The Right to Migration is a partner to the Right to Biodiversity.
Migration creates biodiversity.
And what's more beautiful than biodiversity?
Migration creates biodiversity.
And what's more beautiful than biodiversity?
Plants and animals migrated over centuries,
evolving into a variety of species through long-distance dispersal.
As they were carried by oceans or as seed on bird feathers,
some arrived on islands and evolved diverse traits to match their new habitats.
For example, it is estimated that some Galapagos Island animals
once migrated 600 miles over water from South America.
A similar isolated geographical location is the Hawaiian Islands.
Botanists note that the Hawaiian Violet (Viola langsdorfii) DNA
is so close to the Alaskan species.
They believe there is a connection to the 50+ bird species that migrate
to Hawaii every year to escape the Artic winter.
But the specialized traits developed for the habitats of these isolated species
make their ability to compete for survival weak,
and today, invasive species threaten many of these species with extinction.
In fact, there are more endangered species in Hawaii than any other location on Earth:
There are 289 endangered plants in Hawaii.
The endangered crested honeycreeper is found only in the rainforest of East Maui.
It is dependent on the `ohia blossom nectar for food.
It is one of the birds studied and protected by The Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project.
An endangered Hawaiian plant:
The stem has a crown rosette of leaves.
Projects worldwide work hard to protect so many, many species.
Volunteer yourself and become a guardian.
Or maybe, take photos of the endangered species in your area
and donate them to ARKive.
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| Photo by Larry Etkin |
Endangered Japanese cranes in a snow storm
portray the beauty of biodiversity.
The endangered Miami Blue butterfly.
Or maybe, get outside and do a butterfly count
for the North American Butterfly Association.
The Right to Migrate is supported
by the Right to Life for Humans and the Right to Food;
it is modified by the Right to Respect, the Right to Security,
and the Right to Cultural Heritage.
Biodiversity is supported by the Right to Life for all Species and the Right to Beauty.
Revision: thanks to commenter Liz R.
