Joel Sartore

Although Sartore has successfully advocated for the protection of many species, not every story he told had a happy ending. He shared photos of several animals that have been declared extinct in the time since he captured their likeness, including Toughie, the last remaining Rabbs’ fringe-limbed treefrog, who died in 2016. According to Sartore, between 30 and 40% of amphibians could vanish within the next few years if swift action isn’t taken.

The northern white rhinoceros is also close to extinction. Only two remain on the planet – a mother and daughter pair living at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. “What will we do when those go extinct?” Sartore asked. “We’ll write some editorials and we’ll be sad a little bit, but then the Kardashians will do something crazy and that’ll wash that away.”

Even in the face of loss, Sartore is “as hopeful as can be that we can turn this around and get people to start caring.” Most of these species can be saved as long as action is taken quickly, he said. He offered the following suggestions for anyone who wants to protect Earth’s creatures, both big and small:

• Go native. Introduce native plants to your garden to attract bees and butterflies and filter groundwater. If you don’t have a yard, a pot with native plants on a window ledge or balcony can still make an impact.
• Leave your leaves. Rather than rake up fallen leaves and pine needles, mulch them and leave them to nourish the insects and soil in your yard.
• Keep your cat inside. Outdoor cats kill more birds every year than wind turbines. Even the gentlest of feline friends can quickly turn into a skilled hunter when out in the wild.
• Go to the zoo. Action starts with education. “Good zoos are the thumb in the dike keeping nature from collapsing. We have to educate. We have to show people what these animals look like and sound like and smell like.”
• Take to social media. Share content from The Photo Ark, and other photographers like Sartore, to showcase the faces of vulnerable species. The more people know what is at stake, the more pressure gets put on entities that can make a big difference in protecting vulnerable species.

To Sartore, a big difference can also come from a large number of people making these small efforts. Sartore brought the evening to a close by sending the Forum audience back into the world with a call to join him on his mission.

“All you’ve got is that dash between the numbers on your tombstone. Don’t you want to do something that makes the world a better place? I know I do. If we had a room this big with this many people who all of a sudden were on fire to save the planet, could we make a dent? You bet we could! Let’s get to work.”