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Earth Day is just around the corner. In preparation for Earth Day 2019 on April 22nd, Earth Day Network has launched its Primer and free Toolkits to support the theme for 2019: Protect Our Species. The goal of the primer is to provide the resources to encourage education and activation of local leaders, organizations, and individuals worldwide.
The theme of Earth Day 2019 grew out of the recognition that human activities such as climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, trafficking and poaching, unsustainable harvesting of species and agriculture, pollution, and pesticide use, are the leading causes of what Elizabeth Kolbert calls the Sixth Extinction.
Studies estimate that we are now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the normal rate. Many will disappear before we learn about them or the benefits they bring to our eco-systems and our planet.
The good news is that the rate of extinctions can still be slowed, and many of our declining, threatened, and endangered species can still recover if we work together now to build a united global movement of consumers, voters, educators, faith leaders, and scientists to demand immediate action,” says Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network.
The first of these resources, the “Protect Our Species Primer and Action Toolkit” is designed to educate the reader on the threats that all species are facing today. The toolkit includes the scope of the problem, the causes, and how everyone can take steps to reduce their impact on biodiversity.
EDN’s toolkits will help people to learn, reflect, and take meaningful action. The resources include information regarding the issue of species loss and extinction, steps you can take to prevent the sixth extinction, and how to inspire others to follow suit. Specific guides on how to host Earth Day events and activities are also included, such as teach-in and local leadership toolkits and K-12 curriculum. All materials are free and available now for download at www.earthday.org/
The Earth Organizer’s Toolkit provides users with everything they need to organize Earth Day events. This toolkit includes core information about the problem of species loss, resources and ideas to help readers to get organized as well as sample messaging they can use to communicate with others.
Our “Teach-In Toolkit” contains information on how to host a teach-in, involve family members, friends or co-workers; organize the local community; and develop initiatives to learn and agree on actions to reduce and eventually stop the loss of species.
The “Climate Education Week Toolkit” is for K-12 educators and provides curriculum, resources, and activities for Climate Education Week – which begins on April 15th – focused on biodiversity. The activities are broken up into grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 and help students learn and act to protect all species.
Also, the “MobilizeU: Campus Teach-In Toolkits” are designed for faculty and students at higher education institutions to host their own teach-ins.
Faith-based resources tailored to different religious groups will be soon also available on our website.
Finally, mayors, local leaders, and city dwellers can engage on Earth Day to create biodiversity-friendly cities by using these resources.
Earth Day Network is encouraging individuals and groups to share their events on social media using the hashtags #ProtectOurSpecies and #EarthDay2019, and tagging us @EarthDayNetwork.
If you have questions or would like to schedule an interview with one of our experts, contact:
