A resolution honoring conservation on the centennial of the passenger pigeon extinction.

Whereas the death of Martha, the last passenger pigeon, on September 1, 1914, at the Cincinnati Zoo, and the extinction of the passenger pigeon helped to catalyze the American conservation movement of the early 20th century, resulting in new laws and practices that prevented the extinction of many species;

Whereas the story of the passenger pigeon can serve to encourage communities to explore connections between humans and the natural world, and inspire people to build sustainable relationships with other species;

Whereas the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once the most abundant bird in North America, with a population exceeding 3,000,000,000 and with flocks so large that they could darken the skies for hours and even days at a time;

Whereas due to unregulated market hunting in the 19th century and deforestation, the passenger pigeon population plummeted toward extinction;

Whereas Project Passenger Pigeon, a consortium of over 150 institutions, scientists, conservationists, educators, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and others throughout the Nation, is using the centenary of the extinction of the species to tell the story of the passenger pigeon; and

Whereas the story of the passenger pigeon, once a symbol of never-ending natural abundance, and its subsequent extinction is unique in the annals of the history of the United States: Now, therefore, be it