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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Adelaide, Australia

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Adelaide, Australia
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Cdriggers144



Registered: December 2020
Posts: 2
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Early in 2020, I traveled to Australia as part of a veterinary team to care for animals left wounded and homeless as a result of the raging wildfires. I saw firsthand the damage done to Australia's magnificent landscapes and creatures. We visited and donated funds to local caretakers in need of financial assistance. I also physically helped as a volunteer caretaker of various affected species.I held a baby wombat that had been separated from its mother and bandaged up a baby "roo" (pictured) whose tail and feet had been burned from traveling through the fire. As our team traveled through burn zones looking for stranded koalas' a small troop of kangaroos hopped nearby. Hungry and intently focused on finding food, the kangaroos did not even care enough to notice or fear humans.
It was this experience which made me realize the true impacts of how humans affect the earth. It made me want to do more for the planet and our ecosystem because I realized that if people don't change, the planet will continue to. After returning home, I substantially changed my day-to-day lifestyle. I realized that although natural fires do occur, the majority of present-day fires are a result of climate change. Determined not to be another contributing factor to the suffering of fellow beings, I researched ways to reduce my impact on the planet and began implementing these practices. For example, since cows require an exorbitant 2,000 gallons of water to produce just one gallon of milk, one simple change involved swapping cow's milk for almond milk. The more environmentally conscious I became, the clearer I began to see nature and what was happening within it, such as the wealth of litter overtaking hiking trails and roadsides. The trash adorning the Salt River, where I frequently enjoy kayaking, made me feel restless and liable. This prompted me to carry a trash bag with me wherever I go, and I have spent countless days clearing nature of litter it was never meant to contain. Rather than focus on the fact that I am only able to clean a small piece of land in a vast landscape, I now focus on the benefits my actions have on the animals who inhabit it.
I realize that the steps I take alone are not enough to create global change and that the solution lies in encouraging others to walk alongside me. In an effort to raise awareness and encourage others to make changes, I started a social media account called @clean.up.mother.nature where I post information about various environmental issues and encourage others to take initiative within their communities. Futility can only exist when inaction thrives, and an educated community driven to change is an extremely powerful agent. Small measures by many create a massive impact for all, and we owe it to Mother Nature-and all of her inhabitants-to start reversing the damage we have inflicted. As individuals, we do not need to traverse the challenge alone, nor is it even possible for us to do so. All we need to do is take the first steps together.
· Date: December 11, 2020 · Views: 2567 · File size: 13.4kb, 1057.2kb · : 2256 x 4032 ·
Hours Volunteered: 504
Volunteers: 6
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 17 to 50
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