Earth Day! 🌎

Earth day is today! We all hear about earth day some way or another, by social media or maybe our calendars, but what is it really about? That's what I will be exploring today, the origins of Earth Day. It's pretty common knowledge that Earth day is a day where we take care of our Earth and celebrate the world we live in, but it's actually much more than that.

Earth day is a relatively modern holiday. The first Earth day was in 1970 and now over 190 countries celebrate it (various). It is April 22nd of every year because that was the day the modern environmental movement came along.  The modern environmental movement was made to target certain issues. Some issues that played a role in the birth of this movement are the oil spills of the coast of California, the endangerment of the Bald eagle, the pollution of the Great Lakes, etc. (Gordon). This was the beginning of environmentalism in the U.S. and inspired a lot of activism for our planet today. Earth day is what helped people speak up about environmental issues. According to Earthday.org, "Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans — at the time, 10% of the total population of the United States — to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development which had left a growing legacy of serious human health impacts." In other words, Earth day gave people a voice and allowed people to share their thoughts about pollution and such. After the first Earth day the Environmental Protection Agency was created (various). The  National Environmental Education Act was then passed and so where the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Clean Air Act, the clean water act, endangered species act, and many more (various).  These new appointed laws not only protected animals from extinction but also protected people from deadly diseases. Earth day became a big day and went global and is now celebrated in many countries. So, I encourage people to take some time today to appreciate the world we live in. Thanks for reading today's blog!
Photos to remind us of our amazing home:

Lumi Island

Methow Valley

My dog Ada

Our garden

Thailand

Iceland

Thailand

Thailand

Methow Valley

Hawaii

Crater Lake

Star flowers

Thailand

Methow Valley

(Taken by me and my mom)


Sources:

Gordon, Erin L. “History of the Modern Environmental Movement in America.” American Center, American Center, June 2012, photos.state.gov/libraries/mumbai/498320/fernandesma/June_2012_001.pdf.  Accessed 2/22/20. 

“The History of Earth Day.” Earth Day, Earthday.org, www.earthday.org/history/. Accessed 2/22/20. 

Palm oil, soybeans, and orangutans

Palm oil, soybeans, and orangutans. I know what you're thinking, why am I talking about food and orange apes? Don't worry I have a reason. Last time I talked about how old growth Forrests should be preserved and why they matter so much to wildlife. This post is similar but about different animals.

Companies like Ritz Crackers, Nutella, Skippy, Nestle, Kraft, and many more use large amounts of palm oil in their products. Palm oil grows in rainforests and jungles where orangutans and of course many other animals live. Huge plantations have been replacing these biodiverse tropical rainforests destroying the homes of orangutans and many other species. Indonesia is responsible for 84% of the world's palm oil and harvests 33.4 million tons of it a year (various). Indonesia is also home to the now critically endangered orangutans. The UNEP estimates that an area of Indonesian rainforest the size of six football fields is cut down every minute of every day (Swink). That's crazy right? The sad part is that orangutans have emotions just like us and even share 97.8% of our DNA (Swink). Orangutans are truly amazing animals that are now soon to be extinct. It is estimated that in 20 years orangutans will be extinct (Barrett).  




Soybeans are in soy milk, soap, tofu, and lot's of other foods.  The problem with soybeans is that they are pretty much a substitution for palm oil. This makes it so companies can say their products are palm oil free, but they still may contain soybean which isn't great either. If more soybean oil goes into products that previously used palm, that ultimately will lead to more soy plantings in Brazil’s cerrado savannah, an activity that’s indirectly linked to this year’s Amazon fires (Fickling). So how are soybeans related to the fires in the Amazon? There is a rush to plant soybeans because of the backlash of palm oil. Mainly in Brazil where most of the Amazon lies people are burning the forests down in order to make room for, you guessed it, soybean plantations. 

What can we do?

To help solve this issue you can actually do a lot! By spreading information to not buy things that contain palm oil or soybeans in them you can help save the Orangutans. Next time you go to the grocery store you can also make sure the products you are buying are not only palm free but also soy free. This way you won't fall into the trap marketers have set for people who are hoping to save the environment. There are also many petitions out there that you can sign to help stop this issue. By eliminated products like Nutella from your grocery list can really make an impact. 

