Skip to main content

July 2021 Factfile - some news from the past month, animals and plants!

Hi Everyone,

July is over and August is here. This month we've divided the 'News' section into 'Good news' and 'Bad news'. This will hopefully make the post more structured and easier to navigate.

News

Good news:

Pandas classified as vulnerable

Giants pandas are now classified as vulnerable according to Chinese officials. They were originally classed as endangered, but now that numbers in the wild have gone over 1 800 they have been reclassified. This is due to hard conservation work in China and funds from volunteers all over the globe. However, they are still vulnerable so it is important that the good work continues.
For all those who have supported giant pandas through websites or those who work actively with them: keep up the good work!
  

First baby beaver born on Exmoor in 400 years

A baby beaver has been born on Exmoor, England, for the first time in 400 years! This is due to a plan to reintroduce the animals. The parents were brought to the enclosure in 2020. They now have an eight-week-old kit (baby beaver). The baby was caught on a camera trap, swimming with its mother. The beaver family has already had a very positive effect on their environment. Otters have been seen more regularly since the arrival of the adult beavers. The tree that the beavers felled are perfect resources for owls, woodpeckers and bats. The enclosure is now a diverse habitat for sparrow hawks, gray wagtails, herons, moorhens, kingfishers and much more wildlife. This is what happens, simply by reintroducing two beavers back into a habitat! 

UN plan to cut extinction rates by the factor of 10

The UN (United Nations) is drafting another Paris-style agreement. It will include eliminating plastic pollution, reducing pesticide use by two thirds, halving the rate of invasive species introduction, and many other goals. This sounds brilliant and if it works, it will be! However, with the world population growing rapidly, I personally don't quite know how it will work. It'll be quite hard to get us out of this mess. But it's possible. We just need the governments to stop fighting each other and start fighting climate change!

Bad news:

Unfortunately there is quite a bit of bad news this month. :(

The end of Old Faithful?

When geologists mapped Yellowstone Park in 1870, the geysers and springs were as close to endless as possible. Now, over 150 years later, 4 million people come to see Old Faithful, Yellowstone's most famous geyser, every single year. Old Faithful shoots tens of thousands of litres of boiling water roughly 17-times every day.
However, a recent study has shown that rising temperatures, reduced snowfall and increased rainfall could shut Old Faithful off for ever. This would affect an area of 22 million acres. That land would become victim to something that a natural park can't protect against; rising temperatures. And we all know what rising temperatures can and are doing to the world!

Amazon rainforest emitting CO2

Another tipping point has been reached. The amazon rainforest is now emitting more CO2 than it can absorb. This is because the rainforest is being burnt down, so it no longer contains enough trees and plants to keep up with the CO2 being released by the trees burning down. The amazon used to be one of our most efficient CO2 absorber. Now it is CO2 positive! This is another hope lost for us humans. This needs to stop! 

Floods in Germany

Catastrophic floods have destroyed villages and towns in Germany and parts of Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The floods have killed at least 58 people and many more are still missing, in Germany. All across the region, fire-fighters tried desperately to rescue people stranded on rooftops. Many of the roads heading towards the affected were covered in rubble from landslides and some were still flooded, making them impassable.

Lapland records the hottest weather since 1914

Kevo, a city in the north of Lapland, has recorded the hottest temperatures since 1914. The temperature reached 33.6°C on Sunday 4th of July. These high temperatures were due to a heatwave that has swept through most of Europe in the past month. The source of the heatwave was, you guessed it, climate change! Lapland wasn't the only place affected. In south-west England from the 16th to the 23rd, no rain fell and temperatures went over 30°C. The European heatwave was similar to one in USA at a similar time. Hundreds are thought to be dead due to high temperatures in the north-west of the US and southwestern Canada.

Animals and plant

Land: Elk

The elk, also known as the wapiti, belongs to the deer family. They live across North America and Central and South Asia.
They weigh 150 kg to 500 kg. Their shoulder height is 120 cm to 150 cm. However a male elk's antlers can reach up to 120 cm above his head, making him 270 cm tall!
Elks are grassing animals that mostly feed on grass. They live in herds of up to 400 individuals!
During the mating season, males will fight over the females, hence the massive antlers.

Air: Puffin

The puffin is a much loved creature that spends most of it's life at sea or on coastal islands. A puffin’s beak also changes colour! In winter, the beak is grey, but in spring it turns to it's signature orange! This is to attract potential mates. They are carnivorous and so live off small fish. They also flap their wings up to 400 times a minute and can fly at up to 88km per hour! They are not only fantastic flyers but also superb swimmers, able to dive 60m in search of food. They live around 20 years and usually stay with the same mating partner!
National Geographic has a great article of puffin facts which I have used to put this together and also have a great piece on if they are endangered and why.
"Although puffins are not classed as an endangered species, populations in some places are in decline. The main threats are overfishing, which can lead to a shortage of food for puffins, and pollution – particularly oil spills. Not only does the oil make these beautiful birds sick, it destroys their waterproof feathers, essential for their survival."

