Today is World Rhino Day 2018! As with many large African species, black rhinos and white rhinos are threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting. To save them, conservationists are working hard to coordinate programs with local communities, decrease demand for rhino horn, and even airlift some individuals to safety. Why should we care? As the World Wildlife Fund's website states:
"In almost all rhino conservation areas, there are other valuable plants and animals. The protection of rhinos helps protect other species including elephants, buffalo, and small game. Rhinos contribute to economic growth and sustainable development through the tourism industry, which creates job opportunities and provides tangible benefits to local communities living alongside rhinos. Rhinos are one of the "Big 5" animals popular on African safaris and they are a popular tourism draw in places like the Eastern Himalayas."
Ever notice how your appliances (and a lot of other things you buy) are not made to last? This feature of modern manufacturing is a HUGE waste of resources. We're told to reduce, reuse, recycle, but it's tough to reduce when we're forced to buy new stuff, instead of simply fixing things when they break. Here's a great opinion piece on the topic: To a refrigerator dying young.
I always find September and May to be super-busy months, thus I need a recipe that super-easy and super-delicious. This recipe works well for a hot dish at dinner or a cold dish for lunch leftovers. It's adapted from one I saw on the Today Show.
Ingredients
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 lb farfalle pasta
1/3 cup basil
3/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
Instructions 1) Cook pasta until it's al dente. 2) Mix together olive oil, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and basil. 3) Pour liquid over pasta and toss with pine nuts or almonds.
Greenmomster's been a little spare on the posts lately, because I've taken on a new job -- I'm now a high school science teacher! But now I'm back in the saddle, so what better mammal for this Monday that the Przewalski's Horse (pronounced “sheh-val-skee”)! This horse is native to plains and grasslands of Mongolia, as well as other parts of Asia and eastern Europe, but I first saw one at the National Zoo’s Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA. Although these horses are small (about 13 hands high and between 550 and 750 pounds), they’re impressive with tan fur on their bodies and a short, dark mane and tail. They have evolved to survive the harsh winters in Mongolia, but in the 20th century the species had trouble surviving in the face of habitat loss, loss of water sources to domestic animals, and overhunting. The Przewalski’s horse was declared extinct in the wild by the World Conservation Union in 1970.
Thanks to an active captive breeding program, Przewalski’s horses were reintroduced to the wild in 2008. There are currently 1,500 horses in captivity worldwide, and approximately 400 horses in reintroduction sites in Mongolia, Kazahkstan, and China. All of today’s current population of Przewalski’s horses come from 14 ancestors. Thus, the gene pool for this horse is very narrow. Scientists must very carefully coordinate breeding between the captive horses to try to maximize genetic diversity and make the population more able to withstand various stresses, such as disease.
So Przewalski’s horse is beautiful, but why should we care about its survival? Because a species like this one tells us when we’re negatively impacting the ecosystem. Humans are part of the natural world; we depend on natural resources for our survival. But sometimes we take more than our share, and the ecosystem on which we depend begins to suffer. Species like Przewalski’s horse tell us when our agricultural or hunting practices are unsustainable.
And if you needed more reasons to protect the Przewalski’s horse, here are 5 Reasons Przewalski’s Horses are cooler than thoroughbreds:
It is the only truly wild horse remaining in the world (it’s never been tamed for riding).
I’ve never fallen off a Prezwalski’s horse (I’ve definitely fallen off a thoroughbred)
Prezwalski’s horses can make it through winter in Mongolia without a horse blanket.
The Mongolian name for these horses is “takhi,” which means “spirit.” That’s way cooler than names like Chicken Lips or Buck Naked.
In spite of all the rain this year, we've got a little zucchini at our house, so this week’s recipe once again features this plentiful vegetable. The recipe is adapted from 101 Things to do with Zucchini – enjoy!
Egg Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
4 medium zucchini
1/2 cup water
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tblsp butter
4 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper, red pepper flakes if you like a little zippier dish
1/2 to 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp, leaving about 1/2 inch of shell. Chop the pulp.
Pour the water in a baking dish and put the zucchini shells in the dish, facedown. Cook the zucchini in an oven at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.
Saute pulp and tomato in butter until tender. Add the eggs, salt and pepper. Once the egg is cooked, spoon it into the zucchini shells. Top with cheese and cook in the oven until cheese melts.
I’m a very fortunate person, because I’ve actually had a close encounter with this week’s mammal and endangered species, the Maned Wolf. Maned wolves are beautiful creatures who live in the grassy areas of central south America (parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and possibly parts of Peru and Uruguay). These wolves (people often say look like “foxes on stilts”) are omnivores, hunting at night and eating a diet which includes fruits and berries as well as small animals like rodents, reptiles, and insects. Because of this diet, the wolves play an important part in their ecosystems, controlling animal populations lower on the food chain and acting as seed dispersers. One of their primary food sources is the lobeira berry -- this fact caused some difficulty when zookeepers were first trying to raise the wolves in captivity many decades ago. Zookeepers knew that the wolves were omnivores, but didn’t know about the importance of lobeira berries in their diet. Until they worked out this puzzle, the wolves often suffered from dietary problems in captivity.
As mentioned on the ARKive website, these solitary wolves live in home ranges of 25 to 50 square km and only come together during the breeding season. Females reach sexual maturity at one year and can give birth to litters of 1 to 5 pups. The primary threat to these wolves, as is the case with many other endangered species, is habitat loss. Scientists and conservation managers are working hard to protect these wolves from loss of their habitat, as well as negative contact with humans and road kills.
I just read about Rogerio Cunha de Paula, one of the leading biologists working to protect the species. He is working to protect the Serra da Canastra National Park in Brazil from logging, mining, and conversion of habitat from soil plantations (see the book Wildlife Heroes by Julie Scardina and Jeff Flocken for more info). Many other people are also working hard to protect the wolves, and that’s how I got my close encounter. The National Zoo has been involved in maned wolf conservation for over 30 years and is the coordinator of the Species Survival Plan for the maned wolf. As a volunteer with the zoo, I was an “interpreter” about maned wolves for the public. One of the keepers at the maned wolf exhibit, my friend Kim, took extra time with me to teach me how truly special these animals are – she shared her knowledge of the wolves and gave me an unforgettable look at these fascinating creatures! What a treat to see these animals close-up, to hear their specific vocalizations, and yes, even to smell their (very strong) scents during mating season. Based on these encounters, I can say that the world would be a poorer place without the beautiful maned wolf.
