As we say goodbye to 2022, the sad reality is that we may also be about to say goodbye to many beautiful, precious, and important species in 2023 and beyond. From blue whales to turtles, mountain gorillas to orangutans, and butterflies to bees, far too many species are vulnerable, endangered, or declining.  

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) keeps a Red List of Threatened Species. They report that a frightening 41,000 species are threatened with extinction: 41% of amphibians, 27% of mammals, 34% of conifers, 37% of sharks and rays, 13% of birds, 33% of reef corals, 21% of reptiles, 28% of selected crustaceans, and 69% of cycads.  

Extinction is of course, natural, but the speed at which species are now dying out is not. Pollution, overfishing and climate change all contribute to habitat loss, which is one of the main reasons for declining biodiversity and increasing rates of extinction. And as everything in the natural world is interconnected, when one species dies out others are affected.  

 

Saving endangered species 

Here are just a few ways you could try to make a difference:  

  • Grow native plants  
  • Eat locally and seasonally, or grow your own if you can 
  • Avoid using herbicides and pesticides  
  • Never buy products made from vulnerable species 
  • Avoid palm oil where possible 

Like everything else, if we all do a little, it adds up to a lot. So the more sustainably we live, the better for everybody – and every creature – on the planet.