U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

What You Can Do to Help

Wildlife and Plants

When most people hear the term

endangered species, they think of

manatees, grizzly bears, whales,

and other charismatic species. If

these creatures don’t live in your

area, you might think there is nothing

you can do to help endangered species.

However, the current endangered

species list contains almost 1300

plants, birds, fish, mammals, and

other species that might live or

migrate through your area.

Private citizens can play a critical role

in protecting our country’s wildlife and

plants. Pulling invasive weeds that are

forcing out native plants, rebuilding

crumbling river banks, planting native

trees—these are things we all can do

to help improve our lands so they

provide a better place for wildlife and

humans to live. All endangered and

threatened species need your help,

from the familiar and famous species,

like the gray wolf, to the lesser-known

but equally important species, such

as the Karner blue--a butterfly and

the western lily.

Here’s how you can make a difference:

In your community

To learn about ways you can

assist native wildlife in your area,

contact your local U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (FWS) office—http://

offices.fws.gov/ or your local natural

heritage program or conservation data

center—http://www.natureserve.org

Volunteer at your

local wildlife refuge—

http://www.fws.gov/volunteers

Join a local or national

conservation organization.

Support natural areas and nature

centers near you. Work with other

community members to maintain

and restore local habitat.

Contact your State or local fish

and game office to learn how you can

become involved in local community

wildlife preservation efforts —

http://www. fws.gov.offices/

statelinks.html

Walk, ride your bike, carpool, or use

public transportation when possible.

Organize litter cleanups

and recycling drives.

If you observe evidence of

wildlife poaching, please contact

your state fish and game office—

http://www.fws.gov. offices/

statelinks.html. State agencies

handle violations of State wildlife laws

and have jurisdiction over most local

wildlife management issues.

Know and follow your fishing and

hunting laws. Individual State,

territorial, and tribal agencies sell

recreational fishing and hunting licenses

and are the best source of information

regarding hunting and fishing seasons,

local regulations, and areas that are

open or closed to hunting and fishing—

http://www.fws.gov. offices/

statelinks.html

At home

Don’t put hazardous substances

down the drain or in the trash.

Things like paint thinner, furniture

polish, and antifreeze can pollute our

water and land, impacting people

as well as wildlife. For information on

how to dispose of hazardous material

properly, see the Environmental

Protection Agency’s guide to safe

management of household hazardous

waste—http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/

non-hw/househld/hhw.htm

Take unwanted, reusable items to a

charitable organization or thrift shop.

Use cloth, not paper, napkins.

Turn the lights and TV off

when you leave a room.

Recycle everything you can:

newspapers, scrap papers, cans, glass,

motor oil, plastics, appliances, etc.

Keep your cat indoors. Roaming

house cats do tremendous damage

to birds and other wildlife such as

field mice, frogs, squirrels, and lizards.

Putting a bell on your cat helps,

but keeping the cat inside is better.

Don’t leave water running. Turn

off the tap when brushing your teeth

or washing your face. Install watersaving devices, such as low-flow

showerheads, to save water and

save money.

Write, e-mail, or call companies

that send unwanted junk mail and

ask them to take you off their list.

A young volunteer helps plant white

cedar seedlings. USFWS photo
In your yard or neighborhood park

To get more information on how you

can work with the FWS to restore

wetlands and other important fish and

wildlife habitats on your own property,

see the Partners for Fish and Wildlife

Program—http://www.fws.gov/

landowner.html

Plant native trees and bushes with

berries or nuts that provide birds and

other creatures with food and a place

to live. To learn how you can make

your backyard wildlife-friendly, see the

National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard

Wildlife Habitat program—http://

www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat.

Contact your County Cooperative

Extension Service or local native plant

society for help in identifying native

plants. Native species adapted to local

climate conditions require fewer

resources and less care to flourish.

Keep litter, pet wastes, and leaves

out of street gutters and storm drains.

These outlets drain directly into lakes,

streams, rivers and wetlands. Pet wastes

contain bacteria and viruses that can

threaten fish, wildlife, and people.

