July - Wildlife Conservation

What is Wildlife Conservation?
Wildlife conservation means the protection of species and habitats of animals. It plays a big role in our society because without it our wildlife resources would deplete in a matter of years. Without people conserving, the outdoor things we enjoy now would not be around much longer. An interesting slogan people use is “Keep Wildlife, “Wild with life”.

Wildlife conservation has huge advantages.  The planets and animals can be studied and can help people understand and learn more about the environment. Many organizations throughout the country put in wildlife conservation efforts.

One of the highest ranked organizations in the nation is The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy works with local communities, businesses, and individuals to protect over 100 million acres of land. Other organizations have projects from time to time but they are not cheap!

Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. It has become integrated science using disciplines such as Math, Chemistry, Biology, climatology, ecology, and also geography to gain the best results.

Do you know how many species are endangered everyday? There are 600 animals and almost 800 plants that are either threatened or endangered.

Can you name a few wildlife habitats? Mountain, river, forest, cave, lake/pond, ocean, dessert, marsh/wetland, grassland/prairie

What are 4 requirements of all habitats? Food, water, cover, space.

Activity:

1. Help your kids research what kinds of animals are prevalent in your area. Even if you live in an urban environment, you should be able to identify some types of birds or insects. Talk about what kind of habitat the animals need to survive. 


2. Grow plants in your home or classroom. Try to use local/native plants. If you have space, start an outside garden where kids can grow all the ingredients for a salad. 


3. Take your children on a field trip to a local park or outside area. Have them sketch a flower or plant that they enjoy, and challenge them to identify the plant when they get back home or to the classroom.