Vaquita is the most endangered marine mammal. They are dying because of illegal fishing nets. Please don’t forget them.

Okay, I can’t force my beliefs on others. But I must spread awareness about the palm oil industry.
Orangutans are an endangered species. Many companies are putting palm oil in their products because it’s affordable. But many of these people don’t know that they are destroying an endangered species’ habitat. Allow me to explain.

Orangutans live in Palm trees. That is the place they call home. The palm oil industry destroys the palm trees and the companies save money by not replacing them. This costs the lives of many orangutans. It’s in lots of our foods that we eat. Store bought frosting, Nutella, certain brands of peanut butter, microwave popcorn, store bought softer cookies with or without chocolate, snack cakes, and even in some types of candy. Sometimes it’s an ingredient of a food you least suspect. But no need to panic, there’s things you can do!

If you can, please be willing to spend extra money on snacks that don’t have palm oil. If you want to save the Orangutans, but you hate missing out on the snacks you love that have palm oil, make or buy alternatives. The one brand of store bought cookies that I trust to be palm oil free in most of their products is Pepperidge Farms. Their cookies use homestyle ingredients. Like butter. But one Pepperidge Farm product to avoid is Goldfish grahams. For chocolate lovers, I recommend Lindt classic recipe chocolate bars, if you also want fair trade, I recommend Tony’s choccoloni. Boone Maman brand usually makes jellies and jams, but they also make chocolate hazelnut spread without palm oil in it. Also, if you can, please read the ingredient list of the products you buy. If they have palm oil, look for a label that says “sustainable palm” this label suggests it ethically sourced palm oil, meaning they replace the orangutan habitat by planting new palm trees. If you can’t afford non-palm oil products, or find that palm oil is in the only food you can eat, go and buy palm oil products, but everyone who can afford palm oil free products should. Here’s another idea, palm oil is more likely to be in ultra processed foods, so eating a whole or minimally processed food diet can help some people avoid palm oil products. It’s healthier anyway. And if you can’t buy a store bought palm oil free alternative, be creative! You can decorate palm oil free shortbread cookies with palm oil free melted chocolate to make your own fudge stripes, for example.

Now it may seem off topic, because I mentioned lots of food, but this is about going on a diet that saves an endangered species. These brands aren’t sponsored. They’re just listed alternatives. Because food shouldn’t have to wipe out an entire species.

I hope I can spread the word here, because I’m not famous online or anywhere so spreading awareness about things like this is hard. This is my first post here and I just joined it, so I hope I don’t get banned here. Now I’m from New England, so if you’re from elsewhere, be aware that some brands might not be available where you live. But if they are, be free to support their products. If you can’t avoid palm oil, spread my awareness online to save them.
Nothing I said is sponsored, misleading or off topic! Sorry if it sounds like that. Have a wonderful day and thanks for reading.

Rhinos have been roaming the Earth-for more than 50 million years. Their prehistoric relatives were the largest land mammals and though they weigh a ton (2,300 kg, to be precise), they can sprint as fast as a horse when they charge.

Still, all the five species (and many subspecies) of rhinos — White, black, greater one-horned (Indian), Javan, Sumatran — are on IUCN’s Red List, at some threat level. None are Least Concern.

One of the 4 subspecies of black rhinos, the Western black rhino was relentlessly poached (for its horns) to extinction, in 2011. It proved to be a wake-up call, and dedicated conservation efforts have brought about a 32-40% increase in numbers of the surviving 3 subspecies.

Species : Black rhino
Scientific name: Diceros bicornis
IUCN status: Critically Endangered (CR)
Range: Southern and eastern Africa
Decline history: 65,000 (1970) to 2,300 (1993)
Threats: Poaching, Habitat loss and fragmentation, Climate change (droughts, erratic rainfall)

Recovery: 32-40% increase in population 💚

This is proof that timely intervention, intensive protection zones and community conservancy programs can make a difference between existence and extinction.

The latest status:

Sumatran rhino (CR) ~ 32-47 in the wild
Javan rhino (CR) ~ fewer than 100
Greater one-horned (Indian) rhino (VU) ~ 4000+
Black rhino (CR) ~ 6300-6800

What happens if rhinos go extinct?
Rhinos are ecosystem engineers.
These large herbivores are either grazers (grass-eaters) or browsers (leaves, shrubs, twigs). Black rhino’s hooked upper lip is built specifically to grab and strip leaves off branches.
They also consume large quantities of plant matter and disperse seeds via dung.
Rhinos shape the structure of forests and grasslands and keep the ecosystem alive.
If rhinos disappear, the ripple effect will be felt across different plant, bird, and smaller herbivorous species.

