Today water is the need of the hour and thus water conservation is a must. Let us get to know how we could save wastage of water.

In our gardens we have the system of sprinklers. If we use it such that only the lawns are watered and the water does not splash on the outer boundaries it is a good water conservation tip. Besides it is better to do this in the early mornings or late evenings when the evaporation is less.

Drip irrigation is a good way of saving water while watering big shrubs and huge trees.

When we rinse the fruits and vegetables in the kitchen then these could be reused to water the plants in the house. Plant new plants during Fall when there is lot of rain.

Adjusting the lawn mower to a higher level ensures that the moisture content in the soil is held well. Wash pets while watering the lawn. Reuse water to wash the pets to water plants.

Collect water from the roof and reuse it in the garden area.

If you have a kitchen with two sinks then it is better to fill one sink with water and then use that water to rinse in the other sink .

It is good to upgrade all appliances like air conditioners , ice makers etc as they consume less water and energy.

At home,  ensure that the dishwasher and the washing machine is completely loaded and only then started to avoid wastage of water.

In a spa or a pool at home, covering  it up lessens evaporation. Clean your driveway with a broom instead of a hose. Adjust the temperature of the bath tub as the water fills.

Please remember to turn the tap off as it saves approximately 25 to 30 gallons of water. Keep the tap off while rinsing out lather before washing hands. First shampoo the hair , then start the water to save gallons of water. Similarly ensure that you shave first and then start the water.

At work, encourage water conservation awareness campaigns. At school teachers could educate children on water conservation by asking them to make a project or a presentation on the same.

As alert citizens we could alert any leak on a water hydrant, repair leaking pipes at home and inform owners about automatic errant sprinklers.

Thus it is seen that water conservation is the need of the hour and a reduced water table and increased salt content caused due to chemicals has put the water level at danger. So it is our call to ensure proper conservation of water.

Today the world is at a stage where plants and animals are getting extinct and we as human beings and being the more intelligent species should ensure that this is curbed. Endangered species is a group of organisms that stands a risk of getting extinct either because of its lessened numbers or because it is being threatened by parameters related to the environment. Thus the International Union for Conservation of Nature has actually deduced that 40% of all organisms are endangered.

Countries are coming forward to help in nature conservation by passing laws for protection to conserving species by restricting land development, stopping hunting and also by creating preserves. The pandas are the special few which have got legal protection. While determining the status of conservation of species, factors like the total number, the overall increase or decrease of the species, its breeding rates and the threats it faces are considered. Globally there are around 199 countries that have agreed as per the Biodiversity Action Plan to protect the endangered species.

Species earlier were living unhealthier environment and cleaner surroundings in the absence of greenhouse gases. A rapid climate change problem has led to the problem of animals getting extinct. The deforestation and the rising temperatures added on to this and today it is the major cause of concern for all. Global warming has ensured that the species do not have the scope to survive thus start deteriorating. This cycle has become endless today.

Some of the extinct species include the javan tiger, dodo, Caribbean Monk Seal, Passenger Pigeon, Elephant Bird, Aurochs, Steller’s Sea Cow, and Dusky Seaside Sparrow. The wild extinct animals include Hawaiian Row, Socorro Dove, Wyoming Toad, Scimitar Oryx, Red tailed Shark, Catarina Pupfish.

The completely endangered and with the highest possible extinction factor are the Mountain gorilla, Ethiopian Wolf, Bactrian Camel, Saiga, Kakapo, Takhi, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Vaquita, Javan Rhino, Brown Spider Monkey, Gharial, Brazilian Merganser, California Condor, Chinese Alligator, Island Fox.

The Blue Whale, dhole, Asian Elephant, Philippine Eagle, Grevy’s Zebra, Tasmanian Devil, Green Sea Turtle , African Wild Dog and many more such species would completely get extinct in the coming years.

But the common Wood Pigeon, Platypus, Bald Eagle, Cane Toad, Indian Peafowl, American Alligator are some of the species which face no threat.

