Conservation initiatives are incredibly important, with global warming and animal extinctions becoming more widely apparent. With global populations increasing, the ecological footprint we have on our planet may continue to increase as well. Many parks and recreation organizations - as well as non-profit organizations - recognize this and are doing all they can to boost environmental awareness and reduce the strain on the Earth.

From cities such as Vancouver (whose goal is to be the greenest city by 2020), to the National Parks Conservation Association who works tirelessly to strengthen and protect America’s favorite places, conservation efforts play a huge role in our future. Here, we highlight 5 initiatives parks conservation have started that are excelling at conservation.

National Wildlife Federation

Inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future is the tagline of this great organization. The National Wildlife Federation aims to safeguard America’s wildlife and wild places, while educating and inspiring others to do the same. Protecting the ecosystems that are most critical to native wildlife is a high priority for them. They even work to improve federal and state policies, as well as pushing Congress to pass legislation to boost funding for natural resources and to include climate science in their wildlife conservation management plans.

Yellowstone to Yukon

This conservation initiative sets a great example for international communities to join forces and tackle sustainability and conservation together as a team. The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a not-for-profit organization from Canada and the United States to protect habitats, from Yellowstone to Yukon. Their scientific and collaborative approach to conservation is key to their success and other organizations should note their methods. With more than 300 partners that include scientists, conservation groups, and government agencies, they have quickly become one of the planet’s leading mountain conservation initiatives.

National Parks Conservation Association

Founded in 1919, the National Parks Conservation Association is an independent, nonpartisan voice working towards strengthening and protecting America’s national parks. With these wonders inspiring and defining the United States of America, this wonderful organization celebrates and defends them, “whether on the ground, in the courtroom, or on Capitol Hill.” Learn more about the challenges and opportunities they are facing here.

National Recreation and Parks Association

The National Recreation and Parks Association does a lot for the parks and recreation organizations in the US. They also aim to protect open space, connect children to nature, and engage in conservation practices. They understand and share the benefits of an outdoor lifestyle and the benefits of our natural resources, such as clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and protection from and prevention of extreme weather events. Ensuring communities and future generations can partake in protected and enhanced recreational environments is one of their biggest goals.

Banff National Park

Banff National Park is a great example of a park that takes their conservation initiatives seriously. They support the Government of Canada’s National Conservation Plan to conserve Canada’s lands and waters, to restore ecosystems, and to connect Canadians to nature. They partake in ecological integrity monitoring, restoring the ecological role of fire, and restoring woodland caribou, grizzly bears and plains bison that are at risk of extinction.  All of these efforts have been monumental in conserving the beautiful wild areas of Western Canada. To learn more about these efforts and the difference they’re making, here are Banff’s top 10 conservation programs.

Why not start your own conservation program? Here’s a past blog post of ours on how to create conservation programs.

What organization do you think deserves credit with making a difference in the conservation realm? Let us know on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Google+, to stay up to date with all of your Xplor Recreation news.