​National Wildlife Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, How to Participate

September 4 is National Wildlife Day in the United States. It is an opportunity for everyone to pause, take a long breath, and reflect on the world around us. It is inspiring to contemplate preservation and conservation efforts that aim to enhance the natural world. There is so much more to learn. As Henry David Thoreau once observed, “the preservation of the world lies in wilderness.” We are in total agreement. So let’s examine this auspicious day in greater detail.

The background of ​National Wildlife Day

Occasionally, many of us are encouraged to “think outside the box.” However, how frequently do we recognise that “the box” is more than a mental construct? It is also visceral. Wildlife and the natural world remind us that it is time to go outside. We venerate wild animals and the environments in which they live for a very simple reason: they remind us that we each must strike a balance between ourselves and the world in which we live. National Wildlife Day calls attention to the alarming number of animals and habitats on the verge of extinction and encourages us to advocate for preservation and conservation efforts. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the legislation that established Yellowstone as the first national park in the United States and the globe. Rachel Carson, an American biologist and conservationist, published “Silent Spring,” which documented the negative impacts of pesticides on the environment. President Nixon signed a law protecting endangered species from extinction as a “consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation.” National Wildlife Day was established by Colleen Paige in memory of the late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin, the renowned “Crocodile Hunter.”

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL WILDLIFE DAY

Get outta here!

Those of us who are fortunate enough to live in close proximity to the “wildness” that Thoreau described with such stunning clarity should use National Wildlife Day as an incentive to get out and explore the great outdoors.

Donate to conservation organisations

Without the tireless efforts of conservation groups, much of the fauna and natural habitats that we cherish would likely be lost forever.

Clean up this area!

Many communities have organisations whose sole purpose is to collect garbage. Find out when and where they will be tidying up your community, and join them.

5 EXTREMELY STRANGE WILDLIFE FACTS

Constantly recycled, the quantity of water on Earth remains constant over time.

Scientists estimate that there are three trillion trees on Earth, which is significantly more trees than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

Contrary to conventional belief, bats are not blind and sometimes use their eyesight instead of echolocation to hunt.

Experts estimate that approximately 200 plant and animal species become extinct every 24 hours, which is more than 1,000 times the natural extinction rate.

​NATIONAL WILDLIFE DAY DATES