Philately’s Implications in Ecological Education Via Romanian Thematic Joint Issues (III) - Regarding the 1st Colaboration with WWF

Continuing the extensive project to promote protected natural heritage and biodiversity, we decided, this time, to emphasize the collaboration of the Romanian postal administration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and its purely philatelic interpretations, introducing in scientific circulation the idea of thematic philately for endangered species protection. In this sense, the first topic addressed is the first issue of Romanian postage stamps dedicated exclusively to protected animals in Romania, published in early 1977. From that date until now, at the end of 2020, Romanian philately has been enriched, on quite rare occasions (3-4 in number), with the most interesting and original issues at the same time. As mentioned, the purpose of this paper is to make known to the public and to widely promote the term of protection and sustainable management of endangered species, as an alarm signal on the deplorable condition in which various species of fish, birds or even mammals are treated. For some of these species not to disappear, it was decided to pass them under the protection of the law, where the WWF also has a special contribution through its initiatives. The results of the research undertaken underline the mass character of thematic philately and the fundamental role - as an ambassador of knowledge promotion - that it has played over time. Regarding the philatelic issues that address this thematic, we can say that they successfully highlight the implications of WWF along with those of the Romanian postal administration in promoting the natural capital to be protected, but especially the impressive work of collectors of philatelic effects, as well as of those who used the postal service.