Eco Kids Planet magazine - Issue 45/46 - Amazing Animal Migration by Eco Kids Planet

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Amazing Animal Migration 2018

2018

DANGERS OF MIGRATION!

MARINE MIGRATIONS Issue 45/46

PLUS FUN activities, puzzles and games!

What's inside this

ISSUE

PLUS! 16 The European Eel Charlie investigates a mystery migration

30 Endangered

Creature Feature The blue whale

32 Charlie Meets a

Christmas Island Red Crab The spectacular migration of red crabs

4 Migration Madness 8 Air Migration! Why do animals migrate?

Amy investigates

34 Dangers of Migration! From natural disasters to man-made perils…

38 Caribou Migration

Amelia the Fox comic strip

40 Quiz Planet

Have fun with puzzles and jokes

42 Over to You

Your letters and creations

12 Marine Migrations!

44 Painting

18 The Greatest Show on Earth

MOBILE

Simon investigates

Nature: Pebbles Enjoy this month’s nature project

The annual wildebeest migration

Assembly instructions for the mobile

Before every step, read the instructions carefully and make sure you underst

45 Migration Madness

1. Prepare the Japanese Crane, Rhinoceros hornbill, B macaw, White shouldered Ibis and Emperor pengui

Bar-Tailed Flight Godwit in

k Photo

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Ecology Consultant: Olga Denyshchyk

Editorial Assistant: Jenny Hickman

Design: Nebojsa Dolovacki Communications Manager: Illustrations: Alan Marks, Julia Nikiforova Emma Oldham

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Editor: Anya Dimelow 7

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DIY Paper Crafts easy

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Every year, around two million animals – wildebees The bar-tailed t, zebra, Thompson’s godwit gazelle is known and to eland – make perform a round trip the longest across the Serengeti non-stop migration and Maasai Mara any land bird. It doesn’t plains. On their way, eat anything they must it flies cross theas 10,400km from treacherous the Arctic to New Zealand Mara River. in eight days straigh t!

Bar-Tailed Godwit in Flight

Wildebeest and Zebra Crossing the Mara River

Kenya

Top Trumps Enter this month’s creative competition

2. Cut and carefully fold the hook (#1 of the mobile). M 30-35 cm of thread. Roll one end of the thread three times around the dotted line in the middle. Insert the other end of the thread through the slit perpendicular to the center. Glue the two parts of the hook together. This will fix your thread in place. Make a b free end of the thread.

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glue the two parts together

4. Cut and fold the lower part of the support. Do not forget to cut the two slits where you will hang the crane and ibis. Glue part #4 to #4a of the support.

5. To hang the penguin: assemble the www.instagram.com/ecokidsplanetmag

penguin as per its instructions. Cut 15-20 cm of thre end of the thread through the dot on the penguin’s needle. Make a big knot inside the bird and secure i drop of glue on it. Make another big knot at the othe thread and insert it through the through the slit on the support (marked with a drawing of a penguin). G and #5a of the support together.

To subscribe, go to www.ecokidsplanet.co.uk and sign up for as little as 6. For all of the other birds: assemble the bird as per i instructions. Cut a threadincluding of 30-35 cm. Make a big kn £2.85 per month, end of the thread. Use a needle to drive the other en thread the dot the back free through delivery inonthe UK.of the bird. Mak knot inside the bird and secure it with a drop of glu completely.

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A Letter From a Pectoral Sandpiper Hello there! Get ready to explore the superheroes of the natural world! This double issue covers the fascinating journeys taken by animals. Just like the Guinness World Records, it celebrates the world’s most terrific travellers, from the tiny but crazyfast ruby-throated hummingbird to the world's biggest mammal, the blue whale. As for me, my journey is a 29,000km round trip – second in length to only the Arctic tern! I set off from the Russian Arctic, fly all the way to North America and then continue down to southern South America. You can spot me having a rest, refuelling on beetles, seeds and crustaceans among saltwater marshes, mudflats, meadows and even golf courses and airports. Travelling through different continents might sound remarkable, but the journeys we take are incredibly risky. High winds, dams, predators, blinding TV towers and disappearing wilderness are just a few examples of the hazards on our way (pages 34-37).

