Wild & Wondrous - Favorite World Press

The FWP weekly digest of wondrous wildlife happenings
and other interesting items from the natural world

Creatures to meet | Things to learn
Things to do

Lisa S. French

1-minute read

Perhaps when fennec foxes dream, they dream of space—of lunar landscapes and secret missions to Mars. In their sleep-time adventures, they trot through lonely valleys on shifting sands under the glimmer of falling stars, and think to themselves, “Yes, I know this place. It was a long, long time ago, but I’ve been here before.”

Space, the final frontier—of fennec foxes? What could the elfin-eared, canine desert dwellers possibly teach us about space exploration? Well, if you were going to design the perfect vehicle for a planetary mission, you’d want to consult an expert in traveling on harsh terrains. And there are no more punishing landscapes than the Sahara and Sinai deserts, where the pint-sized animal makes its home.

Over four million years, the fennec fox evolved to withstand the high temperatures, violent winds, and scorching sands of North Africa’s desert regions. While the fox has developed several physical adaptations to help survive the heat, like it’s extraordinarily oversized ears and brain-cooling nose, mechanical engineers researching biologically-inspired solutions to traveling in the desert are particularly interested in the mobility advantages of the animal’s ultra-fluffy feet. The interwoven stiff hairs covering the bottom of the fennec fox’s paws enable it to easily navigate sandy terrain. Those advanced traction capabilities are just what land vehicles need to motor around demanding extraterrestrial environments.

NASA-supported researchers at Clemson University’s Creative Inquiry Program found that coating tires with bristle-like fibers similar in texture to the hair on the paws of fennec foxes significantly increased soft soil traction. The new concept inspired by physical characteristics of a creature that evolved to survive extreme conditions may help to improve space rover technology and allow us to go where no humans have gone before—(Pluto anyone? Don’t forget your thermals!). Sometimes, our most ingenious innovations in science, technology, engineering, and medicine have the most unexpected origins—like the tiny fur-soled feet of an ancient species of desert fox.

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Lisa S. French May 3, 2021

Under the Blue Whale

0.5-minute read

Vaccine Day PSA

In case you missed it, if you’re a resident of New York City, starting Friday, April 23, you can get a COVID-19 vaccination under the watchful eye of the 94-foot, 21,000-pound blue whale model at the American Museum of Natural History. Find out how to get your vaccine here.

Everyone who gets a jab at AMNH will receive a free general admission voucher for four to come back and visit the whopping blue whale and other fascinating featured creature exhibits. A value-added vaccination site in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life—fin-tastic!

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Lisa S. French April 23, 2021

Voices of Earth

Happy Earth Day,

Big Blue Mama!

In our small press manner, Wild & Wondrous aims to be a voice for Mother Earth. If we listen carefully, we can hear all of the eloquent, soul-stirring ways she also speaks for herself—today and every day.

Voices of Earth

by Archibald Lampman:

We have not heard the music of the spheres,
The song of star to star, but there are sounds
More deep than human joy and human tears,
That Nature uses in her common rounds;
The fall of streams, the cry of winds that strain
The oak, the roaring of the sea’s surge, might
Of thunder breaking afar off, or rain
That falls by minutes in the summer night.
These are the voices of earth’s secret soul,
Uttering the mystery from which she came.
To him who hears them grief beyond control,
Or joy inscrutable without a name,
Wakes in his heart thoughts bedded there, impearled*,
Before the birth and making of the world.

EarthDay.org

* poetry awe bonus points for rhyming impearled with world.

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Lisa S. French April 22, 2021

What on Earth is Tree Equity?

1.5-minute read

When we first heard the term tree equity, we wondered—what could it mean? Trees getting their fair share? Trees getting what they have coming to them? As it turns out, tree equity isn’t about what trees get; it’s about what they give and how they’re distributed. Trees are often sparse in socioeconomically disadvantaged urban neighborhoods. Achieving tree equity ensures that every community has enough trees to attain the highest level of life-enhancing health and climate benefits.

To make a case for urban forestry investment in areas with the greatest need, our planting partners at American Forests have developed the Tree Equity Score Project, enabling cities and towns of at least 50,000 people to calculate whether enough trees have been planted to positively impact all of their residents. This spring, American Forests will deliver Tree Equity Scores to all 486 Census-defined urbanized areas in the country—home to 70% of the U.S. population.

Mapping tree cover is the first step in addressing harmful environmental inequities and climate change-induced problems that affect everyone, but especially the most vulnerable. Planting trees to achieve neighborhood by neighborhood green equity helps create healthier, safer, more climate-resilient communities by:

Improving air and water quality
Lowering temperatures
Reducing heat related illness
Improving mental health
Enhancing cognitive function
Reducing stress
Reducing energy use
Reducing flooding
Increasing biodiversity
Increasing carbon storage

So far, American Forests has created pilot Tree Equity Scores for Rhode Island, Phoenix and Tucson, AZ, Detroit, MI, Houston, TX, Puget Sound, WA, San Francisco Bay, CA, and Miami, FL. You can find out how these urban areas stack up tree-wise at TreeEquityScore. We’ll keep you posted on new scores as they roll out. In the meantime, you can learn more about American Forests’ plan to maximize the health and climate benefits of urban tree planting to ensure everyone gets their fair share of nature from Vibrant Cities Lab.

Btw, it’s officially Earth Week! Exciting! You can find educational resources and activities to help teach K-12 students to nurture nature at WideOpenSchool. And from April 20-22, you can follow Restore Our Earth™ events at EarthDay. See you there!

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Lisa S. French April 19, 2021

Earth Month: One Nation Under Trees

2-minute read

If you’re a friend of Favorite World Press, you know that we’re tree people. We love trees for their beauty and solidity, their music, and their majesty. We love looking at them and listening to them, and most of all, we love planting them so that everyone can benefit from their leafy, green goodness. That’s why we have partnered with American Forests to plant one wildlands tree for every print or electronic book that we sell from our K-4 series Frankie and Peaches: Tales of Total Kindness. We’re investing in the future health of our planet by planting trees on behalf of our young readers—trees that will grow with them and for them.

As we celebrate Earth Month at Wild & Wondrous, we’re thinking about forests and how they bring us together—one nation under trees. Restoring our forests by planting trees helps us all by providing jobs, cleaning our air and water, and nourishing our bodies and minds. Plus, forest restoration is one of the most effective natural ways to combat climate change. Trees help to cool our warming planet by capturing 15% of U.S. carbon emissions. Forests and trees also provide critical food and shelter for wildlife. Vulnerable keystone tree species like the whitebark pine, found across the western U.S. and Canada, are essential to the health of biodiverse high-elevation ecosystems. Supporting American Forests helps to ensure that we can save our summits by protecting the struggling whitebark pine and all the creatures that depend on it for survival.

You can learn more about projects underway and plans in the works to reforest the U.S. from our planting partners. And you can explore American Forests’ participation in the World Economic Forum initiative to increase the number of trees on the planet and prevent the loss of trees that are already in the ground at the Trillion Trees Campaign. The global campaign brings together a like-minded community of people, governments, non-profit organizations, and corporations committed to stopping deforestation and forest degradation. As co-managers of the U.S. chapter of 1t.org, American Forests has pledged to plant 100 million trees in large forested landscapes and 1.2 million trees in cities.

Favorite World Press is proud to contribute to the growing movement to create healthy and resilient forests. We have planted thousands of trees thanks to thoughtful readers like you—we are so grateful for your ongoing support. And for new friends of FWP (well, hello there!), this Earth Month, we hope that you’ll consider branching out and joining us in our mission—one nation under trees for people, for wildlife, for the planet.

Photo credit: Timothy G. Lumley, Bugling Elk, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

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Lisa S. French April 9, 2021

Backyard Biodiversity: Making Your Yard a Home

2.5-minute read

In the race to protect and restore the rapidly dwindling natural world, we humans occupy the space between hope and healing, and we have the power to make that space both beautiful and life-sustaining. If you are an aspiring citizen conservationist motivated to show our home planet a little love in honor of Earth Month, you may be surprised (and excited!) to learn that one of the most impactful contributions that you can make to support nature is to turn your backyard into a haven for wildlife. By tending to your outdoor patch in a way that increases native species, contributing to both biodiversity and your local green infrastructure, you can help to shape healthy, stable ecosystems that support all living beings.

