Conservation is about trying to keep all the species and habitats on Earth that make this planet beautiful. This can include everything from wild species, like grizzly bears and bald eagles to delicate ecosystems like coral reefs, and even landscapes such as mountains and deserts.

Many different methods can be used for conservation, including promoting predator-prey relationships, reducing human impact on animals, preserving genetic diversity and encouraging ecosystems to function normally, so that the entire environment can thrive. Conservationists are also interested in the way that humans interact with their environment, examining things like climate change, depletion of natural resources and other environmental impacts.

It’s a huge area of work, involving governments, local people and interest groups all working together to ensure that certain species or elements of the natural environment are preserved for future generations. Conservation is not a new idea, either; it grew in the industrial era as a backlash against over-exploitation of the environment and the impact that this was having on the global ecosystem.

Some examples of this include laws preventing the illegal pet trade, efforts to stop deforestation and the listing of monuments and sites that are important to the culture of a country as protected. There is a broader international effort under the umbrella of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) that lists landscapes that are particularly important to humanity.

Individuals can help with conservation too, by reducing their carbon footprint, for example driving less, using public transport and switching to eco-friendly packaging. The more people that get involved, the bigger impact we can have.