Having reached the year 2000, we face the sobering fact that the number of species officially listed as endangered or threatened is rapidly approaching the same number. Many other vulnerable plants and animals also await protection. The challenges facing everyone interested in conserving our natural heritage seem to grow greater all the time, but reasons for optimism can still be found. Just recently, for example, biologists documented the first known reproduction of pallid sturgeon in the lower Missouri River in at least 50 years. Meanwhile, on the Pacific island of Guam, local and federal agencies are working with zoos to restore a rare bird, the Guam rail, to its native range. Their stories, and other hopeful news, are found in this edition of the Endangered Species Bulletin.