In The NEWS

NEW SPECIES FOUND IN THE HIMALAYAS

Wed Aug 12 2009
By ninemsn Staff

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glance/849112/new-species-under-threat-in-himalayas

The world's smallest deer, a flying frog and catfish that stick to rocks — as well as more than 350 other species — have been discovered over the past decade in the Himalayas.

New images of the creatures have been released by the World Wildlife Foundation in a bid to attract support for a conservation plan in the biologically rich region.

The group is calling on the Himalayan countries to give local communities more authority to manage the forests, grasslands and wetlands.

STUDENT TASKS:

1. Visit - http://www.panda.org/ for more information relating to the above article. This site is the World Wildlife Foundation site. The images are absolutely breathtaking! You will totally enjoy browsing in this website!

2. While you are on this site, you can also click on the tabs titled:

3. HOME/WHO WE ARE/WHAT WE DO/ABOUT OUR EARTH/TAKE ACTION!/NEWS/FAQ to learn more about the WWF. Below is the extract from the What We Do tab.

4. Don't forget, while you are studying, always have a dictionary and notebook handy. You may also GOOGLE www.dictionary.com for 'English to English' explanations.

5. Take an interest in the world outside your doorstep! Widen your horizons! Get involved! The planet is YOUR backyard too!! YOU are part of it, so be aware of what kind of footprint you are leaving on this, our precious planet! Make a positive impact on the world! Be part of the solution, not part of the problem! Read on and become more educated about world conservation.

WHAT DOES WWF DO?
WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of our planet's natural environment, and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

To achieve this, we are working with our many partners to:

1. Save biodiversity, and
2. Reduce humanity’s impact on natural habitats.

We are strategically focusing on conserving critical places and critical species that are particularly important for their habitat or for people.

We are also working to reduce humanity's ecological footprint – the amount of land and natural resources needed to supply our food, water, fibre and timber, and to absorb our CO₂ emissions.

It's not about keeping people out of nature.

Or turning back the clock.

Or preventing countries or communities from developing.

It is about finding practical solutions for a healthy planet.

A planet where people and nature can thrive together,
in a stable environment, now, and for generations to come.