Maryland is home to an estimated 84 species of mammals, 85 species of reptiles and amphibians; 233 species of birds fill our skies and 116 species of fishes swim in the waters. An untold number of insect and other invertebrate species (crustaceans, spiders, mollusks) also reside here. Of all of these thousands of creatures, 320 are considered rare. Ninety of these are designated as Threatened or Endangered and are afforded protection under the State Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act.

All of these creatures, regardless of how humans choose to categorize them – rare, common, game, nongame – offer us something valuable, whether tangible or not. Food, clothing, shelter, opportunities for recreation, clean water, all of these can be directly related to the existence of Maryland’s wide diversity of species. Also the chance to witness, with no regard to any potential use or worth to the human population, the comings and goings of other beings – to put a value on the power of contemplation is to make another connection to the rest of creation.