This World Wildlife Day, spend it with your child, learning all about the natural world and how to protect South Africa’s beloved wild animals.
South Africa (02 March 2021) – World Wildlife Day is a United Nations-designated opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. It is marked annually on March 3, and while the species of our planet certainly deserve attention every day, we suggest saving the date to plan activities with your children to teach them about how the planet’s animals depend heavily on our support, and vice versa.
Here are three ways in which you can show your support:
Follow the theme
Every year the United Nations designates a new theme to follow on World Wildlife Day, offering the opportunity to plan activities accordingly. This year’s theme is “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”, intended to highlight the central role of forests, forest species and ecosystems in sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people globally, particularly Indigenous and local communities with historic ties to forested and forest-adjacent areas all over the world. You and your children can show your support by doing research into the theme together and even sharing what you find with friends and family to spread the awareness even further.
Teach them about the birds and the bees
Wait that came out wrong. No, it’s not the time for that uncomfortable conversation. Instead, teach them about an arguably even more important topic – pollinators. After all, the official mission of World Wildlife Day is to “raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants“. The survival of our world as we know it depends on pollinating creatures much more than most of us can imagine. Without certain species of birds, bees and other insects, our food and oxygen-producing plants would cease to exist. That’s why it’s essential to teach our children about fauna and beneficial bugs so that future generations understand the importance of protecting them.
Donate and spread awareness
Buy Relate bracelets for yourself and your children to wear. Many of the charitable organisations Relate works with share a common goal, one being the Endangered Wildlife Trust which raises funds for critical conservation work to help save South Africa’s animals that are under threat of extinction. You can show your solidarity today by visiting the Relate website and purchasing one of their EWT bracelets. Then share pictures of your new bracelet on social media channels to spread awareness of this significant day even wider.
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