Endangered Species and Wildlife Conservation

National Wildlife Day raises awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation and the threats facing endangered species. It provides an opportunity to promote sustainable practices, support conservation efforts, and encourage collaboration to protect and preserve our planet's biodiversity. Celebrate the day by brushing up on these words related to wildlife and conservation.
20 words 325 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. conservation
    careful management of the environment and natural resources
    That request had peeved Dad, who claimed that we Oregonians suffer eight months of rain a year and should be exempt from ever worrying about water conservation. If I Stay
  2. biodiversity
    the variety of plant and animal life in a habitat
    In some places, including the Bahamas, the density of lionfish may well be causing the most significant change to biodiversity of reef habitats since the dawn of industrialized fishing. The New York Times
  3. extinction
    complete annihilation
    Although I knew the fireflies would return in a year, it felt like the extinction of a species. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
  4. habitat
    the type of environment in which an organism normally lives
    But as the herbicides rain down on forest and field, on marsh and rangeland, they are bringing about marked changes and even permanent destruction of wildlife habitat. Silent Spring
  5. endangered
    in imminent threat of extinction
    I join the Ecology Club, and Sarah asks me to talk about endangered tigers at our next meeting. You Bring the Distant Near
  6. threaten
    present a danger to
    Drought can threaten wildlife - the number of freshwater fish dying because of the dry weather has already increased this year. Children's BBC
  7. wildlife
    all living things in an area that aren't tamed
    Although funds for chemical control came in never-ending streams, the biologists of the Illinois Natural History Survey who attempted to measure the damage to wildlife had to operate on a financial shoestring. Silent Spring
  8. poach
    hunt illegally
    I knew that Jasper Jr. wasn’t looking for me at Snake Creek—he and Bull were heading out to poach lobsters or pull some other mischief. Flush
  9. deforestation
    the removal of trees
    “Illegal deforestation makes it worse. Land that has been cleared for development—cattle grazing, clearing for lumber—increases the likelihood of burning. Another stress.” Paradise on Fire
  10. climate change
    a shift in the world's average weather and temperature
    For instance, climate changes at the end of the Pleistocene in the Fertile Crescent greatly expanded the area of habitats with wild cereals, of which huge crops could be harvested in a short time. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
  11. ecosystem
    organisms interacting with their physical environment
    Different types of disturbance shape different ecosystems: floods in the Nile, landslides on the steep pitches of the Andes, hurricanes in the Yucatan Peninsula. 1491
  12. species
    taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
    Like his father, he hunted the traditional food of his species—ducks and other waterfowl. Frightful's Mountain
  13. preservation
    the activity of protecting something from loss or danger
    She and Uncle Lou came over for dinner a couple of nights ago, and we talked about everything from women's rights in India to the environment to preservation of endangered tigers. You Bring the Distant Near
  14. vulnerable
    susceptible to attack
    A species is classified as vulnerable if its population has declined between 30 and 50 percent. This decline is measured over 10 years or three generations of the species, whichever is longer. National Geographic
  15. pollution
    contamination of the natural environment
    The problem of water pollution by pesticides can be understood only in context, as part of the whole to which it belongs — the pollution of the total environment of mankind. Silent Spring
  16. endemic
    native; originating where it is found
    And the mockingbirds that were endemic to each island were also three distinct species. The Gene
  17. global warming
    a rise in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere
    One interesting theory, given our present-day concerns with global warming, is that the ice ages were caused not by falling temperatures but by warming ones. A Walk in the Woods
  18. sanctuary
    a shelter from danger or hardship
    “My mom runs the bonobo sanctuary up the road,” I said. Endangered
  19. preserve
    a region where animals are protected
    We hope that tourists will come, to see our sanctuary and drive around the preserve and bring more money into the district. My Life with the Chimpanzees
  20. protection
    the activity of shielding someone or something
    Once a species becomes listed as "threatened" or "endangered," it receives special protections by the federal government. National Wildlife Federation
Created on Tue Jun 20 16:08:03 EDT 2023 (updated Wed Aug 16 11:16:47 EDT 2023)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.