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DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE ACTION FUND'S VIRTUAL EARTH DAY MARCH BUILDS MOMENTUM
Tens of Thousands of "Marchers" Sign Up to Protect Nation's Wildlife and Wild Places

Washington, D.C. -- In the short three weeks since the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund announced the launch of the second Earth Day virtual march for the environment, over 38,000 marchers have signed up. With eight weeks to go, the group is expecting a record-breaking turnout for the Earth Day event.

"Congressmen Tom DeLay, Richard Pombo and their congressional cohorts must not cater to special interests at the expense of our nation's wildlife, parks and refuges," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. "The Earth Day virtual march is a great opportunity for citizens to mobilize and let their members of Congress know that our wildlife, its habitat and the environment we share are not to be sold to the highest bidder."

The effort in partnership with Care2.com features a special Web site, www.EarthDayVirtualMarch.org,where citizens can voice their opposition to selling off our national parks; undermining protections for endangered plants and animals; drilling off of our fragile coastlines and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; and relaxing safeguards against mercury and pesticide pollution.

Through www.EarthDayVirtualMarch.org, individuals can sign up for the march, design their own protest signs and e-mail their senators and representatives. A steady stream of supporters are adding their names to the list, and tens of thousands more are expected to join by Earth Day, April 22, 2006.

Marchers are also encouraged to spread the word about it to their friends and family. Marchers who sign up fellow marchers will be eligible to have their names included in a weekly drawing for a special Earth Day virtual march iPod Nano. The first marcher awarded an iPod was Cassidy B. from Royal Oak, Michigan.

"We want this experience to be much more personal," explains Schlickeisen. "Through an individualized map, each person will be able to see the ripple effect of his or her recruitment efforts, as dots pop up on the map every time one of his or her friends joins the march. This allows each participant to watch as their impact spreads across the country. It is quite impressive to see the far-reaching effects of this march already and we are encouraged that thousands more will join."

Care2 is the leading online destination and action center for people with a passion for leading a healthy, responsible lifestyle and supporting progressive causes. Along with its own 5 million members, Care2 is building a powerful network of online communities to collectively make a difference in the most important social, health and environmental causes of our time. Care2's affiliated site, www.thepetitionsite.com, has hundreds of petitions supporting a wide range of environmental and progressive issues.

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is a nonprofit organization that works to provide the conservation community with a voice in the legislative and political process. The Defenders Action Fund also educates the public about the legislative records of members of Congress, especially through its Conservation Report Card.