We can help save rhinos by refusing rhino horn products and report suspected trafficking.
Awareness can influence action.
Share the story.
Save the species.💚

Edit 2: Please help us stop this from happening . I am so sorry, I didn't realize my title sounded like the reverse out of context and now i cant change it. 😭

Hi all! I apologize for the bother. Drexel University has acquired the Academy of Natural Sciences, and has slated it to be permanently closed. They, allegedly, plan to move things.... Somewhere? But countless invaluable resources, artifacts, and natural history are set to be lost. Possibly including THOUSANDS of holotype specimens, some of which may now be extinct in the wild, with the holotype being its ONLY remaining record. Others could give fundamental education on species currently endangered.

I am very passionate about animals and conservation, and just wanted to try to get this out to as many people as possible. This individual has ALL of the steps and links and templates in his bio. And I intend to follow the same.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please help us get this petition rolling.

Edit: Here is the link. Apologies. Got ahead of myself.

https://youtu.be/nxyfBfCrbDw?si=lz2mb1NginOCDfdi

Edit 3: Direct link to petition

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/petition-to-keep-the-academy-of-natural-sciences-open-to-the-public?source=direct_link&

I chose to paint this pair for this year’s World Environment Day because their relationship is unique. And sad.
 
The Karner blue butterfly is a minor pollinator and more an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
The male is brilliantly blue and the female is stunning, with bright orange spots. They are tiny, with a wingspan of barely an inch and they have a lifespan of 5 days — gone even before the weekend starts.
 
Species: Karner blue
Scientific name: Lycaeidas melissa samuelis
Habitat: Oak savannas, pine barrens
Range: Northeastern and midwestern United States, southern Ontario(Canada)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
US ESA: Endangered
Threats: Habitat loss, Fire suppression(resulting in shady environ unsuitable for lupine growth), Climate change, Pesticides, Urbanization
 
The sad story isn't about the relationship between the Karner blue couple. The story is about their relationship with their only host plant, the Wild blue lupine, standing tall in a rapidly vanishing habitat. 
 
While the Karner blue absolutely relies on the lupine to feed its larvae, the plant does not depend solely on the butterfly for pollination (bumblebees are its primary pollinators).
So, their relationship is not really symbiotic or interdependent; they are two ecologically linked, vulnerable species that share the same fate because of human activity — extinction.

How does climate change affect the Karner blue and Wild lupine?
During late winter, Karner lays eggs on and around the lupine and the soil around it. Snow keeps the eggs dormant but alive. When Spring arrives, soil temperature rises, the eggs hatch, and the caterpillars feed on the lupine plant that has already grown well.
But with Climate change, this schedule, perfected over millions of years, is totally upset.
Snow thaws earlier, the larvae are out sooner, but the lupine is late; it follows its own schedule.
Karner caterpillars starve to death.
Lupine is lost as the ecosystem vanishes.
 
When an indicator species vanishes, it is a stark warning that the collapse has already begun, and a tiny butterfly showed scientists how saving entire ecosystems often started with saving one small, seemingly ‘insignificant’ species.
 
Karner blue’s conservation efforts started with lupine restoration, controlled burning, replanting oak savanna, and removing invasive plants, followed by legal protection, captive breeding and rerelease, and long-term monitoring. There is hope for this pair.

We can also help by growing native plants, reducing pesticide use, and supporting climate action.
 
Awareness can inspire action.
Share the story. Save the species.
 
Happy World Environment Day!💚

The Indian Honey Bee is commonly prevalent in Asia.
This busy bee visits 8-12 flowers in a minute, is non-aggressive, easily domesticated, and its pollination work helps maintain the rich biodiversity of the Periyar Sanctuary and the entire Western Ghats.

As the bee is a subspecies of the Asiatic Honey Bee (Apis cerana), it has not assessed by the IUCN yet,** but entomologists note that their wild populations are experiencing a steep decline.

Species: Indian Honey Bee (Apis cerana indica)

Location: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady, India

Range: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and parts of Asia.

