become a Zoo member make a donation become a Zoo volunteer attend Zoo special events be an educated voter make your purchase count travel with the Zoo
	Plant a Seed for Change Urban areas are widely known for their vitality and culture and increasingly for their value to resident and transient wildlife. Habitat loss is the primary threat to many endangered species around the world. Saving pristine habitat for animals and plants is an important goal but no matter where you live, you can contribute to habitat restoration efforts. Philadelphia has a number of organizations which sponsor park clean-ups and tree plantings including Philadelphia Green, an extensive urban greening program of The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). Building on the life-giving properties of horticulture, Philadelphia Green hopes to develop and nurture connections between people, communities and the planet by offering many opportunities to become involved in education, restoration and beautification initiatives around the city. Through volunteer work with organizations like PHS, The National Arbor Day Foundation and local arboretums you can be a part of the restoration and preservation taking place around the world.
	Use the Power of Knowledge Understanding the threats to wildlife is an important first step in resolving the issues. Sharing that knowledge is the second step. Advocating for wildlife is critical to saving species because it raises awareness of problems facing animals around the world and can lead to changes in consumer behavior that are contributing to, or in some cases driving, threats to species. Too often people are unaware of the far-reaching negative impacts of simple actions like eating certain seafood or drinking sun-grown coffee. A person with knowledge has the ability to teach and influence others and to make local connections with global issues — enter the Docent Council. The Philadelphia Zoo's Docent Council is a dedicated group of approximately 200 volunteers who are trained to help Zoo guests discover more about the animals and conservation programs at the Zoo. You too can become a Docent at the Philadelphia Zoo. Docents are an integral part of the Zoo. They enhance the guest experience, help to answer questions and their genuine interest in wildlife is contagious.
	Find the Stamp of Approval By reading labels, you can support companies that are working to meet consumer demand without destroying the environment. Highly effective in addressing habitat loss, forest certification is a means of ensuring that sustainable resource management is applied when harvesting trees for commercial use. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the most widely recognized certification and trademark system used to promote responsible management of the world's forests. By purchasing wood certified by FSC you are supporting responsible use of natural resources which helps to ensure that both the forests and sustainable timber industries can continue to prosper in the future. Look for the FSC logo when buying anything from raw wood to garden furniture. If you can't see it yourself, ask a salesperson if the wood used to make a product has been FSC certified. This Good Wood Chart complied as part of World Wildlife Fund's Global Forest Programme is helpful in knowing which woods are currently available in FSC varieties.
	Cast Your Ballot for Wildlife Your votes determine who makes conservation policy and enacts legislation that protects the environment and wildlife. The United States government makes decisions in the interest of its people and has the ability to allocate its funding to worthy causes. By paying attention to federal, state and local politics and supporting environmentally conscious candidates and reforms, everyone can be a motivating force for change. From local and state wildlife habitat conservation plans, to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), our government has recognized the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems for wildlife, plants and humans alike. The Multinational Species Conservation Fund is an example of a federally-administered program which provides financial support to assist conservation of many threatened animal species, including elephants. In many instances, kids can sign petitions and become involved as well. Stay abreast of the latest legislative happenings and let your voice be heard on behalf of wildlife.

Watch What You Eat Although the United States imports less palm oil than other countries such as the United Kingdom and China, that is about to change dramatically. Palm oil is found in a variety of items on our supermarket shelves from potato chips to bread to cookies to detergents to cosmetics. Unfortunately 89% of the palm oil in products sold globally comes from the Southeast Asian rainforest and 96% of that is grown on oil palm plantations in Sumatra and Borneo — home of the orang-utan and pygmy elephant. In November 2005, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was held, consisting of palm oil industry and government officials in Malaysia, Indonesia and China, along with representatives from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Discussions centered on trying to find ways to stop the conversion of high conservation value forest for palm oil plantations; current plans for new palm oil plantations will destroy 26,300 more acres of forest. Putting consumer pressure on companies to ensure the palm oil they use is grown sustainably and avoiding products that contain palm oil are easy and necessary steps.

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