We're funding 28,000+ species assessments with @IUCN to help protect biodiversity: https://t.co/wGteGwkSku pic.twitter.com/rOO0NUnMbL
— ToyotaGB (@ToyotaGB) May 10, 2016
The International Union for Conservation of Nature conducts assessments of threats, present and future, to the survival of all different kinds of species, and makes this information readily available to conservation scientists around with world on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The IUCN is one of the most accepted international standards for the conservation status of species. What we mean is, different organizations, both private and governmental, may disagree on what is or is not endangered. For example, the least tern (Sterna antillarum) is endangered in Missouri according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, but the IUCN classifies the least tern as "Least Concern." While populations are declining in our part of the world, the IUCN notes that its range is very broad, and that globally, it is not in immediate risk.
The IUCN has data on almost 80,000 species currently, and hopes to double that number by 2020. Toyota is helping them get there with a generous grant to fund 28,000 more species assessments.
"By doubling the scope of The IUCN Red List, it will become a more complete 'barometer of life,'" says Jane Smart, Global Director of IUCN’s Biodiversity Conservation Group. "Toyota's grant will enhance the Red List's invaluable role in helping determine conservation policies; tracking progress toward reducing biodiversity loss; providing data for scientific research; and raising public awareness about species."
Join us at Frank Fletcher Toyota in Joplin to learn more about how you can contribute to biodiversity, starting with the car you drive. Our new inventory is filled with excellent low-emission and hybrid options for the ecologically conscientious driver.
