So....what's the point of being a Wild Keeper?

A Wild Keeper is someone who is inspired to make positive change, who wants to learn more about caring for nature, who wants to inspire those around them and lead by example.

Who is a Wild Keeper? Wild Keepers are environmental lovers who get outside and appreciate nature in all kinds of ways. They are toddlers, motivated teenagers, inspired children, parents who want to be role models, teachers, organizations and brands who want to give back to the planet. They are retired folks looking to get even more involved, they are young families, they are outdoor advocates for all ages, ethnicities, abilities, identities and beyond. They are thirty-year old leaders, motivated college students, elderly planet advocates and everyone in between. 

Why do people want to become Wild Keepers? As humans, we have greatly impacted the planet and the rate at which we are seeing change occur. Litter is a human created issue that greatly impacts nature, wild life, water, humans and more. Noticing litter and paying attention to its prevalence is the first step, but the next is to take action!

Consider these stats by Rubicon: 

On a daily basis, the United States produces enough trash to fill 63,000 garbage trucks.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in America alone, each person produces about 4.40 pounds of trash per day. With a population of over 318 million people, that is roughly 1,399,200,000 pounds of trash created per day. 

In a lifetime, the average American will leave a legacy of 90,000 pounds of trash for future generations.

Globally, enough hazardous waste is generated each year to fill the New Orleans Superdome more than 1,500 times over.

New York City residents throw out enough garbage each day to fill the entire Empire State Building.

Americans throw out enough plastic cutlery (disposable cups, forks, spoons, and knives) annually to wrap around the equator 300 times, or 7,470,435 miles worth.

Americans throw out roughly 43,000 tons of food daily.

If one-fourth of the food currently lost or wasted globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed roughly 870 million people.

Annually, more than 14 billion pounds of garbage is dumped into the world’s ocean (mainly marine life toxic plastic).

Every year, over 50 million tons of electronic waste (i.e. cell phones, computers, TVs, etc.) is created.

An estimated 207 million PPE items — from masks to gloves and more — were littered across US roadways and waterways in 2020, according to Keep America Beautiful’s National Litter Study

“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” 
— Margaret Mead

Feeling the pull to get involved yet? We created the Wild Keeper program to give people a place to start, get support and do something positive for nature. Sustainable Brands shared, "Multiple studies have shown that clean-ups are important for supporting tourism and local economies, protecting wildlife and raising public awareness of the threat of litter to both wildlife and communities. Prolific litter in underserved communities and neighborhoods can misrepresent the area and contribute to health risks and low levels of self-image."

Wild Keepers strive to lead for change for the environment, for wildlife, for communities, for all.

The program is broken down into terms: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each term is 4 months long and you can pledge for one term or continue on for as long as you'd like! We want to uplift anyone and everyone who wants to get involved and if you're over 12 years old, you can join the Wild Keeper program. We connect through slack, share ideas, support efforts, share on social media to encourage others to get involved and...you get amazing perks! Early access to our apparel drops, great discounts that only Wild Keepers get, Wild Keeper Exclusive merchandise and more! 

If you're curious and want to learn more about how to get involved and sign up here:  https://keepnaturewild.com/pages/wild-keepers