2015/2016 UNLESS Contest Teacher Guidebook. Reduce. Junk Mail. for. Red Pandas

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1 2015/2016 UNLESS Contest Teacher Guidebook Reduce Junk Mail for Red Pandas

2 Message to Teachers Dear Educator, Thank you for joining the 2015/2016 Philadelphia Zoo UNLESS Contest. We are so fortunate to have dedicated teams, like you and your students, to help us make positive change for wildlife and wild places around the world. This year, the goal of the UNLESS contest is to demonstrate a measurable decrease of the amount of paper used at home, at school, or in the community by changing our behaviors and committing to reduce the amount of junk mail we receive. Through joining the UNLESS Contest, you are partnering with the Philadelphia Zoo to cultivate civically-minded individuals and increase our conservation impact. Conservation impact is one of the Zoo s strategic priorities. The Zoo has a 5-year strategic plan that outlines the following regarding sustainability: Through implementing and evaluating an integrated doing leads to caring approach, we will become one of the world s leading zoos at inspiring conservation action. To succeed, we must also walk the talk. We will reduce the environmental footprint of our own operations in ways that are both substantial and a visible model to our stakeholders. In 2013, the Philadelphia Zoo continued to demonstrate leadership in sustainability with measurable progress toward ten-year performance goals and substantial green investments. This included our new LEED Gold KidZooU: Hamilton Family Children s Zoo and Faris Family Education Center, used to educate our guests on sustainability, empathy, and empowerment. The UNLESS Contest has impacted thousands of students and their communities over the past several years, and has been an immense source of inspiration. The outcomes from this Contest have lasting impacts and genuinely create positive change for individuals, communities, and habitats throughout this planet. Included in this Guidebook are a number of tips and resources designed to give you the best idea about how to proceed with the Contest. In addition, you and your class will receive a Skype session and an on-site class with a Zoo expert. If you have any questions at all, please us at Unlesscontest@phillyzoo.org. With great thanks, The Philadelphia Zoo

3 Message to Teachers Expectations for This Year s Contest In order to give you the best idea about how to proceed with this year s contest, we have included some expectations that we have for our participants. All projects MUST include a campaign to reduce junk mail. This campaign will direct participants to the Philadelphia Zoo s website and instruct them to go through the following steps: 1) Participants visit the Philadelphia Zoo s website at (URL) 2) Participants input their address, the name of the school or teacher they are associated with, and a few other pieces of information 3) They will receive an from the Philadelphia Zoo asking them to opt-in to receiving future messaging, as well as an giving them instructions on how to reduce junk mail 4) Participants will reduce their junk mail by signing up with a registry that removes their name from junk mail lists (similar to the Do Not Call Registry) Projects must include a positive advocacy campaign. Projects must be student-driven and all or most of the campaign materials should be created by students. There must be measureable results.

4 Step-by-Step Guide 1 Students 2 Students 3 Students 4 Spread 5 Track research red pandas and the threats they face. explore options for reducing paper in their lives. create a positive Reduce for Red Pandas campaign to engage their families and communities in action. the word. Engage others in raising awareness about reducing paper use and how that helps Red Pandas. results. Results should include the number of people reached and changes that occurred as a result of the project.

