How we can support wildlife

Poster by Zillah Smith
Article by Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D., squid biologist

We are living through the 6th mass extinction in the history of life on earth. Just since 2000, North America has lost 22% of our butterfly abundance.  When it comes to protecting our local wildlife, we can make a huge difference by taking easy actions. These actions fall into 2 major categories: building habitat, and slowing climate change.

Creating Habitat
One of the leading causes of animal decline is a loss of a good place to live. We think of cities as being places with mostly people, but humans and wild animals tend to choose the same locations to live! We pick spots where there are a lot of resources, like rich soil and plentiful water. Animals need the same resources people do, so when we take up space we don't need (lawns, I'm looking at you), it takes important space away from animals.
An easy way to address this problem is making some of the space you control more hospitable to the animals we share our world with.
1) Plant native plants This includes trees, flowers, grasses, and more. Don't panic over making it perfect- adding any native plant, especially a diverse array of native plants, will make things better for the critters living nearby.
2) Remove concrete so water can enter the soil instead of roll into sewers, and native plants have more space to grow
3) Stop using pesticides Pesticides don't just kill the insects we want- they kill the native pollinators that we absolutely need to grow food and maintain a healthy ecosystem. Break up with your pesticides.

Slowing Climate Change
Obviously slowing climate change is a huge job, and in the United States, the change we need the federal government to make isn't going to happen any time soon. The good news is that cities and neighborhoods can make meaningful changes to slow this train down.
You don't have to do ALL of these things, but doing any of them is great!
1) Switch to green energy. Contact your electric company and switch to a provider that sources their energy from green sources, like wind, geothermal, or solar.
2) Get solar panels. Many places have government programs to help pay for household solar! They can greatly reduce or even sometimes cover your whole electric bill.
3) Reduce food waste. Share your food, shop thoughtfully at the grocery store, don't be afraid to eat your leftovers
4) Compost any food scraps or uneaten food
5) Buy less stuff. When you DO buy stuff, try to get it used before buying new.
6) Advocate. Tell politicians (especially local politicians!) to support:

• Public Transit
• Green energy
• Laws that require efficiency in buildings

7) Take public transit, or at LEAST share your ubers/lyfts: Taking public transit is the best way to get around, but we know it's not a perfect solution all the time. Make things cheaper for yourself and your friends by sharing an uber if you're going in the same direction. Offer a ride to prevent another car on the road to events.
8) Make your house more efficient. Effectively insulating your windows and doors will decrease your energy bill and reduce energy consumption.

and perhaps most importantly...

9) Talk to your friends and family about climate change: Social science suggests that people are most likely to change their behaviors based on how their social circles behave. Guilt doesn't work, shame doesn't work well. Be a positive influence in your social group. Preventing climate change doesn't have to be a struggle, and we can do it together!