Water: Manta ray

Manta rays are gentle giants. They are the largest type of rays. They are known to be very curious and peaceful.

Manta rays are filter feeders. That means that they let the water flow in through their mouths. They then filter it for food and let the remaining water flow out again.
There are two types of manta rays: the reef manta ray and the giant oceanic manta ray. The reef manta ray is smaller, with a wingspan of 335cm. The giant oceanic manta ray is the biggest ray, with a wingspan of 883cm!
These incredible creatures are listed as vulnerable.

Plant: Kauri tree

Kauri trees are found in New Zealand. A fully grown tree has no lower branches. This stops vines from growing up it. It's flaking bark also protects the tree against vines. The fallen bark gathers around the bottom of the tree.
Kauri trees are massive.

90% of all kauri tree areas standing before 1000AD was destroyed by 1970! Today, there are only about 7 500 hectares of kauri trees left.
Kauri trees are incredible. The oldest Kauri tree is between 1 500 and 2 500 years old!

Eco tip

Turn your heaters down! By reducing the temperature by just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer (only when you have a thermostat), you could save 2000 pounds of carbon a year!

Book recommendation

We've just read an amazing book called 'Dairy of a young naturalist' by Dara McAnulty. It's an incredible book that describes the natural world through the eyes of an autistic teenager from Ireland. His descriptions are precise and stunning.


See you soon (next time will be the first amazon rainforest post)!

Click here for the next vote!


Sources:

Images:
Title image: This image is owned by a blog editor.
Panda: This image is owned by .M.Q Huang on pexels.com.
Beaver: This image, owned by Michael Levine-Clark (on flickr.com) is liscensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Old Faithful: This image, owned by Matthew Paulson (on flickr.com), is lisenced under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Elk: This image, owned by Oregon Department of Agriculture (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Puffin: This image, owned by Nigel Appleton (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Manta ray: This image, owned by NOAA's National Ocean Service (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Kauri tree: This image, owned by Jessica Cross (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

16.08.2020 Animal of the week: Elephant

Hello. On the 12th of August it was International Elephant Day, so we decided that this week's post should be about elephants. Elephants are the largest living land mammals. There are three types of elephant; the African bush elephant; the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. African elephants have larger ears, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears. Elephants use their trunks to breath, bring food and drink to their mouths and to grasp objects. Elephants' legs are like pillars. They carry the Elephant's massive weight. African bush elephants weigh 6000kg, Asian elephants weigh 4000kg and African forest elephants weigh 2700kg. Basically, they are very heavy.Elephants eat grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Elephants can live up to 70 years old in the wild. They communicate by sight, touch and smell. Sadly, these wonderful mammals are in danger. African elephants are listed as vulne...

Palm Oil

Hi everyone, Today we would like to share with you some information about palm oil.  With all the focus on climate change and plastic pollution, not many people are acting against the use of palm oil.  Workers First of all, the managers promise that the workers will have good money, but when they arrive, their passports are taken from them, therefore, meaning they are trapped. Soon they find out that they aren't paid as well as promised. They have to work long hours with no breaks, maternity leave or sick days. Some people have to spray pesticides with leaking cans and no safety gear, meaning they become ill but are still forced to work. Deforestation Many animals are losing their home because the trees are chopped down to make room for the palm trees. they are now facing extinction. Also, trees helped to slow down climate change, but without them, climate change speeds up. So this is a big problem. Help your planet! Image:...

How much do you know about big cats? - Quiz

Hello, Lions, tigers, jaguars , cheetahs , leopards - all of these amazing big cats derserve their own quiz, but seeing as we only do one quiz a month, we've had to put them all into one! Questions How old do tigers get in the wild? a) 20 years old b) 30 years old c) 40 years old True or False? The only big cats found in the Americas (in the wild) are jaguars. What is a cheetah's top speed? a) 90km/h b) 100km/h c) 110km/h True of False? A lions roar can be heard from 8km away. Leopards have been around for a long time. How old are the oldest leopard fossils ever found? a) 600 000 years old b) 700 000 years old c) 800 000 years old True or False? In Africa, cheetahs are the most endangered big cats. How heavy can jaguars get? a) 80 kg b) 110kg c) 140kg True or False? All females lions in a pride are related. ...

How much do you know about marine animals? | quiz

Hi Everyone! Welcome to another monthly quiz! Today we are so excited to share some quiz questions on marine animals. Let us know how you did in the comments! Questions 1) Which of these came first: sharks, dinosaurs or jellyfish? 2) How many electric bulbs could an electric eel light up? 3) True of False: dolphins sleep with only half their brain. 4) True or False: an octopus has purple blood. 5) What is the loudest sound made by a marine animal (and indeed any animal on the planet!)? 6) True or False: oysters are all female. 7) In which animal species do the males and not the females give birth and care for their young? 8) True or False: a shrimp's heart is in its head. 9) True or False: sea sponges have no head, brain, mouth, eyes, feelers, bones, heart, or lungs. 10) How many continents do turtles live in? Answers: 1) Jellyfish! They've been around for more than 650 million years. 2) 10 3) True! They also...

