Wildlife faces threats from habitat destruction, pollution, and some human activities. Although protecting wildlife may seem too hard at times, even small actions in your own neighborhood can help protect many different animals. Here are some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions. Create wildlife­friendly areas in your backyard.

When trying to make your garden more beautiful, you can choose plants that can provide food and shelter for the native wildlife. This will also help cut down on pollution. Besides, bird or bat houses in your yard or garden can attract and shelter more species.

Avoid harming the natural ecosystem (生态系统) in your backyard.

Some plants from other places can kill or harm the native plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife.

Have a greener lifestyle.

By using less water and fewer fuels, you will do good to help protect the wildlife around you. Take buses or the subway if you can, turn off the electric devices when you’re not using them, take showers for a shorter time, and keep the temperature in your room at or below 68 Fahrenheit degrees in winter.

Buy products that are friendly to wildlife.

Don’t buy products that are made from endangered animals. Keep in mind that some endangered animals are killed by traps, or hunters who are eager to earn money with them.

Donate money to organizations that protect wildlife and their habitats.

You can give money to organizations or groups that protect wildlife in your neighborhood, thus promoting their work.

“Leave no track” is popular among many campers who are concerned about our environment and favor sustainable (可持续的) travel. Its goal is simple; to minimize human-created impacts on the natural world. 【小题1】

Reject plastic and paper. First and foremost, one of the easiest ways to reduce the impact of camping on the planet is to go plastic and paper-free. Instead of single-use plastics and paper plates, choose bamboo or other recyclable camping dinnerware and food packages.   【小题2】

Rent or buy a used tent. Instead of brand-new equipment, consider renting camping equipment instead. Outdoor retail (零售) brands like REI offer a wide variety of camping products to rent, including tents. 【小题3】 For those keen on purchasing something new, try brands like Patagonia that put sustainability first to reduce waste and support eco-friendly practices.

【小题4】 In addition to eco-friendly tents, it’s good to ensure that other camping essentials, from hiking shoes and sleeping bags to clothing and blankets, are also gentle on the environment. And remember, whatever is packed in should also be packed out.

Only camp in designated (指定的) camping areas. 【小题5】 However, developed campgrounds, which are specifically designated for camping, are usually available by reservation and don’t require campers to walk wearily into the wilderness to clear space to set up a tent. Designated camping spots usually have other advantages like bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, and more.

As a new mother in 2016, Tash Gorst was scrolling (滚动) through her phone when she fell down the rabbit hole of reading about plastic pollution. Fast-forward to 2019 and she had opened Gather, an organic zero-waste shop.

Customers come to Gather to refill their own containers with everything from rice to beauty products. And it’s not only the produce that is sustainable — the shop is powered by renewable energy and financed by a more sustainable bank, while all the units inside have been made from waste materials, mostly by Gorst herself.

Zero-waste shops have become an increasingly common feature on the streets in recent years. Wherever they have gone, supermarkets now look set to follow, with Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose & Partners all recently agreeing to add “refill stations” in shops by the end of 2022. Meanwhile, Asda has introduced refill aisles (通道)to more of its supermarkets following successful trials.

As small startup businesses aiming to make responsible decisions without cutting ethical(道德上的) corners, refill shops tend to be more expensive than supermarkets and chains. Gorst admits that not everyone can afford to buy from them.

“But if you can, you should. You’ll feel good about the small decision that you’ve made on contributing to your local economy and doing something that’s better for the planet,” she says.

Emily Drabble is a regular Gather customer. She buys everything that would “normally be encased in plastic”, from cleaning products to food like pasta, which she puts into glass containers. “When I get home, I love unpacking my shopping, throwing nothing in the bin,” Drabble says.

And customers at refill shops get more than just physical goods, notes Gorst. Besides employing four local people, Gather, for example, holds free events, including a monthly book club for reading about sustainability, workshops for kids and so on. “I also see the refill shop as a place to bring people together,” she says.