The 50 Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act is a major cause for celebration. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1973, the Act is responsible for saving 90% of the plant and animal species under its protection from going extinct.

I was invited to attend the celebration by the Center for Biological Diversity, with whom I have partnered over the years on a number of projects. The event took place at the Library of Congress on September 13, 2023 where many dedicated, courageous individuals and dozens of valiant conservation groups were honored, including the Nez Perce and Yurok tribes, Senator Cory Booker, Representatives Jared Huffman, Debbie Dingell and the legendary Jane Goodall. The event was emceed eloquently by inspirational writer, educator, conservationist and activist Terry Tempest Williams who has said, “The eyes of the future are looking back at us, and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time.”

Since 2016, my art has focused on bringing to light the plant and animal species that have been hovering on the bring of extinction, in an effort to raise awareness and develop and strengthen compassionate sensibilities towards the non-human world. Without the Endangered Species Act, I doubt half of the species I have depicted in my work would be here today. Despite the ESA’s tremendous success, it is continually under attack. As Representative Huffman explained upon receiving his award, the aim of the Republican “extinction agenda” is to strip away all the teeth of the Act so that “you’re basically left with the same thing that they offer the gun violence victims — thoughts and prayers — and we’re not going to stand for it.” I came away with a sense of the tremendous forces for good that are at work all around us and that if we work together, we will bring this world into balance where it is safe for every species to exist and thrive. To read more about the ESA and the sponsoring organization of the event, click on ESA50.org.