Red panda award
Find out how to become a Champion in Conservation for red pandas
The future survival of these beautiful red pandas is increasingly vulnerable due to climate change and as developers are taking over the bamboo forests which they depend on to live in China, the Himalayas and Nepal.
Red pandas are moving higher up cold mountains to escape warming temperatures. This moves them outside of protected areas and brings them into closer contact with human activities, such as deforestation for firewood.
Climate change has also reduced the amount of rainfall in red panda habitats, making forest fires more likely to happen. Bamboo will not be able to grow if temperatures continue to rise. This will leave the red pandas without their main source of food.
You can reduce your carbon footprint by reducing the amount of energy you use at home, reducing your meat consumption and by being conscious of how you travel (such as using public transport and reducing air miles).
Doing just one of these things will help save our amazing red pandas!
CONNECT BY:
LEARNING MORE
Learning fun and interesting facts about animals helps us to feel more connected to them. Using our page on red pandas and learn about their diet, habitat and the threats to their survival.
VISITING YOUR LOCAL ZOO
There’s no better way to feel connected to animals than seeing them in person and with over 20,000 animals and 128 acres of zoological gardens to explore, Chester Zoo is the perfect location! During your next visit, come and meet our red pandas, take photos and make memories that will last a lifetime. While you’re there, why not learn all about Red pandas and how climate change and habitat loss is threatening their survival.
TAKE ACTION BY:
MAKING ECO-CONSCIOUS TRAVEL CHOICES
Use public transport more and reduce your air miles. Traveling by plane is one of the biggest causes of climate change. By consciously choosing to fly less we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint, helping our red pandas.
REDUCING YOUR HOME ENERGY CONSUMPTION
When at home there are lots of things you can do to reduce your total energy consumption like turning off lights, TVs, computers and other devices when not in use. Doing these simple things will help reduce energy use and help to save red pandas.
REDUCING YOUR HEATING
If we make a conscious effort to find other ways to stay warm we can not only save the planet but save ourselves some money too! Wearing layers, using draught excluders, hot water bottles or electric blankets can all dramatically decrease the amount of time we need to have the heating on.
BE A VOICE FOR CHANGE BY:
Part of conservation is using your voice to create social change around you.
There’s no one way to do this, you could create a poster or artwork, you could create a film or give a talk to friends and family, you could even write to your local MP to make them more aware of a conservation issue you’re passionate about.
Whatever you choose, get creative and do something that suits your way of using your voice for change!
Need some inspiration?
We’ve got some useful resources to help you get on your way to help:
WHAT TO DO TO COMPLETE YOUR AWARD?
Awards are earned for completing one connect, one action, and one voice challenge on your chosen topic. If you have done all three then you can apply for your award.
Get inspired by some of our resources and ideas to achieve an award and find the way YOU want to connect, take action and be a voice for change and let us know how you’ve completed these through your application.
1. You can complete this challenge on your own, with friends or as part of a community group.
2. Collect evidence with photos, films or other ways to document your experience and write an account in your award application.