Skip to main content

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

Image
By
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.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Discussion || Should Everyone Switch To Electric Cars?

By
Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for joining me today, as I hop on the blog to discuss whether everyone switching to electric cars would really help the environment. In other words, should everyone switch to electric cars? This is the first part of a two-part series, discussing electric cars, so stay tuned for part two!! I would like to start this post by stating that I am by no means an expert. This is knowledge I have from my own experience, and from research I have done. If anything is incorrect please take it as it is and accept that this is a discussion and I am taking on board all opinions from reliable sources on this complex topic. Electric cars are a huge topic when it comes to sustainability and "saving our planet". There is no debating the fact that electric cars are better for the environment than diesel or petrol once they are on the road. But the production of them is often very polluting, with one study show...
2 comments
Read more

Announcement: Animal of the week

By
3 comments
Read more

19.07.2020: Animal of the week: Honey Bees

By
Hi everyone, This week's animal is the honey bee. Enjoy! General Information An average honeybee hive is made up of one queen, hundreds of male drones and thousands of female workers. If the queen bee dies then a new queen is created. The workers select a young larva and feed it with a special food called ‘royal jelly’. The ‘royal jelly’ makes the larva grow into a fertile queen. Queens live for several years but the workers only live for five or six weeks. An average worker will make a twelfth of a tee spoon of honey during her entire life. Drones are turned out of the hive and left to die in Autumn. In the summer months, the queen bee is very busy, she can lay up to 2500 eggs in a single day. How they affect the world around them Honey bees are very important for flowers, fruit and vegetables. This comes from the fact that they are pollinators. They help the plants by transferring pollen between male and female parts, meaning the plants can g...
3 comments
Read more

18.10.20 Animal Of The Week: Sloth

By
Hello, Sorry this didn't come out on Sunday as planned but this week's animal of the week is the sloth because the twentieth of October is Sloth Day.  Habitat The sloth resides in Central and South America. It lives in the rainforests there and occasionally drops into the water for a bathe as, believe it or not, they are actually excellent swimmers! Diet Sloths eat leaves, twigs and buds which they find in the rainforest. As they don't have incisors they smack their lips together to make leaves more digestible. Sloths can survive on relatively little food as it takes a while for them to digest it. Sleep and Speed When you think of a sloth, you probably think of this slow, sleepy creature. They actually sleep for about 15 hours a day! Sloths have an extremely low metabolic rate (what basic calories your body needs to survive), which means they move at a slow pace through the trees. On average, sloths travel 40 yards per day ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eco system Galápagos: Part 1 Geography

By
Hello and welcome to the first post about the Galapagos Islands. Currents and Winds The volcanic islands of Galápagos started to form 4 million years ago. Where they lie, is unique. They are situated directly on the equator, on the Nazca tectonic plate. The Galapagos Islands are on the crossroads of three currents. The cold South Equatorial Current flows westward towards Galapagos. The warm Panama Current runs in from the north. And finally, the deep sea Cromwell Current runs from the west. The Galapagos Islands are also where the Northeast Trade Wind meets the Southeast Trade Wind. Galapagos Hotspot 21 Volcanoes make up the Galápagos Islands with 13 still active. The reason for this volcanic activity is a giant hotspot under the island. A hotspot is a gigantic column of super heated molten lava, rising up towards the surface. It is immense; at least sixty miles (97 kilometers) across and 1800 miles (2897 kilometers) deep. It connects the islands to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Coral reefs

By
Hello! We would love to introduce you to the topic of coral reefs and especially coral reef bleaching, as it is a greatly ignored but certainly significant topic. Have fun! 5 coral reef facts 1. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on the planet and is 2300 km long! 2. Less than 0.1% of the world's ocean surface is covered in coral reefs. 3. At least 25% of all marine animals live there. 4. Coral reefs are often known as the rainforests of the ocean. 5. In 1 square kilometre of coral reef, up to 35 tons of fish can be 'produced'. The 5 biggest coral reefs in the world 1. Great Barrier Reef (near Australia) 2. Red Sea Coral Reef (near Egypt, Israel and Djibouti) 3. New Caledonia Reef (Pacific Ocean near New Caledonia) 4. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (near Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras) 5. Florida Reef (Atlantic Ocean/Gulf of Mexico near Florida) What is coral? Coral is actually made up of small anim...
Post a Comment
Read more

November Top Tips | sustainable activities and hobbies

By
Hello everyone, So this week, we are going to be talking about sustainable free time activities. This area can quite big when it comes to environmental impact, so here are some things that you can do in your free time, that are more sustainable. 1. Reading So reading is one of our favourite things to do. However, books are made of paper and the paper industry isn't great. Some ways you can get around this is by reading online (for example, on a kindle), or through borrowing books from a library or using book boxes. If there aren't any in your area then at least try to support independent bookshops! 2. Running If you love being active then this one is for you. Running is probably one of the most sustainable forms of sport. All you need are some running shoes and somewhere to run. There is obviously more high-tech gear but that isn't really necessary if it's just a hobby. 3. Gardening If you've got a small area of land o...
2 comments
Read more

25.10.2020 Animal of the week: Snow leopard

By
Hello everyone, This week's post is about snow leopards. Snow leopards are incredible big cats that roam the mountain ranges of Asia. Snow leopards are very powerful and can climb up and down steep slopes easily, as well as jump up six times their body length. The snow leopard's tail provides balance, agility and warmth. The snow leopard is elusive and solitary and therefore very difficult to spot. They are very important though, because they are at the top of the food chain in this area. Habitat Snow leopards live in northern and central Asia's mountain ranges. These are some of the harshest conditions on earth. However, they white-grey coat with large black spots allows them to blend in with the rocky mountain terrain. They are found in twelve countries including China, Russia and Mongolia. Diet Snow leopards can kill prey up to three times their body weight. This is an incredible feat to pull off as they manage this on their ow...
Post a Comment
Read more

15.11.2020 Animal Of The Week: Red Squirrels

By
Hello Everyone, This week's animal of the week is the red squirrel. There are lots of different types of squirrel (about 200 as this includes marmots and prairie dogs). I have some grey squirrels in my garden and you might too. We often see them so hopefully you can learn about red squirrels today. Habitat As you might know, squirrels live mainly in woodland areas. The red squirrel can live in all types of woodland, even if it is quite small. See the maps below for more information on where they live. Diet They feed on mainly nuts, fruit, fungi and other plants. They need to chew as their teeth grow continuously and so can grow so long that they can't eat if they don't chew often. When food is scarce they can eat some insects and small vertebrates. What is thought of them Squirrels are sometimes seen as pests, but not usually as much as many other rodents. They can raid bird feeders (they manage to get in to mine even if ...
Post a Comment
Read more

23.08.2020 Animal of the week: Little Egret

By
Hi everyone, This week's animal is the Little Egret. This is a less well-known bird, so we are excited to share it with you! Habitat Little Egrets are a species of small heron and live in many different places across the world such as Africa, Australia, southern Asia, Europe and the UK. Like herons, Little Egrets live in open spaces that have a lake or river running through them. Some of the ones that live in Europe migrate to Africa. Diet Because it is an aquatic bird, the Little Egret feeds on a range of fish, amphibians, small reptiles and birds, insects and worms. They aren't fussy! Some Little Egrets have made use of humans and have been known to throw bread into the water to attract fish for it to eat. Dangers Little Egrets are classed as Least Concern , so their numbers aren't declining like many other amazing birds are at the moment. That's all for this week, we hope you have learnt some new facts! Images: 1...
1 comment
Read more