Today in the U.S. there is a law that a wildlife expert has to be consulted before taking any action on the endangered species issue. Endangered species attract the poachers and the collectors. It is also seen that landowners just do away with the endangered species in their land to facilitate viability for the public. That endangered species lurking around could stop people from coming there so these landowners just kill and bury the animal thereby reducing the population of the species and causing a threat to its existence.

Today around 1556 species are endangered or are facing extinction. Nature Serve Conservation members assess the status of the plant, fungal species or animal and its ecological communities and system. This gives the species a conservation status rank.

Sometimes the humans themselves are responsible for creating the extinction. In the Hawaii, the coqui frog was spoiling the peace of the residents by their croaking noise in the night. Pathogens were released to kill them. Thus this species has decreased here. In Arrowhead Lake in Vermont, where the non native mute swans were killed when there were more than 8 birds much to the anger of the welfare organizations.

Thus in today’s world maintaining biodiversity is important but it is costly and consumes time. The species should be saved and their importance for human welfare should be understood. They are crucial for proper working of the ecosystem. They are also an important source of entertainment besides many times providing medicinal benefits too.

Thus actions like the Yellowstone National Park authorities re- introducing the gray wolf are things that have to be acknowledged and applauded. The number of tourists in the park has increased and the species has come back from getting extinct. Thus the gray wolf has added to the biodiversity in the protected area.

Similarly the scrub mint is a herb that has an anti fungal agent. It is a natural insecticide. This has been preserved from getting extinct. People used to spray a lot of DDT and other pesticides thereby leading to the deterioration of the bald eagle and the peregrine falcon. People stopped using this and increased their population.

Again the Pacific yew was discovered to be the source of the compound taxol which is an anti cancer agent.

In this manner it is seen that the endangered species is useful for the development of mankind and it also helps in maintaining the biodiversity and preservation of the ecosystem in particular. Besides this there is also the process of ecosystem conservation where an individual species is conserved rather than the entire system.

Thus helping to preserve the species is the main aim of all the nature conservationists and they are always involved in finding methods to preserve and expand these species.  Thus they are trying to find the causes of species getting endangered, forming committees and organizations, researching on their habitats, and characteristics, creating environmental ethics and thus conserving nature.

Areas like the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument where the marine protection is the largest, and processes like captive breeding where endangered species are bred in controlled surroundings like reserves or zoos help nature conservation. The Pere David’s Deer is one such example of captive breeding.

Poaching completely reduces animal population, but legal private farming could increase it. This is seen in the case of the southern black rhinoceros. However actions like the China’s turtles being farm grown is not being met with good approval amongst nature conservationists.

Better actions as in the case of the southern blue fin tuna being made to breed in Australia in tanks threw open the opportunities of fish farming thus savaging the endangered tuna.

In this manner, endangered species are but a small drop in the huge system of nature conservation. It is in our hands to get more information and be able to do something about it so as to preserve, protect and enhance the existence of such species in the world.

After speaking to several experts in the field, I headed to the headquarters which was located in Kisite- Mpunguti Marine Protected Area in Kenya. The place was picture perfect with coral reefs and mangrove forests.

The project was to assist the local masses in the area and try to make them understand “how to use their beautiful natural sorrounds to financial gain without harming the local marine population, either by tourism or fishing”.

The task was shared by some other volunteers who had come from different parts of the world. There were seven other volunteers and together we had to help the permanent staff, the international researchers and the Kenyan Wildlife Service students to moniter the marine life.

The work mainly consisted of watching and recording whatever we saw. From counting dolphins, rays, turtles, whales, and whalesharks we had to sail through the island and the reefs on a Stingray.

This place is known to be one of the best destinations for scuba diving and snorkeling. This is one of the reasons why it is important to protect the marine life here. The main goal is to promote ecotourism and to use and the profits to manage, protect and sustain the environment.

