May 2, 2014

Earth Day

Last Saturday Fossil Rim celebrated National Earth Day. It was the perfect opportunity to communicate with a concerned public about the issues our future generations are faced with. The education department set up several craft stations in order to carry out our vision: to focus on the good stewardship of wildlife for the wellbeing of our planet.
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Many times it is hard to make the connection between the wellbeing of our planet’s wildlife and the wellbeing of humans. Fossil Rim is home to a variety of animals and spectacular breeding programs, but for what reason? Why are these animals here, why are they important and what impact would their disappearance have on this planet and to us humans? There is an intricate balance to this world we live in, and when that balance is disturbed serious issues may arise.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center has a dedicated Attwater’s prairie-chicken reintroduction and breeding program, so it seemed fitting to make this endangered grouse our Earth Day spokesperson, or shall I say spokes animal!

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There are only about 50 APC’s out in the wild today, so we created an Origami Attwater’s Prairie Chicken mobile to help visitors visualize what exactly FIFTY looks like. Each child wrote a pledge to save wildlife on origami paper and then folded it into their very own booming Attwatter’s Prairie Chicken.

The Attwatter’s prairie-chicken is a ground dwelling bird that inhabits coastal prairie areas and uses tall grasses and shrubs for both food and cover. Developed areas can increase predation because having less protective coverage makes them easier pray for terrestrial predators. We want to preserve this species because they play a vital role in the ecosystem. By foraging heavily on insects, they act as pest management, which may otherwise become an issue for nearby homeowners and farmers.
The Attwater’s prairie-chicken is just one of many species that are in danger of becoming extinct. When a species becomes extinct, it is gone forever and so are the services it provided. We can help save wildlife by making small changes like using less water, minimizing our waste and recycling.
We hope that we were able to instill a desire to live a life of stewardship in young minds, so that they will help conserve this world 365 days of the year!

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Children learned about the 3 R’s: Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. They were given a reusable bag to decorate and take home with them. While decorating, Rebecca taught them about what they could do in their homes to make a difference. A few examples: taking shorter showers; having their parents install low pressure shower heads and faucets; using reusable bags; composting and recycling.

By: Calyn Wall (Education Intern)


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  • I work for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in Austin, TX. I have a large touch screen kiosk that I take to events such as Earth Day. The modules on the kiosk are about Water Quality in Texas waters. I exhibit at Moody Gardens, Earth Day Dallas, Earth Day Bay Day, etc. I would like to know if there is an opportunity that I could exhibit the kiosk at events for you. It views better inside and needs electricity. If you would like more information please get in touch with me. Sincerely,

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