Friday, May 20, 7 p.m. - Celebrate Endangered Species Success Stories
Rocky Mountain National Park invites you to a special program at 7 p.m. Friday, May 20, at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. On May 20, America will celebrate endangered species success stories, including the protection and recovery of the American bald eagle and Rocky's own peregrine falcon. Local naturalist Jeff Maugans will show us the Endangered Species Act at work across the nation, and discuss the importance of available corridors of land for habitat and migration.
Started in 2006, by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day is a celebration of the nation's wildlife and wild places. The goal of Endangered Species Day is simple, to become aware of and excited about the importance of protecting our rare, threatened, and endangered animal and plant species. In Colorado, the peregrine falcon is making a remarkable recovery thanks to efforts to protect these animals and their homes. Without these efforts, we might have lost these special falcons forever. Our commitment to protecting rare wildlife ensures that Coloradoans can enjoy living side-by-side with all plant and wildlife for generations to come.
One reason for the nation's success in protecting wildlife is the passage, 42 years ago, of the federal Endangered Species Act. The Endangered Species Act has successfully prevented the extinction of hundreds of species, including the humpback whale, Kirtland's warbler, and bull trout. Species such as the Florida panther, Hawaiian monk seal, and Alabama red-bellied turtle, owe their continued existence to the protections of the Act.
The resounding success of the Act shows that just nine animals out of the more than 1,800 species listed as endangered under the Act have been declared extinct. This is in part thanks to the everyday actions that individuals can take to help protect our nation's wildlife, fish and plants. Join us to learn how you can help!
Saturday, May 21, 7 p.m. - Landscapes for the People: George Alexander Grant, First Chief Photographer of the National Park Service
George Alexander Grant is relatively unknown for his work in the field of American landscape photography. Millions of people viewed his photographs along with his contemporaries Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Eliot Porter, but most didn't know his name. The newly released book, Landscapes for the People, shares Grant's story through his remarkable images and his patience, perseverance, dedication, and an unsurpassed love of the natural and historic places that Americans chose to preserve.
Join the authors of Landscapes for the People, Ren and Helen Davis, to learn more about the First Chief Photographer of the National Park Service. Their book was released in September 2015, to coincide with the 2016 National Park Service Centennial.
Both of these free programs are held at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. For further information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please call the park's Information Office at (970) 586-1206.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