After taking trips to look out for dolphin pods in the mornings and the logging in the data in the afternoons, we had to keep looking out for all sorts of things like water temperature, cloud cover, wind direction or walking through the mangroves and trying to study the birds for a change.

Studying the marine life and the way the marine creatures are threatened due to the increasing waste going into the ocean. Tourism can help maintain the sustainable environment for the marine life as the profits get distributed to the cost of maintenance.

The place is extremely marvellous. The tropical island of Kisite Mpunguti is an ideal tourist destination. There are plenty of restuarants which offers you the most delicious local food and you get to enjoy entertainments of all sorts.

Basically, the Appalachian Trail is a 2200 miles trek that passes through varied natural surroundings like undulating mountains, laurel pastoral lands and dense forests that stretches from Georgia to Maine. It is a wide array of scenic natural beauty and fun experience in the authentic natural characteristics. The authentic natural habitat shelters an all-embracing wildlife comprising of moose, White-tailed deer, Black bears, beavers, porcupines, bats, weasels, shrews and minks.

Muskrats are the commonly found species. The distinct species like the tree frogs and bull frogs dwell in the wet spots during the warm weather. The poisonous and non-poisonous snakes form a common view in the South of New England. Lizards are seen hastily running on the rocks and fallen logs. Salamanders stay in the streams and ponds.  The trails entertain both professionals and amateur hikers are the tracks offers for both easy access and range to tedious rock scrambling. It is a wide-ranging natural habitat that offers for visiting national parks to remote wilderness regions.

The scientists too are fan of it and tag it as “Environmental Laboratory.” Isn’t this enough to prove its magnificence? Not only this, but also it could be a hint to provide caveat from threatening environmental predicaments, so that people opt for  adequate measures that can prevent the downfall of this natural wilderness. Here one can personally accumulate and report the descriptions of natural surroundings, then only the people can witness a preliminary idea of how far the environment has been destroyed.

The preference of Appalachian Trail is perfect location for conducting research as they are enriched with temperate zone species allover the world. In addition, they also have a diversity of eco-system comprising from hardwood forests to softwood forests to alpine forests which are mixed on one another. This extensive trail is one comprehensive package that passes from 14 states and 8 national forests.

Brian Mitchell, who is the Coordinator with Northeast Temperate Network in Woodstock park service suggested, “We’re really after two things, We want to get a better understanding of what’s happening on the trail so we can better manage it. The other side is we want to take the lessons we learn from the trail and show people that what’s happening on the trail does actually affect us.” This is truly an effective and healthy initiative that is headed ahead for nature’s survival that will automatically benefit for human existence.

Many different organizations will be deploying “Citizen Scientists” and professionals to gauge the health conditions of the natural habitats. They will be responsible for checking the health of plants, air, water quality and the most significant i.e. the animal migration patterns. The ultimate results will be used in building early warning system for the 120 million people that reside in the Eastern Seaboard. Therefore, during your tour just don’t enjoy the fun of trails and contribute some efforts so that you can help in preserving the natural locations.

Columbina Inca has a distinctive lifespan of 2 to 3 years, and however it is limited up to arid and semi-arid regions because it cannot endure for long in cold habitats. Mostly, you can get its view in the urban regions between United States and Costa Rica. Also, mostly it is spotted in Washington County alongside St. George area.

While it is fleeing, it generates tweeting tuneful sounds of “hoo hoo” and perpetually repeats it over 30 times in a minute. This chirpy sound fills the hushed natural surroundings with excitement during the early summer. Want to know one naughty fact pertaining to this petite dove? This dove involves in an unusual conduct popularly called as “pyramid roosting.” In this activity, clump of Inca doves congregate together in sunlight and everyone occupies the position of sitting on one another. Then they form a dove pyramid which may be up to three layers height comprising of 12 birds.

