With the extinction of various animal species occurring at a faster rate now than at any time in Earth’s history, programs to educate the public about the planet’s biodiversity and raise awareness of the need for preservation are critical. ARKive [1] is one such effort, bringing together the very best photos and video footage of the world’s species in one centralized digital library, to create a unique audio-visual record of life on Earth—and prioritizing those species at the greatest risk of extinction.
Besides preserving and maintaining this information for future generations, ARKive also contains extensive educational resources, including several thousand videos, images, and fact files that can be used in a wide range of subject areas—as well as science teaching resources grouped according to students’ age range. These science resources cover many key biology topics, such as variation and adaptation, habitats and life cycles, evolution, classification, food chains, and conservation.
All of the website’s photos, video clips, and authenticated fact files are available for students and teachers to use and incorporate into lessons and presentations free of charge.