Book excerpt: ‘Bio’ means life and ‘diversity’ means variety, so biodiversity (or biological diversity) refers to the incredible variety of living plants and animals in nature and how they interact with each other in their natural habitats and ecosystems. It is extremely important that we help to protect the biodiversity that exists in the world! Many current and anticipated environmental challenges are linked to biodiversity. While many of these problems need to be addressed at the global level, there are also many things that can be done by individuals and communities. You can start by promoting appreciation and respect for biodiversity and progress to taking concrete action.