The biggest losses have been felt among grassland birds, where agriculture has destroyed native grasslands and introduced toxic pesticides. The one habitat exception was wetlands, where conservation dollars have poured in to help ducks and geese, who are popular with hunters. A 2022 State of the Birds report found bird populations declining in virtually every type of habitat, and 70 species have lost two-thirds of their populations in the past 50 years. It’s a bright spot in a dim overall outlook for birds across the United States. These efforts included “nest protection via enclosures and fencing, site monitoring, education and outreach, captive rearing, and annual banding,” reported Audubon. Habitat destruction from shoreline development and recreation likely played a big role in the decline.īut years of dedicated recovery efforts helped make 2022 a banner year for these plovers, with 150 chicks fledgling in the wild - the most since they were protected as endangered. The Great Lakes population of these shorebirds was listed as endangered in 1985 after it was lost from all of its range except Michigan, with just 19 pairs remaining. Photo credit: Bri Benvenuti / USFWS Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus)Ī rebounding population of Great Lakes piping plovers provides a glimpse at the success of dedicated conservation efforts and endangered species protections. They don’t represent everything - there’s no way one list could encapsulate every threat facing endangered species, or every species deserving attention - but this should give you an idea of some of the reasons wildlife on this planet are suffering and the things we can do to help them. They represent species on the brink, those awaiting protection, those recovering, and those whose habitat could be disrupted in the coming year.
At the same time, we spend our days talking to and writing about people working to save these species from extinction - and that helps us sleep better at night.Īs we move into 2023, here are more than a dozen species we’ll be watching in the year ahead. Here at The Revelator, we spend our days reading and writing about endangered species and our nights worrying about them. Platt and Tara Lohan was originally published by The Revelator and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
The head is a half arch on the top of the head and then a slightly wider, slightly shorter arch for the bottom of the head. If you love this drawing tutorial, then don't miss our full list of Easy Drawings. Maybe even go as far as shading the elephant's skin to make it a realistic one. If your child starts with just the outline of the elephant, they can move up to a full-blown elephant sketch. What I love the most about drawing tasks is that there's always room for improvement. Sounds like a pretty fruitful activity, right? Trust me you'll watch them cool down in no time.ĭrawing also helps kids express themselves, expands their creative skills, and improves their focus. So, if you feel your child is upset about something or is dealing with anger issues, divert their mind and sit with them to draw. In general, drawing also helps release stress. Holding the pencil right will also improve their fine motor skills. As the kids learn to control and draw each of these elements, they'll be working on their hand-eye coordination. Drawing an elephant requires using a curved line, a few simple shapes, and some short lines.