Friday, May 15, is national Endangered Species Day. During more normal times, it would have been celebrated around the country with gatherings, lectures and events designed to raise awareness of wildlife conservation.
In this COVID-19 world of sheltering-in-place, we have to be more innovative. Here are nine things you can do on your own to celebrate and acknowledge the important work that is being done to help animals and encourage the work that lies ahead.
Watch a movie
Screen the film “Racing Extinction,” and then stick around for a Q&A with the filmmakers, put on by the Endangered Species Coalition, one of the primary sponsors of Endangered Species Day. The film is described as “a fast-paced, informative documentary about the role that humans play in the loss of Earth’s biodiversity and some of our most cherished species.” 5:30 p.m., Friday, May 15
See what’s going on in your neighborhood
Take the “What’s in my backyard challenge,” photographing, identifying and reporting all the animals, big and small, that you find outside your home. Saturday, May 16
Swim with sharks
Swim, virtually, with sharks courtesy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium shark cam.
Cruise with sea turtles
Ever wondered what sea turtles do out in the water? Biologist Nathan Robinson and his team at the Cape Eleuthera Institute did, so they attached small underwater cameras to green sea turtles to record their powerful yet graceful movements off the coast of Eleuthera, a Bahamian island.
Get your panda on
If you think pandas are cute, playful and cuddly, well, you’re right. This live camera peeks into the Shenshuping Gengda Panda Center in China’s Wolong Valley.
Check out the chicks
Closer to home, watch the peregrine falcons and their recently hatched chicks at UC Berkeley’s live peregrine falcon nest cam.
Fly high above the Bay
The Golden Gate Audubon Society has a live camera high above the bay, overlooking an osprey nest.
Bears and boars and foxes, oh my
A variety of wildlife, but no vampires, is recorded live by nature and wildlife cameras in Transylvania, Romania.
Howl at the moon
The International Wolf Center has set up its streaming camera at its center in Northern Minnesota, where we can watch the interactions of Axel, Grayson, Denali and Bolz.
