WWF: The Passport to Helping the Environment
You might have already heard about WWF. You might have even already
seen that panda logo they are so well known for. WWF equals saving the
environment, and it has been online for quite some time now.
To be part of this highly esteemed organization, even with just the
click of a mouse, means that you can be part of environmental
campaigns, signature pledges, letters to diplomats, among others.
You can take part in WWF successes in your own way. But before we
discuss the ways for you to get involved in WWF initiatives, let’s get
to know WWF first.
What is WWF?
When it was first founded in 1961, WWF meant World Wildlife Fund.
But as the organization grew bigger, and its work extended to
environmental conservation as a whole, it became WWF-World Wild Fund
for Nature.
Currently, there are almost five million supporters distributed
throughout 5 continents. WWF has offices in over 90 countries, like
Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Norway,
Philippines, UK, and the USA.
Because of this, when WWF claims to have played a major role in the
evolution of the international conservation movement, you can know
there's credibility.
Since 1985, WWF has also invested over US$1 billion in more than
12,000 projects. It specifically protects the following species: Giant Panda, Tigers, Marine Turtles, Great Apes, Elephants, Rhinos, Whales & Dolphins and Polar Bears.
How can you help?
WWF Global Youth Volunteer Programme
If you or your students are young, intelligent, with a passion for
the planet, more often than not, you're looking for the perfect
opportunity to help. WWF has a global volunteer program, paring down
applicants through a rigorous elimination.
But the end gain is worth it though. The program gives volunteers
insight and conservation awareness, an idea of the daily realities and
living standards of people in developing countries, better
cross-cultural understanding, and better communication, teamwork and
self-reliance skills.
The volunteer program is a 3-6 month volunteer experience in the WWF
field projects like Madagascar, India, Paraguay, South Pacific and
Bhutan.
The WWF Passport can be treated as a sort of license to campaign for
the environment, even if you're just in a classroom in a barrio
anywhere in the world. Serious individuals, no matter the age, who want
to take action online are welcome.
The Passport gives its holders a concise idea on how to act on
important issues like endangered species, global warming and forest
protection.
With it, people who have limited time available can still have a say
in today's environmental issues. They give public support and the
needed pressure to make things happen for WWF International, making it
a great way for environmental activists to contribute to WWF's cause.
In the past, Passport holders 1.) helped ban "set net" fishing from
inshore waters of New Zealand's North Island's upper west coast in
order to protect the critically endangered Maui's dolphin, 2.) stopped
the plan to hunt and kill all tigers in the northern Malaysian state of
Kelantan in response to human-tiger conflict, and 3.) pressured the
Croatian government to protect the outstanding Velebit forest, home to
the brown bear, wolf, wildcat and lynx, among others.
Send
emails, petitions, and faxes to decision makers, all as evidence of
your personal commitment to the environment. How to be a part of it?
Just sign up.
Sources:
“How You Can Help.” Retrieved March 2, 2009 from
http://www.passport.panda.org/about/index.cfm?uNC=51053440#1
“What do the initials WWF stand for?” Retrieved March 2, 2009 from
http://www.panda.org/who_we_are/
“What does WWF do?” Retrieved March 2, 2009 from
http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/
“WWF Global Youth Volunteer Programme.” Retrieved March 2, 2009 from
http://www.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/volunteer/volunteer_programme/
(Published 16 March 2009, Smart Communications, Inc.)
