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I’m a Coexistence Champion for Asian Elephants!
By choosing to participate in one of the actions below, we can safeguard elephant habitat and support communities that coexist with elephants in landscapes across Asia.
I will buy elephant-friendly products that support Asian elephant conservation.
You can greatly impact wildlife by using your consumer power to support organizations that champion conservation efforts!
- Do you enjoy a nice cup of tea every now and then? You can actually purchase tea from brands that promote the wellbeing of Asian elephants and the communities that live alongside them! Elephant Friendly™ certified teas come from tea farms that meet high standards aimed at reducing human-elephant conflict. Check out brands like Elephant Origins, Inspired Leaf, Republic of Tea, and more!
- Make your way over to our very own Zoo Gift Shop! You can find fun accessories like shirts and water bottles that support the International Elephant Foundation! Funds from these purchases support our partners working on elephant conservation around the globe.
Level Up with Your Community!
- Make the switch to Elephant Friendly™ products for all to use in your school or workplace, or encourage your local shops and cafes to stock these products. Just like elephants thrive in a herd, we can make a greater impact by encouraging more people to come together and join us as responsible consumers!
Want more? Check back often, as these pathways will be updated regularly to reflect new and evolving solutions to take action for Asian elephants!
I will tell others what I’ve learned about Asian elephants and the conservation organizations that support them.
Share what you have learned today at the Zoo with people around the dinner table, at school, at work, or on social media! Your friends, family, and colleagues want to hear what you’re passionate about, and raising awareness about species and what they face is part of the solution.
Want to stay updated on inspiring stories happening around the world?
Read this blog by the Zoo’s Coexistence Scientist that details our collaboration with our Asian elephant partners. Explore human-elephant coexistence and how YOU can help.
The Zoo partners with Conservation Initiatives, Bring the Elephant Home, International Elephant Foundation, and Asian Elephant Support. Visit their websites to learn about their work and how to get involved.
Follow @conservation.initiatives or @btehasiaafrica to learn about Asian elephants and active fieldwork in communities and share those stories with others.
Why is supporting sustainable palm oil so important for elephants? The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) shares more!
Level Up with Your Community!
Ask 2 or more friends to download and play Harmony: Heroes of Elephantia on Android devices! Developed in collaboration between the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Conservation Initiatives, and Game Design Plus, Harmony: Heroes of Elephantia is an immersive and imaginative adventure that celebrates Asian elephants while promoting conservation and coexistence. With hours of content, rich storytelling, and well-researched educational elements designed by experts, this game is for all who seek adventure and wish to make a difference in the world.
Run a social media awareness campaign with a few friends or as a school project! Activate others with inspiring stories and equip others with next steps.
- Start an online pledge or petition – Call people to action by prompting them to take a pledge or sign a petition. Educate and inspire the public about specific challenges in your community, or broader issues facing Asian elephants.
- Create an online poll – Share a poll through X, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to gauge people’s knowledge of and interest in elephant conservation.
- Go live – Use Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube to stream events, experiences, or conversations to your followers as they’re taking place. Livestream an experience or host a conversation with others about the importance of coexistence.
- Create an awareness video—Share an existing video about Asian elephants or make your own and post on various channels like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!
- Start a photo campaign—A selfie or photo campaign is a fun way to spread the message of coexistence while having people demonstrate the personal actions they aim to take.
- Design and share a Snapchat filter highlighting Asian elephants.
Want more? Check back often, as these pathways will be updated regularly to reflect new and evolving solutions to take action for Asian elephants!
Like those who share their habitats with Asian elephants, I will make efforts to coexist with my local wildlife.
All communities share space with wildlife, which makes it important for us to choose coexistence over conflict. While you may not have Asian elephants in your backyard, there are tons of important local species you can positively impact by making intentional choices in your homes and communities!
Avoid using pesticides and other harmful chemicals on your lawn, install native plants that benefit pollinators, and leave your leaves to provide food and shelter for insects in the wintertime. Learn more about ways you can turn your yard into a thriving habitat through our Plant for Pollinators program and check out the Xerces Society for resources about beneficial bugs and conservation tips! The plants in your yard provide habitat for a huge variety of important insects, who in turn provide food for birds and other species. Keeping that ecosystem balanced is important!
Reduce the amount of outdoor lighting you use at night to make a critical difference: it is as easy as flipping a switch or installing timers and motion sensors! You can also choose LED lightbulb colors that are less distracting to wildlife, like warm yellows, ambers, and reds over bright whites and blues. Learn more about bird migration and ways to help at Lights Out Cincinnati!
