SCHOOLYARDS GO WILD!CAN SCHOOLYARD HABITATS HELP SAVE ENDANGERED SPECIES endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. ? Seventeen-year-old Rene Leon of Douglas, Arizona Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining. The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 16,791. , spent last summer in four different schools. No, he wasn't stuck taking summer classes. Rene and his classmates Classmates can refer to either:
Over the last 10 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time leopard-frog population has nearly vanished. The culprits: habitat loss and the aggressive behavior of invader species, such as the bullfrog bullfrog, common name of the largest North American frog, Rana catesbeiana. Native to the E United States, this species has been successfully introduced in the West and in other parts of the world. The body length is 4 to 8 in. from the southeastern states. "Bullfrogs eat practically anything that fits in their mouths, including other frogs," says Rene. In fact, leopard flogs have become so rare that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may soon list the species as endangered, or close to becoming extinct. In the U.S., 1,180 plant and animal species are already listed as endangered or threatened (likely to be endangered in the future). "I think it's really important to help out," Rene says. He and his classmates aren't alone in their crusade to protect animals at risk (see map, p. 7). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Creating a habitat requires more than just planting trees. "Habitats include animals' requirements for life--food, water, cover, and shelter," says Corey Rogers, a program manager at the National Wildlife Federation in Michigan. Loss of habitat is the no. 1 reason animals and plants become endangered, according to the Environmental Defense Fund (see bar graph, above). As the human population continues to surge, people invade natural habitats. [GRAPH OMITTED] School Pool Can schoolyard habitats really help? At Douglas High School, teacher Hans Bodenhamer and his students built their first frog pond three years ago. They dug a shallow trench, lined the pond with cement, and filled it with water. Then they imported and raised almost 200 leopard-frog tadpoles Tadpoles are a psychedelic rock band formed in 1990 in New York City by Todd Parker (guitars/vocals) and Michael Kite Audino (drums.) In 1992, Nick Kramer (guitars/vocals), David Max (bass) and Andrew Jackson (guitars) of the fledgling Manhattan group, Hit, joined the Tadpoles from the San Bernardino Wildlife Refuge in California. To shield tadpoles from predators, the students erected a fence around the pond and spread a net over it. By the end of the school year, the class had released about 80 flogs into the wild. That means almost half the original tadpoles survived. (In nature, only about 2 percent of tadpoles reach adulthood.) Last year, the students released more than 500 flogs in the wild. "Because of the project," boasts Rene, "we have the largest population in the world of the Chiricahua leopard flog." Schools That Make a Difference Around the country, students are creating wildlife habitats in their schoolyards to help threatened and endangered species. Mackenzie High School Mackenzie High School may refer to:
Last spring, students planted blue lupine lupine or lupin (l  `pĭn), any species of the genus Lupinus, annual or perennial herbs or shrubs of the family Leguminosae (pulse family). flowers in their once-bare schoolyard. Blue lupine attracts the endangered Mitchell's satyr satyr (sā`tər, săt`ər), in Greek mythology, part bestial, part human creature of the forests and mountains. Satyrs were usually represented as being very hairy and having the tails and ears of a horse and often the horns and legs of butterfly, which lays its eggs on the plant's leaves. During the summer, students saw a few butterflies fluttering in the yard. Farnsworth Middle School Guilderland, NY Near the school lies the Pine Bush Preserve, home to the endangered Kamer blue butterfly. Students plant blue lupine flowers (breeding plants for the butterfly) in their schoolyard. Then they transplant flowers in the preserve to attract butterflies. Douglas High School Douglas, AZ Students built three ponds to raise rare Chiricahua leopard frogs and endangered fishes, Yaqui chub and Gila topminnow. After winning an environmental award for their project, students used the prize money to build similar ponds at four other schools in their district. Southern Pines Elementary Southern Pines, NC The longleaf pine forest behind the school is home to the rare red-cockaded woodpecker, With the help of fire officials, the kids set controlled burns to keep the forest healthy. They also plant longleaf-pine saplings to expand the bird's home range. Take Action Here are some tips for building your own schoolyard habitat: [check] If you're interested in building a habitat in your schoolyard or backyard, research to find out what plant and animal species are native to your area. Don't introduce exotic plants or animals--they could cause unforeseen, long-term harm to your local environment. [check] For more information about schoolyard habitats, check out this Web site: www.nwf.org/nwf/habitats/ schoolyard/index.html |
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