Endangered Species Day 2023: This day was conceived and established by David Robinson and the Endangered Species Alliance in 2006 and has continued to be celebrated ever since. It is held annually on the third Friday of May. This year, the 18th edition, National Endangered Species Day will be celebrated on May 19. On this day, wildlife sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, gardens, Schools, libraries, museums, community groups, nonprofits, and individuals organize special programs or events for people of all ages. People from all over the world participate in these and other activities.
This day spreads awareness about the importance of protecting endangered species and their habitats and taking necessary actions to protect them. Thus, Endangered Species Day recognizes national conservation efforts to protect our nation’s endangered species and their habitats.
“Wild species alive are like a library of unread books. Destroying them indiscriminately is like burning a library without reading a book.” – John Dinhell
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Contents
What are endangered species?
Since life began on Earth, a number of organisms have appeared and disappeared or become extinct due to changes in the physical and biological conditions of the environment. As we all know, the law of nature is that extinction will happen naturally and will continue to happen. But scientific evidence shows that the current rate of species extinction is much higher than the background rate of the past. Is that something we have to think about or is it something to worry about. That is it?
Therefore, we can say that endangered species are those that are threatened with extinction due to sudden rapid population decline or loss of important habitat. Species such as plants or animals that are threatened with extinction can be called endangered species.
Endangered Species Day: History
During the 1960s and 1970s, environmental and conservation concerns about animal welfare emerged. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was signed into law on December 28 to enhance the importance of wildlife conservation and recovery efforts for all endangered species. extinction. It is said that Endangered Species Day was first established by the US Senate in 2006.
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At that time, many efforts were made to save this species and hundreds of species were saved from extinction such as the bald eagle. According to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), over the past two decades, the list of endangered species has more than doubled.
“The endangered species are our friends.” – Dieu Minh
What qualifies a species as endangered?
Different local governments and organizations have their own criteria for deciding whether a species is endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the most comprehensive list of endangered species in the world. The Red List of Threatened Species rates each species against five different criteria.
According to the IUCN, an endangered species is one that meets any of the following criteria listed below:
- Population reduction 50-70% in 10 years.
- The total geographical area is less than 5000 square kilometers or the local population is less than 500 square kilometers.
- Population size under 2500 adults.
- A population limited to 250 adults or statistically predicted to become extinct within the next 20 years.
- The IUCN Red List includes many species that are considered threatened.
According to IUCN, more than 31,000 species are threatened with extinction. This is 27% of all species assessed.
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Factors leading to extinction are:
Common factors leading to extinction are:
- Human intervention
- Loss of habitat
- Introduction of alien species into the environment.
- excessive hunting
- Pollution
- Sick
- Loss of genetic variation
- Deforest
- Climate change, etc.
Endangered Species Day: Celebration
Some popular activities on Endangered Species Day are:
- Attend the Endangered Species Day event.
- Update your Facebook cover photo.
- Share wildlife messages or Endangered Species Day stories with your friends and family.
- Help children and people learn about biodiversity and conservation.
- Do whatever is necessary to save plants, animals, etc.
Endangered Species Day 2023: tips
- Let your loved ones know about the wonderful animals, birds, fish and plants that exist in your area.
- Place bird feeders and other items that attract wildlife, such as aviaries and tubs.
- Use pesticides and herbicides sparingly.
- Reduce water consumption in households and gardens.
- Avoid spilling chemicals such as paints, oils, antifreeze and other substances that can injure people and wildlife as well as contaminate water.
- Because it is often washed into rivers, lakes, and oceans, garbage and pet feces don’t end up in street sewers.
- Buy green products and recycle them.
- Never buy anything made from endangered species, such as ivory, coral or turtle shells. Buy only exotic plants and animals from trusted dealers.
- Any abuse of endangered or threatened animals must be reported.
What is biodiversity and why should it be protected?
Biodiversity is created by two words, namely “biological” and “diversity”. It refers to all the diversity of life that can be found on Earth, namely plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms. As well as the communities they form and the habitats they inhabit.
The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as the variety between living organisms from all sources including, among other things, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and complexes. ecology of which they are a part; This includes diversity within species, between species and ecosystems.
Note: Biodiversity is not only the sum total of all ecosystems, species and genetic material, but also represents variation within and between them.
So this is a time for vigilance and we should work together to raise public awareness of the importance of wildlife, endangered species, biodiversity and conservation. Why are endangered species on the brink of extinction? What are the reasons behind it? It is necessary to understand it. There is no doubt that extinction is a natural phenomenon, but due to a number of other reasons, extinction is increasing from decade to decade. There will come a day when we won’t be able to see tigers, elephants, eagles, etc.
“We all have a responsibility to protect endangered species, both for ourselves and for our future generations.” – Loretta Lynch
Source: www.endangered.org
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Source: vcmp.edu.vn