5 Step 1 Red Panda Fact Sheet Ailurus fulgens fulgens/ailurus fulgens refulgens Geographic Location They are found in Nepal, Sikkim, northern Burma, and Yunnan and Szechwan in south central China. Their main habitat consists of mountain forests, deciduous, coniferous, and bamboo thickets at high elevations, 7,200-13,000 feet. They prefer their habitat to range in temperatures between 50 to 77 F. Longevity In the wild: 8-10 years In captivity: up to 14 years Median Life Expectancy: 10.7 Reproduction Gestation period varies from days, suggesting that there is some delayed implantation. Birth takes place in the spring with usually 1-2 cubs per litter, but they can have up to 4 Birth weight for cubs is approx. 200 g at one week. They open their eyes at about 18 days, attain adult coloration by 90 days, and are weaned at about 5 months. The young stay with their mother for about a year or until the next litter is born. In order to produce enough milk for their young, red panda mothers have to consume 3X the normal quantity of their low-nutrient bamboo diet. Size Head and body length is in; tail length is an additional in. Weight is usually 8 to 14 pounds for males and 9 to 13 pounds for females. Diet In the wild: bamboo sprouts, grasses, roots, fruits, acorns and occasionally eggs and young birds At the Zoo: fed Marion Leaf-Eater Diet, apple and banana in the mornings Conservation Status IUCN status: Vulnerable. Its population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline of greater than 10% over the next 3 generations. The major threats to them are habitat loss/fragmentation, poaching, and disease. There is currently a motion to classify them as Endangered.

6 Step 1 Red Panda Fact Sheet (cont.) Ailurus fulgens fulgens/ailurus fulgens refulgens Behavior They have a mild disposition and are gentle, quiet and curious. Their usual vocal call is a series of short whistles or squeaky noises. They sometimes travel in pairs or small family groups. When provoked, they will give a sharp spitting hiss or a series of snorts while standing on their hind legs. Leisure behavior may be observed following eating or awaking: they will stretch or rub their abdomens or backs on a tree or rock, lick their whole bodies and limbs and wash their faces with their paws. Red pandas descend trees head first. Who s Who at the Philadelphia Zoo All of our Red Pandas live in Carnivore Kingdom. Basil Male, born June 27, 2010 at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend Indiana. He arrived to the Philadelphia Zoo on March 18, Spark Female, born June 14, 2010 and arrived from Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on June 14, She has a breeding recommendation with Basil through the SSP. Mei Lin Female (Subspecies Refulgens red panda), born June 26, 2002 at the Red River Zoo. She arrived to the Zoo on July 26, Her name means beautiful forest in Chinese. JJ Female, (Subspecies Refulgens red panda) born June 15, 2002 at the Yokohama Zoological Gardens in Japan. She arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo on January 23, 2014 from the Lincoln Pak Zoo in Chicago, IL Fun Facts Red pandas are classified as carnivores, but their diets consist almost entirely of bamboo! Red pandas possess a false thumb as do the giant pandas. An extended sesamoid bone on the inner side of the wrist acts as a "false thumb" facilitating the handling of bamboo leaves and poles. Refulgens red pandas are larger and darker in color than their Western Red Panda cousins. They can also slightly vary in color from a red to brown or yellowish.

7 Step 1 Climate Change and Paper Fact Sheet Climate change is a hot topic these days! Headlines like July 2015 the hottest month ever and Polar Bears going extinct due to Climate Change certainly catch people s attention. There is a great deal of information in the media and on the internet; it can be difficult to distinguish what is most accurate. We encourage you to use the sources in this teacher guide for more information about climate change and its impact on wildlife. What is climate change? The issue starts with naturally occurring greenhouse gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone that absorb long-wave solar radiation emitted by the earth and then reflect some of it back. This is called the greenhouse effect and this is what keeps our planet warm enough to inhabit. Another way to describe this effect is to think of excess carbon in the environment as a heat trapping blanket that surrounds the earth. In the past 100 years, an unnatural increase is greenhouse gases, in particular, carbon dioxide have made this heat-trapping blanket thicker around the Earth s atmosphere. This has resulted in an overall temperature rise by 1.4 F and scientists predict an increase of another F in the next 100 years. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) in particular has led to a significant increase in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) released into the atmosphere. Individuals and organizations, through their use of energy, generate CO 2 emissions these emissions are generally known as a carbon footprint. The average American generates about 25 tons of CO 2 emissions annually. By reducing the amount of energy we use, changing the source of our energy and simultaneously removing CO 2 from the atmosphere through carbon sequestration, we can reduce the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere and diminish its effects on global ecosystems and wildlife. How does climate change impact animals? Scientists have seen impacts across many species of wildlife. Even a slight increase in temperature can cause disruptions in migratory patterns of birds and butterflies that depend on important plants to bloom at a certain time in the season. Changes in rainfall can have detrimental effects on species like frogs that depend on moist conditions for breeding. In Yellowstone National Park, scientists have found that pools are drying up each season before tadpoles have a chance to fully mature. Changes in temperature also have a dramatic effect on entire ecosystem, not just individual animals. Scientists have found that with rising temperatures, entire food webs become more complicated.