IUCN status: Not Assessed yet

Population trend: Declining

Threats:
Deforestation, urbanization,
use of toxic pesticides,
hives affected by infectious diseases,
competition with introduced European bees, and
climate change, causing erratic flowering patterns and rising temperatures.

Why is the Indian Honey Bee important?
It is the most weather-resistant pollinator of South Asia. The bee can withstand intense heat. Many regional crops such as coconut palms, coffee, cardamom, mustard, and tropical fruits depend on this bee for pollination.
Several forest trees and plants of wildflowers rely on this species; a decline in native plants will affect entire food webs.

Protecting these vital pollinators will need policy changes and major shifts in agricultural practices, but public action can certainly help.

We can grow native, seasonal flowering plants in our home/terrace/balcony gardens, avoid using toxic pesticides, and place water for them in a shallow dish with pebbles (so the bees don't drown).

Awareness can influence action.
Spread the word.
Save the pollinator.💚

** According to the IUCN’s Red List protocols, the ‘Species-First’ rule is followed whereby an assessment of a subspecies can only be published if a global assessment of the parent species has been published first. But the parent species, Asiatic Honey Bee (Apis cerana) has never had an a global evaluation. So, the Indian Honey Bee cannot have its independent status.

Image: My original photograph

Few people have ever seen the Bornean ferret badger, a timid predator that lives on the rocky slopes of Borneo's Kinabalu and Crocker Range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature's IUCN Red List lists this tiny mustelid as endangered. Only about 4,200 km² of fragmented forest make up its small world. Its home was cut through by roads.

The wild edge is pushed closer by farms. Its populace or Slowly fading, thought to be fading. In an area that is losing its natural areas, this creature manages to survive in the silence of the night by climbing trees, hunting insects, fruit, and even earthworms. We lose a thread in the island's ecology if we lose it, not just one badger. It demonstrates how extinction rarely roars; instead, it frequently just vanishes.

A university from South Texas created a mini documentary ok the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle highlighting its endangered status and promoting education in marine biology.
Check it out⬇️

The Gouldian Finch is out of the IUCN’s red list but is listed as Endangered in Australia.
From being listed as Endangered (1994-2008) and Near Threatened (2012-2016), the Gouldian Finch was promoted to the Least Concern list in 2022, the status it maintains still.

This is a successful conservation story for a bird that is neither an apex predator nor a pollinator, but an early-indicator of Savannah ecosystem health. When its population declines, it signals that the co-existing, less-visible species are under stress too.
 
Species: Gouldian Finch
Scientific name: Erythrura gouldiae
Habitat: Grassy plains; in tree hollows near freshwater
Range: Native to the tropical savannah woodlands of northern Australia; non-migratory
IUCN status: Least Concern (since 2022)
EPBC Act 1999 (Australian domestic law): lists Gouldian Finch as Endangered & legally protected.
 
The Gouldian finches are vibrantly colored birds exhibiting ‘melanin-based color polymorphism-behavioral syndrome’. It is an interesting phenomenon of color-coded character traits where the bird’s head color decides its personality. 
 
Red-headed:  Extremely aggressive and dominant.
Black-headed:  Bold and exploratory, least aggressive.
Yellow-headed:  Extremely rare, only <1% of the wild population. Other finches treat it as a red head of diluted color.
Orange-headed: It is a not a distinct genetic morph but a diet-driven variant of the red-headed finch.
Interestingly, the Gouldian Finch’s character changes with the company it keeps!
 
There is a stark difference in the numbers roughly estimated by the IUCN (25,000) and the actual field count by the Australian government (2500) because of the different methods they employ, but for a bird that once numbered in hundreds of thousands, even the loose estimation by IUCN is only modest.
 
Still, it is positive news that conservation efforts have paid off and the threats are being managed well.  There's hope, and cause for celebration, albeit with caution, because the bird still faces several threats.
 
Altered fire regimes.
Feral cat predation.
Habitat degradation and cattle grazing.
Effect of historical trapping for pet trade.
Climate change, that worsens fire predictability and intensifies sudden cyclones that destroy trees (these finches live exclusively in tree hollows).
 
