A wide variety of creatures living in harmony and supporting one another – we call this biodiversity. There is a great deal we can all do to help protect biodiversity, and feeling connected to other living things and our planet day-to-day is key. Our lives depend on other living things in many ways. Not only do they help provide water and air, as well as food, wood, and materials for our clothes and medicine, they also enrich our lives culturally, giving us a reason to celebrate during traditional local events and festivals.
So join the movement! Choose an action or actions from among the 5 listed below and act today!
As we help to protect nature, nature helps protect us!

Act1 Eat

Eat locally produced seasonal foods.

Different foods come into season at different times of the year. By enjoying seasonal foods, you can better experience the changes nature undergoes. What’s more, seasonal foods are generally more delicious, better priced, and require less energy and resources to produce.
As you become more interested in locally produced foods, you may also become more aware of the subtle changes in your immediate environment, and learn something about the region’s food culture, too. Locally produced foods do not have to be transported long distances, so in terms of ‘food mileage’ they are also more environmentally friendly.

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Act2 Feel

Get more in touch with nature and animals by visiting botanical gardens and zoos.

Until relatively recently, man had often touched base with nature, interacting with wildlife, and discovering ways to live more harmoniously with nature.
Hiking through mountains, having fun at beaches and on riversides, and visiting zoos and botanical gardens. Even a simple walk in a nearby park, nature is a great place to learn about biodiversity. These ways of experiencing nature and learning about how much fun it can be, the subtle changes our environments go through, and about the ecosystems around us will help deepen our understanding and appreciation of biodiversity.
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Act3 Show

Try communicating nature’s beauty and expressing your appreciation with photographs, pictures, and writing.

You could try subjects such as natural phenomena that helped you really feel the changes in season, the relationships between living things you discovered near your home, or even something like flowers you always admire, but don’t know the name of.
Paintings, pictures, your diary or even a haiku are wonderful ways to capture your experiences in nature and the beautiful landscapes you have seen.
If you closely study the various colors and shapes of living organisms and their unique behaviors, you will begin to realize just how many different creatures are living near you. Share your discoveries about nature with friends and family and get them involved!
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Act4 Conserve

Participate in regional and national activities to protect the threads that connect living organisms and nature, people and culture.

There is so much you can do to help, like participating in events nationwide that offer opportunities to observe, research, conserve, and help restore nature and wildlife.
There are, of course, plenty of other things you can do to help, too:
You can ‘hunt for fall mountain vegetables’ or ‘donate to an NGO or NPO that helps protect nature!’
Go and experience the ‘connections’, be they the ones between living organisms, between forests, mountain villages, rivers, oceans, people and nature, as well as the bonds that form your local community’s past, present, and future.
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Act5 Select

Choose products and services bearing eco-marks.

These products and services have been sourced, manufactured and sold in ways that help conserve biodiversity, such as products made with wood from eco-consciously managed forests, or marine products that have been caught or produced in a way that protects marine resources and the environment.
When we make these kinds of choices, we help support biodiversity-conscious producers and business operators, and when the whole of society begins to believe it is only right that we protect biodiversity, this becomes the greatest catalyst in creating a society that lives in harmony with nature.
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