Having just attended my sister’s wedding at the Baltimore zoo, animals, particularly penguins, have been on my mind more than usual. And yes, believe it or not, there was a penguin there for us to take our photos with. Ironically, while masks for COVID-19 weren’t required, masks for taking a picture with the penguin were because of an Avian flu outbreak.
Why Adopt a Penguin?
Climate change is melting ice caps at an unprecedented rate, causing penguins to lose their homes and food supply. In some areas, the penguin population has decreased by as much as 80%.
Yes, you can “adopt” a penguin symbolically through various wildlife conservation organizations. While you won’t take the penguin home (they’re wild animals and require specialized care in their natural habitats), these adoptions help fund conservation efforts to protect penguins and their ecosystems.
How Symbolic Penguin Adoptions Work:
- Donation: You donate to a conservation group.
- Adoption Kit: Typically, you’ll receive an “adoption kit” that includes items like:
- A certificate of adoption
- Information about the species
- A photo of the penguin or species
- Sometimes, plush toys or updates on the project
How Can I Adopt A Penguin?
Photo by Martin Wettstein, July 26,2020. Licensed via Unsplash.
Organizations That Offer Penguin Adoptions:
These symbolic adoptions protect penguins from threats like climate change, overfishing, and habitat loss.
Here are direct links to trusted organizations where you can symbolically adopt a penguin and contribute to their conservation efforts:
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – Symbolically adopt penguins, like the Adélie penguin, through WWF Penguin Adoption. Your contribution helps fund conservation work like habitat protection and combating climate change.
- Changing The Present – The NY Times calls them “an Amazon.com of the nonprofit world.” For a $50 donation, you will enable Defenders of Wildlife to work with automakers and members of Congress to raise the standard fuel efficiency of cars and trucks. In addition, your gift will help Defenders work to promote increased reliance on alternative fuels such as wind and solar, as well as an increased efficiency of our standard household appliances. As a result, you are helping Defenders save penguins and other imperiled wildlife.
- Penguin Foundation (Australia) – This foundation, focused on Little Penguins on Phillip Island, rehabilitates injured penguins and protects their environment. Packages include certificates and updates.
- SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for Coastal Birds) – Adopt and name an endangered African penguin to help with rehabilitation and release efforts in South Africa.
- Falklands Conservation – Symbolically adopt a King Penguin, supporting penguin research and habitat preservation in the Falkland Islands.
- Galápagos Conservation Trust – Protect the endangered Galápagos Penguin, the only penguin species north of the Equator. Donations help conserve their habitats.
- International Penguin Conservation Work Group: They focus on penguin conservation globally.
By supporting these programs, you’re directly helping penguin conservation efforts worldwide.
What’s The Impact Of Climate Change On Endangered Species?
The world around us is not just going to change because of global warming; it is changing right now before our very eyes – all you need to do is open them and look to see the planet’s peril underway. According to the United Nations, we are losing species at one thousand times the natural extinction rate. That’s up to fifty thousand species of plants and animals each year. Find out more.
Think you’ll adopt a penguin? Let me know in the comments!
