25 Days to Green Travel: Day Twenty-One - Kindergarten

Everything I Need to Know About Watching Wildlife I Learned in Kindergarten

As a lover of nature, especially animals, I set out to learn everything I could about being respectful while watching wildlife.

You know what I found out?

Everything I need to know about watching wildlife I learned in kindergarten.

Keep your hands to yourself. Don’t touch animals, their nests, babies, etc.

Don’t feed the animals. This can lead to health problems for the animals as well as dependencies. For instance, in the Galapagos the mockingbirds will beg for water if they see your water bottle.

Be mindful of personal space. Give animals plenty of space. Use binoculars or a telephoto lens.

If someone is upset, say you’re sorry and leave them alone. I’m not sure how much good it will do to apologize to an animal, but if you sense that an animal is getting agitated or changing his behavior, slowly back away.


Clean up after yourself. Pick up your garbage (and others’ litter too).

Learn and become knowledgeable. Learn about the habitat and the creatures you’re watching before you set out. This will not only give you greater appreciation for them but you will also learn nuances that will allow you to be more respectful.


Share (your knowledge) with others. Everything that you learned before and from your wildlife watching excursion you should share with others. By spreading your understanding of the animals, you will protect them.

Further Resources:

Watchable Wildlife
NOAA
Scottish Marine Code
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
UN’s Green Passport

This is the twenty-first post in Go Green Travel Green’s 25 Days to Green Travel series. You can see the complete list of articles in the 25 Days to Green Travel Index

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