Life on Land

The biological functions of the planet depend on animals, microorganisms & plants interacting with each other, which maintains nature cycles & in turn enhances our lives as humans.

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Conservation, restoration and the sustainable use of natural resources found in the ecosystems of, for example, forests and mountains, are all important for biodiversity, maintaining a balance for the climate and preventing extinction of endangered species.  If life on land is not protected from activities such as deforestation, habitat loss and poaching, disruption will be caused to biodiversity, as well as the production of food through land degradation and loss of pollinators (such as bees), wellbeing and medications (as many are plant based) and the increase of natural disasters due to disruption to earth’s ecosystems through deforestation and the resulting impact on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

 

What can YOU do to help?

Be respectful...

towards wildlife, natural areas, protected reserves and habitats such as hedgerows, meadows and woodland. British hedgehog numbers have fallen by 66% in two decades—loss of habitat being a major contributor.

Recycle effectively...

so that animals are not harmed by or ingesting our rubbish. See our Planetary resources on Responsible Consumption and Production for more tips!

Do thorough background research when visiting zoos or taking part in environmentally based tourism such as safaris and sanctuaries.

Some organisations abroad are part of the ‘canned hunting’ trade, where animals that have been hand-reared from an early age are sold to poaching reserves when they are too old or unmanageable to make money in other ways.

Sponsor!

Sponsor an area of forest land or contribute to the planting of new trees through organisations such as the World Land Trust or the Orangutan Foundation.

Connect!

Connect with your neighbours and local community to start projects such as rewilding to provide habitats and environmental corridors for wildlife. Check out our Solutions tab for more ideas!

Encourage!

Encourage wildlife into your garden by installing bug hotels and wild plants like lavender, foxglove and honeysuckle. Friends of the Earth provide a good guide on bee friendly flowers, trees and bushes.

Be more mindful of what you purchase

Palm oil is somewhat unavoidable as an ingredient and has a positive impact for the communities that grow it. But there are many alternatives and sustainable palm oil sources that you could choose to buy. Look out for the RSPO logo to indicate sustainable use of palm oil.

Look for...

...the RSPO logo on products to indicate sustainable use of palm oil.

Did you know?

World Wildlife Day is celebrated on the 3rd March each year, and World Environment Day on 5th June!

Young People in Action!

Bella Lack

Bella is the UK’s answer to Greta…  A youth ambassador for the Born Free Foundation, Save the Asian Elephant, the RSPCA and the Jane Goodall Institute, Bella also campaigns with the Ivory Alliance against the illegal wildlife trade. She speaks on behalf of young people at global conferences and is working on a feature length documentary called ‘ANIMAL’. Bella is a founder of a youth empowerment movement called Reserva Youth Land Trust, which is aiming to create the planet’s first youth-funded nature reserve. She started her blog, ‘A Call From the Wild’ to share her passion with the world.

Image © queenscommonwealthtrust.org

Useful Links

United Nations Link sustainabledevelopment.un.org
IUCN org iucn.org
Rewilding Britain uk rewildingbritain.org.uk
WWF International org wwf.panda.org
Care For Wild za careforwild.co.za
RSPO Link rspo.org
World Land Trust Link worldlandtrust.org
Orangutan Foundation Link orangutan.org.uk
Rainforest Alliance org rainforest-alliance.org
Poaching Facts com poachingfacts.com
Earth Eclipse Link eartheclipse.com