The Endangered Species Foundation today launched a new campaign “We Love You, Even If You’re Ugly” to draw attention to the rarest of the rare here in Aotearoa and enable people to select an unusual and vulnerable species to gift or adopt as their own.
“They may not be pretty, but we believe that every part of the eco-system deserves a voice,” says Endangered Species General Manager, Natalie Jessup. “From giant weta fungus to the little-known fuzzweed moth - we celebrate the uniqueness of our most vulnerable species, even if they’re seen as ugly or overly fuzzy.”
The Endangered Species Foundation wants to engage people with Aotearoa’s most endangered species to ensure their survival. The chosen six species available for adoption are all from the top 40 most endangered list.
“We are here to be a voice for creatures who no one has ever heard of, like the polychaete worm, and the lowland longjaw galaxias (a small whitebait),” says Jessup. “These creatures are on the brink of extinction, and this year we are inviting people to put something different in their Christmas stockings to help our most endangered species”.
By adopting a weird and wonderful creature you will receive an adoption certificate and a link to more information about your chosen species. This year’s selection includes the most endangered species you have never heard of:
• Giant weta fungus
• Hamilton's frog
• Chatham shag (yes you can gift a shag for Christmas)
• Fuzzweed moth
• Lowland longjaw galaxias
• Holloway's crystalwort.
Your donation will go towards protecting biodiversity in Aotearoa and enabling the balance that’s needed for all our taonga to survive and thrive. The Endangered Species Foundation is a voice for every part of every eco-system, from beautiful, charismatic megafauna like the Māui Dolphin, to the obscure and (some might say), less attractive Hamilton’s Frog, we believe that all things deserve to live.
Even if you’re ugly, tiny, strange or really fuzzy.
