterranean and peri-Mediterranean countries, all of which are Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971). Palestine and several organizations and wetland centres are also part of the MedWet Initiative.

The Global Wetland Outlook – take a look, it’s fascinating reading

The okapi live in the dense jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

The opaki is under threat

Although it is a respected cultural symbol of the DRC (have had protect status since 1933), the opaki is threatened by human activities: slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal gold mining, logging, encroachment from human settlement and bush-meat poaching.

Enter the Opaki Conservation Project

Enter the Opaki Conservation Project which works to protect the natural habitat of the opaki and indigenous Mbuti pygmies who lives in the Opaki Wildlife Reserve.  It also looks to promote the species around the world.

The reserve itself is a designated World Heritage Site.  It sits within the Ituri Forest, and it encompasses 13,700 square kilometres. As well as the opaki, it is home to animals such as forest elephants, chimpanzees, 13 species of primates, leopards, bongo antelopes and a huge variety of birds and insects. 

OpakiConservation undertakes wildlife protection, community assistance and conservation education. For instance, it has IUCN eco-guards to collect snares, evict miners, pursue and detain poachers, monitor agricultural expansion and biodiversity.  This is all aimed to protect, manage and secure the Opaki Wildlife Reserve  so that future generations can benefit from its vibrant forest ecosystem.

And it provides rations for forest patrols and support, and it helps educate communiteis so that they are aware of the Reserve's regulations and protects them, too.  The opaki is an important symbol of their national heritage. 

World Opaki Day’s aims

World Opaki Day on 18 October celebrates the opaki – it raises awareness of it as many people have never heard of an opaki.  Lots of zoos who have opakis will be doing something about the day to raise awareness of them, so this could be a good time to visit!   You can find out more about the opaki here. 

And crucially, the opaki acts as a flagship species to protect the forest ecosystem where it resides.   

There are activities around the villages in the reserve and they are combined to educate local communities and protect the opaki.

 
Visit the OpakiConservation's You Tube Channel here

From the 20^th to 23^rd October 2025,

The International Opaki Meeting takes place at the Audubon Species Survival Centre in New Orleans It’s got a 26-acre okapi complex.  Colleagues from around the world and conservation leaders will join together for three days of collaboration, field experience and science.   Find out more here. 

Things we can do on World Okapi Day:

1.  Follow the day on social media and tell people about okapis.  Here are the hashtags and links:

Facebook: @okapiconservationproject

Instagram: @okapiconservation

Twitter: @okapiproject

Hashtags: #WorldOkapiDay #OkapiConservation 

2.   Recycle your own mobile phone.  Did you know that a cell/mobile phones have coltan?  It’s a mineral mined in the DRC forests, so if you recycle your phone it means less mining in the forest.

3.   Put okapi photos on social media, using the hashtags hashtags #OkapiConservation and #WorldOkapiDay

4.  You could also donate to the Okapi Conservation Project – all proceeds go to help protect okapi and its habitat.

5.  Watch okapi videos!   

6.  Read the Annual Report 2024 for Opaki Conservation to show the impact they have had, the challenges they face and their goals for the future. 

7.  Find out how zoos are helping with opaki conservation:  Dublin Zoo has been supporting the Opaki Conservation Project since 2012, and they recently had the exciting birth of an opaki!  This was their THIRD opaki calf!  Chester Zoo helped to develop a conservation strategy for okapi with the IUCN, and the Zoo staff contributed technical support to the IUCN Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Advisory Group to give assistance in the project development stage.  They welcomed an opaki calf a couple of months ago, and you can see the birth here. In September 2025, The Oklahoma City Zoo celebrated the birth of an endangered female okapi calf.   And in October 2025, Sacramento Zoo welcomed an opaki calf too! 

You could also take a look at the Giraffe and Opaki Specialist Group (GOSG) which consists of experts to study giraffe, opaki and the threats these animals face. The group is leading and supporting conservation actions to ensure that giraffe and opaki survive into the future.  The Giraffe Conservation Fund and ZSL (the Zoological Society of London) are co-hosts of the group for giraffe and opaki respectively.  Others involved in working for opaki conservation include the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Lukuru Foundation who lead the TL2 Project.  The project is seeking to establish a newly protected area - the Lomani National Park - and this area encompasses opaki. 

You can read the Opaki Conservation Strategy 2015-2025 here.