Center for Biological Diversity

Beavers are beloved ecosystem-engineers. They build dams that create slow-moving ponds and transform entire ecosystems. They improve water quality and ecosystem health for other wildlife while softening the reach of floods and wildfires. And yet, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s wildlife-killing program named Wildlife Services killed 24,603 native beavers in 2023 — at the behest of the animal agriculture industry. Healthy, wild ecosystems will never require the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of native wild animals, but they do require changes in Western ranching practices and a reimagining of the American fascination with beef. Learn more by checking out the Center's Dr. Jennifer Molidor's latest on Medium ?? https://biodiv.us/4gnH0H1

Are these pirouetting phalaropes practicing ballet ??? Not quite.... These dainty shorebirds — Wilson's phalaropes — swim in a tight, fast circle to form a small whirlpool, which helps raise food from the bottom of shallow water. This unique technique for catching their food supplies them with a smorgasbord of aquatic insects and crustaceans like brine flies, alkali flies, and brine shrimp. This charming little #shorebird species, is especially dependent on saline lakes — and especially at risk of extinction. So we are urgently working to protect Wilson's phalaropes under the Endangered Species Act. You can help by adding your voice ?? https://biodiv.us/3Zhad0c

We just sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to adequately protect more than 1,5,00 species of wildlife and plants from the insecticide malathion — in violation of the Endangered Species Act. Malathion is a neurotoxin and part of a dangerous class of pesticides that are extremely harmful to wildlife — and humans. In 2017, scientists determined that just a single exposure to malathion could be catastrophic and repeated use of the insecticide could eliminate entire populations of endangered species in some areas. Yet still around 2.7 million pounds of this poison are used in the U.S. each year — threatening nearly every endangered butterfly, beetle and dragonfly, among other creatures. Learn more about our fight against it ?? https://biodiv.us/3AQnB19

Amazing news: Gray wolves in California have added a whopping 30 new pups this spring, according to recent counts by the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife. This remarkable news comes a mere 13 years after OR-7 made his historic journey across state lines to become the first known wolf in California in nearly a century — with several of his offspring helping establish new packs in the state. Now, the the total known population in the state is up to 62 wolves including adults, yearlings and the newly added pups. “Seeing wolves return to the places this magnificent species once called home and have these adorable new pups is as inspiring as it gets,” said the Center's Amaroq Weiss. Learn more ?? https://biodiv.us/3Xz3YUs ?? courtesy of CA Department of Fish and Wildlife

We are proud to share that the Center's Jean Su has been honored as a climate leader on the Grist 2024 #Grist50 list. Jean has worked on to ban utility shutoffs in communities of color and has won an executive order to manufacture heat pumps for disenfranchised communities. More recently, her team has been urging FEMA to better prepare for the climate emergency, including legally petitioning the agency to recognize extreme heat and wildfire smoke as natural disasters. Join us in congratulating Jean for this well-deserved honor! ???? Learn more about the critical work Jean and our Energy Justice team do every day ?? https://bit.ly/3MwpHWC

Mature and old-growth forests are a vital part of a healthy planet. They store massive amounts of climate-heating carbon, support healthy watersheds and clean drinking water, survive wildfire better than young forests, and shelter rare and endangered species like spotted owls, wolverines, and bats. Sadly, most old-growth forests have been cut down. When mature and old-growth trees are felled and milled, much of their stored carbon rapidly releases back into the atmosphere -- and it can take decades, or even centuries, to recover the benefits these trees provided. The good news? We have a chance to save what's left. The U.S. Forest Service has proposed amending 122 national forest management plans to protect old growth; if we speak up, we can sway the agency to include meaningful, enforceable protections that will stop the commercial exploitation of old-growth trees. Take action: Tell the Forest Service to protect the country's oldest forests and trees: https://biodiv.us/3MreMxx ?? : Headwaters Forest Reserve by Bob Wick/BLM; Sheldrick Forest Preserve by Terry Donovan/Flickr; Tongass National Forest by Jennifer Kardiak/USFS; Vancouver Island by Nick Kenrick/Flickr.

BREAKING NEWS — We're calling on all Californians. ?? ?? ?? Lawmakers have voted to support a future where CA can #MakePollutersPay with AB 1866. Now the #CALeg just needs to pass AB 3233, a bill that will affirm local governments' rights to protect communities from fossil fuels. AB 3233 needs one more vote to pass. If you live in California, please urge your senator to support this bill. Take action: https://biodiv.us/3MqQAex Finally, if you're represented by one of these CA senators, help get AB 3233 across the finish line by making a quick phone call. Use this script in the first comment below to let them know this issue matters to you.

Elephants are loved by people and cultures around the world. But at the same time, humans are driving elephant populations to extinction by destroying their homes and migratory routes, poaching them for ivory, and hunting them for trophies. The Center for Biological Diversity has stepped up to help a very special population of elephants now in the crosshairs of trophy hunters. You can help the Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro elephants too by taking action: https://biodiv.us/3VZjjLX Get to know the elephants at the Amboseli Trust for Elephants: https://bit.ly/3X3HKYX.

This video of healthy wolf pups playing sparks hope for the future of gray wolf recovery in Colorado. ?????? Gray wolves were reintroduced to the state in Dec. 2023. With the arrival of the pups, Colorado’s first new wolf pack has been established. Long live the Copper Creek pack! https://bit.ly/4dX4KzI

We did it — thanks to you. After an overwhelming flood of votes from @centerforbiodiv supporters, we won a 2024 Community Choice Award. Run by trusted charity-assessing org Charity Navigator and decided by popular vote, this nationwide competition recognizes a nonprofit’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and excellence. We earned your support by winning for the wild. So far this year, we’ve already racked up scores of victories for wildlands, the climate, and wildlife like Atlantic humpback dolphins, coastal martens, and polar bears. We’re so honored. Thank you for standing with us. #CommunityChoiceAwards @charity-navigator