Today is Earth Day, the 52nd annual one to be exact, to show global support for our planet. With a series of ongoing and increasingly concerning ecological issues caused by climate change and other factors, conservation and biodiversity is now paramount.
It is expected that 1 billion people will participate in action of some kind on Earth Day in 2022, after an initial 20 million participants protested to raise awareness of environmental issues in 1970 was the seed for change.
With this year’s theme ‘Invest in Our Planet’ we here at PlantingSeeds wanted to add some hope to the situation and showcase those investments. So we’ve found some recent good news stories around species conservation and support for our planet that we think should be top of mind today and everyday of the year.
Koalas are regarded as one of the most iconic symbols of Australia; but, due to the drought, bush fires, and habitat loss, koalas have become endangered in New South Wales.
According to the scientists, if practical actions are not taken, the koala could be extinct in 30 years. Thus, to keep koalas safe, the NSW government released the Koala Strategy, aiming to double the number of them by 2050. With a budget of nearly $200m, it is the largest investment in any single species around Australia. It focuses on protection actions across various themes, such as koala community conservation, and koala research and development.
The koala strategy also includes partnerships with conservation groups and communities, the government works with like WWF Australia to support forest restoration and protect high-quality koala habitat on private land. Furthermore, volunteers, wildlife rehabilitators, and vets are also involved in enhancing the protection of koalas in extreme weather conditions.
Another piece of good news is that a little-known wildlife conservation site, which has made a large contribution to the Sunshine Coast environment, is extending! Curramore Wildlife Sanctuary has grown to nearly 200 hectares after transferring its ownership to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).
Since the beginning of 2021, AWC has been working to secure additional land for the sanctuary, providing extra protection for the diversity of wildlife. Curramore has an array of habitats including rainforest, eucalypts, and open forests. It is also linked to the roads for weed control and wildlife surveys.
Since the sanctuary was first established, the scientists of AWC have documented more than 700 native species, such as koalas, gliders, and birdwing butterflies. Other endangered species in the sanctuary include marble frogbills, grey-headed flying foxes, and golden-winged lynxes, as well as one of Australia's largest butterflies, the Richmond Birdwing.
AWC is a non-profit organisation with nearly 6.5 million hectares of land across the country. Through the AWC's ongoing efforts, more than 1,800 native species are currently being protected from possible extinction.
Experts calculate that 0.01 to 0.1% of all species become extinct each year; but, if we work hard, we can lower the rate of extinction and save many of those threatened and endangered animals!
PlantingSeeds’ main project, the B&B Highway is also an initiative that provides practical skills and hands-on experiences for participants to support pollination and biodiversity. Since its inception in 2019, we have established over 75 B&B Highway locations with potential to increase that number exponentially in the coming years.
Biodiversity monitoring, coupled with citizen science observations will deliver key data in the coming months as to the depth of support offered to local pollinators and their surrounding biodiversity.
‘We need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). It’s going to take all of us. All in. Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet.’ – EarthDay.org