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The 18th edition of Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, between 20:30 and 21:30, and on this occasion WWF-Romania (World Wide Fund for Nature Romania) will launch the Nature Hour Bank, an online, interactive application that gathers the total number of hours dedicated to pro-nature activities around the globe and that, from this year, is available for our country.
According to a WWF-Romania press release, the Nature Hour Bank allows users to choose the most appropriate, relevant and interesting ways to spend an hour for the benefit of themselves and the planet. Thus, in 2023, more than 410,000 hours were registered in the Nature Hour Bank by people from over 190 countries, and in 2024 the organisation aims to exceed this number, Agerpres informs.
"Globally, a wild species and forests the size of a football pitch disappear every hour! Nature's resilience is being tested by the impact of human activities. At WWF, we develop and implement projects to rebuild degraded natural areas and protect wild species in Romania, but we are limited by resources. We need as many people as possible to join us, people who understand the value of nature for the prosperity of humanity and act with us for the benefit of nature. Earth Hour is a global movement in which people unite their voices and actions to give a voice to nature. Now, through the Nature Hour Bank, but also through the donation mechanism, we are making it easier for our supporters to act with information, ideas and solutions to benefit the planet. I hope to see as many people as possible join us and as many hours as possible invested in saving nature," said Hanny Bratu, director of communication and fundraising at WWF-Romania (World Wide Fund for Nature).
On March 23, volunteers, together with the WWF-Romania team, will celebrate Earth Hour 2024 at the Dimitrie Brandza Botanical Garden in Bucharest, where they will give a few hours to the planet and by carrying out spring works such as weeding, raking leaves and sanitation, and all those who want to join this activity can register on the official campaign website: wwf. ro/orapamantului.
"The nature-friendly picnic is the challenge addressed to teachers and students for Earth Hour. Based on the principles of the planet-based diet (using local and seasonal ingredients, without food waste), teachers are invited to organise this activity with their students, as a result of which they will gain more knowledge about healthy eating and environmental protection. The most appreciated projects will be awarded," says the environmental NGO's press release.
WWF-Romania (World Wide Fund for Nature) also calls on all sustainable business owners to actively participate - to organise activities or events related to Earth Hour 2024.
"This is a good opportunity to unite our efforts, to show that we care, to mobilise other people to care for the Earth for our well-being and for the next generations. A healthy environment is indispensable for a sustainable future," says WWF-Romania (World Wide Fund for Nature).
In turn, WWF-Romania will support and promote institutions and companies that choose to join the Earth Hour by registering their activities in the Nature Hour Bank.
This year, it is important that more people than ever before join the Earth Hour initiative to harness the collective power of individuals and communities. It is essential to get involved if we are to raise awareness of environmental challenges and reverse the biodiversity loss curve by 2030. To truly unite millions of people around the world, Earth Hour needs to expand beyond its already massive group of current supporters and connect with people who are not yet involved. Protecting our planet is a shared responsibility and requires collective action from every part of society, said Kirsten Schuijt, director general, WWF International.
Part of WWF International, WWF-Romania (World Wide Fund for Nature) is one of the world's leading environmental organisations. Since 2006, WWF-Romania aims to stop the degradation of nature and protect biodiversity through a series of initiatives aimed at protecting and sustainably exploiting natural resources, ecologically rebuilding degraded habitats, protecting wildlife species and supporting the transition towards solutions that reduce the ecological footprint of consumption.
The priority conservation areas of the organisation are: Maramures, Transylvania, South-West Carpathians, Apuseni, Lunca and Danube Delta.
