The last Wednesday in May is World Otter Day. There are 13 otter species worldwide, 12 of which are in decline — seven classified as vulnerable, five as endangered — threatened by habitat loss, reduced prey, roadkill, and illegal trade for fur and pets. Otters are keystone species that help regulate fish populations and maintain […]
Tomorrow, May 9th, is World Migratory Bird Day. It started in 1993 as a Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center initiative, picked up UN backing in 2006, and is now observed in over 100 countries. The premise is simple: billions of birds move across hemispheres twice a year, and most people never think about it. This year’s
Arbor Day was established in Nebraska in 1872, when Julius Sterling Morton proposed a tree-planting holiday to address the near-total absence of trees on the Great Plains. An estimated one million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day. The observance has since spread internationally. Nebraska remains the only state where it is a legal
Since 1970, April 22, a date generally between spring break and final exams in schools, has been designated as Earth Day. The brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin and prompted in part by an oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, the date is set aside for raising awareness of environmental issues
April 10th is National Farm Animals Day — a day set aside to spotlight humane treatment of farm animals and help find homes for ones that have been abandoned or ended up in rough shape. It’s worth remembering that most of the animals we associate with farms/ranches didn’t get there by accident. Centuries of domestication
First proclaimed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 National Wildlife Week promotes the preservation and protection of wildlife across our land. Over the years the event has been chaired by such famous people as Walt Disney, Bing Crosby, and Shirley Temple and introduced the iconic cartoon character Ranger Rick in the 1950’s. Each year, the
Since 2020, April 3rd marks World Aquatic Animal Day, courtesy of the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative and Animal Law Clinic at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland Oregon. The initiative focuses on law and policy and general awareness for the protection and preservation of fish, mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic birds and more. I think this
Happy National Ag Day tomorrow! National Ag Day traces its roots to 1973, when the Agriculture Council of America — a nonprofit coalition of leaders across the agriculture, food, and fiber industries — launched the observance with a simple mission: close the gap between the people who grow America’s food and the people who eat
Tomorrow, March 8, is National Oregon Day, celebrating the history, diverse culture, and landscapes of our 33rd state. Known as The Beaver State, paying homage to the historic fur trade in the region, Oregon contains nearly as much cultural and natural diversity as my home state of California. I have certainly not spent as much
Since 2014, World Wildlife Day commemorates the anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), signed into existence on March 3, 1973. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the organization monitors and regulates global trade of over 38000 species and has grown to 185 member nations from its original 21, making it