Biodiversity, we have all heard the word said or seen it written somewhere. Have you actually seen it? It's everywhere, all around us. Sadly, for most of us, we see less and less of it as concrete replaces topsoil. Every morning, one might hear two to three species of birds singing, maybe swat at three or four insect species throughout the day, hopefully swerve to avoid two to three mammal species on the daily commute and then maybe add another ten species of insects at the porch light before turning in for the night. For many Americans, we are only aware of biodiversity when we are visiting the local zoo. Something wrong with this....

Worldwide animal diversity looks like the above graphic, 1.6 million described species!. By far, most of species are invertebrates. As far as vertebrates, fish species is top on the list, with mammalian species on the bottom. Currently, we are pretty close on finding every species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Each year, maybe 1 to 10 species are added, with most of them being reclassifications of existing species. Maybe every few years, a bird species undescribed to science is found.

So, of the 1.6 million species. How come you are not seeing them? Well, first and foremost, you are not an Entomologist (biologist who studies insects), secondly: are you looking? The U.S. alone can provide you with around 1,000 species of birds, 500 species of mammals and over 300 species of reptiles. Many people call themselves birders or herpers, they actively keep a list of all the species they observed in the field. The current bird life list leader is Tom Gullick, with 8702 species of birds on his list. The hobby has taken him all over the world. Picking up a field guides is a start. It can help a nature newbie with identification and even suggest place sto go. Pick one up and start verting (looking for vertebrates)!

The world knows more about animals than ever before, but at the same time we are losing them faster than ever. Of the 25,234 species of vertebrates evaluated by IUCN (out of 59,811 species of known vertbrates) in 2007, 23% of them are threatened. Percentages were even higher for invertebrates and plants! The day when the last tiger is shot is not far away, if we keep on going the way we are going. Its not just amphibian decline, there are bird declines, reptile declines and mammal declines. Scientists are even suggesting that in 50 years, many common birds, such as American Goldfinches will be on the threatened list.

With all these grim numbers, one logically will ask: What must be done to fix it? The solution isn't easy. Tens of thousands of pages have been written on the subject. The problem is so complex that if all humans disappeared tomorrow, the world would not be a better place. Author Alan Weisman states that if people were gone, "life on Earth would still have to contend with the still-deadly dreg of 441 nuclear plants" (Weisman 2007). After you have read the countless "50 Simple things you can do to save the Earth" or "What you can do to save threatened species," the Blair Society suggests that you make nature as important to your life as watching TV or going to a sporting event. Go buy a field guide (and use it!), get a state parks pass, visit your national parks, introduce children to wildlife, join wildlife organizations (WWF, Audubon, Nature Conservancy), write a letter to your congress men/women demanding more funding for national parks, demand more 5Live courses at Universities and read up on the 1.6 million animal species.

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