| Themes > Science > Zoological Sciences > Endangered and Rare Species > Endangered Species > Protect Endangered Species |
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Contact your local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or Alaska Department of Fish and Game office for a list and description of the threatened and endangered species that inhabit your area. Never purchase products made from threatened or endangered species that are illegally sold or marketed, such as sea turtles, big cats and elephant ivory.Overseas trips can be exciting and fun, and everyone wants a souvenir. But sometimes the souvenirs are made from species nearing extinction. Avoid supporting the market in illegal wildlife! Talk to your local law enforcement branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before you go. Volunteer with your local wildlife agency.Does bird banding interest you? Helping to search for a rare plant? Learning to locate landmarks using a topographic map and compass? Counting seabirds from a boat? All these activities and more use the services of volunteers. Contact your local state and federal wildlife offices for opportunities to volunteer. If you're still in school, talk to your teacher about designing a project on threatened and endangered species.For the past several years in San Diego, California, school children have been selecting a native, threatened or endangered species to study and write about. The kids go into the field to observe their species and then write essays that are compiled into an anthology. This is just one idea of many! Can you think up a project to suggest to your teacher? Raise money for threatened and endangered species.Bake sales? Car washes? For conservation? Sure! There are many groups whose efforts go toward preserving the planet. Many times, it takes money to save our threatened and endangered species. What are the agencies and environmental groups in your area doing, and would fund-raising help them meet their goals? Reduce, reuse, recycle!By the year 2000, the world population will be at nearly 6 billion! The demand on the planet to provide our raw materials and services will only continue to increase. Wise use of our natural resources will take some of the burden off habitats that may be suffering from destruction. (Thousands and thousands of tons of garbage go into the ocean every year. Some you can see and some you can't, such as chemicals.) Use it twice or three times, and don't forget to walk or take the bus. All resources on the earth are finite. Use them wisely! Visiting a refuge, park or critical habitat area? Read and obey the signs!Hiking and exploring the backcountry are wonderful pleasures, but when you see signs that an area is closed or access is restricted, realize the signs are there for a reason! The area may need to recover from heavy use or a threatened or endangered species in the area may need special protection. Find out why the signs are there and respect them! Report any harassment or shooting of threatened and endangered species to your local state or federal wildlife enforcement office.Harassing wildlife is cruel and illegal. Shooting, trapping, or forcing a threatened or endangered animal into captivity is also illegal and can lead to their extinction. Don't participate in this activity, and report it as soon as you see it. Educate your friends and family.The secret to changing any behavior is to educate. Studying and learning about threatened and endangered species can be a fun hobby, and educating others may help save a species! |
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