World Environment Day is an important holiday. World Wildlife DayMarch 3 How Wildlife Day is held

Man actively uses the resources of the planet on which he lives. Its activities seriously harm the environment, spoil the ecology, and lead to the extinction of entire species of wild animals. To draw attention to these problems, there is international holiday, which is celebrated on the third of March. This is exactly the day that everyone who is interested in the present and future pays attention to. wildlife. Proper organization of this holiday allows ordinary citizens to understand that the safety of the world around them depends on their simple actions.

History of the holiday

In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly made a valuable decision to start celebrating this day to increase public awareness of wildlife issues. This holiday timed to coincide with the date of adoption of one of the most important documents in the field of animal protection concerning trade in species wild fauna and flora that were in danger of being destroyed. One of the most important steps towards establishing such a date was the Conference of the Parties to CITES, held in 2013.

It was there that the participants decided to establish this holiday and approached the UN with this proposal, where it was approved. Russia is also a member of CITES, which is why we hold relevant events. All this suggests that the authorities and the public in the Russian Federation were and remain interested in preserving the fauna

The emergence of this holiday is explained by the understanding of the need to preserve animals, of which there are very few left now. This especially applies to those of our smaller brothers who are already listed in the Red Book. I would like to hope that the combined efforts of citizens around the world will save the lives of many living beings.

“On this World Wildlife Day, I call on all citizens, businesses and governments to play their part in protecting our world's wild animals and plants. The actions of each of us will determine the fate of the world's wildlife. The future of wildlife is in our hands!”

(From the message Secretary General UN Ban Ki-moon December 20, 2013 General Assembly UN)

On December 20, 2013, the UN General Assembly decided (resolution A/RES/68/205) to proclaim March 3 as World Wildlife Day, in order to increase knowledge of the wider world public about wild fauna and flora.

This event became a separate milestone in the history of the UN - a date dedicated to the conservation and protection of wildlife appeared in the human calendar.

The same year marked 40 years since the adoption of another important document in the field of protection of natural diversity. It was called the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The document's birthday was March 3, 1973.

Birth world day wildlife within the UN was preceded by the initiative of the participants of the CITES Conference of the Parties, held in Thailand in the spring of 2013. It is necessary to clarify that this meeting is being held between representatives of countries that signed the Convention of March 3, 1973. It was at this Conference that it was proposed to declare March 3 as World Wildlife Day.

With this proposal, the participants of the Conference turned to the United Nations, presenting there the results of the Conference itself. Participation in the 1973 Convention was not mandatory, but countries that signed it are required to comply with the conditions specified in this document. It should be noted that 180 countries are parties to the Convention. The USSR joined CITES in 1976, and Russia, being the legal successor of the Soviet Union, in 1992.


The main goal of the holiday is to draw the attention of citizens and authorities to the fragile beauty and diversity of wild nature, once again reminding of the importance careful attitude to something that could irrevocably disappear from the face of the Earth.

Currently, more than 28 thousand species of plants and more than 5 thousand representatives of the animal world are protected. The holiday is also called once again draw attention to the growing problem of poaching, which annually destroys invaluable wildlife for the purpose of short-term profit

The intrinsic value of wild nature relates to the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic aspects of sustainable development and human well-being.

Theme of the Day 2019: Conservation of marine ecosystems: for people and for the planet

Sustainable Development Goal 14 aims to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” Closely related to this goal, the theme of World Wildlife Day 2019 aims to highlight the conservation and sustainable use of marine wildlife.

The ocean contains nearly 200,000 identified species, but the actual numbers could be in the millions. More than three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. For thousands of years, marine wildlife has determined the development of human civilization, providing it with food and nutrition, materials for crafts and construction. The ocean has also enriched our lives culturally, spiritually and recreationally.

Today, this potential is seriously undermined by threats such as overexploitation, including poaching and fishing methods. marine species, as well as climate change, pollution marine environment and habitat destruction. These threats have a serious impact on the lives and livelihoods of those who rely on marine ecosystem services, especially women and men living in coastal areas.

