Issue 16 -- LAND, SEA, & AIR MAIL

November 2001

Give Mother Earth a present this holiday season…with recycling! December's LAND, SEA, & AIR MAIL takes a look at composting and nature's recyclers. From bacteria and fungi to earthworms and other large detritus eaters, learn about the most important link in Earth's food webs.

Classroom activities cover K-3, 4-8, and 9-12 grades. Younger students explore the hard working animals that help recycle nutrients. Grades 4-8 survey the school grounds for insect recyclers and demonstrate the benefits of composting soil. High school students calculate percentages of recyclable items in trash and organize a school wide clean up.

Teaching about the environment is not always easy. Do you know a teacher who's figured out a unique way to inspire students, communicate concepts, or encourage exploration? What about a school that has dedicated itself to a project? We want to hear about them. Use our easy entry form to nominate your favorite school or teacher.

Looking for back issues or activities on a certain topic? We have organized our activities from past LSA issues on one page for easy reference.

Julie's Journal
This month Julie Scardina, SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Ambassador, takes a look back at the history of conservation and forward to future trends.

Conservation Partners: Conservation International
Conservation International works to preserve biological diversity and the ecological processes that sustain life on Earth. Check out their new pages at http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/regions/south_america/brazil/brazil.xml#cerrado

Have You Seen This?

Need a few tips on composting? From the biological background to great in-classroom activities, CORNELL composting is the site to visit.

California's Integrated Waste Management Board has information on composting with worms. See their pages and play with Vermi the Worm at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/vermi/

Go Environ-mental!

Get into the recycling spirit this holiday. The motto "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" rings truer at this time of the year.

1.	Reduce: Be a smart consumer and consider buying products with less packaging. Toys are notorious for over packaging. Walk down a store aisle and notice how many items cardboard or paper boxes surround. Once the present is wrapped and then opened, more material goes into the trash then into the toy chest.
2.	Reuse empty boxes to package new presents. If mailing, try to group presents into a larger boxes instead of mailing many small ones to the same address.
3.	Recycle: Collect paper boxes, wrapping, papers and other trash and put in the mixed paper bin at your local recycling center.
4.	Don't forget the Christmas tree. Most cities have recycle centers opened after the holidays to recycle trees into mulch. Or cut up and use as ground cover in your yard. Acid-loving plants like gardenias do well with pine needles at the base. Even better is buying a potted tree that can be used year after year.

COMING NEXT MONTH

Our frolicking friends of the sea—sea lions, seals, and walruses—visit LAND, SEA & AIR MAIL next month. Learn about their day-to-day life styles and the dangers they face in the future.

SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Information Database
http://www.seaworld.org/ / http://www.buschgardens.org/