“What Does Wildlife Conservation Mean to You?” Essay Winner
Congratulations to Olivia Graesser, 6th Grader at St.Matthews School! She won a VIP pass to Woodmen of the World's Falcon Banding and a class visit from Raptor Recovery NE (and their educational falcon)!
Read what wildlife conservation means to Olivia:
What Does Wildlife Conservation Mean to Me?
By Olivia Graesser
Three things come to my mind when I think of wildlife conservation. First, animals are more dependent on us than we realize. For example, if we do not keep lakes and ponds clean, fish and many other animals that rely on natural water sources will be affected greatly. This is only one way that we can help out our local wildlife. Secondly, no matter what age, anyone can help. We are all capable of helping wildlife animals. For instance, we could plant trees for animals to nest in, recycle plastic items to reduce the risk of animals getting caught in plastic bags, and volunteer at local shelters. We can all take time to pitch in. Finally, I think about what I do to assist local wildlife. A lot of the times you will find me helping my own dogs or helping my friends take care of theirs, and I will pet-sit and meet animals as often as I can. Finding ways to encourage others to help animals and volunteer has a big impact on many shelters and charities.
One of my biggest role models when it comes to helping wildlife is my Aunt Shawn. She helps many animals and takes them in to help them recover from any hard situations they have gone through. Such as rescuing a baby deer from a ditch, taking it in, and helping it recover, and raising a baby raccoon, named Bandit, who is now happy and has great health. When she sees an animal in need, she dedicates herself to it and assists their needs until they are ready to live and stay healthy on their own.
In my neighborhood, we have many ducks, fish, and birds, because I live on a lake. We are a home to many eagles and they are happy and healthy living near my lake, which is a great home to them. My friends and family all pitch in to make an effort of spreading the word of keeping the lakes free of litter. The whole lake has established a “Lake Clean Up Day” that many Hanson Lake residents participate in. This is one of the ways that all of us work as a team to make our neighborhood a better place.
There are so many ways that we can all work together, even the wildlife. The wildlife and all of us depend on each other. We need animals more than we think, and they are more valuable than we realize. In the future, I hope to inspire and encourage others of all ages to help wildlife and dedicate themselves more to our local animal shelters. Wildlife to me is everyone’s family. Throughout my life I will want to be helping local wildlife and wildlife all around the world. We need wildlife and wildlife needs us, and we connect in many different ways. Through generations, we should hope to value animals more and more and find their true beauty.