Some, like the leatherback sea turtle, brave these journeys alone. Others, such as the wildebeest in east Africa, move in massive herds of millions, putting on ‘the greatest wildlife show on Earth’ (pages 18-19). So, during your travels this summer, don’t forget to find time to read this issue. You won’t look at animals in the same way again! There's also an emperor penguin and a sea turtle (pages 22-27) for you to build, and pebbles to be transformed into animals (page 44). I'd better crack on – my sat-nav says I still have 3,000km left to go! Yours truly, Samantha the Sandpiper

MIGRATION MADNESS What is migration? Each year, many species of animals travel long distances to get from one place to another. This annual journey is called migration. It is part of these creatures’ life cycle; it is built into their DNA. And it has fascinated human beings for hundreds of years! Have you noticed how certain birds appear in the spring and disappear in the autumn, only to return again the following spring? This is because migration is seasonal. Animals leave a place and come back to it again year after year. The Canada geese on your local pond could well be the very same geese that fly off and return every year!

But sometimes animals don’t return to the same place. Nomadic migrants, such as wildebeest, wander this way and that, moving with the change of seasons. They could end up where they started, or go somewhere completely different. So, why is migration not the same as simply moving around to look for food? In short, migrating animals: • Know when to make their journey; • Travel at the same times each year; • Move out of their usual habitat into another, and back again; • Cannot be distracted from their journey; • Usually travel a long distance. Migrating animals come from all branches of the animal kingdom. There are mammals, birds,

How do animals know WHERE to go? They may not have Google Maps or a smartphone, but some animals have a built-in compass to navigate the Earth’s magnetic fields! fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects that walk, run, swim, fly and even float to get where they’re going. Sometimes the longest journeys are made by the smallest creatures. Tiny globe-skimmer dragonflies can cover 18,000km each year! And migration comes in many forms; animals can travel from east to west or north to south. They might ride the skies on warm air currents, skim the oceans or glide through their depths. They can travel up or down mountains, through rivers and waterfalls, and across the seas (wild salmon do all of these!). Migrating animals may take a direct route or stop off to rest, eat and recharge. Sometimes they zig-zag to get where they are going, moving across entire continents.

Many birds, butterflies, lizards, lobsters, bats, whales, turtles and sharks can detect changes in the Earth’s magnetic force. They use this information to guide them. They also use visible cues. Animals recognise features of the landscape, such as mountains, rivers and valleys, and use them just as we do, to remember the right way to go!

Birds, insects and crabs can recognise the sun’s position as it moves throughout the day. Even when the sun is hidden by clouds, they are able to read the patterns of light like a map. Some night-time travellers use stars to guide them. Pacific salmon can taste the changing amounts of salt in the water, and even use smell memories to lead them back to their birthplace. But then salmon are basically ‘super-migrators’! Not all migrating creatures travel such epic distances, but their journeys are always difficult and dangerous.

WHY do animals migrate? The answer is simple: survival, of both the individual and the species. Long and difficult as the journey is, it’s better to make it than not.

FOOD The search for food is probably the greatest survival instinct all creatures have. Wildebeests in the Serengeti are constantly looking for plentiful grass, and travel great distances to find

Animals are driven to migrate by three main survival instincts: the search for food, a suitable climate, and the need to reproduce. it. They move in the summer, as the ground hardens and dries out their food supplies. In the Arctic tundra, migratory birds feast on grubs and insects during the long days of early summer. After breeding, they leave the nesting grounds to avoid the food shortages of shorter days and the colder climate.

CLIMATE

REPRODUCTION

The climate relates directly to food supplies. Too hot or too cold – or too wet or too dry – can mean the difference between lots of food or no food at all. And the length of each day means more or fewer daylight hours to look for food. Some animals, such as the Arctic tern, are better adapted to a warmer climate. This little bird doesn’t bother with winter at all. It flies colossal distances each year to enjoy not one but two summers!

Sometimes the right conditions for reproduction are no good for general living!

Humpback whales feast on krill in the Antarctic during the summer. When the waters get colder in winter, these mighty sea mammals travel south to give birth in warm, tropical waters. They must return, of course, because the warmer waters are good for giving birth but

don’t contain enough food. This means a 22,000km round trip! Pacific salmon have one of the most extraordinary migrations of any animal. They live their adult lives in the ocean, but when it’s time to spawn, they return to the freshwater streams where they were born. This journey is long and arduous (that means really, REALLY hard) and includes swimming UP waterfalls! The salmon’s whole life is basically one giant migration.