Amazon Rainforest series - part 2: eco system and food chains

Welcome back to our Amazon mini-series! Today, we're going to talk about the eco system and food chains of the Amazon Rainforest. The eco system is very complex. If you read our last Amazon post you will know the great number of species that call the Amazon Rainforest home. The Amazon Rainforest is a very accurate name for it. Massive amounts of rain fall on the forest every year. Most of that rain is blown in from the Atlantic Ocean. The rest comes from evaporation. The rainforest is known to be full of life. It provides one of the last refuges for jaguars , harpy eagles and pink river dolphins . But the rainforest is home to many more animals than that. Everyone has heard of poison dart frogs right? In fact, the Amazon Rainforest contains 1 in 10 of all known animal species on Earth! That's a lot of animals! The Amazon is home to over 1 000 species of birds, from hummingbirds to eagles. Macaws are probably the most well...

Rachel Carson 1907-1964

Hi everybody, Today I am going to tell you about a really inspirational environmentalist. Her name is Rachel Carson. I hope her story inspires you to be more careful about pesticides. As a girl, Rachel adored writing stories about animals. She got a degree in zoology but had to go home to care for her ageing mother. She wrote a series of radio shows about fish for a living. Rachel's program, called 'Romance Under Waters', was a big hit. Her ways of writing were different to anyone else and no one had made that sound so interesting before. It proved that she was talented in not only science but also writing. She wrote two books called 'The Sea Around Us' and 'The Edge Of The Sea'. When Rachel moved to the countryside, she realized the impact of pesticides. At that time farmers sprayed chemicals on their fields a lot to protect them from animals that may want to eat them. Rachel worked out that they were killing pla...

The Responsible Traveller by Karen Edwards || a practical guide to reducing your environmental and social impact // BOOK REVIEW

HI Everyone! Our January monthly post was a zero-waste challenge, but as we explained in our  2023 wrap up , this year we will be alternating a monthly challenge with a book review, of course related to the environment. This week, I'm going to share a recommendation for a fantastic book, all about how you can travel more sustainably and responsibly. I absolutely love travelling, but I'm also very aware of the impact it has on the world, and I am very keen to learn more about how I can further reduce my impact. That's why I bought this book around a year ago, and I've really enjoyed reading it and learning from it.  This is a practical, small-format guide, sharing both basic information about the climate crisis and the impact of various travel activities, and how you can do your bit. It shares specific journeys that are more environmentally friendly options, for example long distance train journeys such as The Alaskan Railroad with its stunning alpine forests and wide ar...

Ecosia

We all need to do something to save our planet: it is no use just leaving it to Greta Thunberg! She is very inspirational, yes, but she can only do so much. She isn't superhuman! The climate crisis is up to us; up to you. We all have to get stuck in. Research, learn, discover and most importantly: never give up! The world's animals need us. The world's trees need us and a simple way to do this is to switch to Ecosia. Ecosia is a search engine but it plants trees while you search the web. Okay, it doesn't have as many websites as google so you may want to have google as a backup but it plants trees: this is your opportunity to make a simple change. Just google Ecosia and search to plant trees. Make a difference. Image: This image  is owned by  Binyamin Mellish on  pexels.com .

10 animals on the edge of extinction you didn't know about no.3- The Monarch butterfly

The monarch butterfly is an animal you will probably have seen around in your life. It's not the kind of animal you will know the name of, much less the extinction status, but the monarch butterfly is rated "endangered" on the WWF website. It's affected by climate change and humans and its numbers have declined greatly. Fast Facts The Monarch Butterfly is a rather small animal, however pretty large for one of its species. Their wingspan ranges from about 90 to 100 mm, the male butterflies being slightly larger than the female. They are orange with a black patterning and white dots on the sides of their wings, the vibrant colours warn predators of their bad taste. Monarch butterflies are known for their migration habits. They are mainly found in northern America, but travel to the south (Mexico or California mainly) to hibernate. These tiny butterflies travel almost 3 thousand kilometres and can be found all over the planet by now...

How does plastic affect the environment?

Hello, I wanted to clarify exactly how plastic affects the environment. I hope this will explain. When plastic breaks, it releases toxic gasses that poison animals. Also, if plastic is swallowed it could cut or damage the inside of the animal. Many animals such as turtles and dolphins mistake the small plastic fragments for food. Even if the plastic is too small to cut into the insides of the animal or cause choking, too many micro plastics inside an animal will eventually block the digestive tracts and they will starve to death.  Recent research proves that plastic has entered the human body. This is because plankton eats microplastics and small fish eat plankton. Bigger fish eat smaller fish and we eat the bigger fish. So inside us is plastic. Plastic also blocks waterways and sewers. This leads to the perfect breading grounds for disease carrying animals such as mosquitos. When plastic is burned it releases those toxic gas...