Guardian of the Rainforest

Transcription

1 Page0 Guardian of the Rainforest Activity Packet Name:

2 Page1 This packet will help you through your journey to earning a Rainforest Hero Badge. Use the information packet as a guide on what to complete in this packet. Good luck and have fun! Glossary: Some words to know. Arboreal: Biodiversity: Canopy: Cloud Forest: Decompose: Ecosystem: Emergents: Endangered: Equator: Extinct: Forest Floor: Habitat: Humid: Jungle: Rainfall: Tropics: An animal which lives in the trees. Most rainforest animals are arboreal. The number of species that live in one place. Rainforests have high biodiversity. The area in the forest which includes the tops of most trees. Many climbing animals live here. A type of rainforest found on high mountainsides. It is usually misty, cooler, and foggy. The process where a dead living thing breaks down, usually into soil and nutrients. The interactions of all living things in an area. The very tallest trees in the forest, usually towering above most others. A species in threat of extinction. The imaginary circle around the Earth lying exactly between the north and south poles. A species where every last individual has disappeared. Extinction is permanent. The ground in the forest. Very little light reaches here because of the thick canopy above. A place where all the things a species needs to live (food, water, shelter, and space) is found. Damp air with a lot of water in it. Rainforests are very humid. Rainforest that is very thick with vines and shrubs. This usually happens after canopy trees are removed or fall down, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor. A type of precipiation where water droplets fall from clouds. Areas of high rain create rainforests, allowing trees to grow and plants to flourish for animals to use. The area surrounding the equator. Temperatures are usually very warm and daylength is about the same all year. Understory: The area in the forest between the canopy and forest floor made up of tree trunks, vines, and shrubs.

3 Page2 Supermarket Adventure Part 1: While exploring your local Supermarket or your own cupboards, make a list below of products you find containing palm oil. Palm Oil Alternate Names Foods Non-Foods Cocoa butter equivalent Cocoa butter substitute Palm olein Palm stearine Palm kernel oil Palmitate Sodium laurel sulphate Ammonium laurel sulphate Saponified elaeis guineenis Ethylene glycol monostearate Ethylhexyl palmitate Fatty alcohol sulphates Glyceryl stearate Isopropyl palmitate Or any product with a Palmitate ingredient Part 2: Research sustainable palm oil. Explore your Supermarket or cupboards for products from companies that have shown commitments to using palm oil that doesn t destroy forest habitat such as Nestle and Seventh Generation. Circle any products that are found in both Part 1 and Part 2. Part 3: From the list above, pick companies that you would like to thank by filling out the Leaves of Gratitude on page 13. Mail them to the Philadelphia Zoo along with your puzzle piece (page 14 of the Activity Packet).

4 Page3 What makes a Rainforest? Rainforests need two things: rain and trees. There are both temperate and tropical rainforests. In this badge, we will focus on tropical rainforests, the more famous of the two. The temperature of a tropical rainforest must stay above an average 64 F every day, but most are much warmer all year. They don t have four seasons, but usually just a wet and dry season. They lie in the tropics, the area around the Earth s equator. The rainforest must also get at least 66 inches of rain in a year. Use the ruler below to draw lines across the page marking heights listed in the table below. Compare it to the height of the objects and animals. Inches Location Yearly Rainfall (in inches) Minimum for a Rainforest 66 Average for a Rainforest 78 Amazon Rainforest 390 Average for a Desert 4 Philadelphia Zoo 41 Your town: Use an internet search on your local weather service Philadelphia Zoo Pigeons stand 5 inches tall Humans stand around 65 inches tall Male giraffes can stand 240 inches tall A three-story house is around 430 inches tall

5 Page4 Rainforest Layers Look at the layers of the rainforest below. Different animals are found in the different layers. Draw a line from the animal to where it most likes to live in the forest! Animals that live in the tallest trees, usually flying there. Orangutan Scarlet Macaw Animals that climb high, usually looking for fruit. Emergent Layer Red-footed Tortoise Rodrigues Fruit Bat Animals that can climb, but don t go too far off the ground. Canopy Asian Elephant Black Spider Monkey Animals that walk only on the ground. Understory Forest floor Ocelot Red-eyed Tree Frog Golden Silk Spider Forest Floor: Asian Elephant, Red-footed Tortoise, Okapi Understory: Golden Silk Spider, Ocelot, Red-eyed Tree Frog Canopy: Orangutan, Black Spider Monkey Emergent Layer: Scarlet Macaw, Rodrigues s Fruit Bat Okapi

