Nature Articles

Environment » Nature | By MIKE SELVON @ Saturday, 28th July 2007 @ 9:05 AM

National parks are wonderful resources. In this era of constant deforestation and construction, national parks offer a bit of a respite. These federally protected areas are good for the environment and good for us, as they give us a place to get out of the hustle and bustle of urban life. Many people do not fully understand the purpose and need for national parks, and in this article, we will address some of the most frequent questions about them. In the United States, what activi... more...

Environment » Nature | By MIKE SELVON @ Thursday, 26th July 2007 @ 11:13 AM

When it comes to national parks recreation camping, there is more than just bringing a sleeping bag and tent to the great outdoors. The most successful camping trips are well-planned, as it takes quite a bit of effort to survive an evening in our national parks and forests. You have to be prepared for emergency situations. What if you get lost? Would you know how to survive and find your way back or signal for help? What about encountering wild animals? Would you know what to do if you w... more...

Environment » Nature | By MIKE SELVON @ Wednesday, 25th July 2007 @ 4:27 PM

National parks and wildlife within these parks may sometimes be an exhilarating experience but, from a timid deer to an aggressive bear, wildlife should be dealt with caution and care. These animals are called "wild" life for a reason. While spotting a wild animal within the parks may not happen every time you visit, the sightings do happen, and it's a good idea to know the safety tips should you happen upon any wildlife. In any Canadian national park or national park... more...

Environment » Nature | By MIKE SELVON @ Wednesday, 25th July 2007 @ 4:24 PM

If nature is going to be preserved, new national parks are going to be needed throughout the world. The good news is that these parks are being created on a yearly basis. They are designed for a number of reasons, ranging from the protection of ecosystems to the remembrance of historical accomplishments. The newest of these national parks are found on extreme northern Labrador. Created in January 2005, the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve is the baby of the Canadian National Parks... more...

Environment » Nature | By Mitch Endick @ Tuesday, 3rd July 2007 @ 2:16 PM

Considered to be pests by many folks, bats do hold a special and beneficial place in the ecosystem. When bats are nesting in your home them bat control is important and natural bat control is even better. Most species of bats found in North America are not harmful to people or animals and bats do help control insect pests like mosquitoes, eating many thousands of the biting insects during an average nights feeding, perhaps as many as six hundred mosquitoes an hour. On the downside, many bats ca... more...

Environment » Nature | By Roger Munns @ Sunday, 1st July 2007 @ 12:32 AM

The UN has launched a campaign to plant a billion new trees, which is being welcomed by environmentalists, but with a warning by some that in certain regions it could do more harm than good. While the campaign claims that each tree uses up 26 pounds of co2 emissions and in return produces enough oxygen for a family of four, planting the right trees is important to help the world improve her ecological and environment balance. In areas that historically have suffered from a lack of ... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Monday, 18th June 2007 @ 10:05 PM

The Red-legged Honeycreeper is a small, rare bird from the tanager family, typically found in various regions of Central and South America. These include southern Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and most parts of Brazil, and also in Cuba, and on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. There is a slight difference when it comes to the Trinidad and Tobago Honeycreepers however, as they are slightly larger than the birds on the mainland. A typical Red-legged Honeycreeper is rather small in size, ... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Monday, 18th June 2007 @ 10:05 PM

The Golden-Breasted starling is a strikingly beautiful bird, vibrantly colored and highly visible in the wild. Considered by some to be one of the most beautiful of all African starlings, the Golden-Breasted starling has a deep green plumage on its head, a metallic blue back and tail, contrasting white eyes, wings of a rich blue-violet, and yellow across its breast, belly and upper tail covers. Found in the northeastern parts of Africa, portions of Somalia, eastern Kenya, northeast Tanza... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Wednesday, 6th June 2007 @ 11:05 AM

Leopard geckos are nocturnal lizards, natively found in the deserts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and parts of India. They absolutely adore the heat and love rocky terrain, making their dwelling under the ground during the dry, desert daytime. Leopard geckos are quite unique because they have real eyelids - which is extremely uncommon to most gecko species - and they also lack flat, adhesive pads on their toes. Instead, leopard geckos use their claws to climb, making them unable to cling to slippery... more...

