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National parks are home to some amazing plants and animals, but unfortunately many of these are “at-risk” species. This means that their population numbers have dropped so low that scientists are concerned – some have even been listed under the Endangered Species Act as “threatened” or “endangered”. Endangered species are at risk for extinction without your help.
NPS photo Endangered species use park lands and waters to find food, raise their young, and rest. Some endangered species are migratory and travel in and out of different parks and some are only found inside a single national park. Do you know Hawaiian monk seals, like the one pictured, are only found in the state of Hawaii? Kalaupapa National Historical Park partners with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to monitor monk seals that come to the park to have their pups. Monk seals need plenty of room - about 150 feet to rest - and mama monk seals can be very protective! Parks manage habitat to protect species, especially endangered and threatened species. National seashores like Point Reyes National Seashore set aside beach habitat for endangered nesting shorebirds and limit the activities that can occur there to help protect the birds while they are raising their offspring. For example, they limit when dogs can be on the beach and require a leash during the times of year that dogs are allowed. Earlier this month, an off-leash dog entered the seasonal restricted area. The dog attacked and killed a threatened Guadalupe fur seal pup that had come ashore to rest. Cape Cod National Seashore is closed seasonally to beach driving to protect endangered plover nests and has recently seen habitat destruction from unauthorized use. Endangered species rely on parks for safe spaces - for them to eat, sleep, play, and be wild. It is up to us to share the space responsibly. Park rules are there to keep visitors and resources safe. One selfie may not seem as though it is having an impact, but remember that national parks see more than 330 million visitors annually. Getting too close to wildlife can disturb their natural behaviors and cause unnecessary stress. Always watch from a distance for your safety and theirs!
NPS photo Did you know there are 16 endangered species of turtle or tortoise found in National Park Service sites? One species, the desert tortoise, has likely existed for 15-20 million years! Desert tortoises have survived in extreme environments - the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts - but are in trouble due to interaction with humans. Impacts include:
Last year three desert tortoises were killed in a Joshua Tree National Park campground after being hit by cars. Scientists studying the tortoises have found that litter and inappropriate food disposal in the campgrounds attracts and boosts the raven population, who like to eat baby tortoises! On top of these threats, climate change is making their environment hotter and drier. So what should you do? Keep your distance from tortoises and other wildlife. When driving, go slow and be aware. Joshua Tree National Park has a great video about why you shouldn’t move desert tortoises.
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Did you know that federal agencies work together to protect wildlife? The Key deer are endemic, meaning they are found only in the Florida keys, and are endangered. National Park staff from south Florida parks help the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge with habitat management projects and by sharing the message that feeding wildlife is dangerous. Key deer who have been fed often approach roadways and are more likely to be hit by cars. Please help us keep them healthy and wild by not feeding them. It’s illegal to feed all wildlife in a national park or wildlife refuge, as doing so can be dangerous for you and the wild animal. You might want to see the animal up-close or think that feeding just one animal, one time doesn’t do any harm. Feeding wildlife can be deadly. For more information, check out seven ways to safely watch wildlife. Aggression towards humans - in the form of a bite or a scratch - could put you at risk for bubonic plague, hantavirus, or rabies. A bite or attack from a food-conditioned black bear could be downright deadly. Wildlife fed by humans can become nuisance animals, breaking into tents, cars, and even homes - causing damage long after you have gone home. So what should you do when you encounter wildlife or take your picnic to a national park?
NPS photo National parks see more than 330 million visitors annually! If each person took home a “memento” - a rock, stick, pinecone, or flower - there would be none left to enjoy and none for the wildlife. Rocks, sticks, logs, and leaves are important habitat for many species. The Shenandoah salamander is only found in Shenandoah National Park. They actually breathe through their skin, but to do so they need moist conditions, like those found in forested areas. They eat small invertebrates they find under rocks, sticks, logs, and leaves. Removing these items reduces the available habitat for insects and salamanders. It may even make the forest floor drier and increase erosion. As the park climate warms, forest cover and leaf litter becomes even more important for the salamander. What should you do? Plan ahead and make sure everyone in your group knows to leave what you find behind. Plan a camera scavenger hunt and take photographs of the interesting things you find. Bring along a guidebook to help determine what type of rock, leaf, flower, or feather you have found. Try your hand at sketching your findings in a field notebook. Practice Leave No Trace principles.
NPS photo Your adventurous spirit may threaten to take you off trail, but staying on the trail and out of fenced off areas is the best way to ensure you do not destroy endangered plant species. Plants such as sentry milk-vetch in Grand Canyon National Park is not only endangered, but also endemic, meaning that the park is the only place in the world it is found. Much of this plant’s biology is still unknown and a mystery to science. Rangers close off areas to protect these sensitive plants and give them time to recover. Park biologists are actively cultivating sentry milk-vetch plants in a greenhouse for transplant back into areas that have been damaged by people walking off-trail. Some parks in the Southwest experience super-bloom events when rains activate carpets of wildflowers. The sight can be breathtaking and many visitors travel to places like the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Death Valley National Park to see the splendor. Please remember the perfect Instagram shot is NOT worth stepping on a few flowers, because when thousands of visitors trample or pick the flowers the seed bank is destroyed and it will take years for the flowers in that area to recover.
This Endangered Species Day, we challenge you to learn a new fact about an endangered plant or animal. A recent report by the United Nations warned that nature is declining at an unprecedented rate and 1-8 million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction. While that might seem like an impossible obstacle - many of these species are at risk because of humans, which means we can make changes to see them recover. Reducing plastic pollution, toxic runoff from urban lawns, unsustainable fishing practices, or energy consumption can go a long way. What does that mean at home or in a park?
Actions can make a difference. Many species that are thriving today thanks to recovery and protection efforts including the lesser long-nosed bat, the island fox, Deseret milk-vetch, and the Maguire daisy. If you haven’t heard of any of those, then that’s your first challenge!
Last updated: May 20, 2019 |