6 Page5 What s from the Rainforest? Ages 5-8 It turns out that a lot of products we use, especially foods, come from the rainforests of the world. Do this activity or the one on the next page Find all the words below! E L W Q G R C B P Q B O I H S Z T D N R I A U V X I S A R R G M V Z N U O H O S F D U W E K Z N J H A H G O N U P U M V P N F G R U M A Q Y T L C O W E H S A C K W M B M H T N A N Q H C M P O L L N S R B Z F B M H A O F O O S W O O O B N X K D Z L F Q C X K C C J S P R W K J I M Y G U M F W J O O E L P P A E N I P C R N G R J K D T L F G T M N A T Q A E A H V A N I L L A B U F T G Z A Z G U G Y K T B E Y R T B C O U E C D C K R U E Z B S Y D K E D F A M V J E Y B R S O L N I T E A I A Q O L U J Q U P S K Y S T O L U S N M E E X Y Z J T N J F T J J T M Q G I J I O L V Q T F W W H O C H U E E T O H T B C T R E H O Z J R Y G R Y B L S P P C Q X I U L K S J C H M W N M V C Q G O B O O O D N W R Q K B Q E Y A N J Y Y U W M F Q V E L C Z G H L G O I M V A V U R V K K G F M L B F Z F Q A Z C M E BANANA CASHEW CHOCOLATE CINNAMON COCONUT COFFEE GUM LEMON MANGO MEDICINES ORANGE PINEAPPLE SUGAR VANILLA

7 Page6 What s from the Rainforest? Ages 8+ Unscramble some of their names below, and then use the numbered letters to form a major reason for saving rainforests!

8 Page7 Split up the Banana Split Ages 5-8 Did you know that your ice cream sundae might have almost a dozen ingredients from the rainforest? Put the letters below in the boxes next to the picture of the rainforest ingredient! A. Banana B. Sugar Cane C. Vanilla Bean D. Cashew Nut E. Cocoa Bean

9 Page8 The Forest Pharmacy Ages 8+ Many, many plants from the rainforest have been found to have medicinal properties. Even more are waiting to be discovered! Using the hints, match the rainforest plants below with the letter of an ailment they help to treat. Cinchona From the bark of this small South American tree is extracted quinine. It s used to prevent and cure this dangerous illness spread by mosquitos. Trumpet Tree This tree has been used for centuries to treat many illnesses by the people of Central and South America. Today, you might use it to treat this lung disease. Rosy Periwinkle This is a small, pretty flower from Madagascar sometimes grown in gardens. It is now used extensively to treat this, one of the most dangerous of all illnesses. Mammosum Lemongrass This strange Mexican fruit related to tomatoes is poisonous if eaten, but small amounts can help cure this kind of infection. Annatto Tree The red seed pods of this South American tree are used to color lipstick, cheese, and margarine. Turns out it can also protect your skin and prevent this. Used quite a lot in its native Asian cuisine, it also might be something you grab with your chicken soup when you re sick with this. A. Sunburn B. Sinus Infection C. Cold and Flu D. Pneumonia E. Malaria F. Cancer

10 Page9 Rainforest Field Guide Tropical rainforests are widespread throughout the world. The map below shows where they can be found. Match the number to the name of the rainforest below Amazon Rainforest West African Rainforest Central American Rainforest Australasian Rainforest Indian Subcontinent Madagascan Rainforest The Congo Southeast Asian Rainforest Even though they cover only about 5% of the Earth, they are believed to have up to 75% of all living things! Countless kinds of flowers, trees, mammals, insects, fungi, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and bacteria all make the rainforest their home. This is called biodiversity. On the following pages, research some species from the rainforest. Orangutan has been done as an example. Four more species from Indonesia have been suggested, and the rest are left to you! Choose animals that you are interested in, are very endangered, or that you just like!

11 Page10 Orangutan Rhinoceros Hornbill Draw me: From: Sumatra and Borneo Facts: From: Facts: The largest animal in the world that lives in trees! They are strong and smart. They are apes, like gorillas and chimpanzees. Food: Home in the Forest: Food: Home in the Forest: Fruit Status: Critically Endangered Status:

12 Page11 Clouded Leopard Draw me: Sumatran Rhino Draw me: From: Facts: From: Facts: Food: Home in the Forest: Food: Home in the Forest: Status: Status:

13 Page12 Green Tree Python Draw me: Draw me: From: Facts: From: Facts: Food: Home in the Forest: Food: Home in the Forest: Status: Status:

14 Page13 Leaves of Gratitude

15 Page14 Up Rainforest Puzzle Piece On the puzzle piece above, please write, draw, or collage a personal message about why you want to save rainforests. Be creative! Your piece may be featured at the Philadelphia Zoo. When complete, please mail to: Philadelphia Zoo c/o Overnights and Scouts 3400 West Girard Ave. Philadelphia, PA or scan and to: overnightsandscouts@phillyzoo.org Name: Age: Troop or Pack: Hometown:

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