March 3 is World Wildlife Day
Did you know we live in what is classified a biodiversity hotspot? The California Floristic Province lies in the region that extends from Santa Barbara in Southern California to the parallel 30th in Northern Baja California (about 220 miles from San Diego). These 34 designated areas account for about 2.3% of the earth's surface, which provide roughly a total of 35% of the global ecosystem services. Biodiversity hotspots provide crucial ecosystem services for human life such as clean water, pollination and climate regulation along with supporting rich biodiversity. They also serve as a home for several endemic species which are species confined to a specific ecological location and not found anywhere else on the planet. For any area to be considered as a biodiversity hotspot, it must meet the following criteria:
- The area should have at least 1,500 vascular species of endemic plants.
- The area must be included in the Threatened List of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Meaning that it should have 30% or less of its natural vegetation remaining.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) proclaimed the theme of the United Nations World Wildlife Day 2024 (#WWD2024): "Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation."
By innovating technologies that make research and communication more data-driven and efficient, we can share more information and identify, monitor, and photograph wildlife populations at a large scale. Mission Viejo Animal Services (MVAS) frequently uses cutting-edge technologies to better understand local wildlife. Whether it's using wildlife cameras to help us locate, trap, and relocate a local cougar or mapping to identify and focus work in areas with high coyote activity, technology helps keep our human and wildlife communities safe. By better understanding wildlife, MVAS is helping wildlife thrive and conserving our local biodiversity hotspot, which is something special about our community.
Join MVAS in celebrating World Wildlife Day and our local biodiversity. Get out and explore our nature. Cool websites like iNaturalist or Merlin allow you to see what others have observed in your area and give you the chance to add photos of wildlife you observe to large databases so you can become part of the citizen scientist community. You can also get more involved by joining the MVAS team of HOWL volunteers (Helping Out Wildlife Locally) and work to educate and protect our local wildlife. To find out more about HOWL, visit MVAS.
