"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
The 22nd 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
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
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 Fundwhich 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?
The 2nd 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.”
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.
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.
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
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
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.
National Tree Week takes place from 22nd November to 30th November in 2025. Celebrate all things tree and branch out with these leafy activities! National Tree Week is organised by the Tree Council - it's the largest tree celebration in the UK and it launches the start of the winter tree planting season.
This is a great opportunity to do something positive for trees in your area.
10 Tree Things to Do
Send a tree through the post as a gift! Yes, honestly. There’s a tree (or a bush) for everyone even in a hallway or on a balcony. Rather than send flowers which don’t last, send a tree or bush which will last longer. Some trees/bushes even produce things you can eat…. Tree2mydoor.com is to trees what a florist is to flowers so this Christmas why not send a tree as a gift?
Hunt for ancient trees Help the hunt for Ancient Trees and help boost the ancient tree inventory. This is a great outdoors activity, aided by the fact you can choose the day (and weather) on which to do it. Your family can go hunting for ancient trees and if you find one, let the Woodland Trust know about it. It helps them lobby to protect ancient trees and care for them, and plan for their proteciton in the future. The Woodland Trust has activities for children to do.
Plant a tree or join a community plant From small trees to the mighty oak, you can plant a tree in your garden or join a community project and enjoy it for years. Get your community planting trees or volunteer to help on a tree planting near you. This is a great way to meet new people and make friends and get all earthy. The Woodland Trust has more information on community planting
There are tree planting campaigns in many countries of the world. For instance, in Australia, the Koala Clancy Foundation is aiming to plant 300,000 trees to help koalas by 2030. Bangalow Koalas are looking to plant 1,000,000 trees by 2030. Trees for Lifein Scotland have a Plant a Tree opportunity so that you can help them transform open hillside into woodland, so restoring the Caledonian Forest.
Who lives in woodland and trees? Wildlife need our woodland and our trees. Discover who lives in our woodlands and trees and our forests. The Woodland Trust has information about who lives there.
Become a tree surgeon This could be a great career for anyone who loves the outdoors life and trees! Tree surgeons plant, they fell, they care for and maintain trees and assess their hazards. You can find more info at the National Careers Service website and The Arboricultural Association has information as well.
Be a tree warden for the Tree Council The Tree Warden Scheme is a national initiative to enable people to play an active role in conserving and enhancing their local trees and woods. The scheme was founded and is co-ordinated by The Tree Council.
Plant a tree in memory My wonderful Dad died in 2013. Birthdays and Christmases are difficult. I felt I wanted to mark events such as this in some way so I’ve started planting a tree in Dad’s memory for these occasions and Father’s Day. t took a while for the idea to surface, but I do smile at the thought of trees being dedicated to Dad all over the world. I try to find a link between each tree and Dad. He was a Winnie the Pooh fan, so I planted a tree in Sussex which is Winnie the Pooh country. Campaign for Trees The Woodland Trust campaigns for Trees – visit their website to see if there are any campaign's you could support. Examples include being a voice for trees and woods, telling the Trust about threats to ancient woods, and taking action in your community. Find out what you can do to help
Visit Trees for Cities Trees for Cities is working to make cities greener places in which to live and visit world wide. There are opportunities to volunteer, either as an individual or a corporate entity. Since 1993, over 70,000 people have planted over 600,000 urban trees in parks, streets, schools and housing estates across the UK, as well as internationally.
Plus....
Why not get use trees in a creative bit of fun? Draw trees or a group of trees; you can always use just pencil and paper - I love Easy Pencil Art Drawing Tutorials; there are great videos there covering all sorts of works, such as trees, landscapes, seascapes and animals!
Or you could do some tree photography... go out and take pictures of different trees and then try identifying them when you get home.
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.
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:
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
6. Read the Annual Report 2024for 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.
The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is based in Kenya and it takes in orphaned and abandoned elephant calves. The aim is to release them back into the wild herts adjoining Retiti.
The keepers caring for the elephants have all been trained in the care, rehabilitation and release of elephant calves. They are recruited from the Namunyak Conservancy and they all have a deep respect for elephants. You can meet some of the keepers here.
You can meet some of the elephants here – they are orphaned or abandoned because of drought, man-made wells, human-wildlife conflict and natural mortality. It was the local community who wanted the Sanctuary.
The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has an appeal to raise $250,000 to buy a mobile veterinary clinic! The clinic will reach the most remote, rugged parts of Northern Kenya and this should allow the Reteti tea to delivery essential care to injured and traumatised animals. It could even prevent calves being made orphans!
Not only that, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has pledged to match every donation up to US$ 125,000 - and that means that donations will go twice as far! A great way to make your donation go twice the distance!
There are a lot of challenges in the wild areas of Northern Kenya - climate change, droughts, the conflict with people. Many animals are badly injured and orphaned every year as a result of these challenges. And because of the terrain, help could be hours and even days away - there are very difficult conditions to cross and it can be impossible for the team to get to animals in time to save them.
Reteti has launched a dedicateed Rapid-Response Mobile Veterinarian Unit - and the aim is to deliver lifesaving care in the huge landscape around the clock!
Gifting them a bottle of milk - the video shows how much they adore it! Each elephant drinks about 8 bottles of milk a day, generally goats milk. The elephants have a feed about every 3 hours and between feeds, the keepers take them on bush walks so that they can learn to browse, navigate and get used to the landscape.
