The piping plover is a threatened species of shorebird primarily known for its loquacious peep-lo call and for spurring beach closures along the Atlantic coast during its nesting season.  It is a sensitive species that requires pristine beaches to nest and raise chicks.  Many of these beaches were lost to urbanization, however they are experiencing a comeback and are thriving in some portions of its range.

One of the original species to be granted protection under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the predecessor of the Endangered Species Act, the Delmarva Fox Squirrel was delisted in November of 2015.  This large, silver squirrel is found only on the Delmarva Peninsula.  For five years following the delisting, the squirrel's population will be examined utilizing camera traps in the remote Delmarva swamps to make sure the population does not crash. 

The Shenandoah salamander is a rare species found only along the dry northern-facing talas slopes of three peaks within Shenandoah National Park.  This endangered species faces an uncertain fate, as a warming climate has caused the much more common eastern red back salamander to move further up the mountains and occupy the Shenandoah's territory.  It is a "canary in the coal mine."  Will this species exist decades from now? 

Get Trash(ed) on Assateague Island is a citizen conservation project formed by Alex Ottenstein.  The group meets weekly to clean the pristine beaches of Assateague Island.  In its first year of operation the group collected and removed 37 contractor bags filled with trash, 36 tires, four 55-gallon drums, over 500 pounds of rope, over 100 pounds of braided cable, 136 feet of PVC pipe, 32 fishing bobbers, and much, much more.  The Get Trash(ed) movement has become the catalyst that illustrates that anyone can make a positive difference in protecting habitat.