Animal conservation efforts
Making our environment green is about everyone dreams, that’s them main reasons why people gathering with their efforts by collecting money in charity events or with spending their time on animal and plants conservatory. Thus this site is focusing in eagles or hawks, lets talk about it more in this articles.
About 200 years ago, hundreds of thousands of bald eagles filled the skies of North America. They were such a beautiful sight that in 1782 the species was chosen to be the national symbol for the United States. (You can see bald eagles on quarters and on dollar bills.) But starting about 100 years ago, the bald eagle ran into trouble. People were destroying lots of the birds’ habitat (the wild places the eagles need to live in). Also, many farmers and ranchers were killing eagles. (They thought the birds were killing large numbers of their farm animals, but that wasn’t true.) Then, the numbers of eagles went down further due to pollution–especially from DDT, a chemical used to kill insects on crops.
So by the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United States saw the need to help save the birds. (By then, only about 1000 adult eagles were left in the lower 48 states.) The government decided to protect the birds under a new law called the Endangered Species Act (ESA). That meant the birds’ habitat would be protected. Plus, it was illegal to kill bald eagles. Meanwhile, another law also was passed that made it illegal to use DDT.
Many groups of people began working to help save bald eagles. One of the groups that has worked the hardest is the National Wildlife Federation. (That’s the group that publishes Ranger Rick magazine.)
Now, less than 30 years after the bald eagle was put on the endangered species list, there’s great news. The number of eagles in the lower 48 states has grown to at least 12,000 (including adults and young). And in 45 states, the species is no longer listed as endangered! (It’s now listed as “threatened” instead.)
So extra protection for endangered species really can work. It can help keep them from going extinct (dying out).
A group of kids in Portland, Oregon, is working on a neat environmental project after school. The project is so successful that others like it may start up in cities across the United States.
The Green City Data Project began more than a year ago. First, 100 kids from a dozen schools got some special training. They learned how to make maps, identify plants and animals, measure pollution in water, and more.
Next, the students went out and explored some natural areas in and near their city. They drew maps, studied water samples, and collected information on plants and animals there.
Then the group met with city planners. As the city keeps growing, the planners have to decide where new buildings and roads should go–and where protected areas and parks should be. The valuable information collected by the kids is used to help make those decisions!