Start your mission today
Can you help save the sea animals from the trash?
“Trees are the foundation of our ecosystem, our planet. They provide food, water, shelter, medical cures. They create the oxygen we breathe, while absorbing the carbon dioxide that threatens our climate. One-third of all carbon in the atmosphere can be reduced by nature’s best solution to climate change: protecting and planting trees. I have always said that each one of us can make a difference. Protecting, restoring, and planting trees is a very tangible way to save our climate while creating a better world for all living creatures. If we all take responsibility for our trees, I believe we can make a real difference to the health of our planet.”
© The Jane Goodall Institute 2026
Let's go to the safari so we can stop poachers harming the Rhinos
The Mighty Vulnerable With a heavy stature, armour-like skin and pointed horns, rhinos appear invincible; but looks can be deceiving. In truth, these big softies spend much of their time eating on the savanna and wallowing in the mud, oblivious to their one and only threat: humans. A Huge Mistake Fuelled by the misbelief their horn is powerful and valuable, rhinos continue to disappear from many parts of the world. Slaughtered by poachers and traded by wildlife criminals, their future has taken a grim turn. Human greed has left populations in dire need of our protection.
@wildlifewarriors.org
The Harsh Reality of why we need to make an impact
These two people helped change the way the world sees wildlife and so can you
Learn How They Did It
Steve Irwin
Today, with 14 global conservation projects, three vast conservation properties and a loyal following of global donors and supporters, Wildlife Warriors continues Steve’s conservation work, funding various projects in Australia and around the world. No matter what the cost, Steve believed that by saving one, we can save the species.
Steve Irwin did for conservation and education what no one has ever done before. He brought wildlife right into people’s living rooms and created a whole new generation of Wildlife Warriors through his documentary series, The Crocodile Hunter. His excitement over the most deadly snake or tiniest lizard brought him to the forefront of conservation. He set the precedent for making sure his fellow humans cared for and respected wildlife and the environment as much as he did.
Having done so much for wildlife conservation already, Steve and Terri only wanted to do more – so they started the charity Wildlife Warriors in 2002, as a way to include and involve other caring people in the protection of injured, threatened and endangered wildlife. They assembled a team of passionate Wildlife Warriors and together, they hit the ground running.
© Australia Zoo 2026
Jane Goodall
Jane has created on-the-ground wildlife and environmental programs across Canada and Africa. There are tens of thousands of JGIC community members who are creating change today. It is represented as a grassroots movement that believes in a better world.
In July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall traveled from England to what is now Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees.
Through nearly 60 years of groundbreaking work, Dr. Jane Goodall has not only shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction; she has also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment. She traveled the world, speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees and environmental crises, urging each of us to take action on behalf of all living things and planet we share.
© The Jane Goodall Institute 2026
Jane Goodall connects conservation to empathy, poverty, and education; Irwin connects it to excitement, land preservation, and global outreach. Together, they prove that conservation requires both heart and action, both science and storytelling. This research reveals that individuals can restore global environmental crises. Without Jane Goodall's patience and courage to challenge scientific norms, and without Steve Irwin's passion to bring wildlife into living rooms worldwide, conservation might not hold the same cultural importance it does today. Their lives raise an important question for future generations: who will continue this work?
The next conservationist could be you!
Steve Irwin-Rest in Peace- 1962-2006
Jane Goodall-Rest in Peace- 1934-2025
Excellent! All in place
You have demonstrated a great knowledge of ecosystems. Every living being has its own habitat. Keep exploring nature!
The plastic was lodged in the turtle’s nasal cavity, reaching down into his throat, inhibiting his breathing and sense of smell—a turtle’s most important tool for finding food. It was no doubt messing with the turtle’s orientation and migration, and possibly even hindering his ability to find a mate.
Take the ‘no plastic straw’ pledge By Heidi Siegmund Cuda and Elizabeth Glazner
Vaquita found Entangled in Illegal Totoaba Gillnet
There are only 6-19 vaquitas left alive. Vaquitas are the most endangered marine mammal in the world and exist only in the Upper Gulf of California. Gillnets are the primary threat to the survival of the rare porpoise. These nets are placed by poachers hoping to catch totoaba.
© 2026 Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. All rights reserved.
This young whale died with 88 pounds of plastic in its stomach
Researchers pulled nearly 90 pounds of plastic waste out of the stomach of a young cuvier beaked whale that died in the Davao Gulf of the Philippines on Saturday, March 16. The whale starved to death because of the plastic in its belly.
