World Wildlife Day 2023
World Wildlife Day 2023 takes place on March 3rd. Taking place on this same date every year, this is a United Nations International day to celebrate wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to both our lives and our planet. Let’s explore more about this international awareness day.
Why March 3rd?
March 3rd was chosen by the United Nationals General Assembly (UNGA) as the designated date because it’s the birthday of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), signed on March 3rd, 1973.
World Wildlife Day 2023 happens to fall on the 50th Anniversary of CITES beginning. The awareness day this year therefore is also a celebration of 50 years of CITES contributing to sustainability, wildlife and biodiversity conservation.
World Wildlife Day 2023: This Year’s Theme
The theme for World Wildlife Day 2023 is “Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation”. This theme celebrates all conservation efforts, from large scale, to much smaller partnership efforts. World Wildlife Day 2023 is focusing on two sub-topics:
- Marine life and oceans – around 70% of the planet is covered by water, making marine conservation incredibly important.
- Business and finance – exploitation and unsustainable practices have been a problem. Global conservation efforts need to be done in collaboration with business to creative successful conservation initiatives.
Why is World Wildlife Day Important?
Nature and wildlife are critically important to our lives and our planet in many ways, such as when it comes to our food, fuel, medicines, housing, and clothing, not to mention their importance to our economy and our mental wellbeing.
Antionio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General's statement for World Wildlife Day says:
“Human activities are laying waste to once-thriving forests, jungles, farmland, oceans, rivers, seas, and lakes. One million species teeter on the brink of extinction, due to habitat destruction, fossil fuel pollution and the worsening climate crisis. We must end this war on nature”.
Celebrating Our Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation
World Wildlife Day is the perfect time for us to celebrate our partnerships for wildlife conservation. We’re thrilled to have partnered with SEE Turtles for our Sea Turtle Collection. We're also a Grove Level Partner with Eden Reforestation Projects, funding the planting of 10 trees for each order placed. In addition to these partnerships, we're proud to make donations to Pollinator Partnership, The Ocean Cleanup and National Forest Foundation.
World Wildlife Day 2023 is an opportunity to celebrate wild fauna and flora and animals, whilst raising awareness of the need to protect them all. By encouraging partnerships with UN agencies, governments, philanthropies, private sector businesses and more, hopefully the future of conservation will be a successful one.
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