The good news is you don’t need to be an expert in horticulture or wildlife biology to nurture nature and become a champion for green connectivity—the linking of natural areas so that animals can safely move from one place to another. Wherever you are, city or suburb, and whatever the size of your outdoor space, you can create habitat stepping stones for birds, pollinators, and other wild ones. It all comes down to what you grow because what you grow determines which species can live on your patch. By learning which native plants are the best choices to support wildlife, you can help prevent the loss of precious flora and fauna and the resulting disruption of ecosystems. Over the last 50 years, biological diversity has diminished by 68% globally, and 1,000,000 species are currently at risk of extinction. Now, more than ever, it’s all green thumbs on deck.

To guide the transformation of your backyard, patio, or terrace garden into a wildlife-supporting habitat, we’ve pulled together some useful resources to get you growing in April:

Nature’s Best Hope/Douglas W. Tallamy: A New York Times Bestseller, Nature’s Best Hope offers engaging, expert insight into the need for and benefits of backyard conservation, the specialized relationship between plants and animals, as well as an easy-to-follow blueprint for choosing plants that increase biodiversity. It also features helpful FAQs such as why Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed and why you should care that birds are disappearing—for the bird-indifferent.

The Wildlife Gardener/Kate Bradbury: This photo-filled gardening guide details step-by-step projects to help you bring nature home.

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder: Just enter your North American zip code into this handy tool to find out which plants host the highest number of butterflies, moths, and birds in the place where you live.

National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Program: If you’ve decided to go all-in, you can have your garden officially certified as a habitat for wildlife. Fill out this application to let NWF know about your sustainable practices and how you provide food, water, cover, and places to raise young.

Audubon Native Plant Finder: The National Audubon Society offers another excellent location-specific planting tool. Enter your zip code into the Native Plant Finder to receive an emailed list of the best plants for your local birds, get tips on how to create a bird-friendly habitat, and track your contribution to Audubon’s goal of planting 1 million native plants for feathered friends.

Monarch Watch: A non-profit conservation, education and research organization dedicated to the preservation of the Monarch butterfly, Monarch Watch offers free milkweed plants to create a Monarch waystation, as well as tips on how to grow milkweed and monitor caterpillar growth.

Prairie Moon Nursery: This is one of our favorite native plant nurseries and the largest in the United States. With over 700 plants in stock, if you need it, they probably have it, including keystone plants like asters, milkweed, goldenrod, and sunflowers to get you started. And they are staffed by lovely, knowledgeable people to boot!

We hope that you’re feeling at least a bit inspired to dig in and explore ways that you can participate in the backyard biodiversity movement. By pitching in to nurture rather than diminish nature, we can help keep the planet that we depend on for survival functioning in top form, and that’s a wonderful and necessary thing. Grow native and they will come!

Happy gardening! Wishing every bunny a peaceful holiday!

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Lisa S. French April 1, 2021

Lights Out for the Planet

Earth Hour 2021

March 27, 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm your local time.

Join us in showing your planet appreciation.

Switch off your lights for one hour

and

find out how to participate in the Virtual Spotlight.

earthhour.org

Let’s sit in the dark together—apart.

For the planet.

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Lisa S. French March 27, 2021

Survival of the Friendliest

1-minute read

Much has been written about the stress-reducing, joy-inducing power of human friendship. In good times and in bad, positive social interactions can provide a life-affirming sense of community and belonging. In addition to being psychologically restorative, the company of trusted friends has also been proven to reduce the risk of health problems and increase longevity.

Researchers studying whether members of the animal kingdom experience similar benefits from sociability have determined that for adult female giraffes being friendly is also more than just a nice idea—it’s a lifesaver. Compared with other environmental factors (food sources and distance from towns), chewing cud and slurping savanna water in familiar and amiable company is critical to their survival.

And just how do giraffes configure friendships to increase their lifespan? Do the endearingly long-necked animals benefit more from having exclusive besties, or do they gain a greater advantage from mixing and mingling within a larger group? According to a January 2021 study, it appears that female giraffes that are more gregarious and form stable associations with at least three other group members, live longer. Similar to human friendship groups, giraffes that connect with other members of their community (known as a tower) may experience life as more predictable and less stressful. And faced with ongoing environmental change, compared to lone roamers, giraffes inclined towards sisterhood also benefit from cooperative calve care and the sharing of important knowledge about the location of food and predators. When it comes to survival in the Serengeti, it looks like sticking your neck out and being gir-affable results in a life-extending payoff.

