PLANET RESCUE

The message I try to express [through my art] is that some of our best-known wild animals might, in my lifetime, no longer be on the planet. ~Josie Martin

Grassroots Strategies Combat Climate Crisis PLANET RESCUE

Likemostkids,AzaleaMorgan lovespolarbears.“They’refluffy andcute,”the8-year-oldsays,and afterwatchingadocumentaryonhow climatechangeisaffectingtheseArctic apexpredators,shebadlywantedtohelp. Hermom,MollyMorgan,suggestedshe dosomethingbig,becausetheproblemof globalwarmingismonumental. FornearlythreeweekslastSeptember,Azaleapedaledherbikealongsideher momand9-year-oldsister,Ember,setting outfromtheirhometownofAndover, NewHampshire,enroutetoNewYork CitytoattendtheUnitedNations(UN) ClimateActionSummit,whereGreta Thunbergandotherglobalyouthleaders marchedforchange.Thetripwasafundraisertoputsolarpanelsontheirschool andforfutureprojectsunder KidsCare4PolarBears,aFacebookpage thatdocumentstheirongoingefforts.

by Julie Marshall

Whilenoteveryonehasthetimeor inclinationtoride250milesandcamp— someofitintherain—orasThunbergdid, sailacrosstheAtlanticinazero-emissions yacht,therearestepsindividualscantake tocombatclimatechangeonagrassroots level,expertssay,becausethecrisisis undeniable,asseenmostrecentlyinthe catastrophicbushfiresacrossAustralia. Therearepeacefulproteststaking placeworldwidescheduledthroughout 2020atFridaysForFuture.organdother organizations,butagrowingnumberof individualsthatwanttodomoreareusing theirimaginationsandcreativeendeavors, inspiringotherstotakeuniqueaction. StudentsataschoolinSpainwrote andperformedaplayandillustrateda booktoraiseclimatechangeawareness, whileateenfromCaliforniausedher artisticskillstoraisethousandsofdollars forwildlife.OnMarch28,peoplearound

18 Lancaster-Berks NALancaster.com | NABerks.com theworldparticipatedintheWorld WildlifeFund’sEarthHourbycollectively turningofflightsat8:30p.m.whileholdingeco-events,andothersarejoiningin theglobaltree-plantingcampaignofThe NatureConservancy(TNC). Reversingcoursemayseeminsurmountable,butindividualshavealot ofpower,saysDanShepard,UNglobal communicationsofficer:“Thechoiceswe make,thethingswedo,collectivelymatter andcanhaveahugeimpactontheworld.”

Stepping Up for Biodiversity “Iwantedtoinspireotherkids,”Ember saysofherbicycletrekforpolarbears.“I loveanimalsandtheydeservetonotdie.” Accordingtoa2019UNGlobal Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services,morethan1 million speciesarethreatenedwithextinction, andoneofthemainreasonsisclimate

I love to see what young people are doing, because if we collectively use our voice to amplify the facts about climate change, we can work to find solutions. ~Elan Strait

change,sayexperts,includingNikhil Advani,directorofClimateCommunities andWildlifeattheWorldWildlifeFund (WWF).Protectinglargepredatorsisone keytoenrichingbiodiversity,Advanisays. “Thetopofthefoodchainhasasignificant impactonpreyspeciesandtheecosystem.” Butpredatorsaresufferingbecauseof humansthatarefeelingtheimpactsofclimatechange,Advanisays.Longdroughts haveforcedmanyKenyanpastoralists toenterprotectedparksandcompete withwildlifeforwaterandgrazingland, resultinginliondeathsasretaliationfor killinglivestock.IntheHimalayas,asthe Earthwarms,snowleopardhabitatisbeing encroachedforpastureland.InZimbabwe, farmershaveturnedtochoppingdown treesforwoodasanalternativeeconomic opportunity.“Everybodyisstressedand competingforresources,”Advanisays.“It isaverysevereresultofclimatechange.” Advaniandresearchersareworkingintandemwithlocalsocietiesin30 countriesacrossAfrica,CentralAmerica andAsiatofundnovelprojectsunderthe WildlifeAdaptationInnovationFund.For instance,theyarepilotingarainwaterharvestingprojecttohelpfarmersgetthrough thedryseasonsandareconstructingconcreteandmudbrickneststohelpalbatross breedbetterinTasmania.Thesespecial projectsarebasedonavailablelevelsofdonationsthataresometimescrowd-sourced. Raisingfundsforinnovativeprojects, aswellasincreasingawarenessofwhat’s happening,isanimportantgrassroots strategy,saysElanStrait,WWFdirector ofU.S.climatecampaigns.Itcanbeas simpleassharingupdates,taggingsocial mediainfluencersandinstigatingarallyingcry.WWFhasitsownprogramcalled PandaAmbassadorsinwhichconservationactivistsofallagescangettipsand

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20 Lancaster-Berks NALancaster.com | NABerks.com toolstopromotespecificprojectstheyfeel mostpassionateabout. “Ilovetoseewhatyoungpeopleare doing,becauseifwecollectivelyuseour voicetoamplifythefactsaboutclimate change,wecanworktofindsolutions,” Straitsays.“Andweneedfactstogetout therebecause,atleastintheU.S.,some peoplethinkclimatechangeisstillacontroversyandareafraidtotalkaboutit,butwe shouldhavethatconversationwithfriends andfamilysowecanfindsolutions.”

