3 Fantastic and Unique Ways to Celebrate Wildlife

It’s hard to see the silver lining when we read about plight of polar bears and alarming biodiversity loss, but we can’t only focus on the negative.  I think we have a lot to be grateful for, and as I peruse the web I see a ton of fascinating attempts to draw attention to wildlife and the earth we inhabit. I love stumbling upon creative ways people are raising awareness and celebrating wildlife. I thought I would share a few of my most recent favorites. If you have any you would like to share please comment below!

1. Name that Lichen – Auction Ends on December 15th

This clever auction is asking people to bid for the opportunity to name species of Lichen. There are two species to name and bids will be benefit two Canadian wildlife charities – The Land Conservancy (TLC) of British Columbia  and the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA). Donations will help these charities protect wildlife corridors and forests – but I think the coolest part is you’ll have a say in the history of a species of animal.

2.  extInked – Endangered Species Tattoos

This effort started in 2009, the year of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. It’s a lifetime promise to be an ambassador for wildlife. It began with the Ultimate Holding Company along with the support of leading conservation organizations. They identified 100 rare and  endangered British species which were beautifully illustrated in pen and ink by Jai Redman. Take a look at the wildlife gallery. If you like science tattoos there’s an incredible collection of them here.

3. Phylomon (The more accurate but equally fun version of Pokemon)

 
I think the Phylo project is brilliant.  The project began as a reaction to a study which revealed that: kids know more about Pokemon creatures than they do about real creatures. Much of the work we do at the National Wildlife Federation with Ranger Rick and Be Out There tries to combat this, but the Phylo project approached the problem in a totally new way: Put out a game better than Pokemon.

Mixing crowd-sourced art and information from scientists, this game celebrates biodiversity and the magnificent species that inhabit the earth. You kids/adults won’t even realize they are learning.
What are your favorite, positive campaigns? I’d love to read about them!