8 Step 1 Climate Change and Paper Fact Sheet (cont.) How do our everyday actions impact climate change? Although you cannot see or smell carbon, it is released into the atmosphere when we do things like turn on lights, charge our cell phones or drive in our cars. All of these activities require us to burn fossil fuels at the power plant or gas refinery and burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Scientists estimate that the average American burns about 25,000 tons of CO 2 through their daily activities each year. This number is called our carbon footprint. Humans also contribute to the production of other greenhouse gases such as methane (through agricultural processes), nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapor and aerosols. What is the difference between climate and weather? Weather refers to temperature and precipitation that we are currently experiencing. Climate refers to long term weather patterns. Over a period of 30 years, the average snowfall in a region is a measure of climate. If this average snowfall changes over several years, this could be an indication that the climate, or the amount of snowfall that we predict, could change. Weather refers to the amount of snowfall happening in a specific year. One really severe or really mild winter does not indicate climate change, however a long term change in the average snowfall and temperature does. We will always have unseasonably cold or hot days. Many experts say that climate is what you expect and weather is what you get. What is the difference between a carbon sink and a carbon source? A carbon source is anything that produces carbon dioxide that will be released into the atmosphere. Carbon sources can be anthropogenic (human-made) or natural. Natural sources of carbon include decaying plants and animals, wildfires and volcanoes. Anthropogenic or human-made sources include burning fossil fuels to create energy. Carbon sinks are critical because they store excess carbon so that it is not released into the atmosphere, contributing to warming. Carbon sinks include living plants, especially trees, coral reefs and the ocean. One way to offset your carbon footprint is to help create carbon sinks by planting trees!

9 Step 1 Climate Change and Paper Fact Sheet (cont.) Can climate change really be reversed? Scientists predict that even if we stopped using all sources of carbon tomorrow, we would continue to see rising temperatures and sea level rise for the next 100 to 1,000 years. However, the future is in still in our hands and the choices that we make today have the potential to slow and one day stop the rising temperatures. We are currently creating more carbon than the carbon sinks can absorb so a combination of planting trees or stopping deforestation (to create more carbon sinks) and using less energy (reducing the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere) will make a positive impact on the environment and wildlife. What is the connection between reducing paper and climate change? There are two major areas where the pulp and paper industry have big impacts on climate change: the energy needed to produce paper and the loss of trees. The pulp and paper industry is the world s fifth-largest industrial energy consumer, producing many hundreds of millions of tons of CO 2 emissions every year. Some industries, in particular those in Europe, are making great progress towards reducing their emissions, but worldwide it is still a huge source of greenhouse gas. In addition to the CO 2 emissions, the pulp and paper industry must cut down huge amounts of trees in order to make paper. Forests are huge carbon sinks that makes they hold lots of CO 2 inside them that does not get released into the atmosphere. Once those trees are cut down, the CO 2 they were sequestering is released, and they are no longer available to take more CO 2 out of the air. Trees are so impactful on climate change, many scientists agree that our best bet for combating climate change is to plant as many trees as possible while we reduce our own emissions. How does reducing paper (and thus climate change) help Red Pandas? As the effects of climate change become more and more apparent, Red Pandas are facing bigger and bigger odds in the wild. Red Pandas live in a small and very specific habitat in the Himalayas. They must live in a mixed forest with an undergrowth of bamboo at an altitude of 4,600-15,000 feet. This habitat runs in a narrow band on mountain slopes in China and Nepal, and their population currently sits at about 10,000 individuals. This very limited habitat means that Red Pandas will have no where to go as temperatures in the Himalayas rise.

