Friends of the Earth - Infotext

The beautiful Kamehameha butterfly lives in Hawaii and nowhere else on Earth. Named to honor the great king who united the Hawaiian Islands, the butterfly is one of only two species native to Hawaii.

After the Kamehameha butterfly became the state insect--thanks to a group of fifth graders--people noticed that the butterflies were disappearing. So a team of dedicated professional and citizen scientists began working together to restore the butterfly's natural habitat and reintroduce butterflies in places where they were once found.

This unique, beautifully illustrated guide reveals nearly 85 million acres of America's very popular National Parks. With striking full-color photographs, kids can marvel at landmarks such as the Colorado River winding down the Grand Canyon or the Old Faithful spraying steam in Yellowstone, and much more!

Throughout the pages of this book on US National Parks, you can expect to find:

- A fresh new look, new photographs, updated information, and a new "eyewitness" feature.

- Amazing facts, updated diagrams, statistics, and timelines.

- Brand new eyewitness accounts from experts in the field.

Eyewitness National Parks introduces the ultimate guide to every National Park across the United States. Children can learn every unique and incredible space, with its own history, natural wonders, animals, plants, and places. This all-encompassing guide to National Parks is a must-have for curious children aged 9+ with a thirst for learning, as well as teachers, parents and librarians.

Beneath the soaring doorways of stone,

and peaks that pierce the ceiling of clouds,

from every river, star, and stone

comes the eternal refrain:

you are home.

In simple, soaring language and breathtaking art, acclaimed author-illustrator Evan Turk has created a stirring ode to nature and nation. From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawaii, You Are Home reminds us that every animal, plant, and person helps make this land a brilliant, beautiful sanctuary of life.

Long before she became known as the Cactus Queen, Minerva Hamilton Hoyt found solace in the unexpected beauty of the Mojave Desert in California. She loved the jackrabbits and coyotes, the prickly cacti, and especially the weird, spiky Joshua trees.

However, in the 1920s, hardly anyone else felt the same way. The desert was being thoughtlessly destroyed by anyone and everyone. Minerva knew she needed to bring attention to the problem. With the help of her gardening club, taxidermists, and friends, she took the desert east and put its plants and animals on display. The displays were a hit, but Minerva needed to do much more- she wanted to have the desert recognized as a national park. Although she met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and won him over, Minerva still had to persuade politicians, scientists, teachers, and others to support her cause. And, it worked! Minerva's efforts led to what came to be known as Joshua Tree National Park in California, and saved hundreds of thousands of plants and animals. Now, the millions of people who visit each year have learned to love the desert, just as Minerva did.

Observology is the study of looking. An observologist makes scientific expeditions, albeit very small ones, every day. They notice interesting details in the world around them. They are expert at finding tiny creatures, plants, and fungi. They know that water snails glide upside down on the undersurface of the water; not all flies have wings; earthworms have bristles; butterflies taste with their feet. An observologist knows that there are extraordinary things to be found in even the most ordinary places.

The Observologist puts more than 100 small creatures and features of the natural world under the microscope, piquing our curiosity with only the most interesting facts. Subjects range from slugs, ants, and seeds to fungi, flies, bees, and bird poop.

But this is no everyday catalog of creatures. It is an antidote to boredom, an invitation out of the digital world and screentime, an encouragement to observe our environment, with care and curiosity, wherever we are.

This artful and accessible guide to Earth's Tree of Life - the reference tool used by scientists to organize the incredible variety of living things on our planet - helps young readers understand how every living creature, from the tiniest germ to the biggest blue whale, is part of one big family tree.

Stunning layouts feature fascinating facts and stories behind some of the most extraordinary species on Earth, from familiar plants and animals to newly discovered microorganisms and viruses. With a comprehensive introduction, conclusion, and glossary, this is the perfect introduction to the 2 million+ life forms on our planet.

Take a poetic tour through the duff and get the dirt on the tiny, fascinating critters that live there.

For all the kids who can't resist turning over a rock, science poetry maven Leslie Bulion presents nineteen lively ecological poems in a variety of verse forms about the "brown food web" and the creatures that live there--from bacteria and rove beetles to mushrooms and millipedes, and all of the other busy recyclers in between.

Deep in the forest, in the warm-wet green, 1 almendro tree grows, stretching its branches toward the sun. Who makes their homes here?

2 great green macaws,

4 keel-billed toucans,

8 howler monkeys,

16 fruit bats,

32 fer-de-lance vipers,

64 agoutis,

128 blue morpho butterflies,

256 poison dart frogs,

512 rusty wandering spiders,

1,024 leafcutter ants.

Count each and every one as life multiplies again and again in this lush and fascinating book about the rainforest.

Attention all mushroom lovers! Step into the world of fungi and learn all about these strange and fascinating life-forms.

Illustrator Katie Scott returns to the Welcome to the Museum series with exquisite, detailed images of some of the most fascinating living organisms on this planet--fungi. Exploring every sort of fungi, from the kinds we see on supermarket shelves to those like penicillium that have shaped human history, this collection is the definitive introduction to what fungi are and just how vital they are to the world's ecosystem.