In 2020, whale-watchers witnessed an enormous humpback severely entangled in a commercial gillnet off the San Diego coast. Despite days of search efforts, rescue teams were unable to help it. The fate of that whale is unknown.
Photo by Domenic Biagini.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY GAY BLATCHLEY, D'BONE COLLECTOR MUSEUM
Marine turtles dying after becoming entangled in plastic rubbish
Hundreds of marine turtles die every year after becoming entangled in rubbish in the oceans and on beaches, including plastic 'six pack' holders and disgarded fishing gear. 84 per cent of the 106 experts surveyed on the Atlantic, Pacific Caribbean, Mediterranean and Indian ocean coast, who responded said they had found turtles tangled in rubbish, including plastic debris and lost or disgarded fishing gear.
by University of Exeter
The rhino collar design includes smart algorithms which continuously monitor the rhino’s individual behavior. If an abnormal behavior is detected, the collar sends an alert via the LoRa-Rhino network to the EarthRanger platform, pinpointing the incident location via GPS. Alert categories are grey, amber, or red based on the event probability, or level of deviation from the individual rhino’s baseline behavior.
The system increases security efficiencies by focusing resources on animals showing abnormal behavior. This increases the chance of detecting serious threats such as poaching incidents, injuries, or natural mortalities. Prompt intervention also increases security. Furthermore, it becomes harder and riskier for poachers to find the rhinos. The system has increased the chance of arrest, as the time and location of the incident is communicated in real-time, allowing response teams to react immediately.
© Copyright 2020. International Rhino Foundation. All rights reserved. | Web Design by Speak Creative.
Ranger patrols, tracking dogs, community support, and aerial surveillance still matter, particularly as a backup plan. But if the goal is to stop poaching before the bullet is fired, then removing horns might work better than pursuing transgressors. And perhaps that’s the real takeaway: conservation is messy. It’s not always romantic. Sometimes, it involves a chainsaw. But if the trade-off is between a hornless rhino and no rhino at all, then the choice becomes heartbreakingly simple.
Posted on June 18, 2025 by Taryn van Jaarsveld (Africa Geographic editor) in the Decoding Science post series.
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Start your mission today
Can you help save the sea animals from the trash?
“Trees are the foundation of our ecosystem, our planet. They provide food, water, shelter, medical cures. They create the oxygen we breathe, while absorbing the carbon dioxide that threatens our climate. One-third of all carbon in the atmosphere can be reduced by nature’s best solution to climate change: protecting and planting trees. I have always said that each one of us can make a difference. Protecting, restoring, and planting trees is a very tangible way to save our climate while creating a better world for all living creatures. If we all take responsibility for our trees, I believe we can make a real difference to the health of our planet.”
© The Jane Goodall Institute 2026
Let's go to the safari so we can stop poachers harming the Rhinos
The Mighty Vulnerable With a heavy stature, armour-like skin and pointed horns, rhinos appear invincible; but looks can be deceiving. In truth, these big softies spend much of their time eating on the savanna and wallowing in the mud, oblivious to their one and only threat: humans. A Huge Mistake Fuelled by the misbelief their horn is powerful and valuable, rhinos continue to disappear from many parts of the world. Slaughtered by poachers and traded by wildlife criminals, their future has taken a grim turn. Human greed has left populations in dire need of our protection.
@wildlifewarriors.org
The Harsh Reality of why we need to make an impact
These two people helped change the way the world sees wildlife and so can you
Learn How They Did It
Steve Irwin
Today, with 14 global conservation projects, three vast conservation properties and a loyal following of global donors and supporters, Wildlife Warriors continues Steve’s conservation work, funding various projects in Australia and around the world. No matter what the cost, Steve believed that by saving one, we can save the species.
Steve Irwin did for conservation and education what no one has ever done before. He brought wildlife right into people’s living rooms and created a whole new generation of Wildlife Warriors through his documentary series, The Crocodile Hunter. His excitement over the most deadly snake or tiniest lizard brought him to the forefront of conservation. He set the precedent for making sure his fellow humans cared for and respected wildlife and the environment as much as he did.
Having done so much for wildlife conservation already, Steve and Terri only wanted to do more – so they started the charity Wildlife Warriors in 2002, as a way to include and involve other caring people in the protection of injured, threatened and endangered wildlife. They assembled a team of passionate Wildlife Warriors and together, they hit the ground running.
