Did you know that all types of sea turtles are affected by marine pollution?
Next time you even think about casually dropping a plastic bag outside, think of the effect that it could have on the Earth.
Imagine that you drop that plastic bag on the ground on a windy day. The bag gets blown across the town and ends up in a parking lot down the road. That night, it rains, and the plastic bag is swept off the parking lot and lands in a nearby stream.
The stream's current carries the plastic bag into the ocean where it floats around near a sea turtle. The sea turtle sees the bag and thinks that it looks oddly like a jellyfish. The sea turtle eats the bag--a hazard to its health--and gets sick. Turns out it wasn't a jellyfish after all.
You see, sea turtles actually do eat plastic bags because they look like jellyfish. Always make sure your plastic bag gets in a recycling bin--or even better, use bags that can be used multiple times and don't get thrown away.
Trash isn't the only threat to sea turtles. On top of that, sea turtles can get directions confused when they are hatching from their eggs, and accidentally head for the land rather than the water once they hatch.
Normally, sea turtles will see the moon's reflection in the water and know that that's the way they want to go. But if there is a city in the opposite direction that is brightly lit, the turtles can get confused and walk toward the city instead. This is not good at all because the turtles may not survive.
So what can we do to help sea turtles?
First, don't pollute! Litter can get into the water, even if you drop it on land. Not polluting helps the whole Earth, not just sea turtles.
Second, raise money for charity or adopt a sea turtle online. You could run a bake sale or a card stand in your community, then give your funds to a charity for sea turtles. There are many websites online where you could adopt a sea turtle. Here two of the many options there are:
Adopt a Sea Turtle Link #1
Adopt a Sea Turtle Link #2
Lastly, spread the word! If everyone is informed about the endangered sea turtles, then they will want to help too!
Effects on Sea Turtles
At the National Aquarium in Baltimore, there is a sea turtle named Calypso who was stranded on Long Island Sound and rescued by the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Reasearch and Preservation. The sea turtle was cold stunned and its left front flipper was infected. Sadly, the flipper had to be amputated.
Later, Calypso was donated to the National Aquarium in Baltimore and is now living happily in the Wings in Water exhibit. It is believed that Calypso can not be returned to the wild because of the loss of one flipper, but the turtle is very happy where she is.
Now that you know all about sea turtles, we hope you'll be inspired to try and save them!
Sources:
http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=whycareaboutseaturtles
http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=pollution
http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals/green-sea-turtle
Tigers
Tigers are mighty animals. They are near the top of the food chain. They are very skilled hunters. It must seem easy to be a tiger--but in reality, it's very hard.
Tigers are currently facing a problem with survival. Tigers are an endangered species, meaning they are a species in danger of becoming extinct, or completely gone from Earth. What could have put tigers in such a bad position?
The answer is humans. Humans are mainly responsible for the problems that tigers face. Poaching and habitat destruction are two of the things that are hurting the tiger population. Poaching should be illegal, and in some places it is, but in those places, making it illegal is not enough.
There has to be something that we can do! After all, it has been humans that put tigers into this mess, so it is the job of humans to get them out of it--or risk tigers disappearing off of Earth forever. And as it turns out, there is something we can do. We just have to do it.
You see, tigers have no voice of their own. There is no way that they can tell people to stop poaching or to stop destroying their homes. We have to be their voice. We have to pass the word on to others about how much tigers need their help. And we need to act now... or else it may become too late.
HOW CAN WE HELP THESE MAGNIFICENT CATS?
Take action! Follow one or more of the following tips and you'll be on your way to tiger conservation!
1. Encourage officials to get laws passed about stopping poaching. If such laws are already passed, attempt to get some passed to enforce them. Write letters, sign petitions, make phone calls... the possiblilites are endless!
2. Use recycled paper. By using recycled paper, you can discourage the cutting down of trees that could potentially be tiger habitat.
3. SPREAD THE WORD! Tell others about the tigers' problem and get them to help as well. Pass out flyers, hang up posters, give speeches, write essays or poems--there are so many possibilities! After all, the more supporters, the merrier!
4. Organize ways to earn money to put toward tiger conservation. Get together with some friends, family, or neighbors and start a bake sale, art sale, or some other way to raise money. Donate the money to a charity or tiger research society--or find some way to use it yourself, but make it count!
---------------------------------------------------------------
According to National Geographic, there are less than 4,000 wild tigers left on Earth. That is a very tiny number!"In the early 21st century, tigers in the wild face the black abyss of annihilation. 'This is about making decisions as if we're in an emergency room,' says Tom Kaplan of Panthera. 'This is it.'"
~National Geographic, December 2011 issue
No comments:
Post a Comment