The Sea Book is the coolest educational book about the sea, covering a wealth of sea animals, including mammals, fish, invertebrates, and reptiles. It explores the underwater worlds of incredible marine life and their habitats. From up on the ice, down to colorful coral reefs, underwater forests, and right down to the deepest darkest depths where the weird and wonderful lurk - it's sure to delight any ocean obsessed child.

Following on from The Bee Book, Charlotte Milner continues to highlight critical environmental issues faced by our planet. This time the focus is on our watery friends and the damaging effects humans are having on our seas. The perfect introduction to ocean conservation packaged in a way that won't leave children (or their parents for that matter) fearing for life on earth.

The rolling hills and lush climate of Kent, England are home to many creatures.

These creatures are fluffy, sneaky, spikey, and ... small, like the bee.

Though bees are small, their importance is BIG. Today there are over 250,000 species of bees but all of them are in danger. Because of disease, pesticide exposure, lack of foraging habitats, and poor nutrition, entire honey bee hives are dying.

What would happen if bees disappeared completely?

In World of Birds , discover these amazing habitats: rainforest of New Guinea; Himalayan Mountains; Sonoran desert; North American prairie; English woods; Antarctic ice and ocean; Lake Nakuru in Kenya; city of Paris, France; Atlantic Ocean off Africa; and Australian outback.

Listen to these wonderful places come to life as you hear the: Clackety alarm call of a roadrunner as it battles a rattlesnake (Sonoran desert) Low-pitched twoo-twoo of a burrowing owl (prairie) Drumming sound of a spotted woodpecker (English forest) Chattering of emperor penguin chicks , and the longer answering call from their parents (Antarctic) Screeching call of a peregrine falcon (Paris) Loud cackling of a laughing kookaburra (Australian outback) Let your imagination take flight as your soar, perch and step with these incredible birds!

Ever wondered how baby birds know when it's time to spread their wings and fly south? Join a variety of adorable baby birds as they hatch, grow feathers, learn to fly, and embark on their first big journey south! From the marshes of spring in the north to the sunny southern beach shores in winter, these young travelers follow the autumn winds along a beautiful flyway. Endnotes feature fun facts on North America's flyways and bird species Perfect for young explorers and budding bird enthusiasts

By 1926, there were no grey wolves left in Yellowstone National Park, due to a programme by the US government to eliminate threats to livestock. As a result virtually every other part of the park's ecosystem was affected and the landscape was in distress. In 1995, in an attempt to reverse this decline, the government reintroduced grey wolves to the park, and a remarkable restoration took place. This fascinating tale is accompanied by beautiful nature art by Kim Smith as well as educational back-matter such as a glossary, food web infographics, and an index.

A quiet revolution has been underway in recent years, with study after study revealing substantial same-sex sexual behavior in animals. Join celebrated author Eliot Schrefer on an exploration of queer behavior in the animal world--from albatrosses to bonobos to clownfish to doodlebugs.

In sharp and witty prose--aided by humorous comics from artist Jules Zuckerberg--Schrefer uses science, history, anthropology, and sociology to illustrate the diversity of sexual behavior in the animal world. Interviews with researchers in the field offer additional insights for readers and aspiring scientists.

Queer behavior in animals is as diverse and complex--and as natural--as it is in our own species. It doesn't set us apart from animals--it bonds us even closer to our animal selves.

Strong, smooth domes, skulls are more than remnants of creatures that used to be. They are artifacts that allow us to travel back through time. Every ridge, hollow, and crevice of a skull reveals something about an animal's habitat, food source, and skill set. By observing the characteristics of six different animal skulls, readers can learn about the lives once led by a lynx, a deer, a beaver, a hummingbird, a wolf, and an owl. Katherine Hocker's lyrical text and Natasha Donovan's fluid artwork, paired with sound scientific data and back matter resources, will ignite a child's native curiosity and encourage mindful observation of the wonders hidden in nature--and ourselves.

Nobody could get Frederick Law Olmsted to sit still. He was filled with energy, adventure, and dreams of changing the world. As a boy, he found refuge in the peace and calm of nature, and later as an adult, he dreamed of designing and creating access to parks for a growing and changing America. When New York City held a contest for the best park design for what would become Central Park, Olmsted won and became the father of landscape architecture. He went on to design parks across America, including Yosemite National Park and even the grounds for the United States Capitol.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March 1933, the United States was on the brink of economic collapse and environmental disaster. Thirty-four days later, the first of over three million impoverished young men were building parks and reclaiming the nation's forests and farmlands. The Civilian Conservation Corps--FDR's favorite program and "miracle of inter-agency cooperation"--resulted in the building and/or improvement of hundreds of state and national parks, the restoration of nearly 120 million acre of land, and the planting of some three billion trees--more than half of all the trees ever planted in the United States.

Can I Recycle This? skips over preaching and platitudes common to books on environmentalism and instead gets right to the real information that kids need.

It takes readers through every step of the recycling process, from the moment that they throw an item in the bin to its journey through the recycling machinery and on its way to its new life. It gives kids the answers and resources they need to be far better informed than their parents, many of whom were raised on the un-nuanced and often inaccurate "recycling solves everything" mantra. It shows how sorting concepts that kids already know and practice can be applied to waste. And it empowers even early elementary school children to make smarter choices about consumption and disposal, using ideas and examples that they can understand.