Have you ever had the chance to visit a national park or a zoo? Think about what it would be like if you couldn’t visit these places because there were no more animals and plants or if you no longer had the opportunity to see the grizzly bear, pacific salmon, sea otters, and other endangered species because they didn’t exist anymore.
When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to travel to different areas of the country on family vacations. We went to places like Yosemite National Park in California, the Bronx Zoo (which was a few hours from my hometown in upstate New York), Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and many more, learning more about different animals and plants. As an adult, I learned about the Endangered Species Act which protects the plant and animal species that are at risk of becoming extinct. Because of this Act, we are given the opportunity to experience the rich variety of native species that define our nation. I recently learned that there is a special day, May 17th that is designated to celebrating endangered species.
Visit the Endangered Species Day website to learn about what you can do to celebrate on May 17th. You can find educational resources and learn about endangered species near you. You can even find ways to help protect endangered species by doing small things in your neighborhood like planting native vegetation to provide habitat for wildlife, discuss the importance of biodiversity and species preservation with your friends and participate in an Endangered Species Day Event.
Shelby Egan is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for protecting natural resources, cities she’s never been to and cooking any recipe by The Pioneer Woman.
Did you know that zoos offer more than just seeing animals? I recently visited both the Denver Zoo and the Albuquerque Biopark. I highly recommend a day at the zoo for kids of all ages! It was great fun and I learned a lot, even at my age! Not only can you see animals from around the world and learn about the environments they live in naturally, but many zoos are going green! The Biopark in New Mexico cares for endangered species and has installed energy efficient lighting. The Denver Zoo offers many educational programs about conservation. Go check out your local zoo and find out what they are doing to help the environment.