Borderlands Biodiversity

Ecosystems don’t stop at the border and neither does WildEarth Guardians.  We use laws such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to protect the natural systems within the Great Plains, Chihuahuan Desert, and Sonoran Desert throughout their full extents in North America. 

Challenging ecologically harmful border activities and physical barriers are crucial to ensuring that native wildlife and plants can thrive throughout their natural ranges.  Climate change is also a reminder that we can’t restrict ourselves to the U.S.  Warming temperatures may cause species’ ranges to shift north/south as well as east/west.  Our work must follow the species and their ecosystems and address threats wherever we find them.

Promoting habitat protection and species restoration regardless of political designation is imperative for wildlife such as the northern aplomado falcon, Mexican wolf, Sonoran Desert tortoise, black-tailed prairie dog, and black-footed ferret.  WildEarth Guardians works on behalf of these and many other species that cross national borders.

Northern Aplomado Falcon

WildEarth Guardians has a long history of promoting full habitat protection for the northern aplomado falcon, which occurs in the Chihuahuan Desert and is listed as endangered under the ESA.  In Mexico, it faces threats from conversion of its grassland habitat to cropfields.  In the U.S., it faces threats from oil and gas and urban sprawl.  WildEarth Guardians works on both sides of the border to protect this rare raptor.  

Sonoran Desert Tortoise

Another borderland species we strive to protect is the Sonoran Desert tortoise. Along with the tortoise, there is also a “hare” – the white-sided jackrabbit.  While most Sonoran Desert tortoises occur in the U.S., most white-sided jackrabbits occur in Mexico.  Full ESA protection is required for these species, given a variety of threats including off-road vehicle use related to border activities, as well as border barriers.

Black-tailed Prairie Dog & Black-footed Ferret

Wildlife in both the U.S. and Mexico face mounting dangers from livestock ranching.  Grazing cattle during drought has devastated one of the largest black-tailed prairie dog complexes in existence, located in northern Chihuahua.  WildEarth Guardians’ work to obtain ESA listing for this species will help both prairie dogs in Chihuahua and the black-footed ferret, which has been reintroduced there.  

Mexican wolf

Historic predator control at the behest of ranchers extirpated the Mexican wolf from Mexico and U.S. and continued wolf killing has prevented the success of Mexican wolf reintroduction in the southwestern U.S.  WildEarth Guardians works hard to upgrade legal protections for both the prairie dog and wolf, because they belong to this landscape and because of the ecologically vital roles both play in native ecosystems.

Otero Mesa

WildEarth Guardians also promotes positive steps toward recognizing the ecological vitality of transborder ecosystems.  An example is our work to provide permanent protection for Otero Mesa in south-central New Mexico as a mirror for Janos grasslands biosphere reserve designation in northern Chihuahua.  Both areas are biodiversity hotspots deserving of the highest levels of protection.

WildEarth Guardians is proud of our efforts to safeguard native wildlife, plants, and ecosystems in western North America, regardless of which side of the border they occur on.