Meghan MarkleandPrince Harrywant every day to be Earth Day.
The royal couple, who areexpecting their first child any day, celebrated the environment conservation holiday on Monday with a post on their newly launchedInstagram page.
“Today is #earthday – an opportunity to learn about, celebrate and continue to safeguard our planet, our home,” they captioned a series of photos.
The first snap in the series showed Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, during theirvisit to the Redwoods Treewalk Rotoruain New Zealand during their October royal tour. The couple stroll hand-in-hand through the majestic trees.
Many ofPrince Harry‘s images feature animals, including a black and white photo of a rhino – referred to in the caption as “Africa’s Unicorn” – resting its head on a fallen tree.
“These magnificent animals have survived ice ages and giant crocodiles, amongst other things! They have adapted to earth’s changing climate continually for over 30 million years,” they wrote. “Yet here we are in 2019 where their biggest threat is us.”
Harry’s snaps also include a close-up of a lion’s eye, orca whales in the wild and an elephant standing beside a man.
“Desert lions are critically endangered due partly to human wildlife conflict, habitat encroachment and climate change. 96% of mammals on our 🌍 are either livestock or humans, meaning only 4% remaining are wild animals,” reads the caption. “Orca and Humpback whale populations are recovering in Norway thanks to the protection of their fisheries. Proof that fishing sustainably can benefit us all.”
REX/Shutterstock
The photos also included scenic landscapes – and even a shot of debris washed up on a beach.
“We all now know the damage plastics are causing to our oceans,” they said. “Micro plastics are also ending up in our food source, creating not just environmental problems for our planet but medical problems for ourselves too.”
The post concludes, “Every one of us can make a difference, not just today but everyday.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex/Instagram
Meghan and Harry previously used their new social media account to shed light on the importance of conservation work. In honor of Harryattending the premiere of the Netflix documentaryOur Planetwith fatherPrince Charlesand brotherPrince Williamearlier this month, they shared a never-before-seen photo from their 2017 trip to Botswana. The couple are hard at work in the photo, placing a tracking collar on an elephant.
The caption said that they traveled to the African country to assist Dr. Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders in equipping a bull elephant with a satellite collar, explaining that tracking the animal will allow conservationists to project him and other elephants from poachers.
Africa holds a special place in Harry’s heart, and he has focused much of his conservation work there. He is president of African Parks and patron of the Rhino Conservation Botswana. It has long been a go-to place for Harry, who has visited the continent since his teens and refers to it as “his second home.” Now it holds a special place in Meghan’s heart too — it was where Harry romanced his future wife just weeks after meeting her and where they reportedly fell in love.
Rhino Conservation Botswana/ Kensington Palace/Getty
And now, new reports say there is talk of Meghan and Harrymoving to to a Commonwealth country in Africato capitalize on their appeal to young people.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace did not deny the reports, saying, “Any future plans for The Duke and Duchess are speculative at this stage. No decisions have been taken about future roles.”
source: people.com