Oh, and there is one more reason why animals migrate:

PREDATORS

@ David Cantrille/Alamy Stock Photo

The common roach is a freshwater fish that lives in streams and lakes throughout Europe. 80% of roaches move from lakes to rivers with less food in the winter. Why? To avoid getting eaten by hungry cormorants that arrive at the lakes to nest!

WHAT triggers migration? Birds use the length of the day to know when to migrate. As the days get shorter, they know the season is changing, and sense the right time to leave. Tick-tock: an internal clock lets them know it’s time to go!

Hormones are substances produced by the body to stimulate (trigger) particular actions. For example, they stimulate the urge to reproduce in animals. Hormones play a role in the urge to migrate, too; come on, time to find a mate!

For this investigation, I chose my four favourite flying migrators.

AIR MIGRATION! Small and light, this lot are fantastically resilient. I love that word; it means tough and flexible. In the case of these incredible little birds and insects, it also means DETERMINED!

I was blown away by how very tiny all these long-distant air-travellers are! How can such small and fragile animals manage such long journeys?

1. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

They need to eat every 15 minutes to survive. So, they seriously bulk up before making their gigantic journey, and gain 25–40% of their body weight.

The tiniest bird to travel a mighty distance! SIZE: This pint-sized migrator weighs slightly less than a five-pence piece. HOW FAR? Ruby-throated hummingbirds travel 5,600km between the eastern United States and Central America. Some cross the Gulf of Mexico – that’s over 800km – in just a few hours! That’s crazy-fast as well as crazy-far!

WHY DO THEY DO IT? There are three main reasons why all animals migrate: • They need to move somewhere warmer for the winter. • They need to meet a mate. • They need to find more food. Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate for all of those reasons.

HOW DO THEY DO IT? They fly low and by day, in order to keep close to nectar and other food supplies. They use tail winds to travel faster, so use less energy.

PREPARATIONS: These exquisite little birds are constantly on the edge of starvation because they have such a fast metabolism. During migration, their hearts beat 1,260 times a minute and their wings flap 15–80 times a second.

SUPER-POWER: I think this dynamo globetrotting jewel-bird is basically a pocket super-hero!

2. MONARCH BUTTERFLY

PREPARATIONS: Most of the monarch

The only butterfly with a return ticket!

butterfly’s dry weight is fat! Fat stores 8–10 times as much energy as protein or carbohydrate, so fat fuels the fittest butterflies!

SIZE: 9–12 cm. HOW FAR? Approximately 5,000km – each way! Every year, millions of monarch butterflies set off from their breeding grounds in the north-eastern USA and Canada. They travel all the way to northeastern Mexico and spend the winter huddled together in the branches of oyamel fir trees. The butterflies that fly to Mexico in the first place do not live long enough to make the whole of the return journey. On the way back north to Texas, they mate and lay their eggs on the milkweed plant. When these hatch, the next generation continues the journey…

HOW DO THEY DO IT? • They use the magnetic fields of the Earth to navigate. • They ride on warm thermals and air currents to save energy. • They travel during the day, and rest or roost at night.

SUPER-POWER: Longevity – most butterflies complete their entire life cycle in just a few weeks, but some ‘supergeneration’ monarchs can live for up to eight months. This means one butterfly can return to Canada and set off back to Mexico in its lifetime!

It takes four or five generations of butterflies to get back home to Canada!

WHY DO THEY DO IT? The butterflies need to spend the winter in a warmer climate, but why return? There are two theories: 1. They are driven by their favourite food — the milkweed plant! 2. The long journey weeds out the weaker butterflies.

Routes taken by monarch butterflies during the autumn migration

3. GLOBE-SKIMMER DRAGONFLY

The tiny insect with the LONGEST migration! SIZE: 7–8cm wingspan, 4–5cm long body. That’s about the size of your little finger!

HOW FAR? Oh, a mere 18,000km each year across two continents – from southern India to Africa, and back again. Like the monarch butterfly, they manage this by four successive generations continuing the journey. But a dragonfly can actually manage 7,000km without stopping – that’s insane!

