Arlington Hts. museum hosts national exhibit on endangered species

It is easy to see why the bald eagle, our national symbol, should be protected; but what about the lowly fat pocketbook mussel or the decurrent false aster?

"Saving Endangered Species, Saving Ourselves" is a traveling exhibit developed by the Bell Museum of Natural History and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3 Division of Endangered Species.

With photomurals, maps, colorful panels, sculpture and pop-up story books, the exhibition explores the harmful environmental changes in the Midwest that have led to the decline in the biodiversity.

It uses federally listed endangered species the Midwest to examine how these declining species, even the humble ones, are often warning signals of environmental problems that can harm other species, including humans. A local component examines this issue in Arlington Heights and the greater Chicago area.

The exhibition concludes by showing ecosystem protection efforts being developed by partnerships among government agencies, private conservation groups and local citizens.