Environment » Nature | By Mayoor Patel @ Wednesday, 6th June 2007 @ 11:04 AM

Over the last few decades, more people have become aware of the fact that crude oil reserves are slowly depleting. While it is true that many oil products are being recycled, the fact is that as a rule we still rely very heavily on the consumption of fresh petroleum products. It is only a matter of time before we will have to learn how to get along without oil as a major part of our lives. Here are some suggestions of how we can decrease our dependence on oil products and still maintain an equit... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Sunday, 3rd June 2007 @ 7:04 PM

People talk about the rainforest as an ecosystem, but most tend to think of the trees (and to some extent, plants) as merely a habitat for the animals that survive within its domain. However, there is a much deeper and more complex relationship than that: the trees, plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and insect of the forest are all equal and vital contributors to the ecosystem. They may play slightly or very different roles, but nonetheless contribute equally to the well-being and balance of th... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Sunday, 3rd June 2007 @ 7:04 PM

Weaver finches, and Yellow weavers in particular, are often known as "weaver birds" because of the extremely complex nests built by the male birds to try and attract females. What is interesting about Yellow weavers is that they tend to live in colonies, unlike many other birds which simply flock together regularly. Instead, the male weavers will build their nests together, working with each other and placing multiple nests on the same branch. This can result in an interesting display wh... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Tuesday, 22nd May 2007 @ 2:09 PM

The Paradise Tanager (Tangara Chilensis) is a brilliantly colored, moderately sized songbird that resides in the forests of South America. Its seven bright colors make this bird stand out from any surroundings: its head is a bright shade of lime green, with a deep purple-blue on its breast and turquoise on its belly. The tail and wings are usually tipped with a banana yellow, while the lower back is a rich scarlet. The Tanager's mantle is also a bold black, giving this bird the moniker &quo... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Tuesday, 22nd May 2007 @ 2:09 PM

Rainforests are forest locations that have very high rainfall measurements each year. The most well known rainforests are tropical rainforests found in Central America, Southeast Asia, parts of Australia and the Amazon region in Africa. Rainforests play a very important role in our daily life whether we are aware of it or not. For example, two thirds of the world's animal and plant species live in the rainforests. Millions of plants, animals and insects are currently living in the ra... more...

Environment » Nature | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 17th May 2007 @ 2:03 PM

What plants, other than ferns and cut-leaf maples, would you recommend to be included in a japanese garden? There is a great variety of plants that could be used in a japanese garden. It depends on what type of garden you have in mind. Japanese gardens have evolved from primitive "Tei" gardens, to gardens that were influenced by the Sung and Tang Dinasties. These gardens were very sumptuous and depicted dramatic landscape features. There were also Buddhist gardens that depicted pa... more...

Environment » Nature | By Timothy Green @ Tuesday, 15th May 2007 @ 12:06 PM

The Feng Shui energy (or Chi) of an object, person, or place, relates to whatever is in its space, and the flow of Chi is unique in every living environment. These forces are always moving and always seeking balance (Yin and Yang), which rely on the Five Elements of water, wood, metal, earth, and fire, and they are believed to affect everything we do. Each element has its own particular energy that radiates to everyone and everything else in its proximity. Although the properties of Fen... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Thursday, 10th May 2007 @ 1:12 PM

Bali Mynahs are a rare and beautiful bird found only on the Bali Island in Indonesia. There are as few as 60 wild Bali Mynahs that inhabit the Bali Barat National Park in its northwestern corner. There they live amongst the open woodland and openly gather in the morning hours. In size, they are no bigger than a cardinal. However, their beauty is unique. They have exquisite white wings with black tips. Their tails also bear the black tip marking. They have a bright blue color displayed a... more...

Environment » Nature | By Janet Winter @ Thursday, 3rd May 2007 @ 6:03 PM

If you've not done so already, it's time to clean out and refill your hummingbird feeders, because the Ruby-throated hummingbird - the king of nature's frequent flyers - is on its way back to the eastern U.S. Reportedly, they are about a week ahead of last year. Ruby-throated hummingbirds spend the winter in Central America, roughly between southern Mexico and northern Panama, and begin leaving in January. The males leave first, followed about ten days later by the fema... more...

Environment » Nature | By Adrian Adams @ Tuesday, 1st May 2007 @ 1:47 PM

Rainforests are the dynamic engine of the Earth's biosphere; they fix carbon from the atmosphere, and the aspiration of plants in the rain forests produce nearly 10% of the oxygen we need to live (over 70% of the oxygen is generated by algae and plankton on the world's oceans). They act as filters, pulling pollutants out of the air and fixing minerals into the soil, and help stem the tide of soil erosion; they are dynamic, and vividly alive, and critical to the life expectancy of our ... more...

Environment » Nature | By MIKE SELVON @ Monday, 30th April 2007 @ 10:09 AM

One of the thrills of bird watching is the discovery of a species you have never seen before. In the past, a bird watcher often had to wait for a long time to get help in identifying a bird that he or she may not have recognized. Programs, like the one at Cornell University, allowed those who bird watch to submit photographs and descriptions of things that they had seen. The experts and researchers at the university would then help them identify the bird. The internet however, has eliminated the... more...