WWF: WEEKLY ROUND-UP 22ND MAY

The good news is that we can make progress to restore biodiversity – and we have! Take our rivers for example. Just this week a report revealed that 2021 was a record breaking year for dam removals in Europe, which will help bring life back to rivers and build resilience.

Although they comprise less than 5% of the world population, Indigenous peoples protect 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity. For people and nature, strong support for and alliances with these traditional custodians of nature are vital, fully recognizing and formalizing their roles and rights:

Throughout centuries of exploration, humans have made note of lots of plants and animals. But did you know we actually don’t know how many distinct species we have on Earth? That means there’s still heaps of species we haven’t come across yet. And researchers are constantly describing new-to-science species:

To wrap up Biodiversity Day, we want to spotlight some of this week’s must-see images of nature, which feature a beautiful variety of animals and plants. These are a reminder of not just how awe-inspiring different species are, but also illustrate what it means when we say biodiversity: