2023 is the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, a landmark piece of conservation legislation protecting our nation’s wildlife. In honor of this milestone, Grades 3-12 students were invited to submit essays about endangered species to a special nationwide essay collection! Students from across the country submitted informative essays about ESA-listed species and the threats they face, creative stories written from the perspective of threatened and endangered species, persuasive essays about the importance of the ESA, and more. Browse students’ submissions below!

Students’ opinions are their own and may not be shared by the Endangered Species Coalition and the ESA50 Education & Youth Committee. Students’ essays may contain grammatical or factual errors.