"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
Don't miss it! Although it's a repeat, the programme is very timely, given that these rather amazing animals are at the centre of the coronavirus storm.
Pangolins are the world's most trafficked animal - their scales are wanted in Chinese medicine. Their flesh is eaten as a delicacy.
Sir David Attenborough narrates the storm of the pangolin and gives hope on how we can save them.
It’s not long now before we hit the 21st June – and of course what’s special about that is that it’s the longest day of the year – which means it’s World Giraffe Day, too!
World Giraffe Day gives us all an important chance to raise awareness of the challenges giraffes face in the wild.
Giraffe face a Silent Extinction if we don’t act
Over the past 35 years, giraffe numbers have decreased by nearly 30% and there are only about 117,000 giraffe left in the wild now. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation needs all our help in saving them. It initiated World Giraffe Day both to celebrate The Giraffe and to give us all the opportunity to help raise awareness of what giraffes face in the wild.
The giraffe's decline has been referred to as the Silent Extinction, by Sir David Attenborough in the BBC documentary, “Giraffes: Africa’s Gentle Giants”.
Giraffe have gone extinct in at least 7 African countries
In the last 300 years, we’ve lost 90% of all giraffe habitat
Human population growth across Africa is having a huge impact on giraffe and other wildlife
The Foundation updates State of Giraffe every year, and this highlights the conservation efforts that are being made and also the status of wild giraffe in Africa.
Action is essential.
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation is the only organisation in the world which concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa. Giraffe are still vulnerable to extinction, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
It works in 15 African countries across 45 million acres of giraffe habitat. And it is making a difference to giraffe and I quote:
Over 300 giraffe returned to their historical habitat
18 new giraffe populations established
Over 100 giraffe born in original giraffe habitats
Over 12 million acres of giraffe habitat reclaimed
Over 5 million data points recorded
Impact on over 100 million acres of giraffe habitat
Enter World Giraffe Day!
.
Zoos, schools, governments, companies and NGOs are hosting events to help raise awareness, and you can get involved and do your bit. Stick your neck out and raise awareness of giraffes and remind people of their beauty on social media!
Giraffe Translocation
The charity has a translocation programme, moving giraffe. Giraffe are moving to areas where there are very few or no giraffe. They are also caught, and then given satellite tracking units so that they can be tracked which enables conservationists to find out more about their movements. Catching and tracking giraffe provides an excellent opportunity to find out as much as possible about these beautiful animals. You can look at these two videos to get an idea of what's involved...
All the giraffes which have moved thanks to the programme are doing well and thriving. And the great news is that many new calves are being born! The programme is a key part of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s programme to ensure that giraffe have a future in Africa.
The Foundation works closely with local communities – many African children have never seen a giraffe so it has taken children into the field for a day to see giraffe.
Show how you #StandTallforGiraffe – literally! Take a photo of yourself standing tall – you could make it a group photo, but please bear social distancing rules in mind! A baby giraffe measures about 2m at birth – whilst the adults reach the giddy heights of over 5m.
Or come up with something that’s giraffe inspired – a cake with a giraffe on it, or paint a picture – just show how giraffes have inspired you and spread the message on social media of World Giraffe Day!
And tag the Giraffe Conservation Foundation on social media - here are the tags…
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 2025, the theme is Wetlands for our Common Future. Value. Protect. Inspire.
#WetlandsForOurCommonFuture
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.
