Today is worldwide “Reverse the Red Day,” which I didn’t know was a thing until a press release hit my inbox.
If Reverse the Red is new to you, too, let me explain: It’s a day to spotlight efforts being made to halt extinctions, or more specifically, to reverse the decline of species that have been “red-listed” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
“We know conservation action works, but we need to increase the pace and scale substantially,” said Michael Clifford, director of strategy for Reverse the Red.
In recognition of Reverse the Red, a coalition of Chicago institutions have signed pledges to protect more than 40 endangered species in total. Some of these creatures are found in our own backyard, like the Blanding’s turtle, wood frogs and smooth green snakes. Others are more far-flung, including Hawaii’s alula plant.
It’s a great reminder that there’s so much more to institutions like Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium or the Chicago Botanic Garden than the face they present to the public. They’re also supporting research labs, greenhouses, seed banks, breeding programs, collections and fieldwork that are making significant contributions to conservation. Their pledges, coalition members said, demonstrate that urban centers can be key drivers of species protection.
We’ve reported on some of these efforts individually — from Shedd Aquarium’s rescue of bowmouth guitarfish, to Brookfield Zoo’s role in the recovery of the Guam kingfisher and Mexican
wolves, to Chicago Botanic Garden’s stewardship of the corpse flower — but it’s impressive to see them all listed together.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 7 species: White-bellied pangolins, one of the most trafficked animals in the world. (Brookfield is one of only a few zoos to have successfully bred and birthed pangolins) Guam kingfishers, Mexican wolves, South American fur seals, South American sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and common bottlenose dolphins.
Chicago Botanic Garden, 2 species: Alula plant, nicknamed “cabbage on a stick,” which is a pretty fair description, and Titan arum aka, “corpse flower.”
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 4 species: Blanding’s turtles, smooth green snakes, Baltimore checkerspot butterflies, and wood frogs.
Shedd Aquarium, 28 species: 20 species of freshwater mussels, 3 species of Caribbean coral, zebra sharks, bowmouth guitarfish, Southern California sea otters, Sunflower sea stars, and Northern Bahamian rock iguanas.
The Morton Arboretum, 1 species: Arroyo oak, found only in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
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