The earth, our home, has to be taken care of and we have the responsibility to do so. Especially natural gifts like the animals and wildlife. They need to be protected to keep our ecosystem healthy and species from going extinct.
Freshman Manya Goldstein along with Sophore Lyla Schepper realized just that. This year a new club called the Animal and Wildlife Conservation club has been co-founded by them.
“Our goal for our club is to protect and preserve animal and wildlife habitats through education, advocacy, and community engagement.” Said Goldstein.
In order to educate people and advocate for animals in shelters or endangered species, they will have volunteer events and opportunities throughout the year.
Schepper explained, “Right now, since we just started our club near the end of the school year, we’re really working to find volunteer opportunities for our members. This is how we can help our community as much as possible and give people good experiences.”
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, ‘Wildlife trafficking is big business, generating USD $7 to $23 billion annually—it’s the fourth most profitable global crime after drug, arms, and human trafficking. The demand for live animals and animal products hastens biodiversity loss and puts many species at risk of extinction.’
“Usually, we start our meetings with information on a global issue that we want to address. We would like to volunteer to help with whatever topic we are discussing at that meeting. We also give volunteer opportunities through Google forms so anyone can sign up for them,” stated Goldstein
If you would want to become even more than just a general member of the club, there will be leadership positions in the future.
“As of right now there aren’t any board positions available but we do want to have more dedicated members who help brainstorm for causes to support, places to volunteer at, or charities to donate to, said Schepper.
If this club sounds interesting and fun to you, definitely check out their instagram @wbhswildlifeclub, and stop by and donate to the Oakland County Animal Shelter from April 7th-18th, or go to room #632 on April 26th.
Goldstein enthused, “We have a lot of exciting and impactful events coming up and hope to see people there!”
