Dutchess No Child Left Inside

Our mission is to get youth outdoors to connect with nature while also learning more about the environment and how to protect it. Dutchess No Child Left Inside is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County. Follow Us

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Blackfish is a critically acclaimed documentary that centers around a captured orca named Tilikum who was torn away from his family and ocean home when he was only two years old. Out of frustration caused by nearly twenty years of confinement, isolation, and a lack of emotional and intellectual stimulation, he has killed three humans. In this documentary by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Tilikum’s story is pieced together through film footage, expert testimonies, and interviews with Tilikum's former trainers. The documentary depicts the consequences of keeping killer whales in captivity. While watching the documentary you will learn about the horrors that killer whales in captivity face firsthand. The biggest issue is the small and confined space that these killer whales are in. When in the wild, killer whales swim over 100 miles a day. But in many marine parks around the world, they are forced to swim in tiny circles in order to amuse tourists and spend the majority of their lives in concrete tanks that are the human equivalent of a bathtub. Matriarchal bonds are broken when babies are taken away from their mothers and sold or transferred to other parks. Orcas are highly social animals who live in stable social groups ranging from two to 15 individuals. In some populations, children stay with their mothers for life. In captivity, orcas are forced to live with orcas from other family units who speak a completely different language than they do and are constantly moved between facilities for breeding and to perform. Orcas who are not compatible are forced to live in tight quarters together. The resulting anxiety and tension cause fights between orcas. In the wild, orcas have strong social bonds that may last for life, their social rules prohibit serious violence against each other, and when fights do occur, they can find space to flee. In captivity, there’s nowhere for them to go, which leads to injuries and death. Blackfish shows the abuse Tilikum faced by the fellow female killer whales who would take their anger out on him by biting and scratching him with their teeth, this is what leads to rake marks as shown in the picture above. Killer whales live only a fraction of their lifetime while in captivity, due to the harsh conditions they face. Killer whales in captivity are also known to die prematurely, in the wild their average life expectancy is 30 to 50 years old, their estimated maximum lifespan is 60 to 70 years for males and 80 to over 100 for females. In captivity, the average lifespan is only 13 years old. Another problem with killer whales in captivity is their collapsed dorsal fins, as shown in the picture above. All captive adult male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins, likely because they have no space in which to swim freely and are fed an unnatural diet of thawed dead fish. SeaWorld claims that this condition is common—however, in the wild, it rarely ever happens and is a sign of an injured or unhealthy orca. The killer whales are also given an insufficient amount of food, causing them to be hungry and starving all the time. Orcas in captivity gnaw at iron bars and concrete from stress, anxiety, and boredom, sometimes breaking their teeth and resulting in painful dental drilling without anesthesia, as shown in the picture above. These are only a few of the problems faced by killer whales, I recommend this documentary to anyone who is willing to watch it, it is a real eye opener and will make you want to help the orcas and make a positive change. There are many things that can be done to help, you can boycott marine parks, you can educate others, you can protest marine parks, and you can sign petitions to end the captivity of killer whales. 

The images used in this post were found on google.

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Quicksand

How does quicksand work?

Quicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular material such as sand or silt, clay and water which forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. “ With quicksand the more you struggle, the faster you sink.” The trick here is to RELAX! If you just relax, your body will float in it because your body is less dense than the quicksand. If you step into quicksand, it won’t suck you down. However your movements will cause you to dig yourself deeper into it.

Tips to get out of quicksand:

Drop Everything- If you are wearing anything heavy, try to get rid of it.

Move horizontally- If you feel your feet getting stuck, take a couple of steps backward before the quicksand takes hold.

Lay back- Sit down and lean back if your feet are stuck fast.

Take your time- Whatever you do, do it slowly. 

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A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. Floods can have numerous causes such as, a river or stream overflowing its banks, excessive rain, a ruptured dam or levee, and even rapid ice melting in the mountains. All of the above will lead the water to move onto the adjacent piece of land known as a floodplain. Coastal flooding, on the other hand, occurs when a large storm or tsunami causes the sea to surge inland. Since floods take anywhere from a couple of hours and even days to develop, residents are able to evacuate on time and are warned by officials early before the flooding takes place. Yet, there are also flash floods that generate very quickly and are very dangerous since they occur with little to no warning. Over recent decades, possibly due to climate change, floods have been occurring more often and have caused more damage than ever before. The problems with these floods are the amount of destruction they cause, any poorly built structures will be demolished and even well built structures can be demolished due to the water seeking into the buildings foundations and dragging dirt from under it. Bridges, houses, trees, cars, and people can easily be carried off by the force of this water. Even after a flood recedes, the outcome is devastating, the ground is left with silt and mud. Both the water and landscape can be contaminated with hazardous material, such as sharp debris, pesticides, untreated sewage and even fuel. Mold will overwhelm the water soaked structures. The residents of the flooded areas are left with no power and no clean water, which can cause them to get many waterborne diseases such as typhoid or cholera. Most flood destruction is attributed to humans wanting to live close to the water and in turn taking up the floodplain space used to keep floods from spreading into villages, towns, and cities. Floods are a very natural entity and have helped agriculture throughout the history of the world due to fertile floodplains. But if humans live on these floodplains then the floodplains can no longer act as buffers to stop the flood from happening, therefore the flood spreads to more populated areas. The biggest solution would be to not build on flood plains and let the flood plains do all of the work, yet new buildings are built on these plains every year, leaving the people who inhabit them at risk. 