© Australia Zoo 2026
Jane Goodall
Jane has created on-the-ground wildlife and environmental programs across Canada and Africa. There are tens of thousands of JGIC community members who are creating change today. It is represented as a grassroots movement that believes in a better world.
In July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall traveled from England to what is now Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees.
Through nearly 60 years of groundbreaking work, Dr. Jane Goodall has not only shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction; she has also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment. She traveled the world, speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees and environmental crises, urging each of us to take action on behalf of all living things and planet we share.
© The Jane Goodall Institute 2026
Jane Goodall connects conservation to empathy, poverty, and education; Irwin connects it to excitement, land preservation, and global outreach. Together, they prove that conservation requires both heart and action, both science and storytelling. This research reveals that individuals can restore global environmental crises. Without Jane Goodall's patience and courage to challenge scientific norms, and without Steve Irwin's passion to bring wildlife into living rooms worldwide, conservation might not hold the same cultural importance it does today. Their lives raise an important question for future generations: who will continue this work?
The next conservationist could be you!
Steve Irwin-Rest in Peace- 1962-2006
Jane Goodall-Rest in Peace- 1934-2025
Excellent! All in place
You have demonstrated a great knowledge of ecosystems. Every living being has its own habitat. Keep exploring nature!
The plastic was lodged in the turtle’s nasal cavity, reaching down into his throat, inhibiting his breathing and sense of smell—a turtle’s most important tool for finding food. It was no doubt messing with the turtle’s orientation and migration, and possibly even hindering his ability to find a mate.
Take the ‘no plastic straw’ pledge By Heidi Siegmund Cuda and Elizabeth Glazner
Vaquita found Entangled in Illegal Totoaba Gillnet
There are only 6-19 vaquitas left alive. Vaquitas are the most endangered marine mammal in the world and exist only in the Upper Gulf of California. Gillnets are the primary threat to the survival of the rare porpoise. These nets are placed by poachers hoping to catch totoaba.
© 2026 Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. All rights reserved.
This young whale died with 88 pounds of plastic in its stomach
Researchers pulled nearly 90 pounds of plastic waste out of the stomach of a young cuvier beaked whale that died in the Davao Gulf of the Philippines on Saturday, March 16. The whale starved to death because of the plastic in its belly.
In 2020, whale-watchers witnessed an enormous humpback severely entangled in a commercial gillnet off the San Diego coast. Despite days of search efforts, rescue teams were unable to help it. The fate of that whale is unknown.
Photo by Domenic Biagini.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY GAY BLATCHLEY, D'BONE COLLECTOR MUSEUM
Marine turtles dying after becoming entangled in plastic rubbish
Hundreds of marine turtles die every year after becoming entangled in rubbish in the oceans and on beaches, including plastic 'six pack' holders and disgarded fishing gear. 84 per cent of the 106 experts surveyed on the Atlantic, Pacific Caribbean, Mediterranean and Indian ocean coast, who responded said they had found turtles tangled in rubbish, including plastic debris and lost or disgarded fishing gear.
by University of Exeter
The rhino collar design includes smart algorithms which continuously monitor the rhino’s individual behavior. If an abnormal behavior is detected, the collar sends an alert via the LoRa-Rhino network to the EarthRanger platform, pinpointing the incident location via GPS. Alert categories are grey, amber, or red based on the event probability, or level of deviation from the individual rhino’s baseline behavior.
The system increases security efficiencies by focusing resources on animals showing abnormal behavior. This increases the chance of detecting serious threats such as poaching incidents, injuries, or natural mortalities. Prompt intervention also increases security. Furthermore, it becomes harder and riskier for poachers to find the rhinos. The system has increased the chance of arrest, as the time and location of the incident is communicated in real-time, allowing response teams to react immediately.
© Copyright 2020. International Rhino Foundation. All rights reserved. | Web Design by Speak Creative.
Ranger patrols, tracking dogs, community support, and aerial surveillance still matter, particularly as a backup plan. But if the goal is to stop poaching before the bullet is fired, then removing horns might work better than pursuing transgressors. And perhaps that’s the real takeaway: conservation is messy. It’s not always romantic. Sometimes, it involves a chainsaw. But if the trade-off is between a hornless rhino and no rhino at all, then the choice becomes heartbreakingly simple.
Posted on June 18, 2025 by Taryn van Jaarsveld (Africa Geographic editor) in the Decoding Science post series.