Conserve water in the desert and remember to share water sources with other animals. That water hole at your camp may be the only water supply that desert animals have access to.
Be mindful when traveling through the desert. The seeds of grasses that attach to your clothes and car might become invasive weeds elsewhere. Remove them carefully.
Contact the Marsupial Society of Australia at www.marsupialsociety.org to obtain more information about the threats against mala and other native fauna of Australia.
Meet the Species
Contact Alice Springs Desert Park at www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au for more information about this species and to schedule a tour of the park.
Go to the Shark Bay World Heritage Center in Western Australia. For more information about the mala and its habitat, and to schedule a trip, refer to www.sharkbay.org.
MAURITIUS ISLAND BIRDS: ECHO PARAKEET, MAURITIUS KESTREL, AND PINK PIGEONa
Take Action and Meet the Species
Contact the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation at www.mauritian wildlife.org to learn more about conservation efforts for these species, make donations, volunteer, or obtain information about ecotouring opportunities.
Contact the African Conservation Foundation at www.african conservation.org to learn more about these species and their habitats, to make donations, or to volunteer for a variety of conservation projects.
Don’t eat seafood. However, if you must, make sure the species is sustainable. The biggest threats to petrels are loss of food resources due to overfishing and the production of fertilizer, the introduction of alien pathogens via fish-farming activities, and the accidental capture of these birds due to legal and illegal fishing techniques. Organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund at www.edf.org and the Australian Marine Conservation Society at www.amcs.org.au offer sustainable seafood guides.
MILU (PèRE DAVID’S DEER)
Take Action
Contact the Whispering Springs Rescue and Research Center at www.whisperingsprings.org. This organization is dedicated to conserving Père David’s deer with the hope of reintroducing the herd to the wild. You can see photos of the deer, learn more about the organization’s conservation efforts, and make donations to their wish list.
Meet the Species
Visit Père David’s deer at Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, Minnesota.
Take a trip to Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire to see the Père David’s deer and other species at this three-thousand-acre park. Go to www.woburnsafari.co.uk.
Visit Nan Haizi Milu Park (the former Imperial Hunting Park) to see the deer and many other species. For more information, refer to www.beijingjoy.com/attractions/nanhaizimilupark.htm.
NORTHERN BALD IBIS (WALDRAPP)
Take Action
Be a part of the Waldrappteam Project by visiting www.waldrapp.eu. You can help this bald ibis research and conservation project by joining them for the annual migration, volunteering your time, making donations, or adopting a bird.
PANAMANIAN GOLDEN FROG
Take Action
Contact the Houston Zoo at www.houstonzoo.org. You can learn more about the golden frog, make donations to the El Valle Amphibian Rescue Center, and watch a video about conservation efforts.
Support Amphibian Ark—an organization that seeks to ensure the survival of all amphibian species—at www.amphibianark.org. You can learn more about their conservation efforts and make donations.
Meet the Species
Visit www.ecotourismpanama.com to learn about ecotourism opportunities in Panama. This Web site lists national parks, tour operators, and hotels, and offers a list of endangered species such as the golden frog that tourists may encounter.
PEREGRINE FALCON
Take Action
Contact the Peregrine Fund: World Center for Birds of Prey at www.peregrinefund.org to learn more about conservation projects, to make donations, to purchase items from the online store, or to contribute your time, skills, and talent to this organization. Volunteer opportunities range from interpretive center docent to bird-sitter to research assistant.
Visit the Raptor Center of the University of Minnesota at www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu. You can learn more about falcons, eagles, hawks, and owls; make donations; become a volunteer; and get information about programs such as Recycling for Raptors.
Meet the Species
Take a field trip to the Raptor Center located in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
PYGMY HOG
Take Action
Contact Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at www.durrellwildlife.org and support their efforts to save this species from extinction. You can become a member of the organization, make a donation, or adopt one of the many endangered animals Durrell protects.
RED WOLF
Take Action
Contact the Red Wolf Coalition at www.redwolves.com to learn more about the species, to become a member of this organization, and to make donations to conservation efforts.
Hunt responsibly. There are one hundred counties in North Carolina, ninety-five of which do not have red wolf populations.
Drive cautiously since red wolves and other wild animals often cross roads to find food.
Keep the roads clean of litter. It attracts wild animals, putting them in harm’s way.
Meet the Species
Support the Red Wolf Recovery Project sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service at www.fws.gov/redwolf. You can donate your time as a volunteer, attend a Howling Safari at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, or attend the Red Wolf Recovery Program Teacher Workshop held semi-annually to expand red wolf education.
Visit red wolves at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington. You can watch a video about their captive breeding and recovery program at www.pdza.org.
SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS (STELLER’S ALBATROSS)
Take Action
Contact the Save the Albatross Campaign at www.savethealbatross.net. You can support the campaign—sponsored by a number of organizations such as Bird Life International—by educating yourself about the challenges facing conservationists, by signing up for an e-newsletter, by participating in the used-stamp project whose proceeds directly benefit the albatross, and by making donations.
Make sure you properly discard garbage, particularly plastic and balloons. Albatross and other seabirds can become entangled in the strings, while other animals may ingest them and die.
Don’t discard used oil into city sewers or municipal water supplies, as it can end up in the ocean. If the bird’s feathers become oiled, it can be lethal, because they will no longer be waterproof.
SUMATRAN RHINO
Take Action
Visit the International Rhino Foundation at www.rhinos-irf.org to learn more about what you can do to help save this endangered species, to sign up for a newsletter, to make donations, and to adopt a rhino.
Support the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife at the Cincinnati Zoo (CREW). The organization sponsors Sumatran rhino captive breeding and cooperates with Indonesian conservationists to protect the rhino’s remaining forest habitat. CREW also supports Rhino Protection Units on Sumatra, Borneo, and on the Malayan Peninsula. Learn more at www.cincinnatizoo.org/conservation.
Don’t purchase animal products such as rhino horn. One of the biggest threats to Sumatran rhinos is illegal poaching.
Meet the Species
Visit the Sumatran rhino exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo or watch them via rhinocam on the zoo Web site at www.cincinnatizoo.org. In addition to sponsoring a groundbreaking captive breeding program, the Carl. H. Lindner Jr. Family Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at the zoo also supports Rhino Protection Units to save them from poachers. There are opportunities for you to get involved through their volunteer program.
TAHKI (PRZEWALSKI’S HORSE)
Take Action
Contact the Foundation for the Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski Horse at www.tr
eemail.nl/takh to learn more about this species and its habitat.
Meet the Species
Visit Hustai National Park in Mongolia to see the Przewalski’s horse. Go to www.hustai.mn to read details about tours, accommodations, and eco-volunteer or research opportunities.
VANCOUVER ISLAND MARMOT
Take Action
Contact the Marmot Recovery Foundation at www.marmots.org to learn more about what you can do to help save this species from extinction, to participate in their observer program, to make a donation, and to adopt a marmot for yourself or a loved one.
WHOOPING CRANE
Take Action
Support the International Crane Foundation at www.savingcranes.org by learning more about crane conservation, making donations, joining the organization, becoming a volunteer, or visiting the foundation, located in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Guided tours are available.
Contact Operation Migration at www.operationmigration.org. This organization developed the technique of human-led migration and is responsible for the care and training of each new generation of reintroduced whooping cranes from the time they hatch until they are released in Florida. Visit this Web site to learn more about Operation Migration’s reintroduction programs, to make donations, to become a volunteer, to watch video clips, and to receive daily updates written by the pilots and ground crew who are dedicated to protecting the whooping crane and other endangered migratory birds.
Meet the Species
Participate in the Annual Midwest Crane Count in the spring. Visit www.savingcranes.org for more information. You can see sandhill cranes and whooping cranes while contributing to conservation efforts.
Visit the Aransas Wildlife Refuge in Austwell, Texas, to see the largest wild flock of whooping cranes in the winter. For more information, contact the US Fish and Wildlife Service at www.fws.gov/southwest/REFUGES/texas/aransas.
YARIGUIES BRUSH FINCH
Take Action
Volunteer with ProAves, Colombia’s leading bird conservation organization. Volunteer opportunities include banding birds or installing and monitoring artificial nests. Or make donations to ProAves to purchase and protect forest land where endangered species, such as the Yariguies brush finch, dwell. For more information, visit the English-language Web site at www.proaves.org.
Support the Natural History Museum, UK, host to one of the world’s largest biological collections. Researchers, students, and visitors from around the world have used the museum’s collections to understand the world’s biodiversity. For information about volunteering or donations visit www.nhm.ac.uk.
Meet the Species
Go birding in Colombia through ProAve’s partner Eco Turs. Visit the Web site at www.ecoturs.com, contact them directly by e-mail at [email protected], or call the US phone number: 540-878-5410.
ZINO’S PETREL
Take Action
Avoid littering at sea, which kills many seabirds, including Zino’s petrel. For instance, polystyrene (like you find in Styrofoam food packaging) breaks up into small white balls, which seabirds swallow, causing intestinal blocks and death.
Hike respectfully. Never leave trash or bits of food on the trails or wilderness areas of Madeira, as this encourages rats and cats, who are predators of petrels.
Meet the Species
Take a nighttime guided tour to Pico Areeiro on Madeira, where you can hear the Zino’s petrel and maybe see one flashing by on a moonlit night. Contact Madeira Wind Birds at www.madeirabirds.com or Ventura do Mar at www.venturadomar.com for information.
