Week 4 Protect and Preserve Day: 3

DAY 3: Taking Action

Activity 1: Predator Free 2050 – A Call to Arms [4 points]

There is currently a huge drive to get rid of all predators from New Zealand. Predators are animals that, in some way, damage our natural environment. Many organisations are working hard to accomplish this goal.

Click on the links below to watch videos about three of the current projects operating to make New Zealand ‘Predator Free by 2050.’

Predator Free Video #1: Cacophony Project

Predator Free Video #2: Taranaki Mounga Project

Predator Free Video #3: Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP)

On your blog, tell us which one of the videos you liked the best and why.

I like the last one because the man was a DOC ranger and that was what I wanted to be but that's not it the man saved kiwis, egg's and other birds checks before they get eaten by predators. But what else I like about the video is that but he is asking people to join his programe which is called The Department of conversation. 

Activity 2: Protecting the Most Vulnerable - Fact or Fiction? [4 points]

Here in New Zealand we have a native dolphin, the Māui Dolphin, that is on the verge of extinction (disappearing forever). As of this year, there are only 63 Māui dolphins left and people predict that they will be extinct by 2033. Environmentalists are working hard to save the dolphin because it is such a special and unique animal. To learn more about the Māui Dolphin, please follow this link. Once you have learned more about the dolphin, it is time for you to share your learning with us.

On your blog, post three facts that you learned about the Māui Dolphin that are true. Then, using your imagination, create three more statements about Māui dolphins that are not true (i.e. false). Please don’t tell us which of your statements about Māui Dolphins are true and which are false. It will be the job of the students and staff who read your blog to figure it out.

1. Maui dolphins can be easily identified by a small black rounded dorsal fin.
2. These Maui dolphins are a subspecies of an Hector dolphin
3. Maui dolphins feed on very small fish, squids, and also ocean floor-dwelling.

1. Maui dolphins can only be found in West Coast of the North Island
2. Maui dolphins are only black and white
3. Maui dolphins Predators are killer whales

Activity 3: The Power of Ten [10 points]

Sir David Attenborough is a famous TV presenter from England who loves nature and the natural world. He has spent his career filming documentaries about the planet and working hard to protect it. In a recent interview, Sir David was asked to reflect on all that he had learned and to imagine that he had suddenly been given the power to save 10 animals and/or plants from extinction (disappearing forever).

After thinking about the question, he listed these 10 species (animals/plants):

1. Black Lion Tamarin (pictured to the right)

2. Sumatran Rhino

3. Solenodon

4. Olm Salamander

5. Spatuletail Hummingbird

6. Darwin’s Frog

7. Sunda pangolin

8. Priam’s Birding Butterfly

9. Northern Quoll

10. Venus’s Flower Basket

Let’s imagine that you had the same power and that you could save 10 species (animals or plants) from extinction. Who would you save? If I had the choice I would probably save animals like the elephant, white tiger and rhinoceros because they are unique and have lived for centuries on earth. I would also like to save some of my favourite flowers including hydrangeas and calla lily flowers. What about you?

   

Left to right: White tiger, Hydrangeas, Calla Lily

On your blog, list 10 species (animals or plants) that you would protect from extinction. For each one, give a reason as to why you think it is important to protect.

Rhinoceros, Because people are killing them so they can get their horn for black market or other things like selling it and the population of them is less than 60.

Elephants, People are killing just for a habit but what else they are doing is just like the Rhinos taking their Ivory tusks.

rare Rafflesia, It is one of the largest endangered flowers in the world and which can be found in the rain forest and plus over collected by humans.

Sea turtles, This is one of the rarest animal that people wanna kill because of their shell. People want their shell for also black market and get paid a lot of money.

Amur leopard, people are hunting it because of its beautiful fur its also a habit for being for human settlement and agricultural practices.

Tigers, tigers have been hunted for a long time because of their distinctive patterned fur. It's been hunted from 1970's till to 2008 is not bad because they escape but still endangered because they track them down.

Pangolin, these small animals are losing a battle against poachers and for the habit loss. they are under threat because of people tracking them.

Seals, seals are getting endangered by killer whales. killer whales are white and black they use their technique to kill them by flipping their fin with slowness then the wave hit the seal off then it kill it.

Gorillas, are endangered because people are killing them just for the sake of it. But people just have a habit of killing them.

Orangutan, People kill them because how big it is and the look of it. Their has been an approximately 80% of the population of Orangutan.