Wise Giving Wednesday: Supporting Wildlife on National Wildlife Day

Love wildlife? National Wildlife Day is a good time to discover how you can help protect animals, support conservation, and give with confidence.

What is National Wildlife Day?

September 4^th is National Wildlife Day. It was created in 2005 by animal advocate Colleen Paige and later dedicated to the memory of Australian educator, zookeeper, and conservationist Steve Irwin, known worldwide as the “Crocodile Hunter” on Animal Planet.

National Wildlife Day focuses on endangered species, habitat preservation, and conservation efforts worldwide.

In honor of National Wildlife Day, this week’s Wise Giving Wednesday shares a few things to consider when helping wild animals and the places where they live. We’d also like to highlight some of the great things a few of our BBB Accredited Charities are doing to protect the diverse animal world.

How Can You Help Protect Wildlife in Your Community?

If you are interested in supporting wildlife and the natural world, there are many ways to get involved:

• Start by learning about the needs of endangered species and how conservation efforts work.

• Look for volunteer opportunities, memberships, or local habitat projects that help protect wildlife in your community. Zoos, aviaries, marine sanctuaries, and conservation organizations near you may be offering ways to get involved.

• Take small steps at home, such as choosing environmentally sustainable products, reducing water use, reusing and recycling materials, and limiting the use of pesticides and other hazardous substances.

• You might also help create wildlife-friendly habitat or, where local laws and zoning allow, consider adding a  Bat Box or taking up beekeeping.

How Wildlife Conservation Charities Protect Animals and Habitats

Here are just a handful of examples of how some BBB Accredited Charities are making a difference:

• National Wildlife Federation focuses on wildlife recovery and habitat restoration, climate solutions and clean energy, environmental justice, and federal funding. For example, NWF works to secure conservation funding in the federal budget and defend laws like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and supports programs to protect species such as manatees, red wolves and monarch butterflies

• The Nature Conservancy aims to tackle the dual threats of accelerated climate change and unprecedented biodiversity loss. Locally, the organization protects and manages places such as the biodiverse Finzel Swamp Preserve in western Maryland, or the Green Swamp and Nags Head Woods Preserve in North Carolina, which provide habitat for the Venus flytrap (native only to coastal North and South Carolina)

• Ocean Conservancy works to protect marine wildlife and habitats through efforts addressing threats such as plastic pollution, overfishing and climate change, including advocating for policies that protect marine ecosystems and organizing International Coastal Cleanups to remove trash from beaches and waterways.

• Wildlife Conservation Network supports field conservation efforts to conserve flagship species and their natural habitats around the world. For example, the organization supports efforts to protect the endangered Grevy’s zebra (also known as imperial zebra) in Kenya, where fewer than 4,000 remain.

• World Wildlife Fund works to conserve critical landscapes and seascapes around the world. WWF partners with Native communities, including the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, Fort Belknap Indian Community, and the Sicangu Lakota Nation, as well as the National Park Service and Parks Canada, to return Plains Bison to their lands and restore bison habitat

To learn more about the environmental and wildlife activities of the charities listed above, we encourage you review their BBB Charity reports and visit their websites.

Find Wildlife and Environmental Charities That Meet BBB Standards

Ready to support wildlife conservation? Before you volunteer or donate, take a few minutes to learn more about the organization and see whether it meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.

Give.org offers several ways to explore charities and help you make an informed giving decision:

• Search for a charity to review its BBB Charity Report.
• Explore Animal Charities working on wildlife protection, animal welfare, conservation, and related causes.
• Browse Environmental Charities addressing habitat preservation, conservation, climate, and other environmental issues.
• Try AskGive, our AI donor advisor, for help exploring charities and making informed giving decisions.
• Browse National Charity Reports A–Z to explore charities evaluated by BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

You can help make a difference however you choose to mark National Wildlife Day. A little research can also help you give with confidence to organizations working to protect wildlife and the places they call home.

Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• American Childhood Cancer Organization
• Teens for Food Justice
• CharityVision International

Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.