By Mary Young
Hummingbirds sipping on purple lupine. Mule deer silhouetted in a meadow. Fence lizards darting rock to crevice. Little brown bats gobbling bugs in the cool of a summer evening.
We LOVE our wildlife in Douglas County! Wildlife is key to the richness of our lives here. And we celebrate them every time we visit an open space, or support the work of Douglas Land Conservancy.
But on March 3 we can join the whole world in appreciating the other living things that share our spinning globe. It’s called World Wildlife Day and was established by the United Nations to “celebrate wild animals and plants and recognize the unique roles and contributions of wildlife to people and the planet.”
So why is World Wildlife Day important to Douglas Land Conservancy and the people of Douglas County? “Wildlife has always been a draw to visit our open spaces,” explains Kaitlyn Stabell, DLC’s Community Outreach and Engagement Manager. “Wildlife habitat remains one of the top reasons we seek out and maintain conservation easements, both public and private.” The wonder and awe inspired by wildlife is a main conservation value. DLC properties are important for protecting species like elk and mule deer, and for maintaining the landscape connections and corridors critical to wildlife. DLC holds conservation easements on about 28,000 acres, split between public and private land.
The theme for World Wildlife Day 2025 is Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet. DLC’s Conservation Opportunity Fund supports this critical effort by helping fund easement transactions with landowners who want to protect their land in perpetuity, but don’t necessarily have the cash outright to start the process.
To learn more about World Wildlife Day, including ways to participate, visit https://wildlifeday.org/en.
Photo: David Walker