10 Step 1 Climate Change and Paper Fact Sheet (cont.) Why are we reducing instead of recycling? Is recycling bad? Recycling is definitely not bad! In fact, when you recycle paper, it saves 50% of the energy compared to making new paper. That is a pretty significant reduction of carbon emissions! However, using less paper saves 100% of the energy needed to make new paper. The more we reduce our paper usage, less new paper will be needed, and fewer forests will be cut down. Facts and figures about paper and junk mail Every Sunday, the United States wastes nearly 90% of our completely recyclable newspapers. That is equivalent to 500,000 trees! Americans throw away enough office and writing paper annually to build a wall 12 feet high stretching from Los Angeles to New York City. People in North America use more paper per capita than anyone else on the planet 500 pounds per person, per year. 40% of the world s industrial logging goes into making paper. Approximately 44% of junk mail ends up in a landfill unopened. It takes more than 100 million trees to produce the total volume of junk mail in the United States.

11 Step 2 Ideas for Reducing Paper Reduce Junk Mail with the Philadelphia Zoo *this piece is a requirement for project submission* Greenhouse gases created each year by junk mail are the equivalent of the emissions created by 4.8 million school buses. Each person receives an average of 41 pounds of junk mail every year. Each campaign must include a piece that focuses on encouraging people to place their names on a list that reduces the amount of junk mail sent to their house. Students should direct the adults in their lives to to sign up and receive instructions on how to reduce their junk mail. Adults must include the name of the school or teacher for their submission to be counted towards the results for your class. Find Sources of Wasted Paper Encourage students to notice some of the many ways we use paper. In particular, look for paper that is not being used completely, or not being used at all. - Are all printed assignments using both sides of the paper? - Are students using both sides of their notebook pages? - Are there any messages for parents could be ed instead of printed? Engage the Community in Reducing for Red Pandas Many businesses reach their customers with paper flyers or other types of paper advertising. Students can think of ways that businesses can reach the same amount of people (or more!) by using digital advertising. - Encourage restaurants to use a chalkboard to advertise their daily specials instead of printing a new menu each day - Find businesses that place flyers in mailboxes and encourage them to either replace their flyers with digital advertising (like a Facebook page) or to make smaller flyers that will save paper Get Parents Involved Students should talk to their parents or guardians about ways they can reduce paper usage at home. - Encourage parents to sign up for electronic billing and banking instead of receiving paper statements - Choose snacks or other products that reduce the amount of paper packaging involved

12 Steps 3-5 Student-Driven Project Students should create a Reduce for Red Pandas campaign to engage their families, schools, and communities in action. The campaign should rely on positive messaging, be specific and measurable, and reduce the amount of paper used at home, at school, or in the community. Be Creative! Use Art and Imagination: Build a sculpture or other piece of art and showcase it in your community Create a song, poem, play, or video (2 minutes or less!) encouraging others to Reduce for Red Pandas Create a book or photo journal highlighting changes at home, school, and community Drive Awareness and Action Write persuasive s to your local community asking them to reduce their paper usage Create a measureable change in your community, such as raising funds for a digital message board that could replace a bulletin board Tips for Success The contest is judged at four grade groupings (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). Submissions will be judged based on five criteria: 1) Creativity project and presentation creativity are equally judged 2) Originality project and presentation originality are equally judged 3) The project should be student-centered, student-driven, and studentexecuted. Students should take the lead toward including their families, school, and the community to Reduce for Red Pandas. 4) The project results should directly link reducing paper to climate change and its impacts on Red Pandas 5) The project should inspire others to become change agents in the community

