It’s Endangered Species Day!

Apparently, I came out of ‘retirement’ just in time. I didn’t know it until this morning, but today is Endangered Species Day!

Like many cause-themed holidays, Endangered Species Day is all about generating action. In this case, that action is centered around protecting endangered species.

As the IUCN Red List says, “More than 31,000 species are threatened with extinction.” That’s huge.

Every species, no matter how inconvenient they may seem to us, is important: they all have roles to play in their ecosystems, and they all have worth that extends beyond any monetary value.

Here’s a cool video about Endangered Species Day by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that highlights the success of the Endangered Species Act in the U.S.:

So, why not take some time out of your day to learn about endangered species? This page by the Endangered Species Coalition is a good place to start.

This is also a perfect day to contribute to conservation through a donation – any amount you can give would help!

I chose to donate to the Wildlife Conservation Society this year, because I was impressed by their response to the cheetah conservation crisis in Iran, and because they’re running a 2x match campaign until midnight tonight.

In other words, any donations you make to the WCS today will be doubled!

Happy Endangered Species Day!