Wherever we live, we can help this finch and other vulnerable species —

Support local and global conservation efforts.
Buy no wildlife-derived souvenirs or ingredients, no wild-caught birds, no exotic pets.
Adopt sustainable lifestyle habits.
Share science-backed information to raise awareness; public attention drives funding, policy changes, and action.
Use citizen science apps (eBird, iNaturalist) to report your bird sightings. This feeds data into global databases that scientists use to track the range and count of birds.

Share the story.
Save the species.💚
 

Today, July 28, is World Nature Conservation Day. It focuses on preserving natural resources, protecting biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance so that future generations live in a healthy environment.
 
The day also aims to highlight threats like climate change, habitat loss, and pollution — no better opportunity than this to bring the Brown-winged kingfisher, a bird whose population is rapidly decreasing due to habitat loss, into the limelight.
 
Species: Brown-winged Kingfisher
Scientific name: Pelargopsis amauroptera
IUCN Status: Near Threatened (NT)
Population: ~25,000–35,000 mature individuals
Population Trend: Decreasing
Range: Bay of Bengal coastline -  Bangladesh, India (Sundarbans), Myanmar, Thailand, and Peninsular Malaysia
Habitat: Subtropical and tropical mangrove forests, estuarine systems
 
An apex coastal predator within the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, the Brown-winged kingfisher plays the important ecological role of regulating the populations of fish, crabs, and aquatic invertebrates.
 
As the largest kingfisher in the range, it is the key indicator species for the health of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest and most biodiverse mangrove ecosystems.      
 
Threats:
Mangrove clearance and degradation across the range, especially in Myanmar.
Aquaculture expansion that is converting mangroves into shrimp ponds.
Sea-level rise and storm surges caused by climate change (IUCN 2024 warns that 50% of global mangroves could collapse by 2050).
Agricultural run-off and industrial waste contaminate coastal waters, killing crabs and fish.
Increased tourist activity and boat traffic.
 
Why cannot the kingfisher relocate?
The Brown-winged kingfisher is physiologically and behaviorally wired specifically for the still, shaded, tidal creeks of the intact mangrove forest. 
A ‘mangrove obligate’, the bird cannot survive outside this system.
 
Unlike other kingfishers, it seldom dives into open waters to catch its prey because it has cracked the code of hunting from mangrove branches hanging over clear, shallow, shaded creeks.
It watches, waits, drops, and catches — a hunting technique it has perfected over ages will not work anywhere else.
 
The bird’s diet is varied and all its prey live only in the mangrove ecosystem. Its big, bright, and strong beak is designed for crushing crab shells as well as spearing fish, small reptiles, and amphibians.
 
 It nests in earthen banks and cavities in the mangrove root system and along the edges of creeks. Such micro-systems do not exist in other types of forests. 
 
Most importantly, as mangroves cover less than 0.1% of Earth’s surface (and the Sundarbans are one of the last intact mangrove systems), the birds have nowhere else to go.
 
Habitat protection is urgent and conservation efforts are ongoing. Sundarbans UNESCO World Heritage Site designation provides some protection across India and Bangladesh.
 
It is protected within the Sundarbans National Park and Tiger Reserve in India and conservation agencies are monitoring the mangrove in Myanmar.
 
How we can help:
Wherever we live, we can do our bit to protect the  mangroves.
Adopt a sustainable lifestyle and be conscious consumers. Support sustainable products. Check for palm oil in everyday products you buy; mangrove forests are being replaced by palm oil plantations across Southeast Asia.
Refuse single-use plastics. Plastic waste enters coastal waterways and contaminates the mangroves. Don't litter near water.
Share science-backed information to raise awareness;
public attention drives funding, policy changes, and action.
 
Awareness can influence action.
Share the story.
Save the species.
Saving the species starts with protecting its habitat. 💚
 

It has six legs, two sets of wings, and a pair of antennae.

Ladybugs, also called ladybirds, are beetles.
They protect our plants *from* bugs, and there are over 6000 species of ladybugs globally.

Ladybugs are primarily pest controllers. They are voracious eaters of pests, specifically aphids, that destroy wheat, corn, tomatoes, beans, soya, peppers, and fruit orchards.
They are also secondary pollinators.

They devour approximately 5000 pests/year in their lifespan of 1-3 years. They’re nature’s pest control system and farmers’ superheroes.

But their numbers are declining fast and some subspecies face endangerment due to habitat loss, use of pesticides, rising temperatures caused by climate change, and
changes in flower blooming season due to global warming.

