Seth Borenstein, Sarah Blake Morgan, Bob Bukaty, Nicky Forster, Federica Narancio for the 10th installment of the “What Can Be Saved?” series, an in-depth package on the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The all-formats team went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to spend time with researchers working to protect two species: a rare butterfly that receives very little money from the U.S. government, and a woodpecker that gets much more, illustrating inconsistencies in the act. The team produced a visually rich package with stunning images of the creatures and scientists, a compelling minidocumentary that pushed total views or the AP series past 1 million and an interactive that allowed readers to explore which endangered species live in their neighborhoods.
"What Can Be Saved?”: The butterfly on a bomb range
A St. Francis satyr butterfly rests on a leaf in a swamp at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, July 29, 2019.. Its wing was marked by a biologist studying the rare insect.
AP Photo / Robert F. Bukaty