Nature Conservation

Nature conservation issues, the welfare of the natural world and the wildlife, plants, and animals that we share this planet with are connected to our everyday lives in many different ways. Yet modern society is set up in such a way that we are often not aware of this reality.

For the most part in the Western world, our technologically advanced lifestyles alienate and disconnect us from our natural environment. We often do not know where the food we eat comes from or how it is grown. We are not aware of how the earth’s weather patterns, forests, and oceans have an impact on things we take for granted, such as the water we drink, and the air we breathe. We are so plugged into the latest technologies that we have forgotten that we are a part of the earth and its living ecosystem, not outside of it or separate from it.
The truth is that the state of our planet has an impact on human survival, global and local economies, community life, and human health and well-being. Yet many of our natural resources are at risk more than ever before.
Most of us are already aware that pandas and tigers and polar bears are threatened. We know that forests and natural habitat areas are vanishing due to human encroachment, development, and urban sprawl. We know about the threat of global warming. Yet, amazingly, the situation is a lot deeper and more serious than most of us probably realize. The good news is that with awareness and nature conservation efforts, we can reverse the situation if we get involved.

This section gives an overview of nature conservation issues and the status of the planet in the main areas which are threatened: wildlife, forests, oceans, and wetlands. You will also find a list of different conservation organizations to support in each category and ways in which we can all help...and be a part of the solution.

Through the jungle

The 5km walk through the semi-virgin forest reserve proved to be a lot more challenging than any one of us had expected.
The three-hour hike was no piece of cake as we had to continuously trudge up steep hills and down slippery slopes, manoeuvre around thick, snake-like buttress roots of the gigantic Dipterocarp trees, cross rivers by walking on shaky fallen tree trunks and be constantly vigilant of where we plant our feet on for muddy ground.
The air smelled of a potent mixture of insect repellents, lotions and other chemicals at the start of the journey, but still, all of that was no match for the little inhabitants of the jungle. Shrieks and squeals were heard as the blood-sucking creatures were discovered in the most unexpected of places on the bodies of the BRATs.
So, it isn’t a surprise to hear the sigh of relief on everyone’s face when the specks of red tiles of the roof from the building we were headed towards were sighted among the green of the forest.
Yet, the journey ended with a note of triumph and left a sense of achievement in everyone as 31 young mostly-urban teenagers had successfully undertaken the challenges and the trials posed by the jungle and its inhabitants ... and survived!
There is more than what meets the eye with the journey through the forest, though. Personally, I feel that it was a great way for us to learn new things about ourselves.
In the course of our trek, we passed many big trees which tops seem to be out of sight no matter how hard we craned our necks and squinted to try to see it. Even though most of the time my eyes were fixed on the ground trying to avoid the hungry clutches of the leeches, I couldn’t help but look in awe when I stood between the roots of a huge tree. The roots itself was as tall as me.
Together with the luminous mossy-green glow of the tree as the rays of sunshine shone on it through the layers of the canopies, they made me see the wonders of the rainforest.
The journey also forced us to push ourselves and it was a trying test of our strength, both physically and mentally. The temptations to just give up on the journey was great, when we were drenched in sweat and our muscles felt as if they weighed heavier than our backpacks.