On Dec. 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed a crucial piece of legislation for wildlife protection: the Endangered Species Act. Created “to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend,” it came into place after Nixon called on the 93rd Congress to provide more intensive conservation efforts in 1972.
To celebrate 40 years of critical environmental rebuilding and conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service created a comprehensive website with resources for everyone, including endangered species coloring pages for kids, short videos onrecovery success stories and an interactive map to learn more about endangered species in your state.
They also created this video — which traces the history and applications of the Act with action footage from the field — to mark the anniversary.