Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

America is blessed with amazing wildlife and wild places: bald eagles and peregrine falcons flying in our skies, gray wolves and grizzly bears roaming the wilderness, Canada lynx and spotted owls in ancient forests, salmon and steelhead spawning in wild rivers, and whales and sea turtles in our coastal waters.

While you celebrate Earth Day today, here are some easy things you can do every day to protect our environment.

10 Things You Can Do at Home to Protect Endangered Species.

1) Learn about endangered species in your area
Teach your friends and family about the wonderful wildlife, birds, fish and plants that live near you.

2) Visit a national wildlife refuge, park or other open space
These protected lands provide habitat to many native wildlife, birds, fish and plants.

3) Make your home wildlife friendly
Secure garbage in shelters or cans with locking lids, feed pets indoors and lock pet doors at night to avoid attracting wild animals into your home.

4) Provide habitat for wildlife by planting native vegetation in your yard
Native plants provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Attracting native insects like bees and butterflies can help pollinate your plants.

5) Minimize use of herbicides and pesticides
Herbicides and pesticides may keep yards looking nice but they are in fact hazardous pollutants that affect wildlife at many levels.

6) Slow down when driving
Many animals live in developed areas and this means they must navigate a landscape full of human hazards.

7) Recycle and buy sustainable products
Buy recycled paper, sustainable products like bamboo and Forest Stewardship Council wood products to protect forest species.

8) Never purchase products made from threatened or endangered species
Overseas trips can be exciting and fun, and everyone wants a souvenir. But sometimes the souvenirs are made from species nearing extinction.

9) Report any harassment or shooting of threatened and endangered species
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.

10) Protect wildlife habitat
Perhaps the greatest threat that faces many species is the widespread destruction of habitat. Scientists tell us the best way to protect endangered species is to protect the special places where they live.

For more information, visit our 10 Easy Things You Can Do at Home to Protect Endangered Species at www.stopextinction.org

Thanks for caring about our nation’s wildlife and wild places!