Sochor, J. (2018, October 06). Rare and Endangered. Retrieved from https://www.cnpssd.org/chapter-blog/2018/10/6/rare-and-endangered

This article describes the process by which plants are classified as endangered as well as what these means and how to protect them. This article is made up by a series of questions with two specialists Fred Roberts and Frank Landis. These specialists cover how they take interest in a specific plant species and how any person can get involved to help endangered plant species. They recommend learning about native plant life so you can notify environmental officials if something is happening. Also they share that California environmental groups dedicated to the preservation of rare plants are always underfunded so you can donate your time or money to help.

While theirs is less glamorous than the struggle of endangered animals, endangered plant species are just as important as their more mobile counterparts. Plants are  another victim of the over exploitation of California’s soil and the much larger issue of agricultural irresponsibility. California’s central valley is a vital source of food for the whole country and it is unlikely that a company will feel pressure to change its ways in order to preserve some flower. However the implications that plants are not worth are time are rather grim, because the ripple effect of losing one species no matter the size can be detrimental.

Endangered Birds. (2018, September 27). Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/nature/endangered-birds.htm

The Northern Spotted Owl is a creature that primarily thrives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Officially they were declared endangered in 1990 and currently, they live anywhere from Washington all the way down the West coast to Muir Woods in Marin County, California. As a result of where these creatures reside, there are several threats to their extinction. Massive, uncontrolled forest fires can occur in drier regions of Northern California and other unkempt forests. These fires eliminate large numbers of the creatures themselves in addition to the habitats they create amongst the trees. Anthropogenic causes also have a massive impact on this species as intense urban expansion can affect the quality of life inside protected areas where these owls reside.  

The northern spotted owl suffers from many of the same problems that humans do. The rampant fires that tear through our forests burn them too, and they too feel the toll of our pollution. But these creatures are not complicit in their destruction. They are the victims. The mismanagement of California’s forests is not a new problem but it is not going anywhere. By addressing the inferno problem we are protecting the northern spotted owl. If the hundreds of thousands of acres of destruction wasn’t enough to convince you.

Quino Checkerspot Butterfly. (2019). Retrieved from https://essig.berkeley.edu/endangered/endangered_euphquin/

This article goes over the basic information of the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly. They are medium sized butterflies with brown red and yellow spots. They have long been very abundant creatures but in more recent years have faced serious declines in population almost entirely due to development of land. As their habitat is destroyed and invasive plants are introduced the population is decimated. They are dependent on a specific type of sage-scrub that is often being built over. Of the three large habitats remaining there are already plans in place to develop two of them. This does not bode well for the future of this species.

To me it is hard to believe that we can be so sure about what is killing these beautiful insects and continue doing that very same thing. The fact that we are developing these historic habitats just goes to show the disregard that our state holds for really protecting animals. Just like plants endangered insects often do not receive enough attention to their cause. Just because something is not cute and fuzzy doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be protected. This is the problem that the butterfly faces.

California Condor. (2018, September 24). Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/c/california-condor/

The California Condor, as North America’s largest flying bird, has been a mysterious creature as long as it’s roamed this country. The California Condor’s brush with extinction had the scientific world in a flurry as only about 2-3 dozens of birds were left roaming the skies. The article hypothesized that “many birds died from poison ingestion and illegal egg collection”. Currently, because these birds don’t start reproducing until they’re 6 to 8 years old and have limited egg production once they reach said age, researchers have been collecting  and incubating these eggs to protect them from natural harm. Officially, conservation began in 1992 and since then has helped these birds repopulate mainly in areas of lower human population density.

The California condor’s reason for endangerment is rather depressing. Given that condors reside almost entirely off of already dead carcasses they often consume animals that have been shot by hunters. Condors are subsequently being subjected to lead poisoning from the ammunition left over by hunters. Even legal hunting of non-endangered animals can cause damage to ecosystems and poison the food supply. As some of north America’s largest flying birds it would truly be a shame for the California condors to be lost.

Sierra Nevada Red Fox in Yosemite National Park. (2018, December 3). Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/redfox.htm

This main purpose of this article is to report a rare sighting of a Sierra Nevada Red Fox in Yosemite National Park. Originally, these creatures lived amongst California’s Sierra Nevada and the Southern Cascade Mountains, free from danger. Starting in 1940, as trappers became intrigued by the fox’s attractive and dense fur coats, the population decreased immensely. As the hunting and trapping continued, by 1980 this species was declared endangered in California. Recently, motion sensor cameras captured photos of a healthy fox within Yosemite National Park, hinting that this species may have made a comeback.

This article tells the story of many furred animals native to North America. As European settlers moved west their existence became threatened as demand increased for their furs. It has often been a status symbol to have the finest furs as it still is today in fur coats or as it once was with weird looking hats. It is disheartening the destruction humans will cause in order to fashionable. However, as healthy foxes return to Yosemite perhaps we can strive for a better if less fashionable future.

Cuthbert, L. (2018, October 03). Texas Horned Lizard, Once Common, Now Must Be Captive Bred. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/10/horned-lizard-texas-endangered-threatened-species-video-news/

This article tells the story of an animal that is not yet endangered however, it seems to be on a course destined for endangerment. The texas horned lizard was once a common creature is now faced with rapidly declining populations. Among other reasons, this is due to the introduced red fire ants that kill lizard hatchlings. Now often being bred in captivity the texas horned lizard seems to be on an extinction course. One of the most troubling facts was that the Texas horned lizard is one of 1,300 threatened species in texas alone.