As the world turns, if you’re feeling more sociable today, and you’ve got a bit of a spring in your step, it could be because March 20th marks the vernal equinox. Or perhaps you’re particularly chirpy this Saturday because it also happens to be World Sparrow Day. You can learn more about how to keep the little brown fellows flying from the Audubon Society. Now that’s something to tweet about, friends!

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Lisa S. French March 20, 2021

For Cicadas, the Waiting is the Hardest Part

2.5-minute read

In about six to eight weeks, billions (or possibly trillions!) of periodical cicadas will emerge from the earth at the same time in the Eastern, Great Lakes, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. Some things have been bugging us about this mass insect invasion. Why do cicadas only pop up-top every 13 and 17 years? What do they do underground for all of that time? And why are there so many of them? We thought we’d do a little digging and find out, so here’s a quick Q & A about the noisy critters to keep you up-to-date on your insect info—you know, for Trivial Pursuit.

What is this ginormous bunch of bugs called?
The astonishingly large populations of cicadas that emerge from the earth at precisely timed 13 and 17-year intervals are called broods. In 1893, the broods were assigned Roman numeral designations by American entomologist Charles Marlatt. The 2021 17-year Brood X is made up of three different species with distinctive color patterns, sizes, and behaviors. Every 221 years, the 13 year and 17-year broods come out together in one tremendous bug fest. The next time that will happen is 2118. Optimists: schedule your 97-year cicada reminder with Siri now.

Why the extended percolation time?
About two feet below the earth, baby cicadas, known as nymphs, begin the long preparation for their emergence by feeding on fluid from tree and plant roots until they have matured enough to dig tunnels and crawl to the surface. The brood making their debut this year began their journey way back in 2004.

How do cicadas know when to launch?
Some biologists believe that fluctuations in root fluids might serve as cues for marking the passing years, and that cicadas may have a built-in timing mechanism that prompts them to start tunneling upward. Soil and bug body temperatures reaching a specific level could trigger the synchronized “let’s do this” launch.

What’s all the noise about?
For the first two weeks of their short, four to six-week lives, male cicadas gather in a colossal insect chorus to serenade the lady bugs. By contracting their rib membranes, the singing insects create surreal-sounding cycles of raucous buzzing that can reach 100 decibels—equivalent to the noise level of a jackhammer or a jet flyover at 1,000 feet.

Why are there so many of the little buggers?
There is safety in numbers. Cicadas are a non-toxic source of food for all manner of creatures including birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, turtles, snakes, and spiders. But even the hungriest of the hungry can only eat so many of the crunchy insects from a billion-bug buffet. Emerging synchronously in enormous numbers helps to ensure that enough cicadas will survive to sustain their brood and come back to sing another year.

When do cicadas go underground?
Female cicadas lay anywhere from 2-30 eggs in tiny nests on pencil-sized twigs. In about six to ten weeks the eggs hatch, the nymphs fall to the ground and burrow into the soil and the amazing prime-numbered life cycle of the periodical cicada begins again. Pro-tip for Brood X states—hats on when roaming under tree canopies this July and August.

Is 2021 Brood X emerging at a location near me?
The American Forest Service has created a handy map indicating where and when the 13 and 17-year broods emerge. You can check it out here.

Are there any songs about cicadas?
As a matter of fact, there are quite a few! These are some top picks:
• The Squirrel Crossed the Road/Jane Siberry
• Day of the Locusts/Bob Dylan
• Sicka Cicadas/Kathy Ashworth

So that’s this bug’s life—thirteen to seventeen years under the ground and only about six weeks under the sun. Perhaps the cicadas are not singing, but complaining—and who could blame them. Whether your response to the synchronized mass emergence of cicadas is “oh, wow” or “oh, eww”, we think you’ll agree that the recurring natural phenomenon is pretty remarkable.

And that’s this week’s Wild & Wondrous. Don’t forget to spring forward. Welcome back, light! Btw, today, 3.14, is also Pi (Π) Day, so if you are into numbers or into pie or into both, go wild!

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Lisa S. French March 14, 2021