13 Steps 3-5 Student-Driven Project Examples of Measureable Results Quantitative (numbers) Record the number of people you get to visit the Philadelphia Zoo s website to reduce their junk mail. Record the number of people in your family, school or community who participated in your campaign. Record the interactions with families or businesses in the community who have pledged to increase recycling. Measure changes in attitudes or behaviors of your campaign participants through an online survey. Qualitative (descriptive) Ask participants to share their inspiring stories of change. Photographs and video of participants advocating for Reducing for Red Pandas. Messages or media coverage of your campaign. Suggestions for Cross-curricular Connections Science Investigation Ask your students to find scientific data about gorilla populations and research how climate change is having an impact on them and their environment. Project future trends for the gorilla population. Language Arts Develop a written component that conveys a positive advocacy message. Be creative write a children s book, poem, persuasive story or even a comic strip. Math Track how many people you reached. Track and chart your progress showing an increase of variety and amount of recycled at home, at school and in the community. Technology Create a tool (website, social media, or video essay) to share your results with others. Create a movement where you are connecting others in a joint effort to Reduce for Red Pandas.

14 Steps 3-5 Student-Driven Project Tips for a successful submission We are looking for the most creative campaign that creates permanent and measurable decrease of paper usage at home, at school, or in the community. The Philadelphia Zoo strongly believes that students have the power to positively advocate for change. Planning (2-3 weeks) Work with students to learn about the issues. Share goals and outcomes with stakeholders like students, parents and community leaders. Ask students to set a timeline for when work will be completed. Implementation (6-8 weeks) Students should select how they plan to engage their peers, families and communities in their Reduce for Red Pandas campaign. They should begin work on the campaign elements. We want the campaign to reach as many people as possible and for it to get the attention of the community. Remember to record information about the number of people reached, resources used, etc. You will need this for the next phase! Evaluation (Measuring Results) (1-3 weeks) We are looking for qualitative (descriptive) results as well as quantitative (numbers) results. The best submissions will include both and we will look for accuracy in reporting. There are lots of ways to get measurable results from your campaign (see previous examples) During your planning phase, determine the goals and outcomes that you would like to see from your project. For example, set a target for the number of people reached. Be specific i.e. 10,000 people reached throughout the campaign. Take it a step further and engage every family from the school and businesses in the community in directly measuring and decreasing their paper usage. Don t forget to document these direct interactions! And finally, create a significant change by determining how much paper is saved during the campaign. Adopt and implement a new school or community policy committing to decrease the amount of paper used in years to come. Use SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound).

15 Additional Resources Glossary of Key Terms Atmosphere: layer of gasses surrounding Earth Carbon Footprint: the total amount of carbon dioxide you contribute is sometimes known as your carbon footprint. Think of it as the impact you have on the planet. A small footprint means you are helping to save energy to save wildlife. A big footprint means you may be contributing to impacts of climate change on wildlife. Carnivore: an animal in the order Carnivora; they usually eat meat CO 2 : carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a greenhouse gas. It is absorbed by plants and generated by many manmade things, like cars. Climate: the average weather over time. Climate Change: any change in the climate, including rising temperatures due to global warming. Geographic range: the area of land that animals live in Green: a word used to describe environmentally friendly practices Conservation: the preservation and protection of animals, natural resources, and plants Conservation Status: these are categories that tells us if the animal is still around today and if the animal may become extinct. The IUCN categorizes animals in the following categories: Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, and Least Concerned. Diet: the food animals eat Environment: what makes up an area, such as land, water, air and living things EPA: the Environmental Protection Agency is a government agency that focuses on protecting human health and the environment Greenhouse Gas: any gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor

16 Additional Resources Glossary of Key Terms Greenhouse Effect: when greenhouse gases keep the Earth warm by trapping heat from the sun Impact: to have an effect on IUCN: The International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is the world s oldest and largest global environmental organization. LEED Gold: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a building certification program that rates buildings, homes, and neighborhoods based on environmental responsibility and resource use. Recycle: collect, sort and reprocess old materials so they can be used to make new things Reduce: make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size Stakeholder: a person or group that invests or provides money Sustainability: balancing human needs while not using up or completely destroying the natural environment Temperature: the hotness or coldness of something Wildlife: animals living in nature; all living things (except people) that are not domesticated.