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How
Kids Can Help!
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" an endangered
species native to your 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 environmental
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 black bears, Florida panthers, desert tortoises,
gray wolves, Key deer, American crocodiles, indigo snakes, Houston
toads, 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.
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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.
- Plant a garden on your
school grounds to attract wildlife, birds, and butterflies.
- Adopt an area of your
school's playground, and then develop a plan to improve it.
- Identify causes of erosion.
Develop and distribute a stream or watershed protection guide.
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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!
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Sustainable
use of earth's resources
- Conduct a school energy
audit. Brainstorm ways the school could 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.
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Why Save Endangered Species?
Text from a recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service brochure.
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