Observing a wild animal in its natural habitat is always a thrilling experience — in that moment, all mental constructs fall away, time seems to stand still, or even to turn back to a primordial age in which the world was covered by forests and humankind had not yet bent nature to its will. 3 March could be a good moment to look around and admire other forms of life: it is on this date that World Nature Day is celebrated.

The sixth extinction

Our children and grandchildren will not, however, be able to admire many species — partly because of us. Lions, whales, frogs, elephants, rhinoceroses, tuna: the list of animal species at risk of extinction is vast. According to a study published in Science Advances, the current extinction rate is approximately one hundred times higher than normal, and it argues that at least three-quarters of all animal species could be extinct within the space of a few human generations. We are, in fact, in the midst of an epochal event: the sixth mass extinction in the history of the planet.

Nature Day

To help counter this mass extinction and celebrate the extraordinary biodiversity of our planet, the United Nations established World Nature Day in 2013. The date chosen coincides with the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), signed in Washington on 3 March 1973. The aim is to shine a spotlight on crimes against wildlife and flora, such as poaching and the illegal trade in animals and plants, and to intensify efforts to eradicate them, as well as to raise public awareness of the multitude of benefits that nature conservation offers to our species.

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Tomorrow is #WorldWildlifeDay!

Over the last 40 years, global populations of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians & reptiles have declined by nearly 60%.

#Biodiversity loss is a planetary crisis that must be addressed wildlifeday.org

#WWD2020 #SustainingAllLife #Wildlife

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On the side of wildlife

This year the day is dedicated to the protection of wildlife, both animal and plant, in all its forms. Biodiversity is considered indispensable from an ecological, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic standpoint for human wellbeing and sustainable development. The slogan chosen for the day is "Sustaining all life on Earth", in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1, 12, 14 and 15, and with the commitment to alleviate poverty, ensure the sustainable use of resources, and halt the loss of biodiversity both on land and in water.

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"By overexploiting wildlife, habitats and ecosystems, humanity is endangering both itself and the survival of countless species of wild plants and animals," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. "Today, almost a quarter of all species on the planet risk extinction in the coming decades. On this World Nature Day, let us remind ourselves of our duty to preserve and sustainably use the great variety of life on the planet. Let us promote a more attentive, caring and sustainable relationship with nature."

The 2019 edition

In 2019, Nature Day was dedicated to aquatic biodiversity, with the slogan "Life below water: for people and planet", to underline the importance of seas and oceans and the creatures that inhabit them. It is no coincidence that one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals aims to "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development". Nearly 200,000 identified species live in the oceans, yet our knowledge of these ecosystems — so distant from us and almost alien — remains highly fragmentary; indeed, according to scientists, marine species could number in the millions.

Overfishing

More than three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. Aquatic wildlife has sustained the development of human civilisations for millennia, yet today the oceans and their inhabitants are seriously threatened — by the very humans who depend on them. The greatest and most imminent danger is the reckless exploitation of fish stocks. Where seas and oceans once teemed with life and were populated by a surprising number of animals that reached sizes unimaginable today, over the past forty-five years, according to a WWF study, the quantity of fish in our oceans has halved. According to the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (Sofia) report, published in 2018 by the FAO, around 33 per cent of global fish stocks are in a state of overexploitation and around 60 per cent are being fished at their maximum capacity.

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Oceans of plastic

Fishing is not the only threat to the survival of marine animals; the other major threats are climate change, which is, for example, increasing the acidity of the oceans and causing coral bleaching and death, and pollution, in particular that caused by plastic. The impact of plastic on wildlife and marine ecosystems is indeed enormous and threatens the survival of more than 800 animal species.

The 2018 edition

Nature Day 2018 was dedicated to the protection of big cats, with the slogan "Big cats: predators under threat". These charismatic felines, undoubtedly among the most beloved animals, face numerous threats, mostly caused by human activities, and their numbers are declining at an alarming rate. Big cats, like all apex predators, are keystone species within their respective ecosystems. Their presence influences that of medium-sized predators, herbivores, plants, scavengers and detritivores, through a mechanism known as a trophic cascade. The term refers to the process that occurs when animals at the top of the food chain alter not only the numbers of their prey, but also those of species with which they have no direct connection. The disappearance of apex predators therefore triggers a series of chain reactions that significantly damage the delicate relationships within an ecosystem.

The 2017 edition

The slogan of the 2017 edition read "Listen to the young voices" and aimed to engage and empower young people, encouraging them to tackle issues related to biodiversity conservation. The United Nations notes that almost a quarter of the world's population is aged between 10 and 24, and the fate of the planet's wildlife and flora lies in the hands of young people.

Animals make us feel alive

Beyond the utilitarian perspective through which we are all too often accustomed to viewing animals and plants, biological diversity enriches our lives. Think, as George Monbiot writes in his book Feral, "of the thrill of wandering through a landscape without knowing what you might see next, what might emerge from the trees or the water, what might be watching you unawares."