What and When Is Endangered Species Day?
Endangered Species Day is celebrated annually on the third Friday of May. Notably, the next celebration will take place on May 17, 2019. Unlike Christmas and other holidays, this holiday is celebrated by making sure the public gets to know the importance of conserving the endangered species. There are several ways to celebrate this day, but all of them narrow down to means of protecting these species.
Origin of Endangered Species Day
The Endangered Species Day is a day by which all people regardless of their ages are given an opportunity to learn about the need to protect the endangered species from all over the globe through their daily activities. Due to the rapid increase in the world population and change in climatic patterns, some animals have become extinct while many others such as the mountain gorillas, the giant panda, and the Javan rhinoceros are nearing extinction. Due to this factor, there was a need to have a program that could help educate the masses on the importance of protecting these endangered species. Therefore, the Endangered Species Day was created. The United States Congress spearheaded the creation of this day in the year 2006 and it has been celebrated annually since.
Importance of the Endangered Species Education Program
The endangered species program is a program under the umbrella of the endangered species day. This program is mandated with the responsibility of providing the necessary information and resources regarding endangered species conservation to both the public and private school teachers. The program also relays the relevant information to organizations, environmental conservation centers as well as the after-school programs. Through this program, a large number of people has been reached and well educated on the importance of conserving the endangered species through their daily activities.
For instance, there is a project referred to as the Missing Species Report that assists in raising awareness of ten species of plants, animals, and insects that are highly endangered. This project contains a curriculum that can be downloaded and has the relevant information concerning the conservation of endangered species among four different age groups. Through this project, students can quickly learn on the different types of the endangered species and the possible ways on how to conserve them to ensure there is continuity of these species.
Importance of Endangered Species Day
There have been attempts to dismantle Endangered Species Act, therefore, one important way to celebrate Endangered Species Day is by telling the United States Congress to safeguard this act. The Endangered Species Act is a legislation that contains laws responsible for protecting these species.
During this day, one can also choose to read and acquire information on some of the species that are almost going extinct. Apart from helping create awareness on the importance of protecting the endangered species, this day also allows people to make new friends and helps the campus students who take part in this program to gain leadership skills.
