There appears to be a ‘World Day’ for practically every cause and concern, large or small, from icecaps to rainforests, from aquatic snails to baleen whales. The organisers of these events normally choose it to be a celebration, or more solemnly ‘raising awareness’. Either way, caring fatigue sets in when, yet another day of action turns out to be posters and platitudes. So yes, I can imagine your eyes rolling when I tell you that Monday 3 of March is the United Nations World Wildlife Day. To be fair, this should be the big one – the United Nations endorsing a celebration and raising awareness of all wildlife across the entire planet! The event, which has been running since 2013, was initiated by the Secretariat of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) who, without irony, declared: ‘There needs to be a day for the world’s animals and plants.’ Despite my cynicism, at least there is one day at the UN when wildlife receives a little more attention.    

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are numbered in reference of importance: Number one is No Poverty, followed by Zero Hunger.  Although I think they may have got these the wrong way around, nonetheless, few people would argue with these noble aims. However, way down the list, at numbers fourteen and fifteen are, bizarrely, Protection of Life below Water and On Land. The continued loss of species, habitats and ecosystems are threats to the very fabric of meaningful life on Earth, including us. People around the world rely on wildlife and the places it lives, which is everywhere, or should be!         

Here in the UK the great crested newt is frequently ridiculed as the species that holds up development. Under law many species are legally protected, but often the complex ecosystems they live in are overlooked. This is why conservationists have had to rally around an individual ‘token’ species, an attempt to save the multitude of other living things that struggle to survive alongside them. There is a Frog Day, Sparrow Day and Curlew Day, even a Lichen Day; each is an attempt to stress the alarming state the natural world is in. We use the term ‘conserve’ less often now, instead it is expressed as ‘nature recovery’, but first we must stabilise the patient before we can hope for any healing. Once common creatures are in freefall – the turtle dove has declined by 98%, the hedgehog by 60%, and yes, the house sparrow, despite having its own allocated day, has declined by 75% since the 1970s. The list goes on.      

The naturalist, writer and Norfolk Wildlife Trust President, Patrick Barkham, stated recently that ‘.... the only cure for environmental despondency is to get involved on your local patch.’ This is so true, and an army of volunteers across the county give their time each day to Norfolk Wildlife Trust and other nature conservation groups. Membership of The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB and the National Trust has seen massive increases in recent years, proving that people care. Small but significant battles are won each day on our reserves, where we see species such as marsh harrier, otter and water vole increasing in number. All that nature needs is a chance, and it can recover quickly. In my own lifetime I have seen the red kite population grow from a few pairs in central Wales, to breeding in every county in England. Crane, spoonbill and pool frogs, through conservation initiatives, are now back in Norfolk.      

But nature reserves are islands in a sometimes-hostile sea. The focus must also be to promote and protect wildlife in the wider countryside, bringing communities, landowners and conservationists together to link these islands through wildlife friendly avenues. Every day, environmental projects bring local people together, on a global scale. As volunteers plant oak, hawthorn and hazel to expand a Norfolk woodland, villagers across the Sahel region of Africa are planting acacia and baobab trees.

Around the planet there are people who care and are willing to act. Many of us have come to realise that we need robust, numerous and diverse ecosystems full of wildlife, and that this is essential for the health of our soil, air and water. A care of wildlife, locally and globally, must become everyone’s interest, so let us together make the UN’s World Wildlife Day, our day, every day.