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Endangered species are a species at risk of extinction because of human activity, changes in climate, and changes in predator-prey ratios, etc. They are declared endangered by governmental agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Many nations have laws that protect these species such as forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Animals that have already been declared extinct include the western black rhinoceros, passenger pigeon, Javan tiger, and much more. Currently endangered species include all the animals in the picture minus the American bison and the gray wolf, but there are hundreds and thousands of endangered species and it not only goes for animals but many plants are endangered as well. These are beautiful animals that our children may not get to see unless in a museum, let's not make that the case. We all must play our part in this by helping bring awareness about endangered species, by following laws, and if you want to, by donating to charities that help endangered animals or a specific endangered animal such as the World Wildlife Fund. You can make a difference and change the world for the better, all you have to do is try and you could save an animal's life. 

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Endangered West African Black Rhino Species

West African black rhinos are one the most beautiful animals on the plant. It is very important that we come to notice that they are already extinct. These animals are being hunted, poached, having their horns being sold for traditional practices etc. Studies has shown that in the beginning of the nineteenth century, about one million of the four different subspecies of rhinoceroses were hunted in Africa, which dropped down to twenty-three hundred in 2001. Such continuous decline of this species, was declared extinct by  the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However there are three black rhino subspecies remaining which are also considered critically endangered due to the seemingly increased levels of poaching. If this should continue to happen, even these last few species may not last too long. It is in our ability to spread awareness in preventing one such from  continuing to save not only the black rhino species but all the existing Rhino species .

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Ice Storms

Wintertime comes the notorious winter weather that can sometimes be dangerous for us, such as ice storms. Resulting from cold rain that freezes upon contact with the ground or an object with a below freezing surface temperature, ice storms can topple power lines and trees, and make roads difficult or impossible to drive on due to the slippery surface. Sometimes the ice becomes so heavy that it can split trees in half. In fact, an New York ice storm in 1998 caused $1.4 billion worth of damage in damage to trees. 

Because of the large number of transportation facilities in cities, they tend to suffer greater damage from ice storms than rural areas.  Driving is also unsafe during or after an ice storm because cars can slip on the ice and veer off of the road. These ice storms also tend to occur mostly in the Midwest and Northeast, and primarily during the months of December and January. 

To prepare for these potentially devastating storms, several precautions can be taken in order to make sure you stay safe:

- Unplug appliances that take up a lot of electricity. If there were to be a power outage, the prolonged low amount of voltage those appliances would still be receiving could damage motors and compressors. 

- Always keep candles, matches, batteries, and functional flashlights and battery-operated radios at hand. 

- Make sure the refrigerator’s door stays closed in order to keep food cold and fresh. Frozen foods should be okay for up to 2 days, but perishable food should be thrown out if it has been kept at 40 degrees for more than 2 hours. Odor and appearance are also good indicators of whether or not a food is still good, but if the food seems even slightly off, it’s better to just toss it out. 

- If you have a gallstone-run generator, don’t run it in the house, as the fumes could prove to be deadly. 

- Also keep fuels away from wood stoves, kerosene heaters and fireplaces, ventilate them properly if you’re using them, and don’t leave the flame unattended.   

Sources: 

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-ice-storms 

http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/living_wx/icestorms/

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Millions of babies are being born everyday and as the years go by our population is exceeding the carrying capacity of earth, also known as Overpopulation. Overpopulation is due to our advanced technology, better medical facilities, immigration and reforms to help those in poverty. Many people believe overpopulation is the cause of global warming, but their are various other factors that contribute to it. The main issue here is that everyone is working for the same objective as a human and that causes limited job opportunities, major strain on resources available for everyone worldwide and higher cost for living. We all can’t reach the point in which we fight against one another for all those things instead we should find solutions. The most essential solution to this is to better educate everyone on sex education. With a child comes a greater responsibility in ones’ household that many people aren’t ready for mentally, socially or economically. Everyone wants to form a family but it should all be planned at a good time to prevent any crisis in the long run. 

