World Wildlife Day: How Can You Celebrate This Spring?

World Wildlife Day (WWD) was created by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of World Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. However, it wasn’t recognised by the United Nations General Assembly until 2013.

Last year marked 50 years of World Wildlife Day, meaning that we’ve now had 51 years of celebration and awareness for the preservation of all wildlife across the world. Whether you’ve heard of World Wildlife Day or not, there are several things that you can do to recognise the occasion.

Each of the things we’re going to discuss in this article involves looking after the wildlife where you live, wherever that might be. So how can you celebrate World Wildlife Day this spring? Let’s take a look.

Take the time to learn more about plants, animals & insects

It’s important for the preservation of all life that you read about them. Whether it be the plants in your garden or the insects that hide within them, you should be doing your research about the wildlife in your area so as to ensure they live a long life. It also ensures that their species lives on, allowing them more time to reproduce and increase their population.

You might be wondering why the plants in your garden count as looking after the wildlife, but there’s actually a very good reason as to why you should continue to have green fingers. The plants and flowers that you have are a great resource for insects and animals.

Whether there is a family of Blue Tits living in your cherry blossom tree or you have countless bees that enjoy your lavender, looking after your plants, flowers and trees is essential for the survival of the surrounding wildlife.

As such, make sure you know what you’re doing to keep those plants flowering. Even plants that grow berries are an excellent food source for insects, birds and hares alike. Plants, flowers and trees provide the wildlife with:

• Food
• Shelter
• Warmth
• Nectar
• Materials for their habitat
• Somewhere safe for them to live

In addition, you should also research about the wildlife that you know visits your garden on a regular basis. From badgers and hedgehogs to rabbits and birds, you need to make sure you’re providing them with the best resources. For example, hedgehogs can’t have a constant food supply because they will gorge themselves and then, sadly, die from stomach-related complications.

As such, make sure the berries from trees and plants are regularly cleaned up to ensure copious amounts aren’t lying on the floor at any one time, for instance. Instead, place a limited amount of food in a dish for them so that they can’t go overboard at dinner time. Using the same hedgehog example, you’ll also be aware that they like to use bushes and hedges to find shelter and shield themselves from predators.

If you have fences up, make sure there’s still an entrance and exit for any hedgehog that finds its way into your garden. The last thing you want is for them to become trapped there, unable to get back to their offspring, for instance. You should also know when to cut back your trees. This is because birds will select a certain time of year to nest, hatch their eggs and raise their young.

The last thing you want to do is disturb or destroy the nest that they have spent a lot of time building. For some species of bird, the parents may not return to the nest if it’s been disturbed, thus leaving their young to die. This is why it’s important to research wildlife that exist in your area, including insects, like butterflies. Butterflies love Buddleias, so don’t get rid of yours if you often see butterflies in your garden.

Watch wildlife documentaries

If you’re not much of a reader when it comes to doing your research, then something else you can do, besides taking a book out at your local library or hitting “search” on Google, is to watch a documentary that covers a wealth of different things. You could also watch two or three different documentaries about different things, like insects, flowers and animals, just to get a well-rounded font of knowledge about how you can look after the wildlife in your area. Some of the best programmes to watch include those done by David Attenborough and the BBC’s Gardeners World.

Donate to a wildlife conservation charity or organisation

Wildlife conservations and organisations are always looking for additional funding so that they can take the best possible care of the animals that reside there. Animal charity funding is thin on the ground, more so now than ever before. If you can make a charitable donation to them, whether it be a one-off or a monthly direct debit that’s set up, you’ll be helping to fund the upkeep of the animals that are in their care. By making a donation to them, your money will go towards a wealth of different things, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Food
• Bedding materials
• Appropriate cleaning chemicals
• Cleaning equipment
• Toys
• Vet bills
• Paying those who look after them
• Rehabilitation work

However, if you’re not wanting to make a charitable donation to these charities and organisations, you always have the option to volunteer your time instead. Whether it’s for a few hours or an ongoing volunteering programme that lasts indefinitely, volunteering your time costs nothing but you’re also directly helping the animals that are in the care of those organisations.

Try to be eco-friendly & sustainable in your everyday life

One of the best ways to honour WWD, not just on the day but every day, is to practise sustainable and eco-friendly living. You should look to recycle and compost as much as possible, reduce the waste you produce and choose to walk or cycle to places rather than take the car. However, one of the best ways to reduce waste, especially if you’re a lover of hot beverages on the go, is to switch to a reusable cup.

Reusable cups, tumblers and flutes are perfect for those who enjoy both hot and cold drinks whilst they’re going about their everyday lives. This will help to reduce the waste generated from coffee cups and plastic bottles. If you’re looking for high-quality reusable cups with a contemporary and timeless design, then look no further than VASO. We are also able to supply reusable straws to elevate the look of your drinks at home.

Plant a tree or some flowers in your garden

We’ve already discussed the importance of having plants, trees and flowers in your garden, both at the front of your property and at the back. If your garden is somewhat lacking on that front, then you should seriously consider planting some flowers out there for the insects and birds to enjoy. If you’re unable to plant them permanently, because you might be renting,then you can plant them into pots and containers instead.

Drive slower

You might be wondering how, exactly, driving slower will help the wildlife, so let me explain. Driving lower allows you to see animals that wander out into the road. As such, you’ll be able to move out of the way if it’s safe to do so or you’ll allow them more time to cross the road or get somewhere safe.

Essentially, it’s to help mitigate running over any animals that might live near the road or those who have lost their way. We understand that it’s not always possible to drive slower on A roads and motorways, but wherever it’s safe to do so, drive with a little extra care and attention to protect the wild animals.

Do some litter picking

Litter and fly-tipping has a detrimental effect on the surrounding wildlife. The RSPCA receives over 5,000 calls a year regarding situations that have involved litter, which is around 14 calls every single day.

This is extremely worrying, especially when you consider that one billion seabirds are killed by litter annually, with 260 different marine animal species being trapped by litter in the oceans, according to Perseus.

Whether you live by the sea or not, it’s evident how damaging litter is when it comes to wildlife. If you’re wanting to do something about it and are looking to protect the animals and insects, then volunteer to do some litter picking near you.