The Brainscoop explains endangered species for Endangered Species Day on Flashback Friday

Happy Endangered Species Day! Since it's Flashback Friday, I'm going back into the archives for The Brainscoop's Endangered Species: an explainer from 2016.

What does it mean to be an endangered species? Are endangered species destined for extinction? We're exploring some of these ideas in celebration of Endangered Species Day...

That was a concise summary of endangered species and the Endangered Species Act, with just enough detail to be useful but not so much that it overwhelms the average viewer. Good job, Emily Graslie! Because I am an expert on mollusks, it should surprise none of my readers that I'm with Emily and #StandWithUnionidBivalves.

Since I have lived in Michigan since 1989 and the Endangered Species Act turned 50 last December, I'm sharing DISCOVERING | Endangered Species Act from Discover the U.P. for an update and local perspective.

Episode 79 - The Endangered Species Act was signed into law 50 years ago and 5 decades later it continues to help conserve species across the country. We talk about some of those species both endangered and recovered since the ESA was passed in 1973, that you can find here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (some controversial). And I talk to the USFWS about the process in which species are listed, and delisted.

I'm not surprised that wolves are the most controversial animal protected by the Endangered Species Act, as I covered dueling ballot measures about protecting wolves and protecting the wolf hunt ten years ago, which I linked to in Vox uses wolves to explain a shortcoming of the Endangered Species Act. Wolves are a real bone of contention between the residents of the Lower Peninsula, who want to protect wolves, and Upper Peninsula, who want to hunt the wolves, who are a success story. On the other hand, long-earned bats are still in trouble because of white nose syndrome, which I've only mentioned once a dozen years ago. It's about time I did so again.

I plan on examining biodiversity again on Monday for World Bee Day when I will examine bumblebees. In the meantime, stay tuned for an undetermined topic tomorrow (Retail Apocalypse, anyone?) and highlights of the season finale of Saturday Night Live as the Sunday entertainment feature.