They form there habitats in the form of delicate nests built up of sticks that are roughly attached to each other. Preferably, they build there nests around human surroundings. It spends its time rummaging for its food that comprises of seeds, wheat, crack corn, oats and also, it feeds on native plants. Most of the times, they search for their foods solely or in a colossal group of 100 Inca doves, and may be even more than this after the late afternoon. And the sweet little minute baby doves are fed milk alike other species of doves.

Aren’t its actions amusing, I know after reading this description you are tempting to gaze a sight of Columbina Inca doves, don’t worry, for looking them you don’t have to visit a long way, just take a meticulous walk around your vicinity, I am sure enough that you will find it, if you reside in arid regions. Also, they are perpetual guests in the residences of bird-feeders. And for the bird watcher enthusiasts, the Inca dove serves as an eye-candy. So, make sure that you manage to watch the reddish Inca dove.

Further, there is another menace reporting dramatic snow-pack losses in future that will be triggered because of climate change. Also, global warming serves a caveat of causing dilapidation of snow in the Rocky Mountains of the West Skiing industry by the arrival of 2050. All these figures have been outsourced by the Climate Trends Model. Now, the present situation is that allover the United States is reclining the hush of global warming and all the ski industrialists are adopting stark measures to reduce the level of global warming. Everyone has all of a sudden felt the utmost need of implementing these measures so that they have a healthy survival and can also extract the source of their livelihood. Ultimately, the Aspen Skiing Company has come out with the obvious action i.e. imposing pollution tax.

The premiere Colorado’s Aspen Skiing Company which is the most renowned worldwide and attracts around 1.3 million skiers annually, even it has called for implementing pollution tax. For the forthcoming skiing season, two packages are available over the lift tickets. Lake Tahoe offers for a six-day of fun package wherein it takes to six different Lake Tahoe resorts for $249. These tickets are limited in numbers and facilitate for transferring.

This tourist package also affords other amenities like tickets for Heavenly, Kirkwood or Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Heavenly or Sierra-at-Tahoe, Kirkwood or Sierra-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows or Northstar-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows or Northstar-at-Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA, Northstar-at-Tahoe or Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA or Alpine Meadows. Also, there are numerous days which are marked as holiday bowdlerization annually in which restrictions are imposed for visit and differ every year. For more fun and trekking options, you can buy the $299 season pass for Colorado’s Monarch Mountain, along with this you will earn gratis visits to 10 varied mountains some of them to name are Loveland, Alta, Crested Butt and Silverton.

After implementing such earnest attempts to alleviate the problems, these alone will not be successful to secure the dilapidating nature, unless and until people think twice about their actions impact before executing them. If, still the people do not bother about these fragile issues and do not end the long unconscious sleep and persistently release strong emissions of dangerous gases in the open environment, then they should be prepared with their socks held tightly up to face the vulnerable ill-effects.

And when it comes to conserve the magnificent skiing destinations i.e. Aspen, the actions that are implemented are commendable but for the accomplishment of their efforts, each and every human should contribute things that are good for the nature.

Also, scientists from University of Sheffield have reported the shocking news that robins have recently started to sing at night. This is because the urban hustle and bustle gags their voice and they can’t be heard during the day. It is said that there is a co-relation between a region’s daytime noise levels and number of birds singing at night. Not only this, pollution has also added to their problems. With the increasing pollution, they are averted from roosting, which leads them to remain discreet all the night time. In the areas where noise pollution rate is higher, there birds are bound to sing at night. These results were published in the research journal of Royal Society Journal Biology Letters.

This is the time to take some appropriate actions after learning from mistakes, or else remember the point that “What goes around, ultimately comes around.”

Survey manager Richard Fox, based on Butterfly conservation shares that, “this year has blown everything away, we have had lots of species coming out two weeks earlier than last year, some a month or two months earlier. It’s really a dramatic situation.” There are diverse butterfly species which exist in natural environment, but lots of them has sprouted out prematurely. Below sharing some insights with you about them:

Lulworth Skipper was spotted in mid-June last year and this year it came into sight on 26 April this year, in its indigenous country Dorset. Britain’s most common and widely found species, Meadow Brown was too reported to be seen on 30th April in the north in County Antrim.