This article is near and dear to my heart not because I have ever encountered one of these creatures in the wild but because they closely resemble the creatures portrayed in the classic adapted film Holes. However there is an actual much more real value to these creatures. Beyond their inherent value, texas horned lizards are part of a much larger issue of animals that were once extremely common that are now seeming to vanish from our world. However, there is now a bipartisan movement to protect animals like these even if they are not endangered yet. I think that is extremely important.

Guevara, N. (n.d.). For 1st time in years, chinook salmon return to rehabbed Seattle creek to spawn. Retrieved from https://komonews.com/news/local/for-1st-time-in-years-chinook-salmon-return-to-rehabbed-seattle-creek-to-spawn

This article described the return of the chinook salmon seattle creek. THe chinook salmon is an endangered species of american salmon and is the largest breed of salmon. They are a critical food source to many marine and terrestrial organisms like orcas. While they spend their life in the open ocean they travel hundreds of mile inland upstream in rivers to spawn. They are threatened by pollution of these waterways as well as dams blocking their path up the rivers. This was the case for Seattle Creek, where Chinook have not spawned for decades, however, Seattle creek has been subject to a rehabilitation project and for the first time in years, a spawning pair returned to the creek this year.

This article while only describing one instance of successful environmental rehabilitation it is an inspiring story nonetheless. It shows how the effort to protect our endangered species can pay off.  However, just because a couple salmon have moved into the creek does not mean that all the effort is over. It is important to keep an attitude of continued urgency in conservation beyond the moment when results begin to show. In the case of Seattle creek, for example, seattle has passed laws to limit the consumption of chinook salmon and worked to accommodate their migration, however, it is important not to say “okay, we did that so now we can start to loosen regulations.”

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

Service, U. F. (n.d.). Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/aboutwolves/biologue.htm

This article is an informational log about the American Gray Wolf. It gives basic information about the species and various facts about its history. One of the more important sections of the article discusses the effect that the reintroduction of wolves had on yellowstone national park. It benefited almost all of the organisms in the ecosystems from foxes and ravens to aspen trees. The reintroduction of a top predator like the wolf can cause massive changes in an ecosystem even if it is still critically endangered.

I found this article very informative, while it did not have any specific argument it provided significant data to base one off of. The study of yellowstone after the wolves reintroduction shows how important it is that we continue to protect gray wolves. That is why it is troubling that the house just voted to remove protections on them. Personally I feel that the continued recovery of gray wolves is more valuable for the world than the economic convenience of ranchers who fear these apex predators.

Ap. “Bill That Would Drop Protections For Gray Wolves Passes House.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.crom, 16 Nov. 2018, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-dropping-wolf-protection-passes-house_us_5bef4b7ae4b07573881e9981.

This article discusses a new bill that recently went through the United States House of  Representatives. This bill would remove the Gray wolf from the endangered species list; the gray wolf would then not be protected by the endangered species act. The Gray wolf had been almost completely eradicated from the lower 48 states by ranchers before it was legally protected in the 70’s. Since then after decades of conservation efforts, the Gray wolf population has grown to about 5,000, still not nearly as populous as it naturally would be. Nonetheless, the republican controlled House of representatives passed this bill, so the bill will go on to the senate. It is a symptom of the long-running hatred of the gray wolves by american farmers and ranchers and the political device of the republican party of apathy towards ecosystems in favor of economic gain.

I was very upset to read the headline of this article. While the wolf has made a significant recovery in the last several decades reaching about 5,000, it is still very much recovering. The ecological benefits of the wolf making a comeback was immense, as we have studied, the food web is an interconnected balancing act, the wolf being reintroduced, reintroduces the very health of the ecosystem. While the supporters of this bill disingenuously say that laws like this should be up to the states, it is clear that this is a blatant and careless act to garner support from middle America farmers, in a time of decreased republican support. This act will move onto the republican controlled senate and most likely be passed, this does not bode well for the health of  our nation’s ecosystems.

“12 Extraordinary Pictures Show Animals Headed for Extinction.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 22 Oct. 2018, news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150517-endangered-species-pictures-wildlife-animals-science/.

This article contains a collection of photos of different species that are very near to extinction. The Article catalogs pictures of species headed for eradication that are a part of the National Geographic Archive. The purpose of these photographs is to show the extraordinary species we are losing. The pictures include the Vaquita, a very small porpoise that is already virtually extinct, it is native to the californian coast. Also pictured is the Hawaiian Monk Seal and the Cuban Crocodile. The images show a beauty present in our most endangered species, while the species as a whole is desperately threatened, the remaining individuals still hold their form. The pictures depict striking visuals of these animals.

This article is a very important one. It connects to the larger movement of documenting endangered animals while we still have the chance. While some are struggling to preserve species literally through conservation efforts, others are beginning to merely document these animals through photography. While this may not directly protect the animals these efforts do raise awareness and public support, and also immortalize these creatures in photographs we will always have. It is interesting that some of the animals on this list are already virtually extinct, yet the individuals remaining continue to live oblivious to their species downfall.