On Earth Day last Saturday, we were reminded that changing attitudes about our environment and renewed interest in the creatures which share our world has made a difference in the preservation of a number of near-extinct species. For years, we paid no attention when we were told one animal or another was on the verge of disappearing.  Perhaps we didn’t really care, or didn’t want to change our lifestyle to help save them. Thank goodness, enough folks stepped up to the plate and made a difference. 

Perhaps the most shining example of a comeback is the bald eagle, our national symbol, once estimated to number only 400 nesting pairs, and now believed to boast some 70,000 strong. Here in Maine, while sightings are quite common, most of us still tend to comment when we see one, a sign we all appreciate having them in our midst. The gray wolf, California condor, buffalo, manatee, grizzly bear and American alligator, not animals most of us ever see, have come back in respectable numbers, as has the right whale. In Midcoast Maine, the reintroduction of the wild turkey has been a major success story, although some would prefer there were better controls over their growing numbers. Coyotes have made themselves right at home here and just recently we were told there may be a new species developing, a cross between a wolf and the coyote.

Worldwide, environmentalists and nature supporters are striving to protect pandas, Siberian tigers, elephants, rhinos and others endangered animals which are at the mercy of hunters and those who profit from them. Here in our own backyard, some of the species we remember as a youngster seem to be scarce these days. How frequently do you see monarch butterflies, bluebirds, or even bumblebees?We haven’t seen a large snapping turtle or sea turtle for over 50 years. And while we understand they’re more common in northern Maine, we rarely see a wild rabbit these days.Even owls seem to more elusive than they used to be.

Our environment has changed dramatically over the past few decades, and no longer supports species once commonplace. There’s no question about it, we’ll have to be on our toes for years to come if we want to save some of our birds and animals from extinction, taking a lesson from the past. We’ve already got a long list of species we’ll never get to see in our lifetime.