How does conservation work?

Conservation is a mutli-million dollar task, requiring a large volume of resources and manpower. But why? It is all too commonly that people talk about the plight of well known animals, such as the Bengal tiger or the Giant Panda, without realising why it is that conservation is so important.

Conservation is not about preserving a species because it is majestic or beautiful. While these are important "selling points" for conservation companies, people should realise it's not just cute and cuddly species under threat. Today, one third of the world's amphibians are considered endangered, as well as a wide range of invertebrates, fish and birds. It should be recognised that conservation occurs in order to preserve biodiversity and maintain species which in a world without man, would thrive.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that conservation simply involves a captive breeding program. While captive breeding may work for some species, allowing natural populations to increase, for many species captive breeding is simply not an option.

The way a species is conserved depends on many different factors - the degree of endangerment, the quantity and location of the species' natural environment and the amount of knowledge attained regarding the species' behavior, anatomy and physiology.

Conservation may take several forms, including captive breeding, maintenance and creation of natural habitat, wildlife monitoring and health care and poaching protection. While these facets of conservation are extremely important, there is another area of conservation which can weigh heavily on the survival of many species - education.

Educating people about endangered species is just one of the ways in which organisations such as WWF seek to conserve species. People residing in western countries often gain this education through documentaries such as Planet Earth, while in other countries, particularly where tribal communities are still in existence, conservation organisations have dedicated manpower to educate people face to face about the plight facing species in their area. Education is invaluable because it helps people to understand which species are endangered and what they can do to help.

The first thing to do is get educated. I would recommend watching a short series titled Planet Earth - The Future, created by the BBC. It gives a range of perspectives regarding the future of conservation and life on earth and ultimately gives suggestions for "conservation at home".

Of course the most obvious thing to do is make a donation to a wildlife conservation fund. WWF is one of the most recognised and widespread organisations, however there are thousands more, some dealing with a specific species or place. Donations - even $10 or $20 - make all the difference for these organisations.

One of the less practised methods of contributing to conservation is to be eco-friendly. Many people correlate eco-friendly with living in a shack with no running water or electricity, but this really isn't the case. There are thousands of things you can do that will stop and reverse the damage caused to natural habitats worldwide. Some examples are:
-recycle
-compost
-use alternative energy e.g. solar, wind
-buy fewer material goods, such as clothes and furniture
-buy locally produced goods to reduce the fuel consumption of companies and support your local economy
-save power by adding natural light to your home, using fans instead of air-conditioning and turning appliances off at the power point when not in use
-use public transport or walk instead of driving when you can
-be conscious of how much water you use and don't waste it!

These strategies are just a few ways in which you can help minimise habitat destruction and thus greatly benefit conservation.