Reply to two prompts in 100 words each. No sites needed, these are just thoughts on the prompts.    (Original prompt for your consideration, Think back to your previous experiences and prior knowledge with respect to threats to species and ecosystems.

• What do you know about threats to species?
• What has been your experience with threats to species?
• How do you think the experiences you have described so far have impacted your knowledge and perceptions about threats to species?
• How do you think learning about threats to species will impact your future career in environmental science? )

Prompt 1: I think that is the first thing I learned as a young adult about environmental science. Every textbook says this species is endangered, and hundreds more are at risk. As a young adult, this would create anxiety for me, and I believe a young woman coined the term “eco-anxiety.” I experience almost daily with climate change and water issues etc. 

In my local area, there was a threat to a tree species. A few years ago, there was so much coverage at talk about a species of bugs that targeted and destroyed this certain tree species. I remember we couldn’t go to our favorite park for months. Experiencing the loss of hundreds of trees personally and as a child, it was, in a way, traumatic because you feel so helpless in it all. And that experience made me aware of how fragile and quickly a species of any can could go away. My experience and eco-anxiety have created a passion and fire for this work. I guess you would say a sense of nobility towards starting this career. It impacts my perspective, sense of urgency, and compassion to create a more extensive field around environmental science and see it as very much-needed work. 

Prompt 2: Threats to species are factors that can affect the lifestyle or survival of a living thing. Threats can be something within the specific ecosystem or something exterior such as a natural disaster, climate change, or invasive species. These factors can change the way one species functions and forces it to either adapt or go extinct. 

My experience with threats to species is probably like most of you. Every year there seems to be another major animal that is being affected due to human-made threats. If we look at recent years, the threat of extinction has become very real for species like rhinos and blue whales. Both species are affected by climate change but more specifically humans. They are poached by hunters and caught in commercial fishing lines and nets. Ultimately, my experience with threats to species is through the media. However, I am aware of what is going on around us. 

These experiences have influenced my passion for wildlife and are the reason I want to continue my studies in marine biology. I want to use my knowledge and the new information I am learning to try and promote change. 

As we have progressed through this course, the content has continued to build on itself. We are using the information we learned from every week and every lesson to progress our knowledge and understanding.