PRESS RELEASE

FIRST-EVER EARTH DAY VIRTUAL MARCH LAUNCHED

Care2 and the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund today announced the launch of the first-ever environmental virtual march to coincide with Earth Day, April 22nd. The joint effort, through a special website www.earthdayvirtualmarch.org, is aimed at providing an organized way for citizens to protest the recent Senate vote to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, and other anti-conservation policies of the White House and the Congress.

Randy Paynter, Founder of Care2 said "We wanted to give individuals the means to have their voices heard collectively by the politicians in Washington and see the viral impact of joining forces with activists across the country. Through the virtual march, our elected representatives will receive an avalanche of emails, phone calls and faxes that should help influence them to vote responsibly on issues affecting our wildlife, its habitat and the environment we share."

Speaking for Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, its President, Rodger Schlickeisen, said "Through this first Earth Day virtual march, conservationists can send a message to the White House and the Congress that oil drilling in America's greatest wildlife sanctuary is not the way to prepare for America's energy future. It's time for the President, Senators and Representatives to stop listening to oil interests, and instead build a conservation legacy for our children and grandchildren."

Through www.earthdayvirtualmarch.org individuals can sign up for the march and simultaneously send an email praising or criticizing their Senators on their Arctic vote. All of the emails will be delivered on Earth Day. Those participating in the march will also be urged to call or fax the White House, their Senators and their Representative on Earth Day.

In addition, those signing up will be encouraged to spread the word about the march and encourage friends to sign up. The www.earthdayvirtualmarch.org site provides an individualized map that will show the ripple effect of the viral effort by indicating how many people are in fact signing up and where they live. This attractive feature allows each participating individual to see how many marchers he or she produces, and how their impact spreads across the country.

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 4 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.

Affiliated with Defenders of Wildlife, the Defenders Action Fund is 501(c)(4) organization created to provide the wildlife conservation community with a stronger voice in the political process. For more information, see www.defendersactionfund.org.