World Wildlife Day 2020 celebrates biodiversity

Happy World Wildlife Day!  Even though I've celebrated this day three times, including the happy accident that was the first time, I've never quoted National Day Calendar's entry about it before, although I have linked to it.  Time for a quote!

World Wildlife Day on March 3rd annually dedicates a celebration to all life on our planet. The yearly event is regarded as the most important, raising awareness about threatened and endangered plants and animals. As a planet, we currently face the issue of overexploiting our marine species. Through global mass consumption, human impact has not only generated pollution and destroyed coastal habitats but causes irreversible damage.

• Threatened species – any species of plant or animal that are on the brink of being endangered
• Endangered species – any species of plant or animal that is in danger of extinction
• Extinct Species (in the wild) – plants and animals that no longer survive in the wild.
• Extinct Species – plant and animal species that have died out

Many extinct species in the wild may live in zoos, botanical gardens, or even in our own back yards. Two extinct species in the wild that survive elsewhere include the blue-tailed skink and the rhododendron kanehirai. Another currently survives because of its popularity. The butterfly splitfin, While the butterfly splitfin is formally listed as extinct in the wild, a small population still exists in Mexico. Also known as butterfly goodeids (Ameca splendens), the live-bearing fish currently maintain their population in habitats in home aquariums.

Causes of Extinction

While extinction naturally occurs on Earth, humans involvement accelerates extinction rates. Some of the causes of extinction include:

• habitat loss – over development, expansion of urban areas and deforestation contribute to this cause
• climate change – over-reliance on fossil fuels, deforestation, and other factors contribute to this cause
• invasive species – plants, animals, and organisms introduced to a non-native habitat that alter or destroy biodiversity and ultimately lead to the extinction of many species
• overfishing and hunting – the demand for more food or materials by a population than an ecosystem can sustain

World Wildlife Day creates opportunities to highlight the solutions we’ve built for a more sustainable future. It’s also our chance to focus on the accomplishments of countless individuals who devote their lives bringing our vision of a healthy planet to fruition.

HOW TO CELEBRATE #WorldWildlifeDay

Celebrating World Wildlife Day is easy. There are several ways to participate. No matter how you take part, invite someone to join you in the experience.

• Visit https://wildlifeday.org/ to check out events happening in your area.
• Volunteer at a local preserve or donate. Learn what changes can be made in your community to improve our earth.
• Take a trip to your local zoo, nature preserve, botanical gardens or national park.
• Learn more about how losing species impacts our ecosystems.
• Find out more about biodiversity and its importance.
• Share your love for all things wildlife with the hashtags #WorldWildlifeDay.

WORLD WILDLIFE DAY HISTORY

The United Nations General Assembly ratified World Wildlife Day on December 20th, 2013.  Thailand initially proposed the day with the goal of raising awareness of the poor state of the world’s animals and vegetation.

Like last year, the World Wildlife Day YouTube account has uploaded videos for this year's celebration and, like last year, I'm sharing them.  Watch World Wildlife Day 2020 - Sustaining all life on Earth.

This official PSA for UN World Wildlife Day 2020 was produced by the CITES Secretariat with the generous support of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Biodiversity.

The other video I'm embedding is by the same person who produced the video I embedded last year, Taegen Yardley.  Watch Young voices for World Wildlife Day 2020 - short version.

This video was produced by Taegen Yardley, a high school student at Stowe High School, Vermont, United States.

Watching both videos reminds me of Commoner's Laws, especially 1, 3, and 4.

1. Everything Is Connected to Everything Else. There is one ecosphere for all living organisms and what affects one, affects all.
2. Everything Must Go Somewhere. There is no "waste" in nature and there is no "away" to which things can be thrown.
3. Nature Knows Best. Humankind has fashioned technology to improve upon nature, but such change in a natural system is, says Commoner, "likely to be detrimental to that system."
4. There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch. Exploitation of nature will inevitably involve the conversion of resources from useful to useless forms.

I hope my readers keep these laws in mind every day, but especially today.

It's time for me to move on to two other of my passions, drum corps and politics.  Stay tuned for a drum corps Super Tuesday.