From its earliest days back in 1961, WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) has been committed to saving threatened wildlife species and their habitats. That fundamental principle is still one of the great driving forces behind the organization, though its remit at home and abroad had broadened considerably in the 35 years since its beginning. WWF conserves nature by protecting wild species in wild places, by promoting and practising the sustainable use of biological resources, and by creating a better educated and more aware public that can take enlightened decisions about lifestyles and consumption. As we head towards the new millennium, WWF will pursue these fundamental tasks as part of its ultimate goal, to stop the accelerating degradation of the natural environment, and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.
What you can do to help
WWF depends on public support morally and financially to carry out urgent conservation projects to save species and habitats facing extinction. You can help continue the vital work of WWF by becoming a member, making a donation, or joining a supporters group. There are also practical things that you can do to help wildlife and its conservation. Here are some examples:
1. To conserve wild plants, buy bulbs from cultivated stocks only. Never take plants from anywhere in the wild.
2. If you have the opportunity, take a whale watching trip, or go dolphin watching.
3. When on holiday do not buy a tortoiseshell product. There is still a significant but illegal trade in tortoiseshell items for the tourist market.
4. The trade in ivory is subject to an international ban. Do not encourage illegal killing of elephants by adding to the demand for ivory products.
5. Similarly trade in rhino horn or its by-products is banned, but poaching and illegal trading continues, providing rhino horn as a medicinal ingredient throughout the Far East. It is used to treat fevers, rheumatism, arthritis, and even strokes.
6. Tourists can help save the tiger from extinction by refusing to buy tiger trinkets and skins.
7. Beach chimps are much less frequent in the Mediterranean than before, but holidaymakers should refuse to have their photographs taken with chimps, and notify WWF of when and where the animals are used.
As part of the 20 percent of the world's population that consumes 80 percent of its resources, those of us in the industrialized nations must each take responsibility for reducing our own consumption: reduce, reuse and recycle.
