3 March is World Wildlife Day, which celebrates the world's wild animals and plants, and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet. This date was chosen as it is the birthday of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, first signed in 1973.
Parties to the Convention are encouraged to hold their own celebrations on this day, also known as the most important global annual event dedicated to wildlife.
NParks, as the appointed CITES Management Authority of Singapore, celebrates this day with the annual ‘World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium’—a youth-led, Southeast-Asian-focused event organised by youth volunteers under the Youth Stewards for Nature programme. It aims to:
- Anchor and grow the biodiversity youth network in Southeast Asia
- Connect Southeast Asian youths with Southeast Asian role models
- Raise international awareness of best practices in nature conservation in Southeast Asia
NParks’ youth stewards had the opportunity to share about their efforts in organising these World Wildlife Day celebrations in high-profile, international events such as:
For the latest updates and happenings, check out: https://www.instagram.com/wwd.symposium/
Past Events
World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium 2023: Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation in Southeast Asia
World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium 2022 theme, with key visual designed by Faith Tan (IG: @moshroomyy).
The second World Wildlife Day Regional Youth symposium was held in Singapore from 3 to 5 March 2023, organised by 16 youth stewards under the Youth Stewards for Nature programme, with support from NParks, Mandai Nature (presenting sponsor), the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, and many more.
The 3-day programme featured 14 expert speakers and special guests, 9 workshop partners, and over 40 passionate youth facilitators from the nature community around the ASEAN region. It brought together 170 youth attendees representing 15 countries, including all 10 ASEAN Member States, to share their aspirations and discuss how youths could play a part in nature and biodiversity conservation.
Themed ‘Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation in Southeast Asia’ in conjunction with World Wildlife Day, the event highlighted the partnerships that have been at the heart of CITES, and the people who are making a difference. The event also celebrated the 50th anniversary of CITES. The three programmatic tracks, ‘Living with Nature’, ‘Learning for Nature’, and ‘Saving Nature’, formed the foundation of the programme.
More information:
· Summary Poster [0.3 MB]
· Executive Summary Report [0.2 MB]
· Video Recordings
World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium 2022: Recovering Key Species for Ecosystem Restoration in Southeast Asia
World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium 2022 theme, with key visual designed by Dorcas Tang (IG: @earthtodorcas).
The inaugural World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium was held online on 3 March 2022. The event was organised by 5 youth volunteers under the Youth Stewards for Nature programme, with support from NParks. The symposium featured 22 expert speakers and guests-of-honour from diverse fields, and over 40 volunteer moderators and facilitators from the nature community in the region. More than 200 participants attended, representing 13 different nationalities and affiliations with over 80 environmental groups, government organisations, and academic institutions.
In conjunction with World Wildlife Day, the symposium was themed ‘Recovering Key Species for Ecosystem Restoration in Southeast Asia’. The event drew attention to Southeast Asia as one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots globally, highlighted the most critically endangered species in the region, and drove discussions towards imagining and implementing solutions to conserve them.
More information:
· Summary Poster [2.7 MB]
· Executive Summary Report [0.1 MB]
· Video Recordings