GREEN LIVING
Honor Endangered Species Day in Pittsburgh
By Bria Zegarelli
May 20, 2025
May 21st is Endangered Species Day, and luckily, Pittsburgh has no shortage of conservation efforts. In honor of this special day, let’s take a look at how you can learn more about conservation and get involved in the many conservation opportunities here in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium website has an entire page dedicated to talking about its conservation efforts for different animals, such as elephants and gorillas. Clicking through the different descriptions is a great way to have a quick summary of what this specific zoo is doing to help, and it can also help you educate yourself about the types of conservation methods used by zoos and other organizations in general. The Pittsburgh Zoo also has an extension called the International Conservation Center, which holds education programs and sets aside land and resources for the animals in the zoo.
If you want to get involved in the zoo’s conservation efforts, you can apply to be a volunteer or intern!
National Aviary
Similarly to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, on the National Aviary website, you can click on various tabs that focus on the aviary’s conservation efforts for different geographic regions. The descriptions are very thorough and are easy to understand, so it’s very accessible if you have little or no knowledge in the subject. The aviary also encourages community science for gathering data for bird studies. This is a great way for the Pittsburgh community to become involved with the aviary’s research because this type of data collection allows scientists and the general public to collaborate with gathering data.
Official PA Endangered and Threatened Species list
If you want to look broader and learn more about Pennsylvania’s endangered wildlife, you can view this official list of all of the endangered and threatened species in the state. Information about each animal’s biology, habitat, population, reason for being endangered, and management program are listed.
Because the information is organized so effectively, this website could be useful for parents or teachers who want their children and students to learn more about the nature around them. It would be perfect for a project where each student picks a different endangered species and gives a report or presentation.
Local botanical gardens
If you want to learn more about threatened and endangered plant species, consider checking out some of Pittsburgh’s botanical gardens, such as Phipps Conservatory or Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Both offer different programs that you can sign up for to learn more about their conservation efforts.
Volunteer organizations in Pittsburgh
Consider volunteering or interning for local conservation organizations, which help maintain local environments that are necessary for fostering ideal living conditions for threatened species. Some of these organizations include:
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