November 2024

When we talk about conserving at risk, threatened, and endangered species, we often think of regulatory measures, prohibitions, and protecting individual members of a species. Over the first 50 years of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), this approach has helped prevent species from going extinct—a success worth celebrating. However, Congress established that the findings, purpose, and policy under the ESA extend beyond simply avoiding extinction. It emphasizes the need to conserve the ecosystems where threatened and endangered species live. Conserving these ecosystems is crucial as we work toward recovering species to where they no longer need ESA protection. The ESA offers rewards and support to promote creative methods that speed up saving species from being endangered or threatened. What if we could not only save species from extinction but also revitalize the ecosystems they call home? As we stand on the threshold of the next 50 years under the ESA, this is the challenge we face.

Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Exxon Valdez oil spill were the top media stories in 1989. For the wildlife conservation community, the 11-million-gallon oil spill in the pristine waters of Alaska’s Prince William Sound would become a foremost concern for years to follow.

A few years ago, I read a book by Adam Grant called, Think Again. It was a fascinating read for a host of reasons, and I’ve recommended it to many others including friends, family, and colleagues. Although the book offered profound perspectives on how we formulate our beliefs and ways in which we cling tightly to them, there were several interesting anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book. One of which particularly intrigued me and was the focus of significant thoughts for me and multiple conversations. The author presented the concept of the Overview Effect as an example of a perspective shifting experience. Although the term was first coined by Frank White in 1987, I had never heard it and was completely ignorant to its meaning. After White’s creation of the term and vast interview-based research into the concept, it became more clearly defined as a term used to describe the psychological changes that astronauts experience when they see Earth from space. Although a relatively simple definition, a deeper look reveals more nuance to the Overview Effect. It is further described by five very specific emotions: awe for Earth, connectedness to Earth, sense of responsibility to care for Earth, sense of fragility of Earth, and shifts in one’s self concept and values.

That screaming-hot deal on carbon arrows you put in your Amazon shopping cart? The reason they’re so cheap may be because the Asian manufacturer isn’t paying the mandatory 11% “conservation” tax that U.S. archery manufacturers pay.

With climate change and extreme weather complicating traditional salmon monitoring efforts, researchers funded by the U.S. Geological Survey are testing environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques to bolster salmon monitoring and management in the Yukon River.