Zoey admits it was a little sad saying goodbye to her fish. Zoey's class at Hawthorne Elementary School spent most of the school year raising the fish from the time when they were nothing more than little eggs with eyes.
The program the Hawthorne kids took part in is called "Trout in the classroom". The kids at Wilson Middle School in Fishersville took part in the project, too.
"I got to feed them every morning and watch them grow up," said seventh-grader Lauren Clayton. "We have to protect them, or some of the fish could go extinct." Lauren was right. But later, pollution, overfishing and loss of natural habitat have pushed some species to the danger of extinction.
Thanks to the kids in the program, trout are being reintroduced into rivers and streams across the country. And by doing that, the kids are helping to restore the local ecosystems—the natural balance that existed before humans disturbed it.
Because the fish are in their classrooms, the kids are responsible for making sure there is cool, clean water, proper food and proper living conditions in the tanks.
By the middle of May, they were "as big as a finger". That is, they are old enough to be released into Oneida Creek. "Remember to swim back here to meet us and eat the food we bring, little trout."
A. The kids can learn some scientific lessons at school.
B. Make sure when a warm lands on the surface, never bite.
C. Finally, Zoey read them goodbye letters before letting them go.
D. They can also see how our actions affect the trout's ability to survive.
E. But she honestly thinks it's good that they are going to a natural home.
F. It's a national project supported by a conservation group called "Trout Unlimited".
G. When America was first founded, rivers and streams across the continent were filled with fish.
Building a five-star hotel in the middle of a valuable wilderness(荒野)without damaging(破坏)the environment might not be easy, but it is far from impossible. The King Pacific Lodge in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest shows that if enough care and attention is taken, the task is possible.
Unlike many other hotel building plans, no trees were cut down and no land was wasted to build it. The Lodge does not have the same location(位置) but sits on a floating boat pulled into the sea bay in May, till September. Those wishing to stay in one of its seventeen rooms must access it by boat or seaplane. Each guest staying at the Lodge is charged 3% tax(税)on the protection of the natural resources, but is given the chance to see whales and bears. And since these are the main attractions of the area and of the Lodge, the management knows well that in order to stay in business they must make the area untouched.
In 2000, the Lodge management signed an agreement with the native(本土的)Gitga' at people. Together they work for the benefit of the area. The Lodge knows that the native tribe(部落)is the owners of the land, so it pays the tribe for the use of their land and even supports the native youth and employs the tribe's people. They, in turn, teach the newcomers about the local culture.
The King Pacific Lodge is one of a growing number of tourism companies that manage to minimize their environmental damage to win the approval(批准)of the local government where they set up their business. These companies pay more attention to environmental protection and are careful to use natural resources and protect endangered animals. Realizing how destructive tourism can be, they want to avoid the love-it-to-death effect of tourism.
Soon enough, we will lose some of the most amazing sites on Earth!
The Great Barrier Reef
Rising air temperatures will cause sea temperatures to rise as well. All life supported by the oceans will be affected with this shock to their ecosystem. Corals are some of the most vulnerable marine animals and we are already watching whole reefs disappear. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is no exception and will continue to shrink as the temperatures rise! These reefs are some of the best in the world for diving, but they will soon disappear!
Venice
Sprawling across(横跨)hundreds of small islands in Northeast Italy, Venice is at extreme risk of sinking into the Adriatic Sea. Rising sea levels are in fact a serious threat to many coastal cities located at sea level. Lucky for us, however, Venice is developing a series of sea walls to protect the city in times of high tide.
Glacier(冰川) National Park
Glacier National Park was once covered by over 150 glaciers, but by 2005 it only had about 27!Located in Montana, Canada, this park is over a million acres and has a huge plant and wildlife population. As temperatures rise, the glaciers and ice melt, which will upset the ecosystems sustaining over a thousand plant species and hundreds of animals.
The Amazon
The cause behind the disappearance of these fantastic places ultimately comes down to humans. Our expansion usually requires cutting down forests for land, fuel and materials, but rarely considers the consequences. These forests are sources of food and medicine for just about everyone on the planet!
What will happen if we lose these valuable places and beautiful destinations?
