What You Can Do
Link to EcoAware!
Check out the downloads section. The more people that view
this site, the more everyone will know!
What you can do to make a difference:
- Support local national parks and preserves.
- Get involved; be a volunteer for a week or a
summer at a national park.
- Let others in your community know that the
world is losing amazing plants and animals every day.
- Be aware. The more knowledgeable
you are, the more of an impact you will make and the more others will
hear what you have to say.
- Do everything you can to let others
know. It doesn't have to be anything huge-- knowledge alone
is a formidable weapon.
An original, shorter 10-point list can be found on the EcoAware MySpace page. A
more in-depth list that is directed toward the younger ones is below, adapted from
www.endangeredspecie.com:
Conserve
Habitats
- One of the most important ways to help
threatened plants and animals survive is to protect their habitats
permanently in national parks, nature reserves or wilderness areas.
There they can live without too much interference from humans. It is
also important to protect habitats outside reserves such as on farms
and along roadsides.
- You can visit a nearby national park or
nature reserve. Some national parks have special guided tours and walks
for kids. Talk to the rangers to find out whether there are any
threatened species and how they are being protected. You and your
friends might be able to help the rangers in their conservation work.
- When you visit a national park, make sure
you obey the wildlife code: follow fire regulations; leave your pets at
home; leave flowers, birds’ eggs, logs and bush rocks where
you find them; put your rubbish in a bin or, better still, take it home.
- If you have friends who live on farms,
encourage them to keep patches of bush as wildlife habitats and to
leave old trees standing, especially those with hollows suitable for
nesting animals.
- Some areas have groups which look after
local lands and nature reserves. They do this by removing weeds and
planting local native species in their place. You could join one of
these groups, or even start a new one with your parents and friends.
Ask your local parks authority or council for information.
- By removing rubbish and weeds and replanting
with natives you will allow the native bush to gradually regenerate.
This will also encourage native animals to return.
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Make
Space For Our Wildlife
- Build a
birdfeeder and establish a birdbath for the neighborhood birds.
- Plant a
tree and build a birdhouse in your backyard.
- Start
composting in your backyard garden or on your balcony. It eliminates
the need for chemical fertilizers which are harmful to animals and
humans, and it benefits your plants!
- Ask your
parents not to use harmful chemicals in your garden or home.
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Recycle, Reduce, And Reuse
- Encourage
your family to take public transportation. Walk or ride bicycles rather
than using the car.
- Save
energy by turning off lights, radios and the TV when you are not using
them.
- Turn off
the tap while you brush your teeth and use water-saving devices on your
toilet, taps and showerhead.
- Ask your
parents to buy products and food without packaging whenever possible.
Take your own bag to the store. It will reduce the amount of garbage
and waste your family produces.
- Recycle
your toys, books and games by donating them to a hospital, daycare,
nursery school or children's charity.
- Encourage
your family to shop for organic fruits and vegetables.
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Plant Native Plants That Are Local To The Area
- If you can, plant native plants instead of
non-native or introduced ones in your garden. You don’t want
seeds from introduced plants escaping into the bush. Native grasses,
flowers, shrubs and trees are more likely to attract native birds,
butterflies and other insects, and maybe even some threatened species.
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Control
Introduced Plants And Animals
-
Non-native
plants and animals are ones that come from outside your local area.
-
Some parks
and reserves, beaches, bush-land and rivers are now infested with
invasive plants, and native species often cannot compete with these
plants.
-
Many
environmental weeds come from people’s gardens.
-
Sometimes,
the seeds are taken into the bush by the wind or by birds.
-
Controlling
these foreign species is an important step in protecting wildlife
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Make Your Voice Heard
- Tell your family, friends and co-workers
about threatened species and how they can make a difference.
- Start a group dedicated to protecting a
threatened plant or animal in your area or volunteer at a national park.
- Write articles or letters about threatened
species to newspapers and your local and national representatives.
- Fill
out the WildAid Petition card located under the downloads
section.
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