BY Garret Owens, Full360

In the rainforest wetlands of Ecuador lives a rare species of frogs, whose skin is so translucent you could see their hearts beating. The Burrowes Giant Glass Frog is relatively unknown to the rest of the world, but this frog is at risk of extinction due to habitat changes, climate change altering humidity levels, pollution, and the introduction of predatory fish, according to Earth’s Endangered Creatures. 

Despite its name, it is a relatively small frog originally discovered in 1989 and not seen again until 2009. Burrowes’ Giant Glass Frog is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to deforestation, climate change, pollution, and diseases. This is just one example of a species that the IUCN details on its website, in hopes of saving a species that might not be around for much longer otherwise. 

The IUCN is one of the world’s most influential and oldest global environmental organizations. Founded in 1964 in Fontainebleau, France, the organization works together with governments, non-governmental organizations, scientists, and experts from around the world with the shared mission of conserving nature and promoting sustainable use of natural resources. The IUCN works with approximately 1,400 organizations and 15,000 volunteer scientists/experts to accomplish a common goal. That mission has always stayed the same, as the organization works to influence, encourage, and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

Mattias Klum, the ambassador of Goodwill for IUCN, shared his insights on the group.

“The Redlist is more than a list; it is a barometer of life, measuring many of the threats faced by a species,” – Mattias Klum

This allows for IUCN, the main source, to be a part of a lot of conservation efforts. By keeping track of these endangered species, the IUCN has been able to protect areas, Influence other scientific communities to create policies that aid species with protection, manage ecosystems to allow for nature-based solutions to pollution and other issues, and lead conservation projects in over 170 different countries.

With the Redlist being an established, knowledgeable community full of information on so many species, no species is truly extinct until it is too late. Even then, there have been multiple accounts where presumed extinct species were found living. 

Dr. Emily Basile, a professor a Delaware Valley University, was asked about the kind of impact that these unions/associations have on getting information out and working toward fixing the problems.

“It is huge what these foundations can achieve with the proper funding. Getting word out is so important to save these species that aren’t relevant in most people’s everyday lives, but it makes conservation attempts easier and more likely to be successful,” she said.