PLANTS
For many of the endangered plant species in this book, you will find the following resources helpful in obtaining more information about conservation activities.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a leader in the conservation of endangered plants and their habitats, and is directly involved with many of the species mentioned in this book. For more information, to make donations, to plan a trip to the gardens, and to become a friend of the Kew, please visit www.kew.org/conservation. Also visit Wakehurst Place—Kew’s three-hundred-acre country garden and home to the Millennium Seed Bank at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-wakehurstplace.
The Center for Plant Conservation strives to conserve and restore native plant species of the United States and is currently involved in conservation efforts with many of the plants discussed in Hope for Animals. For more information, to make donations, and to join the plant sponsorship program, visit www.centerforplantconservation.org.
CAFÉ MARRON
Take Action
Contact the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation at www.mauritian wildlife.org to make donations and learn more about this organization’s conservation projects on Rodrigues Island.
CAROSSIER PALM
Take Action
Contact the Global Trees Campaign at www.globaltrees.org to learn more about this species and to make donations to conservation efforts.
COOKE’S KOKIO(KOKIA COOKEI)
Take Action
Support the Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at www.waimeavalley.org. You can make general donations or visit their diverse collections.
HAWAIIAN SILVERSWORD
Take Action
Contact the US Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program at www.fws.gov/endangered to learn more about Hawaiian Silversword.
Learn more about the Hawaiian Silversword Alliance Project at www.silverswordalliance.org.
Send donations for conservation efforts to:
Hawaiian Silversword Foundation
PO Box 1097
Volcano, HI 96785 USA
TAHINA PALM
Take Action
To learn more about the Tahina palm and to view images, visit www.rarepalmseeds.com
Contact Madagascar Wildlife Conservation at www.mwc-info.net/en to learn more and to make donations. This organization involves local communities in all its conservation projects.
WOLLEMI PINE
Take Action and Meet the Species
Contact Wollemi Australia at www.wollemipine.com to learn more about this species, to join their conservation club, and to order your own Wollemi pine. An important conservation strategy to protect wild populations of these plants is to ensure that Wollemi pines are growing in other areas around the globe—whether that’s a national park or in private collections.
Take a trip to Wollemi National Park located north of the Blue Mountains in Australia. Or visit the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.
HABITATS
GOMBE: TANZANIA, AFRICA
Take Action
Support the Jane Goodall Institute’s TACARE Program. Visit JGI’s Web site and look up the Institute’s Africa programs to discover how you can support restoration of habitat in and around Gombe.
GUADALUPE ISLAND: BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
Take Action
Support the work of Grupo de Ecología y Conservacíon de Islas, a Mexican nonprofit devoted to the restoration of Mexican islands, by making donations or becoming a volunteer. You can contact Dr. Alfonso Aguirre Munoz, the director general, at [email protected]; or write to:
Grupo de Ecología y Conservacíon de Islas, AC
Avenida Lopez Mateos 1590–3
Fracc. Playa Ensenada
Ensenada, Baja California 22880
Contact Nadia Olivares, director of the biosphere reserve on the island, at [email protected] for more information about how you can help.
Learn more by contacting Island Conservation at www.island conservation.org. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to protecting island ecosystems and is one of the groups currently working to preserve Guadalupe Island. You can make general donations or become a volunteer.
Wear clean shoes and clothes when visiting islands in order to prevent exotic species invasion.
Do not take pets to the island and ensure, if you travel by boat, that your vessel is rat-free.
Ecotourism
Travel to Guadalupe Isl
and through Horizon Charters—a company committed to sustainable ecotourism. For more information about specific excursions, go to www.horizoncharters.com.
KENYA COAST, AFRICA
Take Action
Contact the Baobab Trust at www.thebaobabtrust.com to learn more about wildlife and habitat conservation.
Support the Haller Foundation by visiting www.thehallerfoundation.com. This organization strives to create sustainable, ecologically sound communities in Africa. You can learn more about their conservation projects or make donations.
Learn more about land reclamation in Haller Park by contacting Bamburi Cement at www.bamburicement.com.
Get involved with the Green Belt Movement by visiting www.green beltmovement.org. Though this organization’s home base is in Kenya, they have a very active international program as well. The Green Belt Movement focuses on environmental conservation and tree planting among other green community-building projects. Donations are welcome.
LOESS PLATEAU: NORTHWEST PROVINCES, CHINA
Take Action
Learn more about the Watershed Rehabilitation Project at the Loess Plateau by contacting the World Bank at http://web.worldbank.org. There is a slide show and educational video available as well.
Contact the EroChina Soil Erosion Project at www.erochina.alterra.nl to learn more about what’s being done to stop soil erosion on the plateau.
Hope for Animals and Their World Page 39
