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How Can I Help?
The situation for many species is indeed critical, but not hopeless. Every citizen has the responsibility to contribute to saving the planet's fragile resources if we are to survive! Here are some ideas for ways you can help save endangered species:
* Find out what species in your state or country are endangered or threatened by writing to your state fish and game / natural resources department. Find out what is being done to conserve them.
* Write to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for a list of federally protected endangered and threatened species.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Ecological Services
4401 N. Fairfax Dr.
Arlington, VA 22203
* Visit one of the more than 400 National Wildlife Refuges. Environmental education specialists can describe the resident wildlife, the refuge's needs and its management. Many refuges are now developing programs to encourage volunteer work. See if you can volunteer.
* Join Keepers of the Wild and other organizations and support the fight to save endangered wildlife worldwide.
* Learn all you can about endangered and threatened species and share your knowledge with your family and friends. Go to the library and read about the species that interest you.
* Don't buy products made of ivory, tortoise shell, fur, or any other products made from endangered species.
* Don't buy exotic or wild animals as pets. They are very difficult to keep, and the pet trade often endangers populations in their native habitats.
* Have a car wash, bake sale, walkathon, or any other activity to help raise money for organizations that help endangered species.
* Write letters to politicians, television programmers, newspaper editors and others to let them know of your concern for endangered species, and ask that they help promote public awareness of the issues facing our wildlife.
* Find out what forms of environmental pollution are being allowed in your area and why. Write to your state and local officials and inform them of your concern.
* Make drawings of the animals and plants that are threatened and endangered in your area. Present a show of the drawings, or bind them into a book for your school library.
* Visit your local zoo and ask about breeding programs for endangered species. Be aware of the conditions of the zoo and if the animals are well treated.
* Visit your local pet store and make lists of wild animals being sold. Find out if any of them are threatened or endangered, and if they were captured in the wild, or bred for the pet store.
* Conserve energy by turning off lights, and using less air conditioning, heating and gasoline. Recycle paper, aluminum, plastic, and glass products. More and more companies are manufacturing products with recyclable materials and with recycled content. By using fewer resources, you help protect and preserve habitats and resources needed by animals and plants
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How Does the Listing Work?
The United States uses a rather long process for placing a species on the endangered list. There are two stages or classifications for a species perceived to be in danger of extinction. The first stage is "threatened" and the next "endangered".
An endangered species is defined as one which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its historic range. A threatened species is defined as one which is very likely to become endangered in the near future. Before a species is placed on the list, it must be recommended for consideration. If there is a serious decrease in population of the species, and this trend is expected to continue, the species will be added to the list. When a species is listed as threatened or endangered, it becomes protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, a Federal law regulating all the activity relating to the preservation of a species. This includes any killing of the species, any commerce in it and also preservation of its habitat.
The process of having a species added to the list can take several years. There are currently hundreds of species waiting to be researched sufficiently to determine whether they need the protection of the listing. Unfortunately, not all of these animals can afford the wait.
Why Should We Save Endangered Species?
There is no doubt that many species of endangered animals and plants are beautiful to look at. But, what about the ones who are not so beautiful, and don't seem to serve any special purpose? Why should we be so concerned?
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 states that endangered and threatened species "are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational and scientific value to the Nation and its people". There are six excellent reasons to take into consideration when we decide the future of other creatures on this planet.
Each species on our planet has a special niche to fill. The value of a species is not always readily apparent to man, and yet if we fail to recognize a species' intrinsic value, the results can be disastrous. The ecosystem a species lives in is fragile and interdependent. That is, each species in its natural environment fulfills a need, has a function and depends on and is depended upon by another species, or many other species. For example, man has hunted, trapped and poisoned wolves for hundreds of years because he believes they are a nuisance and a danger to his livestock and to himself. The absence of the wolf, a predator species, over much of its historical range has resulted in an overpopulation of food species like deer and elk in some areas.
Overpopulation is a danger to the habitat the animals live in, and also can cause food shortages. As the animals spread out further in their search for food, they interfere with land designated for agriculture, and become a nuisance to the farmer, and even to suburban dwellers. The wolf in its natural habitat has proven to be an essential part of keeping a balanced and healthy wildlife population.
Plants in particular are of great value to man. Hundreds of medicines that we need, including penicillin, are derived from plant species. There could be cures for some of the world's most serious diseases in plant species we have not yet discovered or studied, but they are in danger of being wiped out before we get the chance. So you see, it is important for many reasons that we all work together to save endangered species - even if we don't know the reasons yet!
Man has become the most powerful species on Earth, determining the destiny of the planet according to his immediate need. The decrease in animal and plant species is no longer due only to natural causes. There are currently over 1,000 species of animal (with about half of those native to the United States) on the Endangered List, and about 25,000 species of plants. Since man first came to this country in 1620, more than 500 species of native American animals and plants have been lost to us forever. In the next 20 years, 25% of all species now alive may become extinct. It is easy to see that the modernization and industrialization of the natural world has sped up the process of species extinction to the point where species we have not yet discovered are being lost.
Understanding the process, the causes, and how one can help is the first step to helping preserve the beautiful and delicate world we live in.
Why Do Animals Become Endangered?
The biggest problem facing animals and plants today is habitat loss. While man's population continues to grow and spread, animals are forced to live in smaller and more crowded areas. Man is also responsible for large scale destruction of habitat through deforestation, damming and flooding large areas, filling in wetlands, building and development, and otherwise driving many species from their homes.
Environmental pollution is another factor in habitat destruction. Man pollutes the air, water and land in many forms; pesticides, industrial smog, toxic waste, car fumes, landfills, and plastic debris are just a few examples.
Exploitation for commercial use is the most serious problem facing many species today; elephants, rhinos, whales, and turtles are just some of the species man uses and abuses for profit. Whether it be for fur, ivory or other commodities derived from animals, the human idea that animals and plants exist exclusively as a resource for man puts us in danger of losing forever some of the world's most spectacular creatures. There are also other factors; disease, predation, sport hunting and trapping, and the exotic pet trade all contribute to and are leading to the extermination of thousands of the world's animals and plants.