Take part in the campaign

You can take part in the campaign to protect marine ecosystems on social media using our materials.

In addition, a social media kit has been developed for anyone interested, which can serve as a guide to action.

Use the hashtags #LifeBelowWater, #WorldWildlifeDay, #WWD2019, #MarineSpecies, #DoOneThingToday, #SDG14.

Film Festival

Under the auspices of the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a film festival will be held, which will screen films -

Refers to the latter. It attracts public attention to the problems of the environment in which we live, stimulates government action aimed at improving environmental situation. Nature influences the life and health of all people, which is why the holiday has acquired such a large scale.

History of appearance

In 1972, environmental issues were discussed at a conference in Stockholm. The main goal of the participants was to awaken people's desire to participate in the protection of natural ecosystems. The reason was the appeal of numerous cultural figures to

The result of the conference was targeted actions to reduce it, as well as the establishment of the holiday in question. World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5th every year.

The world community calls on everyone to understand global issues and actively promote nature conservation. It also unites countries to create optimal relations, since only together we can ensure a safe and decent future for ourselves. Activists have developed a set of measures to limit the impact of human activities on nature. World Environment Day is a holiday that is designed to direct the thoughts of every inhabitant of the planet to preserve the natural balance of the world around us. What can and should humanity do in this direction?

Nature conservation measures

• reducing emissions into the atmosphere and hydrosphere;
• creation of nature reserves to preserve natural complexes;
• restrictions on hunting and fishing to preserve rare and endangered species;
• prohibition of illegal waste removal and careful recycling of waste.

These are just the main rules that World Day sets. Every day there are more and more problems, and they need to be solved by the whole world.

The meaning of the holiday

This day promotes awareness of the current situation and provides an incentive for active action by all members of society. Activities must have sustainable development and be carried out purposefully - this is the only way to avoid cataclysms. Communities of countries must address environmental issues in a comprehensive manner.

World Day speaks for itself - nature must be protected and loved. Only in this case will she give humanity a second chance.

Holiday in Russia and other countries

The Russian Federation occupies a vast territory, and it bears a huge responsibility for maintaining various ecosystems. The holiday is important for the state, but not all residents know about it. Therefore, it is necessary to educate the masses and actively influence consciousness, which is what numerous public organizations are doing.

World Environment Day is celebrated in many countries with rallies, cyclist parades, concerts, clean-up, waste disposal, and essay competitions. The celebration ideas are different, but the goal is the same - to draw attention to environmental issues and solve them together!

For flora and fauna globe, where humanity lives, is characterized by a huge diversity of species. A considerable number of them are in danger of extinction. Wildlife is, one might say, the face of our planet. The conclusion follows from this: we must make every possible effort to preserve the plants and animals of the Earth in their original form. This idea is embodied in an annual event called “”, which takes place regularly at the beginning of spring, namely on March 3.

Information about the holiday March 3

The holiday on March 3, World Wildlife Day, dedicated to the inhabitants of the blue planet less organized than humanity, appeared thanks to actions taken in this direction by the United Nations. 20th of the first winter month In 2013, a document was published, according to which the third day of March was decided to be considered the moment of World Wildlife Day. Representatives of the organization outlined the goal of the new celebration as increasing the knowledge of the world community and the general public about pressing issues and pressing problems relating to the earth's flora and fauna.

The holiday on March 3, World Wildlife Day, was created thanks to an initiative belonging to the participants of the Conference of the Parties to CITES. This event took place in 2013. It took place in Thailand. The corresponding decision was presented to the United Nations and received the approval of the association. It should be noted that the mentioned Conference takes place periodically. Its participants are representatives of states that signed on March 3, 1973 to the Convention, which stated the inadmissibility of trade international character rare species, and those that are on the verge of extinction. This is why World Wildlife Day is celebrated annually on March 3rd.

The said Convention is of great importance, since illegal actions carried out in relation to plant and animal specimens are a colossal problem modern world. As a result of the prohibited sale of rare specimens of wild fauna and flora, swindlers earn, according to experts, at least 17 billion euros a year. The number of participating countries is 183. All of them must strictly adhere to the terms of the Convention, that is, they must certainly control the trade in wild plants and animals, as well as counteract the danger of extinction of species.

