What to Know
- "Endangered: Short Tales For The Nearly Forgotten" launches on National Endangered Species Day, which is May 21
- LA Zoo is partnering with Mongabay and the University of Montana on the venture, as well as "award-winning actors"
- "Each ten-minute episode," which has been created for kids, "features a different endangered species"
Staying aware, focused, and engaged with our home planet's endangered species is something that can and should be done every day of the year, of course.
But come May 21, which is National Endangered Species Day?
We put a special and especially bright spotlight on the important discussion, a discussion that reminds we humans that we can help our fellow earthlings, specifically those that may be facing extinction.
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A number of conservation-minded organizations approach highlighting the 21st of May in different ways, and in 2021, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens are taking the timely topic to our headphones.
And inside those headphones?
A brand-new podcast launching on on May 21.
It's "Endangered: Short Tales For The Nearly Forgotten," a series of ten-minute episodes that will feature "different endangered species" while staying focused "... on raising awareness, celebrating biodiversity in the animal kingdom, and a strong, diverse human community."
LA Zoo partnered with Mongabay and the University of Montana on the project, which also featured as host of "award-winning actors."
Good to know?
This is absolutely something kids can listen to, and, in fact, it has been created with younger animal fans in mind. But adults will also enjoy, is the word, so if endangered species are dear to your heart, be sure to check it out.
Endangered Species Podcast creator Graham Sibley notes, "With the pandemic shedding a new light on the fragility of human health and society, the animal kingdom shows us that celebrating and honoring diversity can be a vital tool for survival."
"By doing so, we will create a stronger system in order to fight disease, nourish our species and ultimately rise in today’s evolving, global marketplace."
"This podcast is a way of celebrating not only endangered animals but diversity within the human community as it's reflected back to us through these amazing animals."
The Los Angeles Zoo, which is home to a cavalcade of critters that are all unique and magnificent in their own way, is again open to visitors, should you want to spend Endangered Species Day among the beasties.
A zoo representative shared some thoughts on the new podcast.
"The L.A. Zoo is proud to be a part of the ENDANGERED podcast, helping bring attention to lesser-known endangered animals through thoughtful storytelling that otherwise might never be told," states Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's President Tom Jacobson.
"It's important for us to inspire youth in conservation and stewardship through different avenues. Whether a visit to your local zoo or listening to the ENDANGERED stories, these are all great opportunities to educate and energize future generations."
