Endangered Species Day

May 20, 2022 is the 17th annual Endangered Species Day. The term “Endangered” means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a portion of its range. The Federal Endangered Species Act (first passed in 1973) and subsequent state laws have two main purposes: to prevent extinction and to help species recover so that legal protection is no longer needed. Pictured below are Leafy Prairie Clover (federally endangered), Blanding’s Turtle (endangered in Illinois), Black-crowned Night Heron (endangered in Illinois), and Kirtland’s Snake (threatened in Illinois).