One biologist's quest to save the Venus flytrap

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     December 28, 2023 In years past, I set some pretty lofty resolutions for myself. This year, I'm keeping it short, simple, and attainable. A few weeks ago, I bought a Venus flytrap. And my goal for 2024 is to keep that little plant alive for as long as I can. Since my teen years, I've killed every single plant I've ever owned, usually due to neglect or not following the proper care protocol. (To quote my mother: My thumbs are brown for a reason.) But this year will be different. Before I went to my local plant nursery, I did nonstop research, and a super helpful source was my colleague Jackie Flynn Mogensen and her recent [story]( on the plants. For years, I'd always assumed they were native to some exotic, tropical environment. It turns out these little carnivorous plants, just like me, are native to the Carolinas. And thanks to land development, fire suppression, climate change, and poaching, they're disappearing. Here's a snippet from Jackie's story: While you can buy the hairy carnivorous plant at garden centers, and even Walmart, Venus flytraps only grow in the wild in one place on Earth: the wet longleaf pine forests of the Carolinas, boggy areas where scientists estimate about 880,000 individual plants remain in just 74 colonies. In her latest feature, Jackie joined Julie Moore, a retired Fish and Wildlife Service biologist and flytrap maven, on her quest to rescue these iconic plants. The story is part of our expansive Endangered Species Act [package](, detailing the ins and outs of this historic piece of environmental legislation that became law 50 years ago today. If you're a fan of saving the environment and love informative and entertaining reads, I'd check it out. —Arianna Coghill P.S. Before signing off for the year, I also wanted to try boosting our big December fundraising push. It looks like we still have about $165,000 in [donations to bring in]( over the next three-plus days, and that’s a lot—almost half of the $350,000 goal! If you can help us out right now, please [pitch in and support the reporting we love doing for you]( with a year-end gift this afternoon. Advertisement [Vera Institute of Justice]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [The Venus Flytrap and the Golf Course]( The Endangered Species Act is thought of as wildlife’s “emergency room.” Are we doing enough to prevent species from landing there? BY JACKIE FLYNN MOGENSEN SPONSORED CONTENT BY VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE   Help Vera transform 400+ years of racist criminal legal policies Vera works to transform the criminal legal system. A tax-deductible gift of $35 to Vera helps end mass incarceration and build a fair, accountable justice system. [Donate before the end of the year and your gift will be DOUBLED!]( [Trending] [One of the most controversial US spy programs just got quietly renewed]( BY NINA WANG   [New Year, same Congress: politicians block livestock emission reporting rules]( BY GEORGINA GUSTIN AND PHIL MCKENNA   [Is dumping Twitter your New Year's resolution?]( BY ALI BRELAND   [A 17th birthday party, a stocked bar, beer pong, and a “parental rights” mom facing assault charges]( BY ISABELA DIAS Advertisement [Vera Institute of Justice]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Endangered]( For 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has been one of our most valuable environmental tools. Can it survive today’s attacks? BY MOTHER JONES STAFF [We need your help right now] We have a big $350,000 year-end fundraising goal, and whether or not we raise [the money we need]( is going to come down to the wire. If there’s any way you can right now, please help and support the journalism you get from Mother Jones with a year-end gift of whatever amount works for you. $5 or $50, it all makes a difference when added up with your fellow readers. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755