I say education is the first step - if we don’t know about an issue, how can we help it? We all need to educate ourselves on the issues of the world so we know how we can help. Lack of education is one of the reasons why animals like orangutans are endangered. Many people don’t realize how much they harm animals like these in their everyday lives. That is why so much of my work as the Kid Conservationist has been spreading awareness.
Education changed my life. One day, while I visited The Memphis Zoo, it was a baby orangutan’s birthday party. At that birthday party, the zookeeper told everyone there about orangutans and how palm oil and deforestation were affecting their habitat. This inspired me to start Kid Conservationist, which has led me to educate many others around the globe about the issues endangered species face. This one zookeeper has sent a wave of knowledge around the world. So how can you help send your own wave?
Kid Conservationist educating a group of interested zoo visitors
A great place to start is chatting with friends and family about the issue. Family and friends will listen to you and will gather as a little support group. This lays the foundation for other even bigger ways to spread awareness, such as putting a post on social media. Just one post could go so many places. My interviews and other videos on YouTube have reached over 63,000 people and is a great place to share education while making it fun. Another way to spread awareness is through public speaking. I have found that whether it is a TED talk or a presentation, public speaking is one of the biggest ways to highly engage and affect your audience. This is just a small sampling of the many ways to educate and there are so many more.
Kid Conservationist interviewed OURF President Gary Shapiro
One of my interviews on my Kid Conservationist YouTube channel was with the founder of Orang Utan Republik, Dr. Gary Shapiro. Gary stated, “ [I] focused on the underlying causes of why orangutans are being threatened to extinction and the main reason is the lack of education of people in Indonesia.” The mission of OURF is to save orangutans through education and other innovative projects. “We can all do our part [to help animals]” Gary goes on to explain. Education is key to helping protect orangutans, our Earth, and ultimately, ourselves. If you would like to watch the full interview with Dr. Shapiro to learn more, please visit my YouTube channel.
A lot of people want to know how they can help their favorite animal. It all starts with education. Once we are able to teach everyone about the issues, that is when we are able to make a difference. So now that you know the importance of education and the ways to spread awareness, get out there and educate!