Chicago’s leading nature and wildlife institutions—Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Chicago Botanic Garden, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences (Nature Museum), Shedd Aquarium, and The Morton Arboretum—are pledging to safeguard more than 40 endangered species worldwide as a part of Reverse the Red Day on February 7th. The coalition’s species pledges and conservation work demonstrate how urban centers like cities and suburbs can be key drivers of species protection, both locally and globally.  Reverse the Red is a coalition supporting partners working to halt extinctions, reverse declines shown on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and recover species. For Reverse the Red Day, held annually around the world to celebrate conservation success, the Chicago organizations are making 42 total Reverse the Red Species Pledges, declaring their continued commitment to work hand-in-hand with international partners to protect endangered species. Those species include: the alula plant in Hawaii, the arroyo oak tree in Mexico, Baltimore checkerspot butterflies in Illinois, Blanding’s turtles in the Great Lakes region, Mexican wolves in New Mexico, Guam kingfisher birds in the Pacific, white-bellied pangolins in Africa, Smooth greensnakes in the Midwestern prairies, South American fur seals and sea lions in Peru, and wood frogs in northern Illinois, among others.

Photo Credits: Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Chicago Botanic Garden, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Shedd Aquarium, the Morton Arboretum