I was looking in my Yahoo inbox the other day and I see an email titled “A Message from Leonardo DiCaprio.” Woohoo! Okay, it wasn’t THAT type of message, but he is an honorary board member of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and was sending out an email about the IFAW’s Animal Action theme this year, which is “Under One Sky.” Actually, this week is Animal Action Week and “Under One Sky” was created to highlight “the importance of protecting biodiversity, habitat, and ecosystems,” according to Leonardo.
For four decades now, the IFAW has been trying to spread a seemingly simple message – that the interests of humans and animals are intertwined and doing harm to one does harm to all. In killing off the animals and their habitats, we are harming not only their species but our own as well.
The IFAW was instrumental in implementing the illegality of hunting whitecoat seal pups off the east coast of Canada. But the fight continues. The IFAW is now worldwide in 17 countries, including such places as Australia and Southern Africa, and consists of 200 skilled campaigners as well as legal, scientific, and political experts and 1.2 million supporters.
The Animal Action email pointed out such atrocities as orphaned baby elephants left to die by ivory poachers and polar bears starving due to the melting ice caps. No, it isn’t pretty, but it is something that the IFAW feels can no longer be ignored.
So, what can you do personally to get involved? Visit the IFAW web page and learn (download the IFAW education pack), design (enter the art contest), pledge (to support habitats for animals), create (do something to protect the animals and the habitat), help (raising money for IFAW), and join (for educators and parents). You can also help by spreading this blog with the IFAW info to family and friends!
Future generations may depend on the protection of today’s animals and their environments.
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