Now that Mother’s Day is past us, we can look ahead to Endangered Species Day (not sure Hallmark’s on board with this one). The day is billed as “as a national celebration of America’s commitment to protecting our country’s wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction.” It’s Friday (May 16).

After the break, check out the Sierra Club-Lower Hudson Group’s plans for the day.

The Sierra Club is celebrating Endangered Species Day.

The U.S. Senate has created Endangered Species Day as a national celebration of America’s commitment to protecting our country’s wildlife fish and plants on the brink of extinction. This year, it will be held on May 16, 2008, and the timing couldn’t be better. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has continued to delay listing polar bears as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A federal judge recently ordered the Interior Department to make its listing determination by May 15th. Yellowstone gray wolves were removed from federal protection in February after their population rebounded from near extinction within 13 years. The states of Wyoming and Idaho have made it clear that they intend to aggressively manage wolves, leaving alive as few as 600 of the 1,500 wolves in the region. Similarly, Yellowstone grizzly bears’ ESA protections were removed last year without ensuring adequate habitat protection for them. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, and the National Resources Defense Council, are involved in litigation against the USFWS regarding these issues. The Bush administration has listed fewer species as threatened or endangered under the ESA than either of the previous two administrations.

To celebrate Endangered Species Day, the Sierra Club has organized a guided tour of the Bronx Zoo from 10 AM to 2 PM to visit with some of the resident imperiled species, including polar bears, Magellanic penguins, and amphibians. This tour is open to the public, and participants should meet at 10 AM on May 16th at the Gate B entrance of the Bronx Zoo. The Sierra Club will also be participating in Yorktown Community Day held on May 17th 12-5 PM at Mildred Strang Middle School, 2701 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights. There will be several short films about biodiversity, and winners of the children’s Endangered Species Art and Poetry Contest will be announced. At 2 PM, the Sierra Club will present a talk “Vanishing Wildlife and Habitat: The Impact of Global Climate Change”. These events are meant to promote public awareness and activism about the plight of endangered species.