By Brynn Walling, USFWS

What a comeback!

There are now more than 600 Whooping cranes in North America.

These wonderful birds were almost wiped out, but thanks to the Endangered Species Act, their populations continue to climb – and their recovery stories continue to inspire.

In 1947, Mac was the only Whooping crane left in the entire state of Louisiana. (Photo: USFWS)

For instance, if you were near the Louisiana marshes in March 2011 you may have witnessed some amazing history in the making. Whooping Cranes were freely flying overhead for the first time in 60 years! Conservation efforts paid off and 10 “whoopers” that were raised in captivity were set free to fly the Louisiana Marshes. (Watch it here!)

At one time, the whooping crane population soared between 15,000 – 20,000 birds and their habitats ranged from Central Canada to Mexico and from Utah to the Atlantic coast.

But the birds began to vanish due to the transformation of wetlands and grasslands. Unregulated hunting and specimen collection negatively impacted the population, as well.

[More]

By Tylar Greene, USFWS

The endangered Delmarva fox squirrel is faring better today than it has been in half a century, thanks to national wildlife refuges along the Eastern seaboard.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge has been particularly instrumental in the squirrel’s revival.

“Delmarva fox squirrels were not at Chincoteague when the species was first listed” under the old Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1967, says Kevin Holcomb, a wildlife biologist at the Virginia refuge.

The endangered Delmarva fox squirrel is larger than the common gray squirrel and has a full, fluffy tail. (Photo: USFWS)

[More]

By Kendall Slee

For the Moapa dace - an endangered fish species found only in the thermal springs and streams feeding Nevada’s Muddy River - 2012 was a banner year.

Last August, a snorkeling survey of the Moapa dace habitat counted 1,181 fish - a 65 percent increase from 2011. The population jump indicates that Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge habitat restoration efforts are helping the species recover.

A snorkel survey last summer found a large increase in the species’ population. (Photo: Mark Hereford/USGS)

The minnow–size Moapa dace is adapted to thermal spring waters in the Mojave Desert that can reach 90 degrees and have low oxygen levels, but the species has been struggling for survival because of habitat destruction and non–native competitors.

[More]

Once, their habitat stretched from coast to coast.

Now, their numbers are much smaller, but thanks to conservation efforts, they still exist as a living symbol of the United States.

The plains bison (Bison bison bison) is a subspecies of the American bison that was historically found from central Canada to northern Mexico and nearly from coast to coast.

(Image: USFWS)

[More]

Meet one of the rarest plants in the country.

The Franciscan manzanita (Arctostaphylos franciscana) is an incredibly uncommon species of shrub that grows in and around San Francisco and was just given protection under the Endangered Species Act.

(Photo: Sarah Swenty/USFWS)

Once believed exctinct, the last known wild Franciscan manzanita was discovered in 2009 during a road renovation project and moved for protection.

[More]

By Rebecca Bartel, USFWS

This week is National Pollinator Week and a great opportunity to focus on pollinator conservation actions!

When we think of pollinators — animals that carry pollen from flower to flower as they feed on nectar — we usually think of honeybees or butterflies. But lots of different kinds of animals are pollinators, including hummingbirds and even some beetles, flies, and even bats.

[More]

Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day sets aside the third Friday in May to recognize the importance of endangered species and is an occasion to educate the public on how to protect them. This year, Endangered Species Day falls on May 18th.  In the weeks leading up to Endangered Species Day, we'll be putting a spotlight on a few endangered and threatened species for you to learn more about what makes them unique. And there's still time to enter the Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest! The submission deadline is March 15.

Coho Salmon by Gordon Li

The Coho salmon in the United States ranges from the central California coast to northern Alaska and weighs from 7 to 12 pounds. 

[More]

Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day sets aside the third Friday in May to recognize the importance of endangered species and is an occasion to educate the public on how to protect them. This year, Endangered Species Day falls on May 18th.  In the weeks leading up to Endangered Species Day, we're putting a spotlight on a few endangered and threatened species for you to learn more about what makes them unique. And there's still time to enter the Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest!

Today is International Polar Bear Day! Join us in celebrating this unique symbol of the Arctic.

Photo: Scott Schliebe/USFWS

[More]

Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day sets aside the third Friday in May to recognize the importance of endangered species and is an occasion to educate the public on how to protect them. This year, Endangered Species Day falls on May 18th.  In the weeks leading up to Endangered Species Day, we'll be putting a spotlight on a few endangered and threatened species for you to learn more about what makes them unique. And there's still time to enter the Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest!

Swallow-Tail Kite in flight in Big Cypress, Florida.  Photo: Artur Pedziwilk, Creative Commons

Though not federally listed, the swallow-tailed kite is listed as endangered in the state of South Carolina, where the primary threat to its is habitat loss and pesticide use.

[More]

Know any budding Picassos or Georgia O’Keeffes?

Tell them to grab their art supplies and enter the 2012 Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest! They’ll need to use their creativity to visually portray one or more land- and/or ocean-dwelling endangered species—animal or plant—found in the United States.

The contest is open to ­­­all K-12 students and entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2012.

A prestigious panel of artists, photographers, and conservationists will judge the entries. Winners will be chosen in four categories: K-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12, along with one overall national winner. Complete rules for the contest can be found on the Endangered Species Day website.

Some of last year’s semi-finalists include: 

[Coho Salmon] by Gordon Li of California

[More]