Where Wildlife, Humans, & Ecology Meet
Ecology Blueprints explores the interconnected systems that link wildlife, humans, and their habitats—through science, observation, and hands-on learning.
Because no organism exists alone. When you understand food webs, habitat, and pressure, the species make sense. Ecology isn’t about memorizing animals—it’s about understanding relationships and outcomes.
Gannets have a very distinct appearance. They have white feathers with black markings at the outer edge of their wings.
Hawaiian Hoary Bats are really small – they only weigh about half an ounce! They hold the title of the only endemic land mammal that’s left in Hawaii. They are considered endangered.
Have you heard of Least Terns? These birds are part of the same family as gulls and they’re actually the smallest member. They stand about 8-9 inches tall and weigh just under 2 ounces.
Snow Leopards are solitary cats that live in mountain regions of Central Asia, usually in areas that have open forests or grasslands. Snow Leopards measure about 4-5 feet long, not including their tails, which usually add another three feet.
Seagulls technically aren’t a species. They’re a name that we colloquially give to various species of gulls that we associate with living near the ocean.
Genetic diversity is extremely important when it comes to healthy wildlife. When habitats are fragmented, we often see animal populations get separated from one another.
Costa’s Hummingbird is less than 4 inches tall. They usually live in desert habitats in California and Arizona, within washes or sage scrub.
Deserts are really important – and they need to be conserved just like other habitats do. On Earth, they make up about 20% of the terrain, and they can be found on every continent.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are also known as Archilochus colubris. They are only about 3 inches tall, weigh less than 0.
Humpback whales are huge mammals – they can get over 50 feet in length and weigh over 80,000 pounds! Even when they’re born, they’ll weigh around 2,000 pounds and be 15 feet in length!.
Hummingbirds are part of the family Trochilidae. There are over 320 species of them throughout the world! About 12 species live in North America, but the greatest variety is found in South America.
The Hawaiian Goose is the state bird of Hawaii and is endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. It’s the only surviving goose species that’s endemic to the area.
