World Wildlife Day 2022

Happy World Wildlife Day! 

World Wildlife Day was created in 2003 by the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. This year’s theme’s ‘Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration’. According to the IUCN or International Union for Conservation of Nature, data on the Red list of Threatened Species: 

‘…over 8,400 species of wild fauna and flora are critically endangered, while close to 30,000 more are understood to be endangered or vulnerable. Based on these estimates, it is suggested that over a million species are threatened with extinction.

Continued loss of species, habitats and ecosystems also threatens all life on Earth, including us. People everywhere rely on wildlife and biodiversity-based resources to meet all our needs, from food, to fuel, medicines, housing, and clothing. Millions of people also rely on nature as the source of their livelihoods and economic opportunities.

In 2022, World Wildlife Day will therefore drive the debate towards the imperative need to reverse the fate of the most critically endangered species, to support the restoration of their habitats and ecosystems and to promote their sustainable use by humanity.‘

World Wildlife Day isn’t just the 3rd of March. Everyday is World Wildlife Day! Everybody’s actions affect the environment around us big or small. In Spain alone according to the Spanish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Environment there are about 150 species that are threatened or endangered. Among them the Iberia lynx, Cantabrian brown bear, Iberian wolf, Northern bald Ibis just to name a few. In Catalunya there’s a tiny newt, the Monsteny Brook newt, that’s only found only in Montseny, Catalunya. Barcelona Zoo is part of its conservation due to threat of climate change and human encroachment. This is just one of the many conservation projects Barcelona Zoo has.

My teenage years didn’t appreciate it much, I was fortunate to grow up in the countryside. My Dad purchased a huge plot of land in the Suffolk countryside when I was about 3. We had badger sets (I never saw them apart from one, that decided one night they were going to curl up under a garden tree never to wake again), rabbits (sadly my Dad hunted them as they had myxomatosis. That’s what he said. I think stress management was also involved), blackbirds, sparrow hawks, robins, sparrows, grey squirrels, water voles (or shrew. I only saw it a few times!), frogs, toads, butterflies, moths, massive spiders, so much more along the neighbours peacocks and muntjac deers that liked to visit. Moving to more urban areas, hedgehogs and in London a family of foxes living in or under the garden shed. I felt honoured they choose that shed!

In Spain urban wildlife if you look is there. Bats have replaced squirrels, I see the odd rat or mice scurry across the path, butterflies, massive moths, wagtails, starlings, blackbirds, sparrows, lizards, geckos, seagulls, cormorants, magpies, pigeons, ducks, geese, a host of fish snorkelling in the summer. Anything else? Yes, kestrels and parakeets. No earwigs (yay), but don’t mention cockroaches. Each one of them including the cockroaches play a role in the eco system. When one starts to die out, slowly the slowly up the food chain, things change. Wolves reintroduced in Yellowstone after being virtually wiped out increased beaver populations. Yes, increased beaver populations. Wolves main prey elk, had no a predator to move them on when it came to grazing on willow trees. When the wolves returned, not only the beaver population increased, the elk population (more predators, more pressure on the herd) and willow trees did. The willow could recover in the winter from intense grazing giving beavers their trees back! Beaver dams themselves are powerhouse to the surrounding environment. Everything is about balance and everything we buy or wash, flush down the drain, plug in, switch on has a consequence. Little changes add up. To find out how you can get involved more, here.

Here on natjtan, I just want to share the beauty around us so people care more. I share animal and nature photos in hope they inspire just one person to be more mindful, as a cute face with big eyes can change anything! I share my cruelty free, natural ingredient beauty finds, travel photos, plastic free finds, chemical free household items, recycle less tips and plastic free journey, in hope to raise awareness of this amazing planet we call home. The animals, plants good or bad as nature can be cruel are beautiful, magical gems that play their role that let us humans live. Everything’s connected, you just have to open your eyes to the magic of wildlife.

This year’s main global event’s will be livestreamed on YouTube.

More amazing posters promoting World Wildlife Day 2022. I couldn’t just use one!

Please help spread the word about World Wildlife Day!