Posts Tagged With: endangered species

ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY!

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Ellie and Edmond ©

ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY!

We’ve been highlighting endangered species and how you can help them all week. We want to explain a bit more about endangered species and have you meet a few animals who have success stories!

First, what is an endangered species? Well, that is a complicated answer. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is an International group that is made up of scientist, conservation organizations and governments from all over the world. They work on conservation issues all around the globe and help determine populations of animals. They have ranking system that starts at Data Deficient and goes to Critically Endangered to Extinct. Individual countries sometimes have their own ranking system and that here in the U.S. started with the Endangered Species Act. It lists animals who need protection or help due to low populations. When an animal is put on the endangered species list, it helps people protect their habitat and their population.

We often hear so many negative stories when it comes to endangered species and we wanted to share some success stories! We can make a difference and we can help protect critical habitats and the animals who live there!

Peregrine Falcons

At one time there were just 324 pairs of these fast fliers left, but now there are over 1,700 pairs*!

Sea Otters

These adorable otters have gone from 1,700 individuals to over 2,700 due to protecting their habitat and rehabilitation efforts by places like the Monterey Bay Aquarium!

Hawaiian Goose

The state bird of Hawaii has gone from just 400 birds to several thousand due to captive breeding programs that reintroduce the birds in their habitats!

Gray Whale

These giants of the ocean are protected from hunting internationally and have seen their numbers grow under that protection. They now number in the 30,000s!

*Numbers from biologicaldiversity.org

We love sharing animal success stories! You can make a difference when it comes to helping endangered species. You can get involved with local and global conservation organizations. You can participate in a habitat clean up. You can recycle, reduce your trash and reuse items. You can take a trip to your local AZA accredited zoo or aquarium, all of which not only work with the animals they house, but with wild populations. Lastly, share your passion and love of animals with everyone you know!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, endangered species, environment, nature, science, wildlife | 3 Comments

ENDANGERED SPECIES- GUESS THE ANIMAL!

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Ellie and Edmond ©

ENDANGERED SPECIES WEEK- GUESS THE ANIMAL

WHO AM I?

I live in the mountains in Asia.
I am able to jump 50 feet in one leap.
I am large cat.

WHO AM I?

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, mammals, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, endangered species, environment, mammals, nature, science, wildlife | 10 Comments

ENDANGERED SPECIES WEEK DAY #2

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Ellie and Edmond ©

ENDANGERED SPECIES WEEK

DAY #2

Day two of Endangered Species Week takes us to the Caribbean to meet a large swimming reptile. We’ve met these turtles before, but are happy to go and find them again! Let’s hop aboard the E & E boat and grab our snorkeling gear to meet today’s endangered species.

MEET THE GREEN SEA TURTLE!

Range/Habitat: tropical-subtropical-temperate oceans worldwide

Diet: Herbivore: sea grass, roots, jellies

Length/Weight: 3 ¼-4 ft/145-600 lbs

Conservation Status: endangered

Fun Facts:

Green Sea Turtles have a smooth carapace.
The carapace (top shell) is a brown-olive color.
Green sea turtles have small heads.
Green sea turtles have strong flippers.
They are the only sea turtle that can be seen occasionally sunbathing on the beach.
Green sea turtles lay eggs on the beach.

Green sea turtles are beautiful reptiles. They have been on the planet for about 65 million years and we sure hope they stick around. One great way to help sea turtles is pick up your trash! Turtles often mistake trash for food. If we make sure our oceans our clean, then the turtles only have their food to eat!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, reptiles, science, turtles, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, conservation, endangered species, environment, nature, oceans, reptiles, science, wildlife | 1 Comment

ENDANGERED SPECIES WEEK!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Ellie and Edmond ©

ENDANGERED SPECIES WEEK

Our theme week this month is focusing on Endangered Species. We’ll spotlight 3 animals and giving you ways in which you can help. We’ll also have a guess the endangered animal post and a craft! We’re going to the mountainous rainforests of Africa to meet today’s endangered species. Grab your raincoats and let’s go meet this great ape.

MEET THE MOUNTAIN GORILLA!

Range/Habitat: Central East Africa/ mountain rainforest

Diet: Omnivore: leaves, shoots, fruit, insects

Length/Weight: 4 ¼-6 /14 ft/ 150-460 lbs

Conservation Status: critically endangered

Fun Facts:

Mountain Gorillas live in high altitude volcanic mountains.
They live in troops with one dominant male, females and their offspring.
Mountain gorillas are generally very peaceful.
Mountain gorillas make a nest every night.
They have very thick fur to help keep them warm.
Mature adult males are called silverbacks.

Mountain gorillas are such amazing creatures. They are gentle, social and intelligent. Habitat loss is just one reason these gorillas are endangered. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund helps these special apes, by tracking them and helping them in the wild. Check out their website. Another great way to help gorillas in the wild is by recycling your cell phone at your local zoo. Our zoo has a program as do many others. Remember everything little thing can help our endangered friends!

Categories: adventure, Animals, apes, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, science, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, endangered species, environment, mammals, nature, science, wildlife | Leave a comment

ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY!

ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY!

Today is a day to celebrate the Endangered Species Act here in America! It was enacted in 1973 and was set up to protect animal and plant species! There are also two international organizations that work to protect animals, CITES and IUCN.

We’re celebrating Endangered Species Day, by picking a few organizations that are working to save endangered animals!

First up: The San Diego Global Wildlife Conservancy. They work in the wild and with the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park to actively protect wildlife. They’ve even reintroduced more than 30 species back into the wild! Our pal on twitter @ZooKeeperRick shared this video with us all about their efforts! They’ve had success with iguanas, pandas and California condors!

Next up: Is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The staff and volunteers at the center work hard to rehabilitate and reintroduce all species of sea turtles! They have a hospital and education center. They also keep track of all the sea turtle nests each season on the Georgia coast! Check out our post on when we visited!

Last up: The Kakapo Parrot! These critically endangered parrots are the largest of all parrots! They are also flightless, which is one reason they have declined in the wild. These amazing birds live in New Zealand, where rescue organizations are working very hard to save them! Check out the Kakapo Recovery website!

The National Wildlife Federation has a great page with more success stories!

We all can work to help endangered species all around the world, even with small steps! A huge problem is habitat loss for many animals. One way to combat this is by recycling glass, paper, plastic & aluminum. You can find a local recycling center near you- here! You can also help endangered animals by educating yourself and joining organizations like the National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund or the Nature Conservancy. You can also pay a visit to your local zoo, aquarium or nature center; often they are helping support animals in the wild and in their facilities with research and education! And one last thing you can do is to share your love of animals and wild places with others! Often your passion will spark that in other people! We’re going to leave you today with some adorable photos of some endangered species and hopefully they will inspire you to act!