March 3: World Wildlife Day
Each year on March 3, we observe World Wildlife Day, which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013. The date marks the anniversary of the signing of the CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, adopted on March 3, 1973.
The central theme of this year’s World Wildlife Day is “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.” The theme highlights the importance of these plants for human health, the preservation of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage, and the livelihoods of many local communities. At the same time, it draws attention to the fact that many of these species are increasingly threatened by overharvesting, habitat loss, and climate change.
According to the World Health Organization, traditional medicine, often based on plant resources, remains widely used in some parts of the world. This further confirms that medicinal and aromatic plants are important not only from the perspective of biodiversity conservation, but also in social, health, and development terms.
Slovenia is among the most biodiverse countries in Europe, which makes the protection of wild plant and animal species particularly important in our national context as well. Medicinal and aromatic plants are not only part of our natural heritage, but also an important element of local knowledge, practices, and cultural identity. Their conservation is therefore closely linked to nature protection, the sustainable use of resources, and the safeguarding of cultural heritage.
3. marec, Svetovni dan prostoživečih živalskih in rastlinskih vrst
Vsako leto 3. marca obeležujemo Svetovni dan prostoživečih rastlinskih in živalskih vrst oziroma World Wildlife Day, ki ga je leta 2013 razglasila Generalna skupščina Združenih narodov. Datum sovpada z dnem podpisa konvencije CITES, sprejete 3. marca 1973, ki ureja mednarodno trgovino z ogroženimi prostoživečimi živalskimi in rastlinskimi vrstami.
Letošnja osrednja tema je namenjena zdravilnim in aromatičnim rastlinam pod naslovom “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.” Tema izpostavlja njihov pomen za zdravje ljudi, ohranjanje tradicionalnega znanja in kulturne dediščine ter za preživetje številnih lokalnih skupnosti. Obenem opozarja, da so mnoge od teh vrst vse bolj ogrožene zaradi prekomernega nabiranja, izgube habitatov in podnebnih sprememb.
Po ocenah Svetovne zdravstvene organizacije se v nekaterih državah tradicionalna medicina, ki pogosto temelji tudi na rastlinskih virih, uporablja zelo široko. To dodatno potrjuje, da zdravilne in aromatične rastline niso pomembne le z vidika biotske raznovrstnosti, temveč tudi z družbenega, zdravstvenega in razvojnega vidika.
Slovenija sodi med biotsko najbogatejše države v Evropi, kar potrjuje tudi izjemno velik delež območij Natura 2000. Zato je razmislek o varstvu prostoživečih rastlinskih in živalskih vrst tudi v našem prostoru posebej pomemben. Zdravilne in aromatične rastline niso le del naravne dediščine, temveč tudi del znanja, praks in identitete lokalnega okolja. Njihovo ohranjanje je zato tesno povezano z varstvom narave, trajnostno rabo virov in spoštovanjem kulturne dediščine.