World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

The World Wildlife Fund is a powerful public organization that has set out to protect the wildlife of the Earth. It was created in 1961 and then united a few enthusiasts concerned about the state of nature. But the fact that among these people were well-known scientists, businessmen and government leaders, allowed a year later to hold the first major action. Several states, whose representatives organized the World Wildlife Fund, signed the World Charter for the Conservation of Wild Animals. Later, they were joined by other countries that recognized that wildlife is in danger.

The more active work of the Foundation was hampered by the lack of funds for large-scale environmental activities. Therefore, for almost 10 years, the organization could not show itself as loud shares.

Getting financial independence

The then president, Prince Bernard of Netherland, breathed new life into the foundation's activities. Throwing aside all the conventions, he addressed a personal request to the world's richest thousand people. He asked to provide financial support to the WWF in the amount of $ 10,000.

The most influential people of the world responded, $ 10 million was raised, which became the foundation of the Fund's financial freedom. The organization in the media often became known as "Trust 1001".

Emblem of the Wildlife Fund

The appearance of the fund's logo - a stylized drawing of a large panda - is associated with the name of one of the founding fathers, Sir Peter Scott. He saw this rare animal on earth from the Chinese zoo during a tour in London. He liked the good-natured and beautiful animal very much. He decided that the organization involved in the protection of wild animals should choose the symbol of the panda that needs protection.

The emblem of the World Wildlife Fund is a very interesting animal. It is often called a bamboo bear, as the panda feeds on young bamboo shoots. A newborn baby weighs only 900-1200 grams, opens its eyes only after 6-8 weeks. A walk begins only in the third month of life.

Pandas could completely disappear from the face of the earth due to deforestation in China, pesticide treatment of fields and for other reasons. WWF drew world attention to this problem. The Great Panda was included in the International Red Book. With the efforts of environmental organizations, the threat of complete disappearance was lifted. But it is too early to delete it from the list of protected animals.

World Wildlife Fund: activities

Members of the fund conduct environmental activities around the world. Based on their work on modern knowledge, they try not only to draw attention to the most acute problems of the relationship between man and wild nature, but primarily to solve them.

The Foundation also protects certain species of flora and fauna that are threatened with extinction, and protection of water, air, soil and individual landscapes. Over the years of its work, more than two thousand projects have been implemented: to save tigers from destruction, protect the seas from pollution, save tropical forests, etc. The Fund's officials formulated the tasks of governments of different countries in the protection of nature.

Wildlife Foundation in Russia

In Russia, the Foundation's representative office was opened in 1994, although as early as 1988 the first projects in our country started.

The most important WWF programs in Russia are the Forest, Marine and Climatic Programs.

The purpose of the first of them is the protection of biological diversity in the forests of Russia. Marine is directed to the protection of wildlife and the wise use of the resources of the seas. A climatic implies work to prevent climate change.

What has already been done in Russia?

The WWF Wildlife Fund has been registered in Russia since 2004 as a national environmental organization. Over the years of work, significant progress has already been made.

Over the years, there have been created natural reserves - reserves, national parks and others. Their total number exceeded 120, and the area - more than 42 and a half million hectares. In Yakutia within the framework of the world campaign "Gift to the Earth" natural reserves have been created in 30% of the territory.

2009 was the year of the creation of the national park "Russian Arctic", which protects walruses, polar bears, bird markets and glaciers.

In the national park "Beringia", formed in 2012, protected by natural landscapes of Chukotka. It was created to protect the monuments of the Chukchi and Eskimo ancient culture. From the wildlife under protection are taken polar bears, walruses, snow sheep. Here are the largest bird markets, and the salmon spawning grounds are also protected.

Protection of rare animals under the auspices of WWF

Wildlife needs protection. This is no one's doubt. And WWF experts have set this as one of their main goals.

In its work in Russia, the Wildlife Conservation Foundation launched a project to preserve the Amur tiger. The result of the work of environmental and state organizations is that now the number of Amur tigers is not decreasing, but stabilized. It is more than 450 individuals, and the threat of extinction to this rare species no longer threatens. In 2010, the International Forum for the Protection of the Tiger was held in the northern capital, in which 13 states, inhabited by these large and rare cats, adopted a program for their rescue.

According to the results of the project, about 400 bison are already grazing in the forests of European Russia. Bison have also returned to the North Caucasus, while their herd is still 90 individuals.

It was possible to increase the number of Far Eastern leopards by almost one and a half times. Now these rare wild cats are not less than 50 individuals. To save them, measures were taken to combat forest fires, to equip anti-poaching units, to educate schoolchildren ... And, finally, a national park was formed, called the Land of the Leopard. There are also works to restore the population of the Asiatic leopard in the North Caucasus.

To preserve the security between the man and the polar bears, with the help of the Foundation, "bear patrols" were created.

These are just a few examples of the Fund's effective work in Russia.

Protection of forests

The World Wildlife Fund also takes care of the protection of the forest cover of our planet. We have a forest program WWF started work in the Pskov region, where we were able to develop effective forest management. The goal of the program is the cultivation of highly productive forest, without harming the habitats of animals and plants.

More than 38 million hectares of forests in our country now meet international standards. By this indicator, they are inferior only to the forests of Canada. Acquiring a certificate means that social and protective functions are preserved in these forests even under conditions of industrial cutting.

As a result of the long campaign of the Fund for the Protection of Siberian Pine Forest, Russia has banned the cutting of Korean cedar. Over 600 thousand hectares of such forests were taken into environmental rent by the Fund itself and its partners. And in the habitats of Far Eastern leopards, a million cedars were planted by volunteers!

Protection of water from pollution

One of the most famous campaigns of the Foundation is an action in defense of Lake Baikal. Nature advocates have made sure that the route of the oil pipeline "Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean" was at a safe distance from the unique lake.

Now, actions are carried out with the demand to close the Baikal pulp mill as the main source of water pollution. Deterioration of the purity and transparency of water in the lake can lead to the destruction of unique inhabitants of Lake Baikal: omul, Baikal seal, golomyanka and others.

The result of the long work was the change in the route of the Sakhalin-2 subsea pipeline, which threatened oil pollution to gray whale feeding areas.

The construction of the Evenk hydropower station, which is extremely dangerous for nature, has been canceled. A decision was made to exclude the construction of dams on the Amur River.

"Earth Hour"

This annual WWF action is the most popular. And it became the most mass in the history of our country and the whole world. Millions of people around the globe turned off the light for exactly one hour to show their attitude to the issue of the rational, reasonable use of the planet's natural resources and the indifference to the future of the Earth.

The Wildlife Protection Fund has the main goal - to achieve harmony between man and nature, to preserve the biological richness and diversity of the Earth. It is a charitable organization, more than half of its funds are donated by WWF supporters around the world.

It is gratifying to see that there are more and more of them in our country. Join this important case - the protection of nature for our children and grandchildren!