RISE: May 15 is Endangered Species Day

Today is Endangered Species Day, and RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) is highlighting the value of those who work to ensure best practices are implemented daily to control and prevent pests, and protect threatened animals and wildlife. Conservation practices like integrated pest management (IPM), a RISE news release notes, “can protect endangered species and help them bounce back and thrive.”

“Each of us can take simple steps to protect and support the natural resource needs of endangered species,” RISE President Megan Provost noted in the release. “Over time, people have inadvertently introduced to new areas foreign or invasive species that often outcompete local native species for food and habitat. Proactive monitoring and coordinated response measures, including integrated pest management, can help us protect ecosystems that are particularly fragile. The specialty pesticide industry remains committed to developing advanced technology that can control invasive species while minimizing effects on non-target organisms.”

Dr. William Pitt is deputy director for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and associate director for Conservation and Science for the National Zoological Park. He explained in the news release that pesticides “are an essential tool used by conservationists to protect endangered species and restore critical habitats. Rodenticides, insecticides and herbicides have been used successfully across the globe to remove invasive species from habitats, enabling endangered species to flourish.”

Endangered Species Day has been celebrated annually for 15 years by the Endangered Species Coalition, based in Washington, D.C. Visit online for more information, particularly for the nature- and wildlife-oriented children’s activities that may be of interest to professional pest management customers with young families.