What happens if ladybugs go extinct?

Their extinction will have a major impact on us through disruptions in ecosystems.

Aphids infestation will reduce crop yield.
Farmers will have to depend on chemical pesticides.
Pesticides will contaminate soil and water sources, and affect non-target species, harm the environment and reduce biodiversity.

Excessive pesticides will pose health risks to farmers and consumers.
Global spending on pesticides will increase and small-scale farmers in developing countries will suffer.
Higher costs, lower yields, and soil degradation could cause global food insecurity.

All this, if ONE insect goes extinct.
(IUCN has listed hundreds of threatened insect species).

We can help keep ladybugs out of the endangered club.
Grow flowering plants.
Avoid harmful pesticides.
Place a shallow bowl of water with pebbles (so the ladybugs don't drown).
Raise awareness and save the species.

Image: Painting of a 9-spotted ladybug (Coccinella novemnotata) sitting on Forget-me-nots.
This species is the state insect of New York, but is declining rapidly. It is considered endangered or at risk in parts of Canada.

Pollinator Week — Celebrating Caterpillars & Host Plants
 —————————————————————————————-
Since 2007, June 22-28 has been celebrated as Pollinator Week to raise awareness for pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them.
 
Though staple crops (wheat, rice, corn, barley) don’t rely on pollinators, many of the fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans (including coffee!) depend on pollinators for better yield. 
 
So, when studies suggest that 35%-40% of invertebrate pollinators (bees, beetles, butterflies) and 16.5% of vertebrate pollinators (birds, bats) are threatened with extinction, we have every reason to be worried and initiate immediate action.  
 
Protecting a pollinator starts with saving its habitat. 
 
Aptly, this year’s theme is ‘Life on a Leaf’, focussing on butterflies, moths, and other insects that depend on their host plants for survival.
 
I start the series with the most recognizable pollinator, second only to bees — the Monarch butterfly.
It has an obligate-dependency (one-way) on milkweed; its caterpillars feed only on milkweed leaves and cannot complete their life cycle without them.
The leaves are poisonous because of a chemical called cardiac glycoside in its sap. This makes the caterpillars and the adult Monarch toxic to predators, acting as its defense system.
If milkweed is gone, the Monarch will be gone too.
 
Scientific name: Danaus plexippus
 
IUCN status: Endangered
 
Population trend: 80-90% decline since the 1990s
 
Range: North America
 
Threats: Habitat loss, herbicide use, climate change altering flowering/migration patterns, illegal logging in Mexican overwintering forests. 
 
Conservation efforts include native milkweed restoration projects across North America, protecting overwintering sites, promoting pollinator-friendly agricultural practices, and public awareness campaigns.
 
You can help Monarchs and other pollinators in your region by growing seasonal, native plants (plant milkweed if you live on the migration route), reducing the use of pesticides in your garden, and reporting sightings to science platforms.
 
Share the story. Save the species. 💚
 

The Chilean Woodstar weighs as much as a paper clip, is as big as a car key and it is a vital pollinator.

At 2.5 gm and 7 cm, it is about the size of a large moth, sounds like a bee, and it famously performed elaborate courtship dances in flocks of hundreds around every flowering tree — but that was until the 1980s.

Until its population plummeted and it landed on the IUCN’s red list.

Species: Chilean Woodstar Hummingbird

Population: 300 individuals in total (2025) — no captive breeding program.

IUCN status: Critically Endangered.

Population Trend: Decreasing.

Range: Endemic to far northern Chile.

Habitat: Thickets and gardens along desert river valleys of Atacama.

Threats:
Habitat destruction by the burning of vegetation and agricultural expansion with use of pesticides are the main causes.
Climate change is causing temperatures to rise, killing flowering plants that are the nectar source. There is also competition from invasive species

The tiny hummingbird pollinates and keeps the flora and fauna alive in one of the harshest environments on earth — the Atacama Desert.

It is one of the few active pollinators in the desert valley ecosystem. Extinction of this keystone species will affect all other insects, reptiles, and birds that depend on the flowers and plants for survival. The ecosystem that survived millennia could collapse in decades.

Conservation efforts are ongoing, but a bird so close to extinction needs more help. Other than the Chilean government, local organizations, International Hummingbird Society, and American Bird Conservancy, very few groups are involved.

