President Obama celebrated the 45th-annual Earth Day by spending the afternoon exploring the Everglades in southern Florida. As a 1.5-million-acre wetland ecosystem, the Everglades is home to more than 350 species of birds, both alligators and crocodiles, and a wide diversity of plant life that gives shelter and beauty to the region.
See the highlights from the President’s trip here.
Unfortunately, the Everglades is currently threatened. Each day, climate change is negatively affecting the nature, species, and beauty of the region. But climate change isn’t just hurting the Everglades — it’s hurting our parks, ecosystems, and outdoor spaces in every state and every region of America.
That’s why on Monday, we asked you to join us in taking a stand. We called on you to help make this real for your friends, family, and followers on social media by sharing a photo of your favorite outdoors spot that you’d fight to protect. And we were overwhelmed by your responses.
Here are a few of the places that people said they’re fighting for:
“I will fight to protect the Berryessa Snow Mountain region in California. It’s home to hundreds of animal species, including one of my favorites, the Black Tailed Mule Deer.” — Mary H.
“Every eucalyptus forest in the United States. This, for example, is Mount Sutro Open Reserve in San Francisco. It is one of the most fragrant places a city can ever have, and I think the most divine places in Northern California.” — Jarrod B.
“Protecting our Florida Gulf Coast beaches, to save endangered Sea Turtles and their Nesting habitat. With the threat of rising sea levels along with ocean garbage and litter, sensitive sea turtle nesting areas are under threat.” — Shari L.
The President is taking steps to reduce the causes of climate change and prepare our communities for its impacts, and it’s not too late for you to join in.
