The scariest part of it all? We could witness waves of extinctions in as few as 50 years, and there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to prevent them.

Except …

If each of us -- billions of individuals worldwide -- made modest changes in our everyday lives, we could protect the planet and its resources for ourselves and for future generations.

Here’s some of the things you can do :

1.Be an Eco-warrior for Halloween this year.
Visit www.conservation.org/ecofootprint to measure the size of your ecological footprint. It’s quick, easy, and educational. At the end, you’ll discover whether you’re and Eco-novice, -apprentice, -ally, or -warrior and get tips on how to be as light-footed as you can be.
(About this quiz: 11 questions total,5 minutes long,receive score at the end,learn to improve your impact on biodiversity,e-mail your results to friends)

2.Take the Halloween Eco-pledge.
Whether it’s being extra creative with your costume,changing your front porch light, using a canvas bag to capture your treats, or tricking others into carpooling that night, one small change can make all the difference. Take the Halloween Eco-Pledge now!

3.Don't Let your Treats be a Trick to Children in Africa!

What's scarier than ghosts or goblins this Halloween? How about chocolate treats made from child labor?

Almost half of the world's cocoa is produced on West African plantations where widespread instances of child slavery, human trafficking, and forced labor have been reported.

Unless multi-billion dollar candy companies like Nestle and Mars take the lead, most of the chocolate in your local supermarket will continue to be made at the cost of human life.

This Halloween, call on Nestle and Mars to protect African children by using fair trade chocolate in their candy.

Find out where you can buy fair trade chocolate:

100% Fair Trade Companies

4.Save the Bats

Several companies are catching bats in the wild and killing them for sale as "art" in glass frames. These bats are showing up for sale on eBay. One small bat, the Short-nosed fruit bat, is a major target of this cruel practice. The fruit bat is an important pollinator and seed dispenser, and is classified as vulnerable.

Unless eBay can verify that bats sold on the eBay website are not imperiled in the wild, and have been collected after they have died naturally, eBay should protect bats by prohibiting the sale of their bodies.

Take action now by signing this petition.

5.Spread the word

Each of your small actions can spark a chain of other actions. Tell just two of your friends or family members to take any of these measures along with you, and you’ve multiplied your impact. It’s that easy.