YOUTH AMBASSADORS FOR BIODIVERSITY SUMMER 2014 FINAL PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT The following images were captured by middle school students in East End House s Youth Ambassadors for Biodiversity program. Each image represents an element of biodiversity or an impending threat to biodiversity in the Cambridge ecosystem.
Light Pollution Jessica, 6 th Grade Light pollution is when there is too much light outside. Too much light pollution has consequences. When many city lights are on at night, it washes out natural light in the sky from the moon and stars. It is bad because when animals search for food or a mating partner, they rely on the moonlight. With light pollution, they often get confused about which one is the moon and which one is a city light. It prevents nocturnal animals from seeing at night. It also messes up astronomy research and wastes energy. If animals cannot find their mates or find enough food, they cannot survive and biodiversity decreases. To help this problem, try turning off all your lights when you aren t using them, and tell your office building to do the same. Air Pollution Jonathan, 6 th Grade Air pollution is when chemicals, smoke, and other pollutants are put into the air we breathe. Sources of air pollution are car exhaust, chimneys, cigarettes, smoke from factories, and burning coal and oil. Air pollution is bad for the environment and for human health. Some health effects of air pollution are breathing problems, asthma, wheezing, and coughing. Air pollution makes the air dirtier so it is harder for plants and animals to be healthy. It makes it harder for plants to grow, and for animals to live. Some ways to reduce air pollution are to prevent smoking, stop burning coal and oil, and take public transit.
Water Pollution Oscar, 8th Grade and Jordan, 6th grade Water pollution is when lakes, rivers, oceans, and other bodies of water are contaminated. It affects plants and organisms living in those bodies of water and it could wipe out their whole species. Water is important in life: you need water to drink and plants need water to grow. When water is polluted, it is bad for the environment. If plants and animals use polluted water to grow or drink, they will not be as healthy and will get sick. To help water pollution, you can pick trash out of water and try to prevent oil and waste from being dumped into water. Land Pollution Mayilani, 7 th Grade Land pollution is destruction of the earth s land surfaces. It happens when humans throw chemicals on the earth such as oil, soda cans and bottles, and trash. It is caused by human activities and their misuse of resources. Land pollution affects animals because they can choke on trash or eat bad soil and get sick or die. Land pollution affects plants because plants can t grow in polluted soil. Humans can stop land pollution by throwing trash into the trash can where it is supposed to go. We can also recycle: recycling a ton of paper spares 17 trees from being cut down, and recycling half the world s paper would free 20 million acres of forest land.
Phlox Jaden, 7 th Grade Phlox is a perennial wildflower and produces masses of blossoms that attract butterflies and birds to gardens. There are two kinds of phlox: ground hugging phlox which acts like ground cover, and trailing phlox which works well in hanging baskets and rock gardens. Phlox plants are important for the ecosystem because they provide erosion control. Butterflies and moths depend on phlox for nectar. Phlox also provides natural beauty to our planet. Squirrel Patrina, 8 th Grade Squirrels, whose family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, flying squirrels, and prairie dogs, are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa. Squirrels are closely related to the mountain beaver. Their diets consist primarily of a wide variety of plants, including nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, and fungi. However, some squirrels also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger. They have been known to eat insects, eggs, small birds, young snakes, and smaller rodents. Squirrels are important to our ecosystem because they eat insects, and there would be too many insects without squirrels. Squirrels also nibble on trees and help keep them pruned and growing strong. Their digging in the soil helps aerate the soil, which makes it healthier, and helps plants grow.
Canada Goose Kiana, 8 th Grade The Canada Goose is found in every U.S. state, adapting to many habitats. They eat grasses, grains, or berries. Canada Geese revise their migration because of weather, settlement, and farming patterns. Some geese become comfortable where they are and permanently live in parks, golf courses, suburban developments, and other human habitats. Geese are herbivores, so they eat vegetation across the land. The natural predators of Canada Geese are dogs, foxes, owl, raccoons, and weasels. These birds help eat weeds, and spread the seeds of grains and plants. Worm Mohammed, 7 th Grade Worms are very important to our ecosystem. They eat our compost (leaves, twigs, food scraps), and can turn compost into soil. They are eaten by birds, fish, small rodents, and sometimes people. Worms are important to the environment because they reduce trash and pollution, which raises the population and biodiversity of plants and oxygen, by making healthy soil.
Cricket Labeeb, 6 th Grade The cricket s Latin name is Order Orthoptera. Crickets are small insects with thin antennas, and large hind legs. Their diet includes decaying plants, fungus, and seedling plants. Their predators include birds, rodents, and frogs. Crickets break down plant material and they renew soil minerals. They re also an important source of food for some animals. Without crickets, biodiversity would decrease and there would be fewer birds, rodents, and frogs, and also fewer plants. Did you know that female crickets don t chirp? Fern Anonymous There are over 12,000 types of ferns, and many of them are native to New England. Ferns evolved from moss 360 million years ago. Many ferns have deep roots and underground stems like mushrooms. They need a lot of water to live. Many deer and rabbits eat ferns. Some insects cannot eat ferns because there is a chemical in ferns that makes them sick. Without ferns, rabbits and deer would need different food sources. Some humans also eat fiddlehead ferns.
Milkweed Joshua, 7 th Grade Milkweed is a plant that butterflies often feed from. If you rip open a milkweed leaf, you will see liquid inside that looks like milk. The milk is poisonous to humans, but butterflies rely on it. If milkweed didn t exist, butterflies wouldn t be able to eat it, and butterflies might begin to die. In fact, Milkweed Bugs and Milkweed Leaf Beetles only eat milkweed, and could not survive without it. Many other insects use milkweed as their primary food source. Without milkweed, many species would not be able to survive and the other biodiversity of the ecosystem would decrease. Mallard Duck Jose, 7 th Grade Mallard Ducks live in the Americas, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and have been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. They prefer calm, shallow water, and can weigh up to three pounds. Males have green heads, while females are brown but have purple on their wings. They eat water plants, invertebrates, fish, and amphibians. Mallard Ducks are important to the ecosystem because they help eat invasive plants and fish, and we would have too many fish and insects without these ducks.
Viola Nia, 6 th Grade Violas are herbaceous plants found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Some violas are perennial and some are annual. They have heart shaped leaves, and typically have purple, blue, or white five petal flowers. One of the petals forms a landing pad for pollinating insects. Violas need a lot of sun and water to live. Violas are beautiful and often used in decoration. Bees and other insects need the nectar from the flower, and without violas, there would be fewer bees and other bugs. Pigeon Mikael, 7 th Grade Pigeons, part of the Columbidae family, combined with doves, make up 310 species. Pigeons build nests using sticks and debris. They are found all over the world, and live in many different habitats from savannas, grasslands, deserts, and temperate woodlands to forests, mangrove forests, and cities. Pigeons are scavengers, and will eat almost anything, especially our leftovers. They also eat seeds and insects. Pigeons can be eaten by larger birds of prey and by foxes, raccoons, and other medium sized mammals. Pigeons are important to the food chain. They eat insects and also are eaten by larger animals.