In Nova Scotia there are 60 species that are at risk of disappearing from the province. Some species are responsible for important ecological functions that farms and farmers depend upon. Once a species is gone, it is gone forever and so are the benefits it once provided. The conservation and recovery of species-at-risk is a shared responsibility that is important to everyone.
There are five categories of species at risk in Nova Scotia and Canada, have a look at the table below to familiarize yourself with the categories and what they mean.
| Status Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| Endangered | a species facing imminent extirpation or extinction |
| Threatened | a species likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed |
| Vulnerable | a species of special concern because of characteristics that make it particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events |
| Extirpated | a species that no longer exists in the wild in the Province but exists in the wild outside the Province |
| Extinct | a species that no longer exists |