Investigating Local and International Ecology Projects

Ecology projects around the world are as diverse as the world itself. In the United States and Canada there are projects to assist with conservation in the mountains, rain forests, rivers, valleys and plateaus. In South America the ecology projects are centered in the high mountain forests of Ecuador, in the Amazon River Basin of Peru, and the many tropical rain forests. Some of the same programs that are funding ecology projects in North America are beginning to fund projects for the Salomon Islands and Australia.

Africa ecology projects center around Namibia where the African Black Rhino is monitored and protected. African touristy comes from a direct result of ecology projects that help to preserve the wilderness and crate national parks. Environmental communities concerned with the protection and maintenance of an area often work together in an attitude of mutual trust and respect to affect changes that need to come about. The effect of ecology projects in local communities around the world is promote social, cultural and economic balance, while at the same time promoting a state of balance between the wildlife and their environment.

Ecology projects help to promote the need for laws to be instituted to protect different species of wildlife, because over hunting and poaching have caused many species to be extinct or severely endangered. For instance, the American bald eagle has been our national symbol since 1782; however the eagles became endangered to the point that they were almost extinct. For many years the bald eagle was considered a pest and freely shot them and destroyed the eggs and nests. In 1940 the National Emblem Act was instituted to protect the endangered birds. To protect them from hunters the bald eagle was placed under the Endangered Species Act, so that anyone harassing or killing the birds would face stiff penalties.

Though the bald eagle was protected the bird still almost became extinct because people fished for the same food that the birds needed to survive. People also widely used pesticides, such as DDT which contaminated the prey and poisoned the eagles. We can look to ourselves why the bald eagle was almost forced into extinction, because we took their habitat away from them. We drained the wetlands and cut down the forests for urbanization. Thanks to programs concerned with conservation measures can be taken to preserve the natural habitats of the bald eagle, and also protecting them from harm. The EPA banned the use of DDT in 1972. Without conservation projects that help to institute changes, much of nature's wildlife could disappear in just a matter of years. The American bald eagle was counted as a mere 417 male and female pairs and now they are counted to be in abundance of 10,000 pairs.

If you would like more information about conservation, or you would like to volunteer with local, national or international conservation just type the words ecology projects into your search engine and search out all the different volunteer opportunities. There is a wealth of information on the Net.