While not as devastatingly imminent as a problem like climate change, poaching has been slowly but surely revealing its negative effects over the past few years. The Earth's diverse, beautiful wildlife continues to be stolen by greed, and if that greed continues, we may find that there's nothing left to steal. But even for those who recognize the problem, helping to solve it can be a challenge. After all, it's not directly funded by the general populous (unless you're buying illegally sourced zebra skins) and occurs most frequently halfway across the world. So how can we help? Well, contrary to what you might think, there are actually quite a view ways, both directly and indirectly, we can aid in the fight against this threat. Let's take a look at a few.
Monetary Support
First, let's start with some of the easy, not-so-time consuming ways we can help. These methods still do make a difference, but are often indirect, with the actual effect they have being hard to track. And the first of these options is, of course, donating money. Obviously, organizations fighting against poaching need some sort of funding, and because they don't normally receive it from governments, they rely on the kind donations of everyday folks like us. Donated money funds a variety of different efforts, from the purchasing of high-tech equipment to protect animals, to the establishing of conservation land, to educating the local public, to even providing alternative livelihoods to those that do poach. So, while indirect, your spare cash can go a long way towards ending poaching.
Here are a few organizations I would recommend donating to:
Petitions
Personally, I don't see petitions as very effective means of combating poaching. Yes, they can help bring awareness to an issue, which is always helpful, but very rarely do they actually cause a change in the problem or person they target. And especially for a problem like poaching, which relies solely on the actions of specific groups of people, it's unlikely that petitions will help to change their or their government's minds. However, as mentioned before, petitions are great ways of spreading awareness about the issue, which would certainly benefit other solutions to poaching. So, if you'd like to sign some petitions, or are just looking for some to share with others, then here's a few:
Note: many of these petitions may have closed since this post's original release date. A quick search on Ecosia should bring up many more!
https://www.change.org/p/president-mokgweetsi-masisi-restore-anti-poaching-units-to-prevent-future-elephant-poaching-in-botswana
https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-poaching-of-elephants.html
https://www.change.org/p/united-states-government-help-stop-elephant-poaching
Education/Protesting
Next up on the list of difficulty (this being around the middle of the road) is education and protesting. Under normal circumstances, these two approaches are some of the best ways to tackle environmental issues. For a problem like climate change, educating someone about its impact and the ways they can mitigate it makes a big difference. And protesting the issues, pushing our elected officials to take action in combating it, while certainly not perfect, has proven to be quite effective over the years.
So, we can use the same approach when tackling a problem like poaching. Now, obviously, poaching and climate change are not the same, and due to the nature of the issue these two approaches don't necessarily have the same impact. However, they still do help. Educating others on the problem of poaching and encouraging them to help could lead to extra donations, increased support, and possibly even the creation of new environmentalists. Additionally, protesting and rallying for support from our governments can help to ensure that it doesn't happen here at home.
Now, it's easy to protest, but determining what exactly we want our governments to do can be a bit more difficult. So, in terms of poaching, what are some effective solutions that we should push for? There are a whole bunch of things, from banning the sale of animal products, to creating more designated wildlife conservation areas, etc. You can view some of the things we should fight for by clicking here. And, if you're looking to teach about poaching, the International Anti-Poaching Foundation has some great resources to aid you.
Attacking the Root of the Problem
Finally, we have our toughest, most time consuming, yet most effective style of solution: the direct approach. Donating, petitioning, educating, and protesting are all great when it comes to issues like climate change, but we're not dealing with that kind of problem here. What I consider to be the most effective way to stop poaching is to stop it right from the source. It's not always pretty, but sometimes it's necessary for saving what we love. Many organizations have already adapted this approach, so here's what they're doing:
One of the organizations I listed above, the African Wildlife Foundation, has what I believe to be a fantastic approach, consisting of four parts: first, they work to establish protected land that allows the animals to have a safe and secure home. Second, they work to educate the local public, raising awareness about the real issues behind poaching and the subsequent illegal trade that stems from it. Third, they actually work with local poachers to provide alternative livelihoods, and means of sustaining their family's in ways that don't involve poaching. Finally, and only when absolutely necessary, they train groups of scouts with high tech equipment to monitor at risk animal populations, and intervene with poachers when necessary.
This is what the organizations are doing, but what can we do? Well, honestly, join them! If you really want to have a direct impact on poaching, it has to be cut off at the source, and the African Wildlife Foundation's four-pronged plan seems like a perfect way to do this. Believe it or not, organizations like these are always looking for people to help them, whether that be as volunteers or even full time employees. I won't lie, these jobs can obviously get a bit dangerous, but if you're really looking for a dedicated way of getting involved, here are two options:
Join the IAPF Green Army: https://www.iapf.org/get-involved/join-the-green-army/
African Wildlife Foundation Careers: https://www.awf.org/about/careers
Conclusion
Obviously, the "tough" solutions aren't for everyone, and they shouldn't be (I'd be a hypocrite if I said otherwise). Each solution, ranging from the easiest to the most difficult, play their own roles in solving the issue. It's up to each one of us, ultimately, to decide just how dedicated we are to the problem. Do we want to spend our time fighting on the front lines, or creating a strong economic base for those that do? Would we rather teach those around us about the problem, or work to have our government fix it? There isn't really a right or wrong answer to these questions, you have to provide your own. Once we decide what we wish to and are capable of doing, then we can establish our roles in the solution. Out of all of these good decisions, however, there IS one bad choice that we can make, and that's to do nothing at all.
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
https://campaign.awf.org/poaching-infographic/
https://www.awf.org/about/careers
https://www.iapf.org/get-involved/join-the-green-army/
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/10-simple-ways-you-can-help-stop-wildlife-poaching-today/
Images:
http://www.nhpr.org/post/poachers-decimate-tanzanias-elephant-herds#stream/0
https://phys.org/news/2016-11-elephant-poaching-african-economies-million.html
https://www.policybee.co.uk/blog/9222/property-insurance-average
https://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2010/06/think-before-you-sign-no-takebacks-of-signatures/
https://silkwormethics.wordpress.com/
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/as-donald-trump-hits-milestone-environmental-protesters-gather-outside-white-house-4633888/
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/10/04/hundreds_in_kenya_south_africa_march_for_protection_of_rhinos_and_elephants.html
http://www.wildhelpers.com/Volunteer_with_Rhinos.html
https://africageographic.com/blog/conservation-journey-africa/
http://www.environmental-watch.com/profiles/african-wildlife-foundation/
https://www.pulseheadlines.com/worldwide-lions-population-declines-due-prey-abundance-study-finds/5025/
Comments