WHY DO THEY DO IT? At first, no one realised the dragonflies were CANADAmigrating at all, because they are found all over the world. Up until 2009, monarch butterflies were thought to have the longest migration of all insects. Then researchersUSA discovered the dragonflies had a very small gene pool. In other words, they were all related. Atlantic Ocean MEXICO

Gulf of Mexico

So, could they be making these epic journeys to meet and mate?

Millions arrive in the Maldives each year between October and December. They cannot breed there because there is not enough fresh water… So, the islands are not the end of the migration, but a mere stop on an even longer journey to eastern and southern Africa. Scientists think that globe-skimmers follow a particular rainy weather system that moves southwards via the Maldives every year. They cross the Indian Ocean when it gets too dry in India, in search of steamy, tropical heat in Africa.

PREPARATIONS: I couldn’t find any evidence about how they get ready – they just go!

HOW DO THEY DO IT? Globe-skimmers have an increased wing surface, which means they are really good at gliding. Gliding, North rather than flapping, saves energy. Atlantic Ocean

SUPER-POWER! The life cycle of most dragonflies involves a larval stage in which it lives underwater for up to a year. But the globeSouthern skimmer has Ocean South Atlantic evolved. It is Ocean able to climb out of the water and metamorphose within just six weeks!

Ind Oc

Atlantic Ocean

NORTH AMERICA

Maldives

Seychelles Mozambique

Bahamas

Indian Ocean

Dragonfly migration route from India to Africa and back to India

Sargasso Sea

INDIA Arabian Sea

4. ARCTIC TERN L o n g e s t migration ever – over 90,000km per year! SIZE: Between 33 and 36cm from beak to tail. The wingspan is around 76–85cm, and this medium-sized bird weighs roughly 100g.

HOW FAR? Birds that have been tracked travelling from breeding grounds in the Netherlands to Antarctica clocked up an incredible 90,000km a year! Arctic terns don’t fly in a straight line; they sometimes ‘pinball’ from continent to continent, avoiding bad weather or chasing better food supplies. These diversions explain how they clock up so many air miles! CANADA Because Arctic terns can live for up to 30 years, they could travel millions of kilometres in a lifetime.

PREPARATIONS: Like most migrating

HOW DO THEY DO IT? The birds survive the vast journey by dipping down to the sea surface to catch fish and other food as they travel. They are flying all the time but they can still eat. Because their migration is so massive, these plucky little birds actually manage to avoid winter completely. And two summers a year means they have plentiful food supplies at each pole!

SUPER-POWER: An Arctic tern was recorded flying 96,000km from its breeding grounds in the Farne Islands in the UK to Antarctica, and back again. This is the longest migration ever recorded. It is the same as flying around the world – TWICE. Now, that’s what I call a super-power!

North Atlantic Ocean

USA birds, Arctic terns fatten up before setting off on their journey.

Indian Ocean

Atlantic

Ocean WHY DO THEY DO IT? The usual reasons: MEXICO

Gulfand of warmer weather food supplies. But Mexico it was interesting to discover that not all Arctic terns travel so far. I wonder why? By travelling a very long way, birds might be avoiding competition. Or it could just be that different populations are used to travelling different distances.

It’s all pretty epic!

South Atlantic Ocean

Southern Ocean

The Arctic tern’s pole-to-pole migration

Marine

Marine migrations are the most mysterious of all, so there’s still lots to learn – and some real surprises!

Migrations! No wonder we don’t know very much about marine migrations – it’s hard to track animals that travel so far underwater, and sometimes quite deep down. But we’re learning more all the time…

It’s thousands of migrating cownose rays, gliding fearlessly past your boat! They’re found throughout the Gulf of Mexico. When it’s time to travel and breed, they swim in groups of up to 10,000! They migrate to warmer waters twice a year, heading north in late spring, then south in late autumn. It’s definitely one of the most awesomelooking migrations!

A moving sea carpet Imagine this: you’re out at sea, you look down at the water and gasp! There’s a brown carpet covering it all the way to the horizon. You take a closer look and it’s more like huge, floating leaves – all moving.

Fun Fact When a ray swims, its wing tips sometimes stick out of the water, looking like shark fins – scary for swimmers!

