Signed in to law by President Nixon on December 28, 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found.
With December 2023 being the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, I made a mini-quilt collection calling attention to some of the terrestrial and marine species that are listed as threatened or endangered in the United States and/or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. These quilts were showcased on the front door of my house (part of our Front Door Science) and on this website.
This post shares the first quilt in the collection, which serves as an overview and introduction for the quilts yet to come.
I put the center fabric in the shape of a stop sign to call further attention to the need to stop with the human actions and activities that are harming the environment. If the environments are altered, then the species that exist in these locations cannot be effectively protected or have their communities sustained into the future. Some of the challenges listed on the fabric need to be addressed quickly to ensure that the species shown, as well as additional animal and plant species from land and freshwater/marine systems, do not become listed as threatened or endangered.
The background fabric has terms such as “recycle” and “environment” with additional green-themed items. All of these actions and behaviors are also necessary for our entire Earth system to have a healthy and stable existence into the future. Protecting our species so they do not become extinct is one part of our sustainability efforts.
The backing fabric shows Planet Earth with the words “Save Our Planet” below.
The quilt measures 17 inches by 17 inches and was completed January 1, 2023.
For more information, visit the blog post on Journeys of Dr. G that describes the Endangered Species Act further.
Living along the west coast of North America, California condor are endangered (but are recovering!!!). The birds have been protected as an endangered species by federal law since 1967 and by California state law since 1971.
The California condor population plummeted to the brink of extinction in the 1970s because of hunting, habitat destruction and lead poisoning from animals eating shot with lead bullets.
In the 1980s, wildlife officials captured the last remaining 22 condors and took them to the San Diego and Los Angeles zoos to be protected and bred in captivity. The birds were then released into sanctuaries and national parks where they can be monitored.
In 2004, the California Condor Recovery Program reached an important milestone with the first successful chick hatched in the wild. In 2008, another major milestone was reached when more condors were flying free in the wild than in captivity for the first time since the program began in 1979. Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners have grown the total wild free-flying condor population to more than 300 condors.
The California Condor Recovery Program is an example of how a species can be brought back from the brink of extinction through the power of partnerships including federal and state government, Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and a partnership with Mexico.
The quilt measures 27 inches across by 19 inches in height and was completed April 6, 2024.
NOAA has proposed to list the sunflower sea star as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. After 90% of the animal’s population was wiped out between 2013 and 2017, this recommendation means the sea stars are considered likely to be at risk of extinction soon.
The animals are suffering from Sea Star Wasting Syndrome, which causes them to develop lesions, become lethargic, lose their arms and “within days disintegrate into gooey masses. What is triggering Sea Star Wasting Syndrome? – the warming waters from climate change.
Sunflower sea stars reach up to 1 meter across from arm tip to arm tip, have up to 20 arms, and range from orange, to red, to purple or beige. Prior to the 2013 outbreak of wasting syndrome, they were one of the most abundant, widespread, recognizable sea stars on the Pacific Coast.
Beyond the threat to the species itself, its decline is driving a collapse of California’s kelp forest ecosystem. With fewer sunflower sea stars in the ocean, their sea urchin prey has been left to grow and consume kelp uncontrollably, forming vast “urchin barrens” where kelp forests used to be.
The quilt measures 18 inches across by 18 inches in height and was completed January 18, 2024.
The assessment of the world’s dragonflies and damselflies reveals that 16% out of 6,016 species are at risk of extinction, as their freshwater breeding grounds increasingly deteriorate.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Hine's emerald dragonfly as an endangered species in 1995, making it the only dragonfly on the entire U.S. endangered species list. The Hine's emerald lives in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Michigan.
Habitat destruction and degradation due to urban and industrial development has been the greatest problem for Hine’s emerald. Habitats where it can live are few and far between, making it difficult or impossible for these dragonflies to move among them. If a population is eliminated from one locality, others will not be able to repopulate it.
The quilt measures 19 inches across by 19 inches in height and was completed January 14, 2024.
In North America, no hummingbird species are endangered (at least, not yet…)
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 prohibits the take (including killing, capturing, selling, trading, and transport) of protected migratory bird species without prior authorization by the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This listed of protected bird species includes hummingbirds.
Did Your Know… hummingbirds can be found in every state in the United States, except for Hawaii. Even Alaska has 4-5 species of hummingbirds!
However, outside of the United States, eight species of hummingbirds are on the critically endangered list compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Critically endangered means means there is a 50% chance these birds will be extinct in the next ten years.
Why may hummingbirds become a threatened or endangered species? These birds face habitat loss from climate change and human development, glass collisions, invasive species (domestic cats) and chemical pesticides for agriculture.
The quilt measures 20 inches across by 20.5 inches in height and was completed December 21, 2023.
There are 7 species of sea turtles around the world. Six of the seven sea turtle species can be found in waters surrounding the United States, and all six are listed and protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
The smallest sea turtles are about the size of dinner plates, while the largest, the leatherbacks, can reach sizes similar to a golf cart.
All sea turtles are threatened by pollution and marine debris. [-] Pollution of nearshore and offshore marine habitats threatens all sea turtles and degrades their habitats. [-] The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history and affected all life stages and species of sea turtles inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico. [-] Ingestion of marine debris is another threat to all species of sea turtles. Turtles may ingest marine debris such as fishing line, balloons, plastic bags, floating tar or oil, and other materials they can mistake for food. [-] Microplastics are an increasing threat to sea turtles, especially young turtles living and feeding near the surface.
