Page 12 - De-Extinction: The Science of Bringing Lost Species Back to Life

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WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Want to help preserve biodiversity? You can begin right where you live.
You can invite wildlife into your own yard or neighborhood by planting a
garden to provide habitat for birds, insects, and other small animals. You
can even declare your garden to be an official wildlife habitat, certified
by the National Wildlife Federation. Learn more at http://www.nwf.org/
Garden-For-Wildlife.aspx.
Another way to help preserve biodiversity is to volunteer as a
“citizen scientist,” assisting professional scientists in their research.
Numerous US organizations are devoted to citizen science. Volunteers
help scientists by observing wildlife, cleaning up waterways, and
monitoring climate change. The work takes place in all sorts of settings,
from city parks to rural fields and woodlands. You’ll find information on a
range of projects at http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/citizen
-science/ and https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation
/Citizen-Science.aspx.
Jane Goodall is a world-famous primatologist—a scientist who
studies animals such as apes and monkeys. Goodall’s Roots & Shoots
program gives teens a way to care for the environment in their own
communities and around the world. Projects include planting trees,
creating recycling programs,
and building rooftop
gardens. To learn more, visit
rootsandshoots.org.
Zoos and aquariums
are increasingly on the front
lines of conserving wildlife
and wild places. Many
facilities rely on volunteers
to help with their work. You
A teen volunteer cuts the ribbon at a
ceremony marking the opening of a can search for zoos and
new tiger habitat at the Palm Beach aquariums that need help by
Zoo in West Palm Beach, Florida. visiting https://www.aza
.org/find-a-zoo-or-aquarium.