Endangered Species Day

Schools

• Lessons plans- Schedule one or more class periods to discuss biodiversity, habitat preservation and the necessity of protecting rare/threatened/endangered species. (Sample Endangered Species Day lesson plans and other educational material are available for all grade levels at www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org)
• Endangered Species Day Art Contest - Students can draw or paint a picture of an endangered species and enter the national art contest for some great prizes. (For more information, visit www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org)
• Field Trip - If possible, take students on a field trip to a nearby zoo, aquarium, park or wildlife refuge to see endangered species in person. Visit wildlife habitat (wetlands, forest area),
• Museum Tour - Spend a few hours at your natural history/other museum to learn more about your local environment.
• Adopt a Species - Have students select a local threatened/endangered species. They can read about the species’ plight and learn what can be done.

Libraries and Museums

• Display - Create a natural history display of endangered species in your area;
• Organize a reading of a few books on endangered species and the environment;
• Home school class – Offer a short lesson on endangered species for home school students and others who are interested. (Sample Endangered Species Day lesson plans and other educational material are available for all grade levels at www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org);
• Guest Speaker - Invite a naturalist or other expert from your natural history museum. Contact your local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office, university or conservation organization for potential speakers.

Zoos/Parks

• Education Day - Highlight endangered/rare species exhibits. Offer special discounts, school tours.
• Provide visitors with a self-guided tour of endangered species animal exhibits
• Programs - Have talks from zoo staff about endangered species.
• Contest - Hold an art/photo contest for children/patrons.
• Hang a banner that announces Endangered Species Day
• Mention Endangered Species Day in your newsletter and other publications

Parks and Wildlife Refuge Interpretative Centers

• Provide tours and presentations about endangered species habitat
• Create threatened/endangered species educational display
• Post signs or hang banner regarding Endangered Species Day
• Distribute flyers about endangered species habitat in the park or refuge

Girl Scouts

• Girl Scouts have introduced an Endangered Species badge for Endangered Species Day.  Scout troops can plan activities that may satisfy Earned Award Program subjects such as Animals, Watching Wildlife, Wildlife, Earth Connections, Eco-action, Ecoexplorer, Earth is Our Home. For information and pictures of the endangered species badges, visit http://www.girlscouts.org/

Boy Scouts

• The Boy Scouts of America have encouraged scout troops to recognize Endangered Species Day. Boy Scouts can participate in many activities that may satisfy one or more of the requirements for your Merit Badges in nature, wildlife, ecology, conservation and related areas and help meet one or more of their advancement requirements for Environmental Science and Fish & Wildlife Management merit badges, Cub Scout Conservation belt loop and Webelos Naturalist Activity Badge. For more information, visit http://scouting.org/

Families and Individuals

• Field trip: Plan a family visit your local zoo, aquarium, museum, park or wildlife refuge.  Bring your family, friends, and neighbors.
• Habitat project: Contact your local park, refuge or community open space about participating a habitat clean up or restoration project.
• Endangered Species Day Art Contest - Children can draw or paint a picture of an endangered species and enter the national art contest for some great prizes. (For more information, visit www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org)
• Movie Screening - Invite your family, friends and neighbors to watch a movie about nature and have a discussion afterwards (We recommend Hoot, Furry Vengeance or other fun family film);
• Potluck with friends and family.  Encourage your participants to sign and/or write letters to Congress urging them to protect endangered species.
• Family home project – There are many things around the house that you can do to help save your local wildlife, birds, fish and plants. Make your home wildlife friendly by securing garbage in shelters or cans with locking lids, feed pets indoors and lock pet doors at night to avoid attracting wild animals into your home.  Reduce your use of water in your home and garden so that animals that live in or near water can have a better chance of survival. Disinfect bird baths often to avoid disease transmission. Place decals on windows to deter bird collisions. Millions of birds die every year because of collisions with windows. You can help reduce the number of collisions simply by placing decals on the windows in your home and office.
• Gardening project - Provide habitat for wildlife by planting native vegetation in your yard 
  Native plants provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Attracting native insects like bees and butterflies can help pollinate your plants. The spread of non-native species has greatly impacted native populations around the world. Invasive species compete with native species for resources and habitat. They can even prey on native species directly, forcing native species towards extinction.
• Check out our list of 10 easy things you can do at home to protect endangered species for more ideas about what you and your family and community can do. Visit www.stopextinction.org for more ideas about how you can help protect endangered species.

Communities

• Neighborhood Clean-up - Plan a clean-up of a local beach, park or open space;
• Fairs – Organize a community fair and invite local community groups, universities, agencies to have booths and displays about local wildlife and wild places.
• Tours - Offer tours, hikes, bird watching and other activities in local parks or open space;
• Film Festival - Invite your members to watch several movies about nature and have a discussion afterwards (We recommend Hoot, Furry Vengeance or other fun family films);
• Organizing a scientific conference or one-day symposium to bring together government, university and other scientists and researchers to discuss the latest endangered species research;
• Invite local media, elected officials or other visitors to a press conference highlighting your work to protect and recover endangered species;
• Invite local schools, camps or scout troups to learn about endangered species (Endangered Species Day educational materials are available at www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org);
• Visit local schools, camps or scout troups to give a talk about endangered species and invite them to participate in the Endangered Species Day art contest;
• Include Endangered Species Day articles in your newsletters, website and other publications.