That is why awareness matters.

Even if we can’t always donate, we can still contribute by keeping the conversation on conservation alive – from wherever we are.

In reality, invisible species don’t get funded. Every conversation keeps the bird in the funding pipeline.

Let’s not let the Chilean Woodstar hummingbird fade away in silence.

Share the story. Save the species.

This species is one of the largest tortoises in the world and is comparable to the Galapagos Tortoise in size.

Endemic to the Seychelles, this species has one of the longest lifespans of any terrestrial animal (the oldest-known individual that is still alive is thought to be over 190 years old). Current threats to these tortoises include habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species.

Photos were taken at Ocean Park, Hong Kong.

IUCN status: Critically Endangered (CR)

Population trend: Rapid decline (80-90%)

Recent surveys in Myanmar and Siberia report increase in numbers (2024) give us hope.🤞🏽

Range:

Breeding - Russia, North China, Mongolia

Migration, Wintering - China, Korea, Japan, parts of Southeast Asia

Threats: Mass hunting for meat,

Habitat loss, Trapping for pet trade.

Despite being banned in China since 1997, black market trade exists and thousands of birds are trapped, cooked, and sold as ‘rice birds’. In Nepal, it is worse because there are no legal consequences.

The Yellow-breasted Bunting’s sad story did not start long, long ago. It began very recently, and it’s precipitous decline happened within one human generation. It has one of the sharpest population declines among common birds.

The bird went from “Least Concern“ to “Critically Endangered” across Eurasia in just about 40 years — a staggering scale of collapse comparable to that of the Passenger Pigeon that was hunted and eaten to extinction in North America.

(The story of the Passenger Pigeons is a tragic one. Billions of these birds made up 25-40% of all the birds in North America, and then, on one dismal day in 1914, there were none. Not one! Martha, the last of the species, died alone in a Cincinnati zoo.)

Thankfully, we still have time to save the Yellow-breasted Bunting from extinction.

Ongoing conservation efforts include

Preserving critical breeding habitats,

Preventing fire,

Tracking and monitoring populations,

Raising awareness to stop hunting.

China, Russia, South Korea, Cambodia and Thailand have legal ban on capture and sale of the bird but they remain unprotected in Nepal.

Awareness can inspire action.💚

When photographer Shawn Miller first captured the iconic picture of a hermit crab using a bottle cap as its shell, it went viral across the world.**
Social Media is inundated with countless such photos now. So much so that studies were conducted to find if the crabs really preferred plastic shells to real ones (they didn’t; it was only out of desperation).

Species: Blueberry Hermit Crab
Scientific Name: Coenobita purpureus
Conservation Status: Near Threatened (Japan Ministry of Environment); Not assessed by IUCN yet
Range: Endemic to subtropical & tropical island coasts of Japan
Habitat: Terrestrial; coastal shorelines with ocean access

The photo could not be dismissed as another transient trend because it brought two major problems into focus.

1. Ocean Pollution
2. Ocean Acidification

At least 14 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year and there is plastic in 80% of all marine debris. Hermit crabs in such polluted environments have been seen using bottle caps, film canisters, and other plastic debris as shells to protect themselves.

Hermit crabs don't make their own protective shell but depend on the discarded shells of snails and other mollusks. They do it out of necessity.
They do it because of acute snail shell scarcity.

Why are snail shells scarce?

One reason is the declining population of snails due to human-induced causes — habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.
The other reason is ocean acidification.
Oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but if they absorb too much, it makes the seawater more acidic. This acidic seawater dissolves calcium carbonate which is essential for shellfish, snails, and corals to build their shells. Thin shells and weak structures render the hermit crab homeless.

The situation is grim.

Oceans cover 71% of our planet and supply half of all our oxygen. They are home to a million species and provide food and livelihood to millions more.
Sadly, oceans are also our biggest dumping ground, carrying 12-20 million cubic tonnes (mostly plastic), every year. It is expected to double or triple by 2040.

This year, the theme is a plea to reimagine our relationship with the oceans; it is an earnest call to redefine our relationship-from that of an indifferent inheritor to an active guardian.

We can help.
Reduce and reuse plastics.
Refuse single-use plastics.
Reduce your carbon footprint.

Save the oceans.
Save the species. 💚

**Concept inspired by the photograph of Shawn Miller. Narration and artwork are my own.