World Nature Conservation Day Date in the current year: July 28, 2024

Humanity has exploited the planet for thousands of years, which has had a significant impact on biodiversity, soil, water, air, and energy resources. Overexploitation of natural resources, which became especially blatant during the era of rapid industrialization, has resulted in extinction of many species, degradation and destruction of ecosystems, climate change, pollution, and other negative environmental impacts.

Nature conservation is crucial for maintaining natural resources and preserving our planet for the generations to come. The term “nature conservation” refers to the moral philosophy focused on protecting natural resources and biodiversity, as well as an environmental, social and political movement guided by this moral philosophy.

The roots of the modern conservation movement can be traced back to the 17th century, when English writer John Evelyn presented his paper entitled Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesty’s Dominion to the Royal Society. It is widely regarded as one the most influential texts on forestry.

However, it took two more centuries for humanity to truly acknowledge that human activity harmed the environment and for the conservation movement to begin to take shape. Scientific, empirically based conservation principles and methods were first applied to Indian forests in the mid-19th century. Around the same time, the conservation movement started to emerge in the United States.

The main goals of the conservation movement include maintaining and restoring habitats, protecting species from extinction, mitigating climate change, supporting ecosystem services, reducing overfishing, and preventing deforestation. Conservation should not be confused with preservation. The former promotes the sustainable use of natural resources, while the latter promotes the protection of nature from use by humans.

One of the world’s first conservation organizations was the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF; originally named the World Wildlife Trust). It was founded in 1961 and has since become the largest conservation organization on the planet. Other major global conservation organizations include the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and more.

The origin of World Nature Conservation Day is unclear, but its significance should not be underestimated because of this. The observance is supported by many nature conservation organizations across the world. They organize various events and activities to highlight the importance of nature conservation and consolidate national and international efforts to preserve the environment for the future generations not just for the sake of humanity, but also for the sake of millions of species we share this planet with.