October 22, 2019 kicks off the six-month countdown to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The stakes have never been higher. In 2019, two major large-scale reports have been released detailing the losses to biodiversity and wildlife – a stunning 3 billion birds have been lost from North America since 1970, and 1 million species are now threatened with extinction.
Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:
“Defenders of Wildlife is a proud supporter of Earth Day 2020. Our nation’s wildlife are experiencing significant losses – more than ever before in human history. Just this year, two major reports have found that 1 million species are threatened with extinction and a stunning 3 billion birds have been lost, since 1970. This is a call to mobilize and demand greater protections for our natural world and the wildlife that depend upon it.”
Defenders of Wildlife is celebrating 75 years of protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit defenders.org/newsroom and follow us on Twitter @Defenders.