Emigrant butterflies which were rare and managed to survive during winter in the humid Mediterranean countries are now common sights to behold in U.K. during winter. For instance: there is an infrequent species known as Red Admiral which was very uncommon to be found, but today it has spread all over in large numbers. Again in the Purbeck Estate, a terrain in Dorset experienced the rare Holly Blue Butterflies. Also, at the Dorset-Wiltshire border near Fontmell Down saw the visit of Grizzled Skipper butterflies and bumblebees earlier in February.

Today’s conditions have turned adverse and forcing the guile speechless insects to leave their regular habitats and roam in search of safe haven. These harsh conditions are leading them to move to northern regions and have compelled the migratory species to become indigenous and on the other hand, the innate species are decreasing day-by-day. Human actions have passed on severe brunt on the authentic nature. Not, the decision depends totally on our hands whether we want these charming species to get extinct or let flourish? “Live and let live” is the ultimate solution to this situation.

The 32nd annual international consultative meeting on Antarctic treaty was held in Baltimore, U.S. for discussing the problems and finding crucial answers that can help in preserving the ecological system of Antarctica. The meeting was attended by 400 diplomats, polar scientists hailing from 47 different countries, Antarctic program managers and logistic experts.

Scientists have alarmed over the point that Antarctic is the fastest warming place on Earth. Environment specialists propound their point of view by saying that tourism have burdened this eco-sensitive land under immense pressure and ultimately led to the devastation of the ice shelves. During the meeting, American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited that “With the [April 4] collapse of an ice bridge that holds in place the Wilkins Ice Shelf in the Antarctic, we are reminded that global warming has already had enormous effects on our planet and we have no time to lose in tackling this crisis.”

The treaty concluded over the point that Antarctica cannot be used for mineral exploitation; military and nuclear activities have been banned in this continent. However, scientific experiments and investigations are allowed in Antarctica. But, this is not the conclusion to life-threatening hazards; one ought to comprehend the gravity of situation and leave their actions accordingly.

Adventurous activities comprising of winter sports like Off-trail skiing, snowboarding, trekking, snow climbing are imposing major menace to the flora and fauna of the Alpine. These fun activities are paid off by the wildlife as it causes stress for the Alpine wildlife which is found by the scientists. “Royal Society’s journal Proceedings B” also concludes by reporting that these sports underscore a new threat to the wildlife.

Also through research led by “Raphael Arlettaz of the University of Bern and the Swiss Ornithological Institute,” it has been discovered that in the Alps areas which are dominated for winter sports have had an adverse impact on the black grouse. They have been leaving the hormone ‘corticosterones’ which are akin to stress.

Not only the human activities are causing a poor impact on their lowering numbers, but also compelling the wild species to abandon their shelter and get out in the open atmosphere in search of a new habitat. It has been found that each time, the wild species come out seeking for their food, they leave their place of shelter and create burrows or igloos in the snow. This activity takes place two times a day, once when they get out in the morning and another during the twilight when they come out searching food.

Scientist from Switzerland and Austria discovered that, “the lower elevated areas have a faster melting of snow, which has added to their predicament to seek shelter in alpine areas.” While conducting the research, they scrutinized the feces of the black grouse, wherein they discovered that the faecal matters found in the areas which were influenced by human activities had raised the level of stress hormones i.e. ‘corticosterones’ up to 20% compared to faecal matter that were gathered from the areas where human distraction was not there. All this research concludes to the point that as the birds change their home grounds perpetually, the energy and reproduction levels exhaust leading them to a premature death.

The scientists suggests that “Only the creation of suitable protected wintering refuges will enable the Alpine fauna to endure the growing pressure exerted by human activities on these vulnerable mountain ecosystems.” It’s high time now and the human beings essentially need to understand that the cost of their activities is being paid off by the innocent creatures.