Living with Wildlife
Defenders in Action: Working with Communities
Promoting Tolerance and Appreciation of Wildlife
Reducing wildlife conflicts isn’t just about making the wildlife go elsewhere. It’s also about helping people recognize the value of our natural heritage and how they can live safely near wildlife.
- Defenders organizes and hosts a variety of events throughout the year to teach people how to coexist with native wildlife. These include annual events like Florida’s Black Bear Festival, 2011’s weeklong scavenger hunt in Tucson called “Where’s El Lobo?” to raise awareness about the plight of Mexican gray wolves, and regular community meetups.
- Defenders has many outreach programs to help people understand the benefits and responsibilities of living in wildlife country. These include:
- Leading community outreach events
- Frequent interviews with our experts in local, regional and national media outlets
- Creating TV, radio and online public service announcements
- Delivering presentations to schools and other community organizations
- Producing and distributing a wide variety of educational materials for the general public, such as fact sheets about different species and tips on how to live, work and spend recreation time safely in wildlife country.
More on Living with Wildlife: Defenders in Action: Working with Lawmakers and Regulators »
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