Conservation Links
This list includes some of the largest conservation organizations although I would like to add that there are many many more superb organizations I will try to add to the list as I go and get recommendations from friends in the know and in the field.
If you are new to conservation and are looking for a well-established, reputable organization to join, these are a good starting point.
I will also try to recommended individual species and specificanimal conservation projects on the appropriate pages.
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wildlife Fund is also among my top picks since their work is aimed at protecting biodiversity around the world. The WWF also works with multilateral and bilateral agencies to promote sustainable development in the world's poorest countries (Source: WWF website) Stats: 79.7% of expenses go to conservation projects, 29.3% go to administration & fundraising. http://www.wwf.org.uk/
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is my top pick among wildlife conservation organizations. They work with local communities, businesses, and individuals to protect over 100 million acres of land around the world. In doing so, they preserve the wildlife communities and diversity on those lands. It's a wholistic approach, one that I feel is vital to the health of our planet. Stats: 79.5% of expenses go to conservation projects, 20.5% go to admininstration & fundraising http://www.nature.org/
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a superb complement to any portfolio of conservation organization memberships. The NRDC's initiatives include their BioGems project aimed at saving endangered wild places, their Break the Chain initiative to reduce dependence on oil, and their Green Squad youth education program. Stats: 80.9% of expenses go to conservation projects, 19.1% go to administration & fundraising (Source: 'Charity Navigator'). http://www.nrdc.org/
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is a supurb charity in the UK that works 'to secure a healthy environment for birds and wildlife, helping to create a better world for us all' (Source: RSPB website). Each year, the RSPB conducts the Big Garden Birdwatch survey, which is a great way for people in the UK to participate in a nation-wide bird count. http://www.rspb.org.uk/
The Ocean Conservancy
I like to contribute to an organization focused on protecting our world's oceans and The Ocean Conservancy enables me to do so while offering ways of taking action and getting involved. Stats: 78.6 of expenses go to conservation projects, 21.4% go to administration & fundraising http://www.oceanconservancy.org
Conservation International
Conservation International is among my favored conservation organizations because their work has worldwide impact and is aimed at protecting Biodiversity Hotspots as well as developing regional conservation programs. Stats: 85.5% of expenses go to conservation projects, 14.5% go to administration & fundraising http://www.conservation.org
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society is another superb group working for the protection of animals and wildlife. The WCS supports zoos and aquariums while promoting environmental education and conservation of wild populations and their habitats. They also offer educational resources and a wide variety of conservation programs. Stats: 88.8% of expenses go to conservation projects, 11.2% go to administration & fundraising http://www.wcs.org/
An endangered species is any animal or plant species whose very survival is threatened to the point of extinction. Once extinct, a species is no longer found anywhere on Earth. Once gone, it is gone forever.
Throughout Earth's geological history species have become extinct naturally. However, in modern times species and their natural habitats are mostly threatened by human activities. Humans have already caused the extinction of many species, and large numbers of many other species are currently endangered and may soon become extinct.
Causes of extinction and endangerment
Most of the species that have ever lived on Earth are now extinct. Extinction and endangerment can occur naturally. It can be the result of a catastrophic disturbance, such as the collision of an asteroid with Earth some 65 million years ago. The impact brought about the extinction of almost 50 percent of plant species and 75 percent of animals species then living on Earth, including the dinosaurs. Disease, a change in climate, and competition between species also can result in natural extinction.
However, since humans became Earth's dominant species, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of endangered or extinct species. The overhunting of wild animals (for their hides or meat or to protect livestock) and the destruction of natural habitats are the human activities most responsible. A wave of extinctions began in North America about 11,000 years ago, at about the time when people first migrated across a land bridge from Siberia to present-day Alaska. Probably within only a few centuries, species such as the mastodon, mammoth, and saber-toothed tiger had become extinct on the continent.
In modern times, not only loss of habitat but also overhunting has caused the extinction of many species, In 2000, for the first time in about 300 years, a member of the primate order became extinct. The extinct primate was Miss Waldron's red colobus, a red-cheeked monkey. Scientists said its extinction was brought about by overhunting and the destruction of its habitat in the rain forest canopy in the African countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Scientists readily agree that the rate at which species are becoming extinct around the world is increasing rapidly. At present, they believe extinctions caused by humans are taking place at 100 to 1,000 times nature's normal rate between great extinction episodes. It is hard, however, to put a figure on the actual number of endangered species. Researchers are able to document the endangerment of large and well-known animal and plant species. But it is impossible to measure the total number of species going extinct because scientists have described and named only a small percentage of the world's species. Only about 1.4 million species—out of an estimated 10 million to 100 million—have been described to date.
Words to Know
There are hundreds if not thousands of endangered species living in tropical rain forests, and most of these have not yet been "discovered" by scientists. Because rain forests are quickly being converted to farmland and human settlements, many of these species are becoming extinct before humans know anything about them.
Conservation organizations around the world have taken on the task of trying to catalog as many of the world's endangered species as possible. In 2001, it was estimated that more than 1,800 worldwide. Because most of Earth's biodiversity is not yet discovered and cataloged, it is likely that there are perhaps several million endangered species on Earth.
It is absolutely critical that we act to preserve endangered species and their natural habitats. These species are important and worthwhile for many reasons. First, and most important, all species have value simply because they are living organisms on Earth. Second, many species have a known value to humans. Food is provided by domestic plants and animals raised on farms, as well as certain animals, birds, and fish hunted in the wild. Humans also benefit from the role many species play in the environment. This includes cleansing the air and water, controlling erosion, providing atmospheric oxygen, and maintaining the food chain. Third, many species have a presently unknown value to humans, such as undiscovered medicinal plants.