Deforestation has been a problem for a while, and it still is a problem today. Does seeing coyotes in your neighborhood scare you? Does seeing deer worry you because of them dropping ticks? It is most likely because of deforestation. Deforestation is when trees get cut down, and deforest places. Or it is loss of habitat. You may see more wild animals in your neighborhood because they may be looking for someplace to live, or go. Their homes could have been damaged, or made smaller. 

So How Does This Affect Us and the Animals?

This affects us and the animals in many different ways, but it has the hardest effects on the animals. For example, let’s say a family of deer live in a forest somewhere, but people cut down the trees to turn the forest into houses. Now the deer have to find a new home, which could be in your backyard, or somewhere where they may not be wanted, or they could just be wandering around for a while. The loss of this ecosystem is bad for the planet, and sad for the animals. If you wonder why people are seeing so many deer, coyotes, etc., it is most likely because their homes have been chopped down. 

How Can We Help? 

We can help by planting more trees, and not chopping down trees. We can help protected areas, too. Maybe if you are looking for a new home, instead of building a new one in the forest or a different wild area, you could look for any that are for sale someplace. And we can also try to help the animals, by donating to charities and foundations for them, and just respecting them and ecosystems when we see them. 🦊 🐻 🐍 🦄