On the quilt, the rope fabric around the border is intentional to represent how so many sea turtles are caught in netting/fishing gear.
The quilt measures 22.5 inches across by 22.5 inches in height and was completed November 1, 2022.
A success story!!! Bald eagles were delisted from the Endangered Species Act in August 2007, because their populations recovered sufficiently.
Bald eagles are still protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. This means people cannot kill or possess bald eagles or their feathers, eggs, or nests.
The bald eagle has been our national symbol since 1782. Bald eagles can be found in all states in the U.S. except Hawaii.
In Pennsylvania, the bald eagle is protected under the Game and Wildlife Code. Pennsylvania's nesting bald eagle population has increased steadily and dramatically in recent years. In 1980, Pennsylvania’s known nesting population numbered only three pairs. In 1990, there were eight active nests, 48 in 2000, and by 2006 the number cleared 100 for the first time since DDT decimated Pennsylvania's nesting bald eagle population in the 1950s and '60s.
The quilt measures 21 inches across by 21.5 inches in height and was completed May 30, 2023.
The great white sharks are not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, but they are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, as vulnerable. Eight states in the United States have signed into law a bill banning the sale, trade and possession of shark fins.
Two distinct population segments of the scalloped hammerhead shark are listed as endangered and two are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. They are threatened by commercial fishing, mainly for the shark fin trade. Two hammerhead shark species (great and scalloped) are classified as Critically Endangered globally on the IUCN Red List.
The quilt measures 16.5 inches across by 16 inches in height and was completed April 30, 2023.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 16 species of bees as vulnerable, 18 as endangered and 9 as critically endangered globally.
Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973:
In 2016, seven varieties of Hawaiian yellow-faced bees were listed as endangered.
In 2017, the rusty patched bumblebee became the first and only bumblebee species native to the continental United States to be listed as endangered.
The American bumblebee has declined by 89% in relative abundance and continues to decline toward extinction. This is due to many factors, including habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, and disease. In the past 20 years, it has completely disappeared from eight states and has become very rare in many others. Honeybees are responsible for about 80% of the world's pollination, and they're dying at high rates. Without bees, plants that rely on pollinators would no longer be able to survive.
The quilt measures 18.5 inches across by 18 inches in height and was completed April 23, 2023.
The migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) is known for its spectacular annual journey of up to 4,000 km across the Americas. In July 2022, this butterfly was listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as endangered, threatened by habitat destruction and climate change.
This fabric also appears to contain the blue morpho butterfly, which is not currently listed as endangered. However, there are other butterfly species blue in color that are endangered: the Karner blue butterfly, Smith's blue butterfly, Mission blue butterfly, and Miami blue butterfly, to name a few.
The quilt measures 17 inches across by 17 inches in height and was completed April 9, 2023.
The whale shark has been listed as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 2016. Despite the closure of several whale shark fisheries in the 1990s and 2000s, whale shark products remain a valuable, highly demanded commodity in a few international markets. They are captured for their meat and fins, which are a delicacy in certain cultures, as well as their oil for waterproofing boats.
Fishing vessels and cargo ships travelling through shipping lanes also pose a great risk of injury and death to whale sharks, in addition to degrading their habitat with traffic, noise pollution, and plastic pollution.
But there is good news! Despite being listed as an endangered species, whale sharks have a high recovery potential, reaching full recovery within 100 years if protection initiatives are sustained!.
The quilt measures 20.5 inches across by 19.5 inches in height and was completed December 28, 2022.
Who doesn't love penguins??? This quilt calls attention to penguins, specifically the Emperor and African penguins. In October 2022, Emperor penguins were extended protections from the ESA. While emperor penguin populations appear to be currently stable, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined the species is in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future in a significant portion of its range.
The quilt measures 16.5 inches by 16.5 inches and was completed December 29, 2022.
Six out of the world’s eight species of bears are threatened with extinction, by the IUCN Bear and Polar Bear Specialist Groups. Asia and South America are revealed as the areas most in need of urgent conservation action.
The world’s smallest species of bear, the sun bear, has been classed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is estimated that sun bears have declined by at least 30% over the past 30 years (three bear generations), and continue to decline.
The only bear presently considered endangered on the IUCN Red List is the giant panda. That status remains unchanged despite enormous efforts in China directed towards its conservation, including the establishment of nearly 60 panda reserves, a ban on logging, and widespread reforestation programmes.
Additional vulnerable species include Asiatic black bears and sloth bears, both inhabitants of Asia, and Andean bears (formerly called spectacled bears) from the Andes Mountains of South America.
Brown bears, the most widespread ursid, are not listed as threatened globally because large numbers still inhabit Russia, Canada, Alaska and some parts of Europe. Grizzly bears (brown bears living in interior North America) are considered threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act outside of Alaska.
Among the eight species of bears, only the American black bear is secure throughout its range, which encompasses Canada, the United States and Mexico. At 900,000 strong, there are more than twice as many American black bears than all the other species of bears combined.
So what about polar bears? Well, did you know… Because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean depending on the ocean for their food and habitat, polar bears are the only bear species to be considered marine mammals! Unfortunately, in 2006, the polar bear was listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
The quilt measures 20 inches by 20 inches and was completed May 8, 2024.