It is hard to believe that it is Earth Day again. Sadly, even with Earth Day celebrations I feel like our planet is getting worse. We hear that we should recycle, but then we find out our recycling has ended up in the ocean still or is treated the same as regular trash. We know we should conserve gas, but people keep buying large vehicles. Electric vehicles are hot right now, but their production is not great for the Earth and to be honest we produce electricity using fossil fuels, so it is not changing things that much. My electrical engineer husband says that wind and solar will not be enough to fix our energy problems. No matter what we still have a lot of work to do to save our planet. Today I thought I would share two puzzles that are made me think of Earth Day. They each share a different ecosystem that is endangered. We will begin with Asian Rainforest Wildlife 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle by Hue Huynh.
From the Publisher:
- 1000 pieces
- Quality design & easy to handle pieces
- Finished puzzle 29 x 20 inches
- Features a colorful jungle scene filled with diverse Indonesian wildlife
About the Author:
Hue Huynh allowed her lifelong passion for drawing and painting to guide her career, receiving a B.A. in illustration from the University of Malardalen and opening her own illustration business.Since opening her business more than fourteen years ago, she has worked on a wide range of projects--advertising, events, interior design, children's books and games--in a variety of mediums. Her illustrated creations have appeared everywhere from textile prints and large-scale murals to stage props and exhibits. She was born in Vietnam to Chinese parents but grew up in Sweden, where she now lives with her husband and sons.
From Me:
I began working on this puzzle last week. As you can see I have not gotten that far yet. I have most of the border done and a few animals and the rafflesia arnolii (the red flower with white spots). The quality of this puzzle is excellent. The picture is colorful and beautiful. It also has many of the animals that are unique to the Asian rainforests. To go with this puzzle, I thought I would share a bit I learned about Asian rainforests and their inhabitants.
About Asian Rainforests:
Most of the tropical rainforest in Asia is in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. It use to cover more area in Asia. Logging and clearing the forests for agriculture has destroyed much of the region’s rainforests. Southeast Asian forests are believed to have existed over 100 million years ago. They believe some of the Asian rainforests are the oldest on Earth. Rainforests get over 60 inches of rain in a year. That averages to 1/8 of an inch a day! The plants and trees grow so thick that the rain doesn't usually reach the ground. The temperature is warm and the air is humid.Some of the Asian rainforests are known for their orangutans, tigers, and elephants. The island of Sumatra is the only place on Earth where rhinos, tigers, orangutans and elephants live in the same forest. The Sumatran tiger, Sumatran rhinoceros, Sumatran elephant, Sumatran ground cuckoo, and Sumatran orangutan are all critically endangered. In October 2008 the Indonesian government announced plans to protect the remaining forests in Sumatra. The forests in Sumatra and Borneo also have proboscis monkey, sun bear, clouded leopard, flying fox bat and the Bornean elephant (also endangered). The rafflesia arnolii is the largest individual flower in the world!
In this puzzle we see Asian elephants, orangutans, gibbons, tiger, rhinoceros, hornbills, parrots, wild boar, tapir, peacock, cockatoos, kingfishers, pythons, monitor lizard, butterflies and more! I love that the animals include those that make the rainforest so special as the only place on Earth that a group of animals cohabitate. We all know the rainforests are endangered thus making the animals in them endangered. Thankfully there are laws in place in most areas of the world to protect the remaining ones. It is hard to believe that it wasn't until October 2008 that Indonesia passed the laws. Look at the beauty in this picture. We need to protect the rainforests and all the life that lives in them. To go with this puzzle, you can download a coloring page of an Asian rainforest from Exploring Nature Educational Resource.
Sources:
- Amsel, Sheri. "Asian Rainforest" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. (24 Mar 2024) http://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/Asian-Rainforest
- Butler, Rhett A. World Rainforests. “Rainforests in Asia.” (16 Jul 2020.) https://worldrainforests.com/kids/elementary/asia.html
- Sumatra Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia. (16 Oct 2023) https://kids.kiddle.co/Sumatra
Our next puzzle is Tropical Coral Reef Marine Life 1000 Pieces Jigsaw Puzzle also by Hue Huynh.
From the Publisher:
- 1000 pieces
- Quality design & easy to handle pieces
- Finished puzzle 29 x 20 inches
- Features a colorful coral reef scene
Tropical coral reefs are home to the greatest diversity of marine life on the planet. Brilliantly-patterned spotted, striped and speckled fish swim in and around hundreds of brightly-colored coral species. Sharks, groups, and other large fish keep the populations of smaller organisms in balance. Coral reefs are highly fragile and now in great danger from man-made pollution and global warming.
From Me:
Now I haven't started this one, but it is beautiful! I love the colors and all the tropical fish and animals in the picture. The quality of the puzzle is high like the other one. I have been very happy with all the puzzles from Tuttle.
About Coral Reefs:
Coral reefs are made by coral. Coral are animals. They are not plants. They are living organisms that can group together or work individually. They are a very diverse ecosystem and about 25% of the Earth's fish depend on healthy coral reefs. However coral reefs make up less than 1% of the Earth's oceans. Half a billion people rely on coral reefs for food! Coral reefs also act as a barrier for land during storms. They are able to slow down the water flow during a storm by up to 97% and help slow down coastal erosion. The coral and sponges in a coral reef feed on the various things in the water and actually clean the water they live in. Coral reefs have been recorded as existing as far back as 240 million years! Most of the coral reefs around now are about 5000-10,000 years old. The diversity that lives in a coral reef has caused them to be nicknamed the rainforests of the ocean. Coral reefs are also responsible for producing much of the Earth's oxygen. The air we breathe!! We are dependent on coral reefs!!
As the ocean water warms coral reefs have been going through a process called bleaching. They expel the algae with which they have a symbiotic relationship and the coral turn white. This process is called bleaching. Some coral have also turned bright colors in attempts to survive the warmer temperatures and this is called glowing. Most coral needs sun so they tend to grow in shallow water.
Coral reefs are the nurseries and homes for over 4,000 species of fish. The coral reefs give fish plenty of places to hide from predators, reproduce and nurture their young as well as provides food sources. They are the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs can create islands and thus countries. If the reef dies that created an island, the island will suffer since the coral will not be there to repair it. Some endangered species that depend on and live in coral reefs include the loggerhead and hawksbill turtles, some coral, sharks and more! As you can see in the picture of the puzzle many of them are present there. There are also various species of sea sponges, crabs, sea urchins, sea stars, oysters, clams and fish living in coral reefs. To go with this puzzle, you can download a coral reef activity book from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Sources:
- Coral Reef Alliance. "5 Surprising Ways Coral Reefs Are Connected to Our Daily Lives." (04 Apr 2024) https://coral.org/en/blog/5-surprising-ways-coral-reefs-are-connected-to-our-daily-lives/
- Environmental Protection Agency. "Basic Information about Coral Reefs." (28 Feb 2024) https://www.epa.gov/coral-reefs/basic-information-about-coral-reefs
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Coral Reef Ecosystems." (1 Feb 2019) https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/marine-life/coral-reef-ecosystems
- The Ocean Agency. "Coral Reef Toolkit." https://www.theoceanagency.org/toolkits/coralreefs
- Thomas, Julia. The Reef World Foundation. "10 Surprising Facts About Coral Reefs." (5 Jan 2021) https://reef-world.org/blog/surprising-coral-facts
Be sure to check out these beautiful puzzles and perhaps do them with your kids. You can share some of the facts about the ecosystems and discuss ways you can help save the rainforests and coral reefs. Happy Earth Day!
