Here are three facts about Save Vanishing Species, a semipostal stamp that USPS employees are promoting in December.
1. USPS released Save Vanishing Species in 2011. Since then, sales of the stamp have raised more than $5.2 million to help protect threatened and vanishing species.
2. Stamp purchases benefit conservation funds. Under a 2010 law, USPS transfers net proceeds from the sale of these stamps to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support multinational species conservation funds. These funds include the African Elephant Conservation Fund, the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund, the Great Ape Conservation Fund, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund and the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund.
3. The stamp depicts an Amur tiger cub. The illustration symbolizes the plight of one of the magnificent animals the stamp is designed to help. When full grown, the Amur tiger can weigh as much as 650 pounds and measure 13 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail.
The usps.com Postal Store has more information about the Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp. Got ideas for future editions of “The list”? Email them to uspslink@usps.gov.