Jet-propelled flying squid Did you know that squid migrate? Some can even switch between swimming and flying as they travel! They draw water into their bodies, then blast it out again. That jet-propels them into the air, where they spread out their fins and tentacles to form wings. They remain airborne for about three seconds, and can travel over 30 metres with each flight! Sometimes, as many as 20 squid jump together – maybe to escape predators.

You find one kind, the Japanese flying squid, in the Pacific Ocean. They only live for about a year, but they take on a long 2,000km migration in that time. Like those rays, they first migrate

How sharks power themselves Not all types of shark migrate, but many do. Great white sharks travel as far as 4,000km! They migrate from their feeding grounds off the central Californian coast to other feeding grounds far away in the Pacific Ocean. You’d expect them to dine really well on these great journeys, but no! They feed well before

northwards, then they head southwards, following the ocean currents. After that second migration, they mate. The females drop up to 4,000 eggs into the ocean, and die shortly afterwards. they set off. Then they survive for long periods without food by living off the fat and oil stored in their massive livers. They save energy on their travels by drift diving. That’s when they stop swimming and sink for a while, still moving forwards, a bit like underwater hang-gliders!

Great white shark breaching in an attack

Tiger sharks have been tagged by scientists, who found that they take on epic migrations. Some travelled over 7,500km, and one travelled an incredible 44,000km! The funny thing is, we used to think they just stuck around the coast. But what makes them take on such massive swims each year?

Fun Fact Tiger sharks get their name from their markings, which resemble a tiger’s stripes!

We can only guess! They spend winter in the coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea. Maybe that’s because there’s plenty of food available there then – and lots of female tiger sharks to mate with. They spend summer in a vastly different ecosystem: the

waters of the North Atlantic, almost in the middle of the ocean. Perhaps they travel so far north to avoid colder temperatures. Or maybe they follow young loggerhead turtles, which also migrate north – and which the sharks eat!

National Geographic Creative/Alamy Stock

Leatherback sea turtles are found throughout the Pacific Ocean. They’re not just the largest sea turtles in the world, they’re also among the planet’s most highly migratory animals. They travel as far as 19,000km or more each year. Females lay their eggs on tropical nesting beaches, then migrate to cooler waters to feed on jellyfish. It’s a huge distance between these places, so they must find jellyfish really tasty!

Photo

Case Notes: Sea Turtles

But how do they know when it’s ti me to head back so uth? We might have th e answer. The turt les have a pink sp ot on their heads, dire ctly above their br ains. Their skulls are very thin there, which may allow light to pass thro ugh in to a part of their brai n calle d the pine al glan d. This might enab le the turtles to sense the small change s in sunlight that co me w ith changing se asons. That co ul d be a signal for them to return so uth w hen autu mn’s on its w ay!

Some huge sea creatures migrate, such as humpback whales. They prepare by building up blubber – in other words, they fatten up! They eat up to two tons of fish per day while they’re in their rich cold-water feeding grounds. Then they migrate over 9,000km from the feeding grounds to breeding grounds. They move in amazingly straight lines as they travel, hardly veering off course at all. We’re not sure how!

When they arrive in warmer waters, they mate and give birth to their calves. The females must then nurse their calves and guide them safely back to those colder feeding grounds. They lose about 25% of their body weight doing this, so it’s a good thing they packed on all that fat!

Moonlight migration The tiniest sea creatures migrate, too. The planet’s greatest mass migration might be the ‘vertical migration’ of millions of zooplankton! Every day, all over the world, they move down to deeper waters when the sun comes up and back upwards as the sun sets. Why? They might do their feeding on even tinier algae at the surface, then head to the deeper, darker waters to avoid predators during the day. Scientists suspect that the travels of these huge swarms of teeny-tiny creatures may create big ocean currents!

Fun Fact Some sea creatures, such as the rays, keep to themselves – until they gather together in huge numbers to migrate. When it’s all over, they go back to living alone!

Isn’t it incredible how all these marine creatures use the oceans?

Eel

The European

Hi, Charlie here! For my investigation, I’m going to reveal a secretive creature that’s a real-life transformer. A snakelike fish with a mystery migration that has been puzzling scientists for years! The European eel.

The European eel begins life in the ocean, travels to freshwater to grow as an adult, and then returns to the ocean to spawn. But how does it adapt to two different environments? How does it know where to go? Does it ever get lost? I’m going to investigate!