Currently, about 30,000 representatives of wild flora and more than 5,500 species of animals are protected by CITES. They are included in the list presented in the CITES Appendix form. Came here from the Russian fauna Amur tiger, polar bear, leopard, snow leopard, valuable species fish and birds. Poaching causes annual damage to the Russian state budget of approximately 19 billion rubles. Illegal tiger hunting alone results in a loss of 25 million rubles for the state. By the way, Soviet Union joined CITES in 1976, and Russia - 16 years later, playing the role of successor to the USSR.

In 2017, the slogan of World Wildlife Day was “Listen to the voices of the young.” It should be understood this way: young people should be given the opportunity to find solutions to protect the world of plants and animals on the planet, and be given the opportunity to show activity and solidarity in these issues. Indeed, in fact, the damage caused to wildlife by smugglers will ultimately have the most adverse impact on the lives of future generations.

Endangered Animal Species

When else but on the holiday of March 3, World Wildlife Day, it is worth talking about such an important topic for the planet as rare and endangered species of animals and plants.

• California condor. A member of the American vulture family. The distribution area covers part of Mexico, of course, California and Arizona. But there was a time when the California condor lived throughout the territory North America. It became an endangered species “thanks” to local hunters. The last representatives of this species left their natural habitat in the late 80s. last century. Today these birds are bred and released into the wild. There are currently 130 wild California condors.

• River gorilla. Lives on the border of two African states: Nigeria and Cameroon. It is a subspecies of the western gorilla. The number of the species is inexorably declining due to extensive hunting of animals and the reduction of habitats as a result of harmful human activities. In order to preserve the river gorilla in Cameroon, there is national park. Total number individuals today - 300.
• Asiatic lion. It can be found in India, namely in the north-west of the country. In ancient times, this species was distributed in the territory from the specified state to Greece. But the hunt for wild beast has led to a steady decline in Asiatic lion numbers. And today there are only 330 individuals of the “king of beasts” of this species, and even then only in the Gir forest (reserve).
• Javan rhinoceros. As the name suggests, this animal lives on the island of Java. The species is protected due to the presence of rhinoceroses in the territory national park. Its numbers have sharply decreased due to the value of the horn - the latter has a high cost and is used in traditional medicine in China; and also as a result mass felling forests that are the natural habitat of the Javan rhinoceros. Today there are only 60 individuals of this species.

• Grevy's zebra. The species is endangered due to merciless hunting of individuals, the object of which was the beautiful skin. IN natural environment Today, about 2,000 striped horses live in this habitat. Almost all of them are in Kenya, a tiny part is in Ethiopia and Somalia.

Endangered plant species

• Enrubio. Habitat: Puerto Rico. Number of individuals: 150 pieces. Enrubio is a shrub with sharp thorns that grows in natural areas with a mild climate. The plant is on the verge of extinction due to being eaten by livestock, as it is often found in pastures.

• Zelaypodium Howelli. There are five copies that are scattered throughout the Earth. However, measures to preserve the species were taken only in American state Oregon. The rapid disappearance of the shrub began 10 years ago: then the number of Zelaypodium Hovelli was as many as 30 thousand specimens. The cause of the mass death was mowing. Eat real threat complete disappearance of the plant within 5-7 years.
• Akalitha. "Indigenous" of a small island in the Galapagossa. The disappearance of the flower was contributed to by human activity, namely work in the construction industry. Representatives of the British Charitable Foundation are currently very concerned about saving Akalifa.

• Rafflesia. It is famous for its large size (weighs 11 kg) and the fetid, corpse-like aroma that the plant’s flowers emit. This is what people call rafflesia: a corpse flower. Refers to parasitic plant species. It lives only in Barneo and Sumatra, in forests.

The holiday of March 3, World Wildlife Day, should remind everyone of the importance of caring for the flora and fauna of our native planet. Don't be left out either!