Endangered Species Day | 16th May

Films

Explore films about the individuals and organizations working to protect the world's most vulnerable species.

Bridging Fragments

By: Sonny DePasquale

Rainforests are not only some of the most biodiverse places on earth, they also contribute to the world's climate. Around the globe, rainforests are threatened by human encroachment, and one of the most vulnerable species is sloths.

Matumbawe

By: Anthony Ochieng Onyango

Matumbawe is a story about Khadija the daughter of Dosa Mshega a REEF Ranger who works restoring the coral reefs in the Wasini Channel area in Diani, Kenya.

Hidden Tigers of the Midwest

By: Stewart Hvidston

This documentary about the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Indiana was made by My Hero Intern Stew Hvidston.

La Voz del Mar: Hope for Hawksbill Turtles

By: Emic Films

Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered globally, and for many years it was believed they had disappeared from El Salvador.

Visions for the Future [Trailer]

By: Robert Rippberger

Visions for the Future is a series about visionaries, their views, and how they’re getting their hands dirty changing the world.

Racing Extinction [Trailer]

By: Dir. Louie Psihoyos

Whether infiltrating notorious black markets with guerilla-style tactics or exploring the scientific causes affecting changes to the environment, "Racing Extinction" will change the way we see the world and our role within it.

The Most Endangered Species

By: Lauren

15-year-old Lauren's ode to Enzo Suma, founder and curator of Archeoplastica (a museum of found plastic trash).

The Africa’s Turtles Protector

By: KHadim Seck

Tomas Diagne, the director of the African Chelonian Institute is a true animal hero. 30 years of his life has been dedicated to turtles of all kinds, marine and land turtles.

Stories

Read MY HERO stories about conservation heroes and organizations.

How One Environmentalist Changed Our World: Jane Goodall

By: Saba Azimipour

Jane Goodall is an anthropologist and the leading researcher of chimpanzees.

Dame Jane Goodall: World Expert in Chimpanzees (Early-Reader Edition)

By: Naomi Gledhill

Dame Jane Goodall is the world's leading expert in chimpanzees. Read this early-reader edition to learn more about this incredible hero.

The Sloth Conservation Foundation

By: Naomi Gledhill

Read about The Sloth Conservation Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of sloths.

Matumbawe: A Story of Hope and Resilience

By: Abigail Richardson

Tomas Diagne: The Director of the African Chelonian Institute

By: Abigail Richardson

Steve Irwin

By: Jack from San Diego

Steve Irwin was an animal conservationist and teacher.

Stories from The Christian Science Monitor

Project ‘Frozen Dumbo’ helps boost dwindling African elephant populations

By: Matjaž Krivic and Boštjan Videmšek

April 5, 2024 - Many European facilities populate exhibits with elephants taken from the wild. One international project offers an alternative. [CSM Story]

In Brazil, a scientist’s quest to save endangered ‘hippie monkey’

By: Diarlei Rodrigues and Diane Jeantet, CSM Contributors

The northern muriqui, a highly endangered monkey species of Brazil, are known as peaceful gardeners. Read how one scientist has been working for four decades to save it.

How a tiny town in Namibia saved its beloved rhinos

By: Sara Miller Llana and Melanie Stetson Freeman

January 25 2024 - As poaching soars across Namibia, one community hasn’t lost a rhino to poachers in three years. How’d they do it? By working with the community. [CSM Story]

Reefs are in trouble. Can scientists nurture more resilient coral?

By: Stephanie Hanes

January 23, 2023 - Scientists, in a shift from the tradition of not meddling in nature, are replicating coral that shows surprising pockets of resilience amid warming oceans. [CSM Story]