Thanks for reading today's post and stay tuned for more!

Sources:

Barrett, Kenna E. “Stop Using Palm Oil in Nutella. Save the Orangutans!” Change.org, Change.org, www.change.org/p/stop-using-palm-oil-in-nutella-save-the-orangutans.

Bloomberg, David Fickling |. “Analysis | Palm Oil's Price Switch Won't Save the Orangutan.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 Nov. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/palm-oils-price-switch-wont-save-the-orangutan/2019/11/25/2f8e7b0a-0f5d-11ea-924c-b34d09bbc948_story.html.

“Endangered Species Conservation.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/.

Patricio, Miguel. “Land Grab for Soybeans Blew Up the Amazon Rainforest.” CNS, CNS, 28 Aug. 2019, www.courthousenews.com/land-grab-for-soybeans-blew-up-the-amazon-rain-forest/.

         Swink, Margaret. “What's in Your Food That's Destroying Orangutans?” Grist, Grist, 4 May

2010, grist.org/article/whats-in-your-food-thats-destroying-orangutans/.

Un. “UNEP - UN Environment Programme.” UNEP - UN Environment Programme, UNEP, www.unenvironment.org/.

old growth trees

Today I am writing about old growth trees and why they are so important. According to National Geographic, since humans started cutting down forests, 46 percent of trees have been felled. About 17 percent of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the past 50 years. Those are pretty big numbers, but why do birds even need old forests? Well an old growth forest is a forest that is at least around 120 years old. These forests have a lot of biodiversity and have been undisturbed and naturally developing for years. People have been destroying these forests to produce lumber and space, but as they do this the plants and animals become endangered and even extinct. 

According to globalforestwatch.org the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared 665 species either completely extinct or extinct in the wild. That's a lot of species! Here are some examples of species that have gone extinct or endangered due to habitat destruction and loss: 
Formosan Clouded Leopard

This leopard lived in Taiwan. It went instinct in 2013 caused by the destruction of their habitat. Their homes were replaced with agriculture land and they were forced out. 

Spix's Macaw

This beautiful macaw was declared extinct in 2018. There are a few left in captivity. They were traded for pets and their homes were again lost by agriculture. It is also the rarest parrot species in the world. 

Northern Spotted owl

The Northern spotted owl's population is rapidly decreasing due to habitat loss. They are listed as threatened under the endangered species act. The habitat of these owls has been cut downs and produced into lumber. 

Marbled murrelet

The Marbled Murrelet is a type of sea bird that only nests in old growth forests at high elevations. Their nesting areas are now very limited due to habitat loss and their population is decreasing fast. This species is listed as threatened since 1990. 

There are many more animals that suffer from habitat loss too. If this keeps up we will not only have lost but will lose tons more animal species. Ways to help to stop deforestation and habitat fragmentation is to support the protected forests and abide by their rules such as no hunting or hiking through the forests. I encourage you to try a little experiment. If you have any old or dead trees around or in your backyard setup feeders near them. Track which trees your birds prefer the live or dead ones? For me at my cabin in Winthrop the birds were much more drawn to the older trees than any of the live new trees. The birds even perched in dead brush. I am not totally sure why but I think our birds prefer old growth more than new growth because of how sturdy and stable the branches are. I think this could be why because birds want to build a nest in a sturdy tree.. right? Have you ever hung ornaments on a tree and some branches are super flimsy and can't hold the weight of the ornament? Well I definitely have and scoping out the dead branches to hold the weight of the ornaments seemed much more effective. This hypothesis is not backed up by any evidence just by personal experience! So if you would like try this out and see what happens! Thank you! 

(The pictures are not taken by me!)

Sources: 

Siskiyou, Klamath. “Northern Spotted Owl.” Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, 12 June 2017, www.kswild.org/imperiled-species-profiles/2017/6/12/northern-spotted-owl.

Cornershop. “The Endangered Species Act.” Endangered Species Coalition, www.endangered.org/endangered-species/.

https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?redListCategory=ex

Institute, World Resources. “Forest Monitoring Designed for Action: Global Forest Watch.” www.globalforestwatch.org/.