Now it's time for them to head back to the sea – to breed just once, then die!

Finally, their bodies turn silver. It takes between 6 and 20 years for an elver to become a fully-grown silver adult.

Next, they transform into yellow eels. At this stage, they can survive out of water for lengthy periods on damp nights.

As they mature, their bodies darken and they become elvers. Now 5cm long, they begin their migration up freshwater streams.

The beginning European eels start off as larvae in the ocean. Drifting for three years, the current of the sea carries them towards the coasts of Europe.

The transformation Like magic, their bodies grow longer and become transparent. How cool – a glass eel! This is their first transformation.

Fun Fact The clever eels can crawl long distances over land, to get to other ponds and rivers. They even eat slugs, snails and worms they find along the way!

Secret lives Often setting off on a stormy night in autumn, the now one-metre-long eel makes its way back to the Atlantic Ocean. This is where it becomes difficult for scientists to track them. Along the way, they hide in mud and crevices, and under stones. Once they reach the sea, they disappear, never to be seen again. But where are they going?

Extraordinary eel evolution! Surprisingly, not all of the eels took the same route, and they moved at various speeds. Some travelled less than 3km a day, while others swam over 50km. Those that swam the fastest arrived in time to spawn in the spring, taking between four and six months to get there. Here’s where things get interesting: the eels that took the longest and arrived late delayed their spawning until the following year. That’s one amazing adaptation! The researchers suggested that eels might take different routes and slow down to overcome different dangers. Some might get infected with bacteria, for instance, while others could be eaten by sharks or stuck in dams! The eels simply can’t afford to take big risks by getting there in a rush. So, the moral of the story? It’s not how fast you travel, but how careful you are!

Some secrets left undiscovered These eels are not giving away all their secrets!

The scientists were only able to track half of their journey, so part of their trip still remains a mystery.

Discovery Almost 100 years ago, a team of researchers discovered the eels’ final destination. It was over 4,000 miles away, in the Sargasso Sea, near the Bahamas! Scientists thought that the eels took the shortest and quickest route to spawn and die together.

A new study A recent study revealed some extraordinary adaptations of the European eel. In 2016, another team of researchers captured 707 adult eels and fitted them with tiny transmitters to track their movements. In total, 80 eels completed the entire migration. They travelled almost 8,000km to reach the Sargasso Sea!

Did you know, the European eel is critically endangered? In just the last decade, their numbers have shrunk by 95%. It’s more at risk than the polar bear, giant panda and blue whale!

Vocabulary Transmitters: A set of equipment used to make and send electromagnetic waves carrying messages or signals. Transparent: See-through.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

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By late October, the first rains fall on the Serengeti plains and the herds slowly head back south. Most of the wildebeest cows are now heavily pregnant, and need to reach the calving grounds. When the new calves are born, the migratory cycle starts all over again.

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Fun Fact Wildebeest work together. They take turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators.

Wildebeest

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4. Heading south

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Wildebeest can smell water. They need to drink water at least every other day, so this is a pretty handy skill – especially in the dry season.

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Fun Fact

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Every year, around two million animals make a round trip across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara plains. It’s spectacular to watch, and has been called ‘the greatest wildlife show on Earth’. Massive herds of wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle and eland follow the African rains in search of fresh grasslands and water. The journey is long and tough. On the way there are fast-flowing rivers and ravenous lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and crocodiles looking for their next meal. Some of the migrant animals won’t make it.

In July, the wildebeest mate. It is now the long dry season, and they must cross the treacherous Mara River. Herds gather on the steep banks, waiting for the first animals to leap in. Immediately, tens of thousands follow with a deafening noise of hooves, splashes and brays. The zebra watch at least one wildebeest cross safely before taking the plunge. Some will disappear under the water into the jaws of a hungry crocodile. Others might be injured in the crush.

Kenya

Over 1.5 million Approx. white-bearded 400,000 wildebeest Thomsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sh or t, d gazelle r

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Approx. 300,000 zebra

Approx. 12,000 eland Serengeti

Animals on the move The migrating herds are massive. They are all grazers, and continually move in order to find fresh grasslands.

Maasai Mara

Tanzania

The migration route The migration follows a clockwise loop across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara plains in Tanzania and Kenya. Paths vary from year to year, and can be over 1,600km long.

