Summer students share thoughts on wildlife issues

DECATUR - The summer is almost over and soon it will be time to go back to school. For some students, the desire to get a head start on the upcoming school year was cause to take a few weeks of classes in the Decatur School District’s summer program.

The program was held at Decatur High School in June and July.

A total of 90 students took advantage of the opportunity to participate in fun activities like field trips to places such as the Tulsa Zoo.

One of the activities in which the students participated was writing an article for the Westside Eagle Observer. Since most of their studies involved conservation and animals, this was their assigned subject. They were required to keep the article to 100 words or less and have at least one quote from a source in the topic they chose.

Thanks to all the students who participated in this project. Here are just a few of their articles:

Endangered Animals: People should help endangered animals such as cheetahs, dolphins and tigers. People can help by adopting animals, not littering, and volunteering to clean animals when they need help. Lots of animals are losing their habitats. Most animals are getting killed for their skins, and they are being sold for money. The state of Arkansas has a law that you can’t mix a wolf and a dog together because it will make a hybrid. People don’t know how big a hybrid can grow. The state of Missouri has a law that people can’t have an animal more than eight feet. The state of Arkansas should have laws established to save these animals and keep people safe.

Written by: Kaylee Morales, Myriam Ocampo and Dora Hernandez

Endangered Sea Turtles: There are three species of sea turtles, Green Sea Turtles, Hawksbill Sea Turtles and Leatherback Sea Turtles. They are all three endangered because of pollution, interference with artificial light and commercial fishing.

Oil spills and littering are examples of how humans are polluting the sea turtles’ habitats. According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, “only an estimated one in 1,000 to 10,000 will survive to adulthood.” Interfering with artificial lights causes a behavioral system that makes them be disoriented, which leads to exhaustion and sometimes death for baby and adult sea turtles.

Boats accidentally catch sea turtles by the thousands and, unfortunately, in many cases, the sea turtles drown before they are pulled up. People should be aware of the sea turtles species and that they are becoming extinct.

Written by: Tafari James and Victor Gonzalez

Pandas Endangered: Many animals are in danger of extinction. Pandas are an endangered species. Pandas are endangered because humans are cutting down the pandas’ bamboo, destroying their homes and killing them for their blubber. Pandas have difficult times finding new places to eat. Some people have been illegally poaching them in the wild.

According to www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/panda.htm, people can make a difference by telling others not to cut the bamboo. Farmers in some places cut down the bamboo. That is not right because then the pandas will be hungry. When humans cut bamboo they should plant more so, in the future, the pandas will have food. Panda’s diet is 99 percent bamboo, so next time people cut down bamboo, tell them to plant more.

Laws in Arkansas say people can’t own exotic animals. If there were laws that said humans could have exotic animals, it could make a difference, because you could adopt a panda and then let them free in the wild to make more.

There is still time to make a difference and save an endangered plant or animal.

Written by: Dania Uribe, Cesar Flores and Haley Shaffer

The Giant Pandas: Pandas are one of the 17,315 endangered species throughout the world. The Giant Pandas started getting endangered in 2004, with only 1,600 pandas living in the wild. Some pandas die by walking into traps for other animals. Pandas have become one of the most endangered animals in the world. Pandas eat bamboo and people have been cutting down the bamboo so the pandas would have to go find their food. According to the WWF (World Wildlife Foundation), “Pandas play a crucial role in the bamboo forests where they roam by spreading seeds and facilitating growth of vegetation.” Unless all development of bamboo forests stops, we will lose all the Giant Pandas forever. To help the Giant Pandas, you can go to http://worldwildlife.org/species/ giant-panda and donate money to the Giant Pandas and help them survive. You can also go to http://worldwildlife.org/ species/giant-panda and adopt a Giant Panda and you will receive pictures of the Giant Panda that you adopt.

Written by: Elizabeth Gilly, Lizzie Haisman and Daisy Solis

The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker: The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is the most near animal to be extinct. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is noted for its striking black-and-white plumage; robust white, chisel-tipped bill; lemon yellow eye; and pointed crest. The world’s third largest woodpecker was condemned to oblivion some 50 years ago, but in April 2005, a stunning video emerged from a vast Arkansas swamp forest. The ivory-billed woodpecker owes its near or complete extinction to habitat loss (logging) as well as over exploitation by humans, who hunted it for its feathers. The world can help by growing more trees, and do not disturb their habitat.

Written By: Emmy Lee, Diana Hernandez and Stephanie Sandoval

Endangered Animals White Tigers: White tiger animal conservation is a serious problem and is leading to many animals becoming endangered. White tigers are one of the world’s endangered animals. Over the past centuries, people have bought white tigers for pets and not taken care of them. Another reason they are endangered is because people destroy their homes. There were several captures and shootings. They sometimes have diseases. Also, poachers would hunt them down for their fur. According to the Indian Tiger Welfare Society, only 200 white tigers remain in the world today. In order to save the white tigers, people can preserve their natural habitat, stop illegal killing and stop buying their fur.

Written by: Jacqueline Hernandez, Curtis Lauber and James McAdams

News, Pages 7 on 07/31/2013