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Tips on Ice Fishing!

What is ice-fishing ? Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish using lines and fish hooks through a frozen body of water. People generally go ice fishing because it is a challenge,

If you are interested in ice fishing, here are some tips !

Dress warmly- You do not want hypothermia!!

Depth of the Ice- Make sure you know the depth of the ice. It is important to know the depth if you are trying to catch a specific specie of fish.

Tools to carry- The ice auger is the most important tool to bring ( it drills the ice). The skimmer is a handy tool to bring because it scoots out slush from the fishing hole.  A fishing pole is used to get the fish. The bait bucket is used for live bait. Make sure you bring a seat to sit on (some people even built mini sheds to stay in).  A dip net is important to catch the bait and it also keeps your hands out of  the freezing cold water.

DON’T FORGET TO BRING HOT COCOA, IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING !!!

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What is water scarcity? Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region. It affects every continent and around 2.8 billion people around the world, at least, one month out of every year. More than 1.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and, although there is no global water scarcity, an increasing number of regions are short on water. Water scarcity is both due to humans and nature. There is enough fresh water for 7 billion people but it is distributed unevenly, and too much of it is wasted, polluted, and unsustainably managed. There are two different types of water scarcity, economic scarcity and physical scarcity. Economic scarcity is when a population does not have the necessary monetary means to utilize an adequate source of water. Physical scarcity is when water is limited due to not having physical access. When the demand outstrips the land's ability to provide the needed water you have physical scarcity. Economic scarcity has more to play with humans and the way water is distributed, physical scarcity has more to do with the environment and how nature works. You can help with this water crisis by donating to organizations like The Water Project. If you are interested in donating or want to learn more, you can click the link below.

https://thewaterproject.org/

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Last Saturday the NCLI team went hiking at Shaupeneak Ridge in Esopus, Ulster County. We came across beautiful views over the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River. Shaupeneak Ridge is owned by Scenic Hudson and is a popular nature site. Each trail varies in difficulty and length, there are trails for both beginner hikers and trails for expert hikers. The woods are absolutely beautiful and are a sight to see no matter which season. If you live in the Hudson Valley or close to it you should definitely not miss out on seeing some beautiful nature at Shaupeneak Ridge, just remember to be safe! For more information you can visit http://hikethehudsonvalley.com/shaupeneak-ridge/  or http://www.scenichudson.org/parks/shaupeneakridge

All photos were taken by The NCLI team, the map was taken from Scenic Hudsons website.

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Cloud iridescence

Sometimes when we see colorful clouds in the sky, we become star struck. What kind of clouds are those? Why are they different colors? What caused them to have different colors? These are some of the questions we tend to ask ourselves when we observe these clouds. Cloud iridescence is the term we are all looking for. Cloud iridescence is the occurrence of colors in the same cloud. Cloud iridescence is actually similar to Oil films, when we observe them both we tend to see an occurrence of colors. Other forms of iridescence would be soap bubbles, sea shells, peacock feathers, etc. What causes these colors? This is where diffraction comes into play. Diffraction is the spreading of a beam of light or other system of waves across an obstacle.  It is caused by small water droplets or tiny ice crystals scattering light across, which are mostly seen around the edges of the cloud. Then the droplets are organized into a corona. As the clouds evolve, so do the colors in the clouds. Next time you see the occurrence of colors in clouds, you will know what it is called next time!

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Have you heard about PCB’s ? PCB’s are manufactured organic chemicals that are found in products such electrical equipment, inks, adhesives, and paints. Some of these PCB’s chemicals are exposed into our environment and end up in our landfills. These PCB’s also known as Polychlorinated biphenyls, were significantly produced since the 1920′s and their is still about 10% in our landfills. This is due to the time it takes for them to break down, some may take a few days to several months but in the water they breakdown much slower. PCB levels in sea water tend to be highest in waters near in industrial areas. Then the animals including insects,birds,fish and mammals absorb these PCB’s and either break it down or transform them within the fatty tissues of their body. Due to the the human health problems this can cause, the use and production of PCB’s are now banned in many countries.