“Stories of Animals, Nature, and Culture.” National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/.

Methow Valley backyard birds

Waking up to the little chirps and songs of birds is one of the most comforting things. Each type of bird has its unique song and somehow they all just fit. During this time of quarantine, we have been staying in our cabin in the Methow Valley. It has been a time full of boredom, confusement, anxiety, the want to go see my friends, but of course, everyone is experiencing this. Instead of staring blankly at Instagram, I am deciding to post on here. I will try to update as much as possible to cure my boredom and hopefully some of yours.

Today's blog will be about my backyard birds. A backyard bird is exactly what it sounds like, a bird in your backyard. We have set up 4 bird feeders around our property. There have been many visitors including tons of Stellar jays and Dark-eyed juncos, woodpeckers, nuthatches, a Spotted Towhee, and many more. As we go on hikes we also see grouse, ravens, eagles, hawks, and Wild turkeys. The birds that stood out to me the past two weeks have been a Williamson sapsucker, white-headed woodpecker, Northern goshawk, and the Dusky Grouse. The Williamson Sapsucker was a new bird for me, it has a little yellow belly and is adorable. The White-headed woodpecker is a little woodpecker with obviously, a white-head. We used to have a white-headed woodpecker nest in the sign leading up to our neighborhood. Sadly, someone ran into that sign and they lost their home:(. The Northern Goshawk I didn't think much about. I was outside and getting ready for school, it was so early I thought I just saw a gigantic seagull perched in a tree. Later my stepdad said it was a Northern Goshawk which is also a new bird for me. I definitely feel a little stupid but hey, it was early and I hadn't gotten my Chai tea latte yet. Lastly, the grouse, I have always loved grouse for some reason. When I was little I was obsessed with them. The male grouse's display is just so cool!

A close up of a Dark-eyed Junco

We have a little hot tub and I have been sitting in it watching all the birds. They all are like their own little community. They usually get along but an occasional argument comes up typically it's over food. I really could watch the birds for hours, the ways they communicate with each other are so cute and fun to watch. Once a raven flew over and all the birds warned each other. A couple of them started mobbing the raven too. I really encourage everyone to put up feeders. Watching the birds is a great way to spend your time locked up at home.

The occasional argument between two Juncos

A Red-breasted nuthatch

Northern goshawk

Williamson sapsucker, isn't the yellow belly so pretty!

Elephant Encounters In Thailand

We will be going to Thailand for 17 days this Spring. I am super excited! We have been planning our trip and we came across elephant orphanages where you can go see, pet, bathe, and feed the elephants. These elephants are treated well and in their natural habitat.

One orphanage we came across even lets you ride them! Sounds great right?! Well, actually elephants unlike horses are not naturally able to be ridden. What many organizations do to their elephants is actually horrifying. They will take the babies away from the mothers at a young age and start the "training". The baby elephants are trained at a very young age and are beaten when they mess up. The "trainer" uses things like bullhooks or other cruel instruments. This not only hurts the spirit of the young animal but causes them to do obey the trainer to avoid being beaten. 

The elephants also don't live a natural life walking miles upon miles a day. They are kept in sheds with concrete floors, the legs of the elephant are also chained down so they can barely move. These hard floors damage the elephants legs. Aside from that the food they are given lacks nutrients that wild elephants eat on a regular basis.

  

Asian elephants weigh on average 12,000 lbs, but unlike some animals they are not used to having weight on their backs. The weight of even just one person can cause pain to the elephant and even serious injuries to their spine. This is one thing that many people take for granted, which is understandable because of the elephants massive size. Although elephants seem tough and big, which they are, it is still not good to ride them. The cruelty that goes into training them to be ridden is not respectable. There are sanctuaries that do take care of the elephants though and put them in a natural environment.





Although it would be easy to ride the elephants in Thailand, it is very important to be a mindful traveler when you explore different places. If I hadn't done this research I suspect I would have had regrets.

