Endangered Species Day
The third Friday in May
A day for the species a country decided were worth keeping, and for the ordinary, patient work that keeps them.
Next occurrence
Friday, 21 May 2027
Third Friday in May every year
Where the day comes from
Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, and now marked internationally by zoos, refuges, schools, parks, and libraries.
The day is coordinated by the Endangered Species Coalition, and it is marked by zoos, aquariums, refuges, parks, libraries, and schools. It is one of the easier observances to attach real work to, because almost every part of the country has a listed species and someone already working on it.
Organized by Endangered Species Coalition. endangered.org
Species with recovery stories worth reading
Mustela nigripes
Black-footed Ferret
North America's only native ferret, twice believed extinct, entirely dependent on prairie dog colonies for food and shelter.
Grus americana
Whooping Crane
North America's tallest bird, rebuilt from about 15 birds in the 1940s to a wild flock that migrates 2,500 miles to the Texas coast.
Gymnogyps californianus
California Condor
North America's largest land bird, taken entirely into captivity in 1987 at 27 individuals and returned to the wild since 1992.
How to mark it
Step one
Learn one listed species near you
Find out why it was listed. The reason is usually habitat, and habitat is usually something local people can affect.
Step two
Support the work already underway
Refuges, state agencies, and volunteer groups almost always need hands more than they need opinions.
Step three
Make it repeatable
One day of attention rarely changes an outcome. A patch you maintain, or a creek you return to, can.
One thing to do: Pick one listed species near you, learn why it was listed, and support the habitat work already underway for it.