We are on the last days of our trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We come out here often for several reasons. First, its a great place to ski, and my husband LOVES to ski. But its also a great place to view wildlife, which is what I usually do to fill my time while we are here. On the day we arrived, we saw moose, bighorn sheep, coyotes, elk and mule deer, all on the short 45 minute drive from the airport to our condo. Tonight we are hoping to attend a lecture by Joel Sartore, a National Geographic photographer who uses his superb photographs to deliver his important message: We are living in a pivotal time, when many species are on the edge of extinction and ecosystems are on the brink of collapse.
“Most can be saved,” Sartore says, “but you have to know they exist.”
To make his point, Sartore uses photos of some of the more notable and recognizable endangered species. But the truth is, there any many endangered species all around us. Perhaps some as close as our own backyards.
If you get a chance, take a look at Sartore’s website to see some of his spectacular photos. And then, take the time to learn about some of the endangered species where you live. And consider that perhaps, maybe the things you are doing in your own landscape are part of the problem…or part of the future solution….for these local species.
As Sartore says: "...if we just pay a little attention, many of these species can be saved. But we have to see them, we have to respect them."
Endangered Species: Plants and Animals, Maryland
Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive, and Other "Species of Concern" in Virginia
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program
