Every year on the third Friday in May, thousands of people around the world participate in Endangered Species Day by celebrating, learning about, and taking action to protect threatened and endangered species.
1. Post to social media. Social media ATS helps raise awareness of the threats endangered species face and importance of protecting them. Post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or other platforms wishing people a happy Endangered Species Day or highlighting one of your favorite endangered species. #EndangeredSpeciesDay.
2. Join the nationwide Endangered Species Chalk Art Event. You can participate in this creative Endangered Species Day event from anywhere in the country. Along with being a good time, the chalk art event helps raise awareness of wildlife conservation, and you might win a prize.
3. Watch a movie or TV show about endangered species. There are a wide variety of documentaries that do a great job of portraying the threats our endangered species face today. We particularly recommend Racing Extinction, Love and Bananas, DamNation, and Dammed to Extinction. Shows like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Our Planet do a great job of showcasing the wonders of wildlife in our world, and many episodes are appropriate and engaging for kids and adults.
4. Start a book about endangered species. Many of these books can be borrowed electronically from your local library or purchased as e-books to read on your computer, tablet, e-reader, or phone.
5. Take a virtual tour of a national park. Even though many of us are stuck inside, we can still visit some of the country’s most beautiful places without ever leaving the couch, thanks to the Government. Take a virtual hike for Endangered Species Day and appreciate some of our most iconic wild lands.
6. Write a letter to the editor about the Endangered Species Act. Letters to the editor raise awareness of the importance of the Endangered Species Act to the public and ensure elected officials know that we want them to continue to protect this landmark legislation.
7. Plant a pollinator garden in your backyard. A pollinator garden has native flowers and grasses that provide critical food and habitat for bees, butterflies, and other species. You can learn more about pollinator gardens from the Xerces Society, and more about native plants in your region.
8. Help scientists sort, classify, and review wildlife data. Through the website Zooniverse, everyday citizens can help researchers working on large projects to manage their data. This is a great way to support scientists who are doing important research on wildlife and their habitat.
9. Start a National Geographic course on conservation. National Geographic offers a range of free, online courses on topics such as ocean conservation, illegal wildlife trafficking, and more. Start one of the informative courses on Endangered Species Day!
10. Visit a mural. Our Endangered Species Day events includes more than a dozen public murals of endangered species you could visit, and there are hundreds of other wildlife murals that aren’t listed.
Specifically for kids:
11. Start a quest with Project Hero. Originally designed for classroom use but easily adapted for remote learning, Project Hero is a free, online program that leads students on a learning journey to explore concepts through the lens of the species or ecosystem and culminates in the design and implementation of a project that makes a meaningful difference. Try out the quests focused on Pollinators, Soil and Soil Health, and the Wolf Reintroduction Ballot Initiative in Colorado.
12. Do an arts & crafts activity. This could be drawing, painting, or making a collage of endangered species, building a diorama of a species and its habitat, or doing a craft with recycled materials. Art is a great way to learn about and celebrate endangered species.
13. Do the Endangered Species Day Activity Book. This activity book can be printed out and has coloring pages of endangered species, including educational information about where the species live and what threats they face. The activity book also includes a maze, crossword puzzle, and word search. You can find it by clicking here.
14. Watch a family movie that features endangered species. For example, The Lorax, based on the famous children’s book by Dr. Seuss, is a great family-friendly film about the importance of protecting endangered trees. The Lion King and Finding Nemo also feature lots of endangered species, and could be great ways to start conversations with kids about the importance of protecting our wildlife.
