One of the things that I advocate is finding a way to help. For some people, it is a monetary donation. For some people, it’s posting on social media to spread awareness. For others, it’s volunteering time to work on citizen science projects. There are so many different ways to help and make small changes in your life in order to conserve species. This is a place for me to share a variety of ways you can help. If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to comment or send me a message!
Citizen Science Projects
Citizen science projects are a great way for everyday citizens to collect data in their area to help scientists do research that can aid in the conservation of species. National Geographic and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums have a few really interesting citizen science projects that are based in conservation. Among their projects are the FrogWatch USA program, which I discussed in my Frogs, Frogs, Frogs post, using the iNaturalist app from your smart device to capture photos of nature in your region, and doing a bird watch. For more information, I linked National Geographic’s citizen science page as well as AZA’s citizen science page above.
Reducing Waste
Reducing waste is a big topic all over the world right now. With 8 million metric tons of plastic ending up in our oceans every year, there is a good reason why. But plastic is not the only waste products we produce, but also paper, styrofoam, and even food. Food waste is a very easy one to take care of by composting. Many cities now will have a public composting program where you can take your food scraps and other compostable items to be broken down into rich fertilizer. Be sure to go online and find a composting center near you to make good use of the food waste we get rid of every day, or start your own compost bin in you backyard. Planet Natural has a lot of really good information on starting your own compost bin and the benefits of compost.
Another way to reduce waste is of course reducing the amount of plastic and styrofoam we consume. Many companies now are switching from plastic grocery bags to paper or only bringing your own, which is a great step in the right direction. Reusable grocery bags can be found almost everywhere now and are usually pretty cheap. There are also tutorials to use old t-shirts or pillowcases to DIY your own. Plastic waste is a difficult one to phase out of your life, and it’s something I still work on everyday, but little steps make a huge difference. Start with packing a lunch more often then you buy a lunch. Then start making your own coffee instead of going to a coffee shop every morning, or see if they will fill your cup instead of using a disposable one. This can save you money and waste. Switch to metal or glass reusable straws and reusable metal or bamboo cutlery when you’re traveling so you don’t have to get the individual packs. Little steps like this can make a huge difference. Many people think that reducing waste is an expensive habit to break out of, but you end up saving money in the long run and reusable cutlery, bags, straws, and others can cost less than $10 because of how common they are now. I included some links to amazon and FinalStraw so check out their products and start making the switch to reusable!
Donating Time or Money
I am a big fan of keeping efforts local just as much as sending them overseas. While I want to be helping the giraffes in Africa and the pangolins in Asia, I also want to help the endangered species in my own backyard, like the Indiana bat. The best way for me to do this is to donate money or volunteer my time to local wildlife agencies. This can include the citizen science projects discussed above. I would suggest taking to the internet to look up a wildlife organization near you and find out what they are doing to help endangered species in your backyard and how you can help. For people in the US, US Fish and Wildlife have lots of really interesting programs, as well as local zoos and aquariums and other wildlife rehabilitation centers. Give these places a call and see what you can do to help.
Conservation Exploration 