Ethical sanctuaries:
-https://elephantjunglesanctuary.com/about-us/
-https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/
-http://bees-elesanctuary.org/

5 Thursdays with Raptors

I talked in my earlier post:"A day in Skagit" that I ran into Bud Anderson while he was doing one of his field trips with his class. So what happened was: we had seen a few cars parked at the side of the road so we pulled over to see if the cars spotted something interesting. Then It ended up being Bud and his class doing there field trip. They also had been watching a Gyrfalcon which is what we were hoping to see. Bud was impressed that I was so young and I was birding so he invited me to his five course class for free! This was so big because first of all the class normally costs $170! Second of all he is an expert on Raptors so I could learn lots from him and last of all it was so nice of him to invite me to his class. So I ended up going to the class. It was every Thursday evening at the Woodland park zoo. It was more aimed toward adults so I did not catch everything Bud talked about but I still learned a lot. I took lots and lots of notes. 

Bud's raptor class

When I took my field trip we unfortunately did not see another Gyrfalcon but we did see a lot of other awesome birds like Merlins, Kestrels and other hawks and falcons. 

Male and female American Kestrels

A juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk

At the beginning of the field trip we watched them band a Barred owl, Red-tailed hawk and a Coopers hawk. 

Bud teaching us about Barred Owls before this bird was banded

Close up with the Barred Owl

Cooper's Hawk wearing a hood to keep it calm before it was banded

Measuring and banding the Cooper's Hawk

They tried to trap some Red-tailed hawks but did not catch any. The bait was a poor little European Starling but he would not get eaten thankfully because he Hawk that went for it would get tangled up in little plastic loops but still it will stress out the Starling same with the Voles they use as bait too. 

Around the end of class they would bring in a Raptor from the has Raptor flight program at the zoo. At the last day of class you were allowed to come early and get a tour of the Raptors from the flight program! The zoo is closed so no one else is there. You get to see the cages the birds live and sleep in. All the birds from the program are all there! They even bring some out to show everyone. There is a Spectacled owl, Peregrine falcon, Turkey vulture, Red-tailed hawk, Harris hawk, Aplomado falcon, Barn owl and a Saw-whet owl there was others but these were the highlights. The whole experience was really fun and I had a great time!!!

Meeting the Saw-whet Owl

A day at Tiger Mountain

Today we went birdwatching at Tiger Mountain. When we got there we started on the hiking trail. My brother is into reptiles and amphibians, so he was carefully rolling over logs looking for Salamanders or Newts or stuff like that. Almost right when we started hiking he found a Red-backed Salamander. He put it into a catching cage to look at it without touching it. He then he let it go back into its exact location. Not long after that, he found a Ensatina which is a small Salamander. It had gold colored legs and a slippery body. Another interesting thing is that it breaths entirely through its skin and has evolved to not have lungs.

Ensatina

Then we heard Brown Creepers calling. We looked around trying to find them and there they were. On a mossy tree we observed three Brown Creepers. Along with the Brown Creepers were Chestnut-Backed and Black-Capped chickadees and some Ruby-Crowned Kinglets. They were all being very loud! After that we spotted a Hairy woodpecker. It was on a stump pecking around. People often get Hairy Woodpeckers mixed up with Downy Woodpeckers. Hairy Woodpeckers are bigger and have longer bills. We also heard some Pileated Woodpeckers, but unfortunately did not see them. I also heard a Spotted Towhee calling. They sound very whiney and screechy.  

We ended up finding another Red-Backed Salamander.

Red-backed Salamander

As we walked by a stream my brother yelled "mole, mole!" and a mole was swimming across the stream. The mole started digging into the ground quickly. The mole dug so fast it even pushed a worm out of his home! It could have been a Coastal Mole or a Townsend's     Mole, they both look very similar. We think it was a Coastal Mole because of the habitat it was in. We managed to get a video of it:  

Later, when we took the trail that led us to the lake on Tiger Mountain, my brother flipped over a log and found next to a giant slug a cluster of small white eggs. Once we got to the lake I saw three Buffleheads and two Double-Crested Cormorants. The Buffleheads were diving (probably looking for a snack) while the Cormorants were peacefully riding the water. After I spotted them we heard a Pacific Wren calling. We went through a lot of brush we finally saw the small wren. We played a Pacific Wrens song and called the wren in. The wren got very territorial and came within two feet of us! The Wren got very upset when he could not find the trespasser Wren. We had a great time and found awesome birds!