“A new NatureServe Canada report on globally rare species in Canada shows an increase in the number of animals, plants and lichen facing threats to their existence. In fact, 517 species that occur in Canada are now classified as being globally at risk. The report, entitled On Guard For Them: Species of Global Conservation Concern in Canada, was released at the NatureServe Biodiversity Without Boundaries international conference in Ottawa. It spotlights the native species (including sub-species and varieties) of plants and wildlife most at risk of being lost to extinction in Canada, such as tiger beetles, freshwater mussels, freshwater fishes, ferns and mammals. Canada also has 38 bird and 37 mammals that are globally at risk, including swift fox, hoary bat, Sprague’s pipet and piping plover. The report was prepared by NatureServe Canada and provincial and territorial Conservation Data Centres, and was supported by partner organizations, including Parks Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).  The report presents findings on the global conservation status of 13 groups of species — from mammals, birds, reptiles, turtles and amphibians to freshwater mussels and flowering plants. The report assigns a global conservation ranking that ranges from presumed extinct to secure…”