Over the holidays we passed an important milestone: the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This bill was signed into law by President Nixon on December 28, 1973. Over the last 50 years the ESA has proved a remarkable success, with 99% of the species covered by the Act avoiding extinction. To mark this occasion, WWF’s Leigh Henry joins the podcast to talk about the circumstances that led to the passage of the ESA back in 1973 (1:21), how the law actually works in practice (4:42), and how the law has been utilized to save species like the bald eagle and the black-footed ferret here in the US (10:51). She also explains how the ESA helps to protect species in other countries, from tigers to giant pandas (16:55).  LINKS: Web Story: Celebrating 50 Years of the Endangered Species Act Leigh Henry Bio