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Gorillas are herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa, they are the largest primates known to exist today. There are two main kinds of gorillas today, western and eastern, both two species are on the critically endangered species list. They are now on the endangered species list mainly because their native forest homes are being rapidly cut down. Other factors do come into play when talking about why a gorilla might become extinct such as being hunted illegally by people for use and sale as gourmet food in the massive bushmeat trade; baby apes that survive the hunt are sold in the illegal pet trade. Great apes can also be infected by human viruses which are another threat, yet the main threat is not having somewhere to live due to logging. One of the most effective ways to help free-living gorillas is by learning more about them and helping others understand that all gorillas are smart, sensitive, and can be very gentle. If you want to help save the gorillas then look up The Gorilla Foundation to learn more and support them with stopping illegal gorilla hunting and consumption. Once you are on their website you can choose to donate to help the cause. If you want to go even further then you can not buy anything that has palm oil written on the ingredients label, palm oil is a major contributor to the deforestation of gorilla habitats, once consumerism of palm oil goes down as will the deforestation of gorilla homes.

All images found above on google, we do not own these images.

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Darwinism

The idea of Darwinism is the ability to adapt over time while being naturally fit in that particular environment. Most people seem to think that Darwin’s theory is about the progression of species as it evolves but in reality, it was all about change. Nowhere in his works did he say that we as humans or any other species will get better over time. Some people think that humans evolved from apes. The truth is that some people and apes share common ancestors. Darwin’s books did not actually say that we came from apes, people assumed, and ever since have believed (or studied) that humans are derived from apes. Climate change is one of the biggest factors that we can apply Darwin’s theory of evolution to. Climate change is one of the most important things that are changing the world right now. Many animals are dying because of the climate changes. For example, in Antarctica the Polar Bears are getting hot and dying slowly because of the ice melting. Animals, such as Polar Bears and Penguins can’t adapt to the new environmental changes. Darwinism is an important foundation for people to understand the environment’s natural selection and how it is affected by global warming.

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What is land degradation?

Land degradation is known as any form of deterioration of land that can affect the ecosystem.  It is caused by many forces. They include extreme weather, such as drought, and human activity that does negative things to the environment, as shown in the picture above. Throughout the years, the amount of land degradation has increased. This has created serious issues in the world that we live in. Due to the bonded relationships between ecosystems, there is a possibility of cascading consequences throughout the biosphere. This loss of land contributes to global warming and other drastic changes to the environment because of the greenhouse gases emitted in this process.  The emission of gases has had a great toll on the environment since global warming has become a larger issue than it was 100 years ago due to things like land degradation. Land degradation and many other issues need to be resolved soon because of the impacts it can have on living things. As biomass is lost, there is a greater threat to the population since situations like deserts have caused food production to be reduced. Food is reduced since sources where food are produced have been dried up, forcing pressure for the population to move to a different area that has a surplus of these resources. There are many ways to solve land degradation. They can be prevented if strip farming, crop rotating, and many other things are starting to be used now. This will greatly help all living things if all are willing to change. Are you willing to help change the world we live in?

 Sources

https://www.thegef.org/gef/land_degradation

http://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/lwm_land_deg

http://www.who.int/globalchange/ecosystems/desert/en/

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CAFOS (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)

As the population of the United States, and the world for that matter, continues to climb, we often face the obstacle of providing food for everyone. 

As a result, some people have decided that the solution to this issue is to try to raise and farm hundreds or even thousands of animals at the same time. The problem with this is, although more livestock can be farmed this way, the livestock are not healthy while they live. In addition, running a CAFOS farm is more expensive than farming organically (free range farm). 

In a free range farm, animals are raised in an environment that mimics their natural one. Because they are not raised in huge numbers, they do not need to be given steroids or antibiotic shots, so their meat is much healthier, not to mention it is less expensive to raise them that way anyway. In free range farms, animals eat their “normal” diet, like grass for cattle, unlike corn and soy they would be given on a CAFO. 

Sources: 

https://www.organicconsumers.org/sites/default/files/hidden_costs_of_cafos.pdf 

http://paicinesranch.com/pastured-meats/benefits.php 

http://www.cafothebook.org/ 

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What are Fractals?

A fractal is a curve or a geometric shape that has the same characteristics like the rest of its body. Each fractal has its own complex pattern that repeats its self over and over again; it goes from its largest scale to its smallest. I did not know anything about fractals, until my tutor showed it to me.  I was stressing over my physics homework and when I finally said “I am done and I hate math!” he started saying how math is all around me and I couldn’t get rid of it. Of course I didn’t want to hear about it. But then he showed me what fractals were. I was so shocked by them! They were so fascinating, so appealing. We scrolled through many images of fractals and he explained what they were. During the explanation, he brought up the Fibonacci sequence which is in each fractal. Again, I became bored with the subject because it consisted of numbers and patterns. The point is, some of the most beautiful designs Mother Nature makes are actually recognized to be fractals, but what makes the design so beautiful is the consistence of the underlying mathematical pattern that structures the shape and makes it the beauty it is.