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March 2002 The March LAND, SEA, & AIR MAIL explores the world of whales. From pint-sized porpoises to humongous blue whales, we take a look at the habits and habitats of whales.

Students in K-3 classes learn to identify whales and compare sizes large to small. For 4-8 graders activities include an experiment with sound and echolocation, and a math activity calculation and graphing estimates of whale populations.

Visit seaworld.org for more whale information; teacher guides and information books (beluga whales, baleen whales, bottlenose dolphins, and killer whales).

 

One of eight winners of the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards, the students and teachers at Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside, California, created an international conservation club and traveled to the Galapagos Islands on a research expedition. Check out their story.

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.

 

 

 

Julie's Journal
Daily journal entries now appear on Julie’s site detailing her adventures in Pantanal, the world's largest wetland environment in South America.

Conservation Partners: American Oceans Campaign
Learn about the current efforts to establish marine protected areas to help preserve coastal communities.

 

Get the latest information on whale stocks and whaling from the IWC.

Learn the current status of endangered whales in the U.S. on CITES, the Convention on International Trade in endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Web site.

The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums has whale facts, video clips, activities for students K-12 and a list of members worldwide.

 

Groups all over the world have rallied support to “save the whales.” Some whale populations have recovered. Gray whales were hunted to near extinction in the 1800s, and again in the 1930s. Today more than 24,000 gray whales inhabit the eastern North Pacific, a population estimate that most experts consider at least as high as pre-whaling numbers.

Although whales are large creatures often far from our own home, there are actions you can take to help the world of whales.

1. Support conservation organizations that conduct whale research programs.
2. Read book, magazines, and newspapers to learn more about whales. Share what you know with family and friends.
3. Reduce coastal pollution by reducing or recycling trash, keeping storm drains free of trash and polluted water run-off, cleaning up after pets during walks, and reducing the use of chemical yard fertilizers.
4. Avoid products that may affect whale populations like tuna fished off dolphin populations, farmed fish stocks that may pollute coastal waters, and fish and invertebrates caught by drag nets or gill nets that degrade ocean habitats.

COMING NEXT MONTH How does SeaWorld and Busch Garden team members take care of so many different animals? What are the “secrets” to show training? In April’s LAND, SEA & AIR MAIL, the topic is Husbandry and Training and we’ve got a lot of animals to look at, from newly hatched ducklings to thousand-pound killer whales.

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

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