Getting Started

As a 17-year-old Girl Scout Ambassador, I am working on my Girl Scout Gold Award project. Inspired by my volunteer work with the Oakland Zoo Teen Wild Guide program, and my passion for animals, I decided to base my Gold Award project on animal conservation. After a little brainstorming, an idea came to mind that would allow me to use my Gold Award project to educate and inspire a younger generation to take action on the topic of animal conservation. I have been a homeschooler since I got out of preschool and in that time I have become closely acquainted with the Alameda Oakland Home Learners (AOHL) group. The idea for my project was to teach a class about animals and the importance of conservation to a younger group of kids in the group. The idea fit well with my personality, as I am knowledgeable and passionate about the topic of animal conservation. My first class was held on March 22nd and was a discussion on animal classification in general, as well as an overview of the meaning and importance of conservation.

What many people don't realize is how much impact we, as human beings, have on the natural world. Take deforestation for example. There is a net destruction of 40 million acres of forest annually, and this number is predicted to increase by more than 50% by 2050. This is an unfathomable amount of wildlife that is being displaced, if not destroyed, each year. The problem of deforestation is one of the main causes of habitat destruction resulting in major endangerment of the many species of animals living in these areas. It is our duty, as humans, to undo what we have done and to stop what we are doing in order to protect the wildlife that shares our planet.

This is a picture of a young mountain gorilla that I took while visiting Africa in the summer of 2011. This species of gorilla lives only in three countries of Africa: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is specifically adapted to live only in mountain ranges, and therefore lives exclusively in the Virunga Mountains of East Africa. This species is extremely endangered due to habitat loss poaching, and illness. There are fewer than 800 mountain gorillas left in the wild. The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project is an organization that gives veterinary care to these wild gorillas and is striving to increase the dying population. Here is a link to their blog if you'd like to check it out: http://www.gorilladoctorsblog.org/?utm_source=March+2012&utm_campaign=March+NL+11&utm_medium=email