I was thinking what is the point of getting an ecology degree if I cannot protect animals and help nurture stewardship of our planet? The direct way - working at a non-profit environmental media organization years ago did nothing.
Five years prior when I was in college, I volunteered at a wildlife center in northern Virginia in the winter. I learned a lot working hands on with the wild animals there. It was a small center in a rural area right by a state park. The people working there helped rescue and rehabilitate wild animals, but the outreach was limited. They did not have a large federal grant or private sponsors like the non-profit media company that I worked at briefly, but they achieved genuine results. There were a lot of injured wild animals, caught in traps and injured through collisions with off road vehicles. The wildlife center had more rescues than it could sustain, but not enough people to help. Looking back, it was a positive experience for me - something that I will always treasure.
My hope is that when I publish my book and in the new original works I create going forward, that I can make a difference in the writing itself and also by donating half of all profits in perpetuity to genuine animal sanctuaries and wildlife refuges around the world.
The U.N. released a devastating report on species decline a few years ago, followed by climate change predictions of increasing temperatures. With overpopulation and encroachment on previously wild regions, animals worldwide are facing even more threats than before. Recently, the WWF released its Living Planet Report for 2018 that indicated that this is the most important time in history to prevent species from going completely extinct.
Any good news like the reintroduction of some tigers in northern India and parts of Asia, is to be celebrated. There is far too much bad news…
I want to do more. I want to help in a meaningful and big way. I am glad to have met so many wonderful vets, some in Florida and some in Zurich - part of the volunteer network I am building. I also hope to fund everything through my own earnings and with the support of a few genuine partners. I hope I achieve these things in a timely manner so it is of real benefit. I also would like to work with the WWF and other capable, genuine organizations that would actually help in the daily care, stewardship and protection of animal species. Encouraging that caring mindset is important beyond the individuals who want to do it that now so that future generations have that understanding and protect life in its rich diversity of animals and plant life for the future.
One of the most important and biggest things is energy - finding ways to harness renewable energy to power human activity. That would remove the pollution and side effects of fossil fuel consumption. That is where the real big change happens.