Artificial light can be harmful to both people and wildlife, including migratory birds that rely on the night sky for travel—many of which travel through the Ohio River Valley during the fall and spring. Following the actions above can help wildlife navigate safely!
Drops of rain that fall in Cincinnati can very well make their way to the ocean (watch a raindrop’s journey with River Runner). Avoid using chemicals on roads and lawns, since rain can carry those substances into local watersheds. Reduce household water use (and your water bill) by collecting rainwater with rain barrels. Check out Save Local Waters for more ways to take action and get involved!
Level Up with your Community!
- Hang this flyer from Lights Out Cincinnati in a public space in my neighborhood – like a coffee shop, diner, or community area – to show neighbors how they can act for wildlife!
- Set up a meeting with school building managers or workplace maintenance managers to discuss landscaping plans and lighting schedules to create habitat for local plants and animals and reducing light pollution.
- Host a neighborhood creek/river clean-up and enjoy a block party afterwards to celebrate the good work.
I will protect wildlife by choosing sustainable energy alternatives and reducing fossil fuel use.
Consider how you EAT, how you POWER your life, how you TRAVEL, and how you HEAT or COOL your spaces can make a substantial difference (Project Drawdown, 2024) in addressing climate change and its impacts.
Do you live in a Cincinnati neighborhood? If so, did you know that you are a part of the aggregate program that offers 100% Green Energy?
If you live somewhere else around the world – see what clean energy programs are available for your home or business!
During the sizzling summer weeks, consider biking, taking public transit, or carpooling to decrease carbon emissions and pollution and increase the healthy air available to our kids and neighbors. and Climate Safe Neighborhoods to get involved and track the impact of our collective action by monitoring this live Cincinnati air quality map.
Check out the 93 technologies and practices identified by Project Drawdown that humans can do to reduce or remove carbon dioxide emissions.
See what the City of Cincinnati is prioritizing as action in the Green Cincinnati Plan & identify one way you can contribute!
Level Up with your Community!
- Explore whether your city has a solar co-op through Solar United Neighbors & explore the resources the co-op provides. If your city does not have a solar co-op through Solar United Neighbors, express your interest in a co-op here.
- Watch short videos on how these community members have impacted their own neighborhoods and talk with your own neighbors to see what inspiring ideas surface in your own region.
- We need people in all sorts of career fields to help take action – are you an engineer? In finance or human resources? Marketing or product sourcing? You have an important influence on conservation! Check out Project Drawdown’s Job Function Action Guides for role-specific ideas.
Want more? Check back often, as these pathways will be updated regularly to reflect new and evolving solutions to take action for Asian elephants!
I will vote & contact my representatives to advocate for the environment.
Policies at the local, state, and federal levels can play a huge role in shaping our environment. It is important to learn about legislation that might impact species and landscapes and to act by voting and contacting elected officials!
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is dedicated to the advancement of organizations that prioritize conservation, education, science, and recreation, providing accreditation to those that meet the highest standards in animal care and welfare.
AZA provides resources for people to learn about environmental legislation and ways to contact lawmakers about issues important to the zoo and aquarium community through its Legislative Education Center.
Check out the actions promoted by the Ohio Environmental Council to see how you can protect Ohio wildlife!
Level Up with Your Community!
Share these opportunities to promote wildlife-friendly legislation with your friends and family! Just like elephants thrive in a herd, we can make a greater impact by encouraging more people to become informed voters and advocates for the environment!
Want more? Check back often, as these pathways will be updated regularly to reflect new and evolving solutions to take action for Asian elephants!
I will support conservation science efforts that help Asian elephants worldwide.
Supporting trusted organizations by raising awareness of their work or donating to the cause can go a long way in helping them meet their conservation goals.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has partnered with several organizations that are dedicated to both Asian elephant conservation and supporting the wellbeing of communities that live near elephant populations. Bring the Elephant Home, Conservation Initiatives, Asian Elephant Support, and International Elephant Foundation, all engage in meaningful work that benefit people and wildlife alike. Follow their social media pages and share their stories, learn more about their work, and consider donating to these incredible organizations!
Level Up with Your Community!
- As a grade/class at school or as a team at work, sponsor one of the above organizations for a month or a year, supporting the conservation work they are doing in Asia.
- Adopt A Conservationist at Conservation Initiatives
- Adopt an Asian elephant or Plant a Tree with Bring the Elephant Home
Want more? Check back often, as these pathways will be updated regularly to reflect new and evolving solutions to take action for Asian elephants!