What do 4,000 kids, 4 polar bears and 1 Center for Native Ecosystems staffer have in common?  We were all at the Denver Zoo for Endangered Species Day Friday, May 18th. 

Students of all ages from more than 70 schools came out to the Denver Zoo on the second annual Endangered Species Day to help celebrate successes in saving native species from extinction, like the Canada lynx and the black-footed ferret.  At our interactive display in front of the polar bear exhibit, the children and their teachers learned that while neither species is completely recovered, releases of lynx in Colorado have gone very well, resulting in more than 100 wild lynx kittens being born over the past several years.  The black-footed ferret, meanwhile, has done very well with breeding programs, but until prairie dog habitat along the Front Range is protected, the black-footed ferret will have little chance of survival in the wild.  The students were shocked to learn that ferrets depend on the prairie dogs for habitat.  They were especially shocked that ferrets EAT prairie dogs (though I suspect they were secretly and morbidly entranced by the idea).

Many of the children, especially those from the Ft. Collins/Loveland area, were surprised to know that the black-tailed prairie dogs that provide sustenance for the ferret are threatened along the Front Range because of habitat destruction.  They often see prairie dog colonies in their communities and were amazed to learn that these colonies are actually a fraction of their historical size.  Few of them could deny the importance of prairie dog recovery though once understanding the important role that this critter plays in the ecosystem.  While many of the children knew of the plight of exotic animals like the polar bear (reduced habitat from climate change has put a serious strain on this artic bear as they search for food in the ever shortening winter months), few of them were aware of the threatened and endangered critters in their own backyard.  Our display showed them that not only could critters in the Front Range be threatened, but that it was up to them to protect these native animals and their habitat.

Most of the students  showed a real understanding for the intricacies of our native ecosystems that adults often have a hard time grasping.  Perhaps it is because of their dependence on others for food and shelter that makes them more sensitive to the interconnectedness of the natural world and more likely to appreciate the plight of these imperiled critters.  Whatever the reason, I know that this Endangered Species Day was an eye-opening event for many of those who stopped by the Zoo, and I can only hope that they take that appreciation for the natural world back to their own community and become the next generation of conservationists.