Youth Rising to the Challenge Gettinginvolvedingrassroots-levelstrategiesisempoweringnotonlyforkids,but foradultsthatneedtheirresiliencyand inspiration,saysJanetStringer,manager ofdonorrelationsatPolarBearsInternational,inBozeman,Montana.“Inmy work,Ihearfromsomanypeoplewho arefeelingdeepdespairabouttheclimate crisis.Idrawhopefromthechildrenwho writetous,sharingstoriesandpictures abouttheirdreamsforafuturethatincludespolarbears,”saysStringer.“Ithink weoweittothenextgenerationtoworkas hardaswecantocometogetherandmake thenecessarychangestoensurethatpolar bears—andallwildlife—arenotaspecies welearnaboutinthepagesofabook,but awildspeciesthatwecanseewithour owneyes,remindingusofhowspecialour planetisandwhyitdeservesourrespect.” Oneofherfavoriteexamplescomes fromstudentsattheDaina-Isardschool, inOlesadeMontserrat,Spain,andtheir climate-drivenprojectswithteacherConnie Darilek,whoaskedtheAquariumof Barcelonatohelpthemgrowplankton, anorganismthreatenedbywarmingseas. “Theygaveusplanktonandjellyfish, anditwasreallyamazingforthestudents tolearnthe[Arctic] foodchainandhow seriousitwouldbelosingthepolarbear ontop,”Darileksays.Studentsrecently publishedthebookNanuc,astoryabouta polarbearthattheyalsoillustrated,now initssecondprinting. JosieMartin,13,ofSolanaBeach, California,hasraised$8,700forconservationofrhinos,elephants,pangolins,gorillasandpolarbearsbygiving

watercolorpaintingstothosethat donatetocharitiesthroughherPayPal Givingpageat Chuffed.org/project/peacelove-hope-for-rhinos.“Eachyear,Ithink I’mgettingalittlebitbetteratcreatingartwhichsendsastrongmessage,” shesays.“ThemessageItrytoexpress isthatsomeofourbest-knownwild animalsmightinmylifetimenolonger beontheplanet.IthinkthedifferenceI makethroughartisthatIamhelpingto raiseawarenessforimportantanimal conservationwork.” Every Action Counts There’snoonesolutiontoclimate change,saysCatherineMacdonald, TNCdirectorofnaturalclimatesolutionsforNorthAmerica.“Wereally havetotry,allofus.It’simportant thateveryonefeeltheycancontribute, becauseeverythingdoesmakeadifference,andnoactionistoosmall.” Forthosethatarenotart-inclined, oneofthebestthingspeoplecandois toplanttrees,Macdonaldsays,whether it’sreplantingforestsorincreasing theirnumbersinurbanareas.Accordingtoa2018studybyTNCpublished in Science Advances,nature-drivenland managementcouldsequester21percentofAmerica’sannualgreenhouse gaspollution—theequivalentofemissionsfromallcarsandtrucksonthe roadstoday.Plantingtreesemergedin ~Catherine Macdonald thestudyasthemostsignificantamong 21strategiestomitigateglobalwarming.Onegoodwaytogetstartedisjoin theTNCPlantaBillionTreesprogram, Macdonaldsays;detailsareat Tinyurl. com/TNCPlantABillionTrees. “Climatechangeisdefinitelya growingconcernthatwearefacing,and asmorepeopleunderstandthereisa problemandwhatthesolutionsare,the moreinfluencewecanhaveonthebig decision-makers,whetherthat’sgovernmentorcorporationsthatmakeour products,”shesays.“Andbeingawareinformsvoterstoadvanceclimateaction.” WhileJosie,Ember,Azaleaand thestudentsatDaina-Isardaren’t oldenoughtovote,theirmessageis strong.“I’mworriedabouttheimpactclimatechangewillhaveonour future,”Josiesays.“Ithinkpeople shouldprotestpeacefullyforthe thingstheybelieveinandthatmore peopleshouldexercisetheirright tovoteforleaderswhocareabout theyouthinourworldandthegenerationstocome.Ialsothinkpeople shouldtrytospendalittlebitoftheir timetakingactionforwhattheywant toseechangedinourworld.” Julie Marshall is a Colorado-based writer and author of MakingBurrosFly:ClevelandAmory,AnimalRescuePioneer. Connect with her at FlyingBurros@gmail.com.

Getting Started Climate Action Opportunities Fridays For Future–Thisisa globalmovementsparkedbyGreta Thunberg,withamapforclimate strikesaroundtheworld(FridaysFor Future.org). The United Nations –Consider supportingseveralcampaignsforclimatechangewithgrassrootsstrategies, includingClimateNeutralNow,ACT NowandGoodLifeGoals(UN.org). Moms Clean Air Force –Parents protectingchildrenfromclimate-driven pollution,offeringstrategiestogetkids involved(MomsCleanAirForce.org). Earth Hour 2020 –Readabout theglobalefforttodramatizeenvironmentalconcernsthatoccurred onMarch28whenlightswereturned offforanhouraroundtheworld (EarthHour.org). Panda Ambassadors –World WildlifeFundengagesactivistsofall ageswithatoolkitandinspirational stories(WorldWildlife.org). Plant a Billion Trees –Joininthe massivereforestationprojectbysupportingtheNatureConservancyand plantingtrees(Nature.org). Polar Bears International –Getinvolvedandinspiredthrough creativeprojectsforpolarbears (PolarBearsInternational.org).

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