You and your school: What can you do to help conserve rare, threatened,and endangered species and their habitats?
Awareness and understanding - you and your community
- "Adopt" anendangered species native to our area, find out how you can help conserve it, and inform the citizens in your community about your adopted plant or animal with speeches, newspaper articles, brochures, buttons, signs, videos, etc.
- Conduct a public awareness campaign on the threats of non-native, invasive or exotic species. Under proper supervision, participate in native plant habitat restoration projects.
- Start a school newspaper to tell others about endangered species. Investigate issues thoroughly, and always stick to facts in your reporting!
- Produce Public Service announcements about environmental issues you care about and distribute them to the media.
- Conduct a community awareness survey. Write a newspaper column for a local paper to educate members of the community about their environment.
- Sponsor an nenvironmental seminar or debate for both students and the community. Topics could include endangered species, water quality, recycling, composting, and environmental alternatives to harmful practices.
- When you and your parents are driving along highways where wildlife may be present (especially if there are signs), SLOW DOWN and keep a sharp lookout. Being alert for wildlife can help keep YOU safe, too. Collisions with cars and trucks are a major problem in certain areas for endangered species such as Florida blackbears, Florida panthers, Key deer, American crocodiles, indigo snakes, red-cockaded woodpeckers, brown pelicans, and many more (not to mention a problem for people, too!). For example, around 65 percent of Florida panther and Florida black bear deaths are related to highway accidents.
- Learn how your community's activities affect (both positively and negatively) the watershed you live in.
Habitat restoration
- Learn more about the causes of habitat loss. Find old and new aerial photographs of a habitat near where you live and compare them. Find out if planned development threatens sensitive habitats in your area.
- Hold a school Arbor Day tree planting. Invite local officials.
- Replant riverbanks (under proper and knowledgeable supervision) with native plants to anchor the soil and provide wildlife habitat. Participate in river cleanups. Learn about restoring our native plants.
- Plant a garden on your school grounds to attract wildlife, birds, and butterflies. Build homes for bats and birds, and have the project certified by National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitats program.
- Adopt an area of your school's playground, and then develop a plan to improve it.
- Identify causesof erosion. Develop and distribute a stream or watershed protection guide.
Data gathering and monitoring
- Adopt a stream,wetland or watershed. Monitor water quality and plant and animal distribution,and distribute your findings.
- Participate in the Christmas bird count, a birdathon, or in a Feeder Watch! For information o nthese activities from the National Audubon Society, click here.
- Or you can participate in Audubon's "Watch List 4Kids".
Sustainable use of earth's resources
- Conduct a home or school energy audit. Brainstorm ways that you could help lower energy use.
- Challenge other schools in your district to an energy conservation contest.
- Establish a school energy committee. Read energy conservation tips during morning announcements.
- Conduct a waste audit at school and identify materials that can be recycled or re-used.
- Establish a school organic garden, and teach others the techniques you've learned.
- Check out Earth Share’s earth saving tips for Home, School and Office.
- Why Save Endangered Species? Text from a recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service brochure.
