Throughout my life, I’ve always loved animals and helping them has always been a passion of mine. Nothing brings me more joy then protecting, educating and teaching conservation to people. If I can inspire at least one person to help the planet in even the smallest way, I will feel like I’ve done my part.

When inspiring others, I love seeing the smile they have when they learn something new, especially children. Instilling conservation in them will only help protect our beautiful planet for future generations.

My favorite animal and the animal that brings the biggest smile to my face is the giraffe. The scientific name for the giraffe is Giraffa Camelopardalis which means one who walks quickly, camel marked like a leopard. Giraffes can gallop at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour, slower than a leopard but faster than a camel.

Currently, there are nine different species of giraffe and no two giraffes are exactly alike. Just like a snowflakes, each giraffe has a different pattern. Amazingly, giraffes can grow up to 18 feet tall with their tongues reaching the trees another 18-20 inches.

Sadly, these gentle giants are not loved by all. The number one reason for giraffe loss is loss of the habitat they live in and, according to planetexperts.com, "Africa has lost about 40 percent of its giraffe population in the last 15 years".

Freshly served giraffe head can earn a poacher upwards of $140.00 and the meat, although illegal, is extremely popular in Arusha. In Tanzania, it is believed that the bone marrow and brains of a giraffe can cure HIV. There are actually fewer giraffes on the planet than elephants.

June 21 is a day to celebrate these amazing creatures and is known as World Giraffe Day. The most important thing we can do to help protect the giraffe population is to educate ourselves. We can speak up for the wildlife that cannot speak up for itself. You can also make a donation to the Giraffe Conservation Fund at giraffeconservationfund.org.

Here are fun facts about giraffes:

1. Giraffes spend most of their life standing. They can even sleep while standing.
2. A group of giraffes is called a tower.
3. Baby giraffes can stand within 30 minutes of birth and can run with their tower after about 10 hours.
4. During a 24-hour period, giraffe spend less than two hours sleeping.
5. The gestation period for a giraffe is between 13 and 15 months.
6. Giraffe have seven vertebrae, which is the same number as human.
7. The closet known relative to the giraffe is the okapi. The okapi is so shy, that it was not discovered until 1901.
8. Giraffe have the longest tail length of any land mammal.
9. The tongue of a giraffe is black to help protect them from getting sunburnt.
10. During the week, a giraffe can eat upwards of 100 pounds of leaves and they must travel miles to find enough food.

Protecting these gentle giants is something very near to my heart and spreading the word is the best way to do this. As the warden once said " What you see with your eyes, you value with your heart."