Learn about natural insect controls

as alternatives to pesticides. Grow

plants that are natural insect repellents

among your flowers and vegetables

to help keep unwanted insects away.

For more information on these and other

EPA-recommended ways to make your

lawn environmentally friendly, visit—

http://www.epa.gov/seahome/lawns.html

If you use fertilizer, calibrate your

applicator to make sure you apply the

correct amount. Fertilizing more than

the recommended rate does not help

plants grow better and may harm them.

In addition, excess fertilizer may wash

into streams and rivers and can lead to

amphibian deformities and deaths as

well as excess aquatic plant growth.

Buy or make your own backyard

composter for your food waste products

like coffee grounds, vegetables, fruits,

or other non-animal products. Compost

is a natural fertilizer that enriches your

soil. It is especially good for vegetable

gardens. For more information on how

to make your own compost, visit—

http://www.hdra.org.uk/gh_comp.htm

Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.

Plant a butterfly garden. To get

started, visit the North American

Butterfly Association’s website—

http://www.naba.org/pubs/bgh.html

If you must use pesticides, herbicides,

or fungicides, don’t throw leftovers in

the trash, down a drain or into a storm

sewer; dispose of them properly. Visit

the Natural Resource Conservation

Service’s Backyard Conservation

website for pesticide disposal

information and other environmental

lawn and garden care tips —http://

www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard.

When you’re on vacation

Turn the heat and water heater

down before you leave home.

Don’t pick flowers or collect wild

creatures for pets. Leave animals

and plants where you find them.

Going abroad? Think twice about

the things you buy. Travelers don’t

realize that several U.S. laws and an

international treaty make it a crime

to bring many wildlife souvenirs into

our country. To learn more about

these laws and what products are

illegal to import into the U.S., visit

the FWS Law Enforcement page—

http://www.le.fws.gov/

info_importers_exporters

In your classroom

Ask your teachers to help you organize

clean up days. Remove trash or invasive

weeds from vacant lots or streams.

Replant eroding river banks with native

trees that will stabilize the soil and

reduce the amount of dirt going into

the river. This will not only improve

the quality of water for aquatic life

and humans, it will provide habitat

for birds and mammals.

Plant a garden on your school

grounds to attract wildlife, birds,

and butterflies. Build homes for bats

and birds, and have the project certified

by National Wildlife Federation’s

Backyard Wildlife Habitat program—

http://www.nwf.org/

backyardwildlifehabitat.

Hold a school Arbor Day native

tree planting. Invite local officials.

Visit theNational Arbor Day

Foundation’s website–

www.arborday.org/

A growing number of local

freshwater fishes whose existence

are threatened by unhealthy rivers

and streams. Grants are available

to teachers for raising and breeding

these fish for release.—

http://www.troutintheclassroom.com/

Explore nature in your neighborhood

by celebrating National Wildlife Week

at your school. For more information,

visit the National Wildlife Federation’s

website—http://www.nwf.org/

nationalwildlifeweek/

When you’re shopping

Only buy rare or “exotic” pets

from reputable pet stores that

can provide paperwork to demonstrate

that the animal was legally acquired.

Some rare or exotic pets may have

been smuggled into the country or

taken from their natural habitat.

Don’t buy products that come

from endangered and threatened

plant and animal species.

In your car

Don’t throw cigarettes or trash

out your window. Cigarettes cause

thousands of forest fires every year.

Food trash along roadsides attracts

animals that can be killed by cars.

Recycle your engine oil. Contact

your local Solid Waste Management

Office to find out where.

Keep engines well-tuned

and tires properly inflated

to maximize fuel efficiency.

Consider a career in conservation!

Join the thousands of dedicated men

and women who are working to protect

wildlife and plants here in the U.S. and

around the world. For more information

on career opportunities, visit—

http:// www.fws.gov/hr/HR/

careers_fws.htm

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered Species Program

703/358-2171

http://endangered.fws.gov

August 2005