M ar ch

Journey

1. Calving

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At the beginning of each year, wildebeest gather on the short grassy plains of the Serengeti. Around 8,000 calves are born each day for three weeks. Calves learn to walk within minutes of birth, and within a couple of days are able to keep up with the herd.

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2. Moving north After a couple of months, the calves are strong and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to move on. The herds cover vast distances each day. Wildebeest and zebra graze together. Wildebeest are short-grass grazers - they can grip the juicy shoots in their specially shaped mouths. Zebra have long front teeth and chomp through high grass. When a herd reaches a new area, the zebra is like a long-grass lawnmower, leaving areas of short grass for the wildebeest to enjoy.

Vocabulary Graze: To feed on grass. Ravenous: Very hungry.

y Jun

The bar-tailed godwit is known to perform the longest non-stop migration of any land bird. It doesn’t eat anything as it flies 10,400km from the Arctic to New Zealand in eight days straight!

Bar-Tailed Godwit in Flight

Make Your Own 3D Turtle Get your scissors and colouring crayons ready, and follow our easy step-by-step instructions to make your 3D turtle. 1. Pull out the craft activities on pages 23-26. Start by cutting out the body of the turtle on page 23. 2. Fold outwards along the dotted lines to make the turtle’s body. 3. Fold the flippers inwards along the dashed lines. 4. Now colour in the hexagons using different shades of brown. Use dark green to colour all the inbetween areas. 5. Cut out the hexagonal shell details, then colour in using different shades of brown. (Make sure you colour in the side without the red glue spots.) Slowly and carefully cut along the spirals. Once you have done this, give the inside of each spiral a gentle pull upwards, so that it stands up a little.

6. Using a glue stick, apply glue to the red glue spots on the shell details and stick them to the grey areas of the body of the turtle. These grey areas are to help you line up your hexagonal details and stick them in place. 7. Apply glue to the tabs of the body and stick them together to create the 3D shell. 8. Finally, colour the head of the turtle in dark green, and its hexagonal spots in different shades of brown. 9. Cut out the head, then draw eyes and a smile on it. 10. Fold the tab inwards along the dashed line, then apply some glue to the tab and stick it to the shell. Your turtle is complete!

Turtle

BODY

SHELL DETAILS

Paper craft by Shobhna Patel

HEAD

SHELL DETAILS

Emperor penguin

pro

easy

1 2

gluing order

Paper craft by Atanas Mihaltchev of hartiatoysÂŽ

Assembly Assembly instructions: instructions: 5 5 easy easy steps steps Assembly instructions: 5 easy steps Assembly easy steps 1. Score 5 Assembly instructions: instructions: 5 easy steps 1. Score ruler, scoring tool such as a knitting needle, butter knife or bone folder 1. Tools: Score

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Folds along a curve have to be scored by hand, without the help of a paper ruler. your choice, press down on the paper along it, in order to make a is a ridge indented into the to make folding easier. Place the ruler along the dotted linetoand with theofscoring tool of your choice, down onto the along it in order make a thin crease, ‘score’ . Folds alongpress a curve have bepaper scored by hand, without the help a ruler.or dotted line with theofscoring tool of your choice, press down onscored the paper along thin orthe ‘score’. along a curve have tohave be by N.B. Do not score dotted “glue” (............ ). it increase, order toand make a thin crease, or ‘score’ . Folds along a curve to be scored by hand, without help aFolds ruler.line N.B. Do not score the dotted “glue” (............ ). it in order to make a thin or ‘score’ . Folds along a curve have to be scored by hand, without the help aline ruler. hand, without the help ofcrease, aof ruler. N.B. Do not score the dotted “glue” (............). 2. hand, Cut without help ofdotted a ruler.line N.B. Do not score the ‘glue’ line (............). 2. Cut N.B.Tools: Do not score the dotted “glue” lineknife (............ ). scissors, ruler, and an exacto (optional) N.B. Do not score the dotted “glue” lineknife (............ ). 2. Tools: Cut scissors, ruler, and an exacto (optional) To successfully assemble theexacto toy, you have to cut carefully along each continuous 2. Tools: scissors, ruler, and an knife (optional) 2.Cut Cut successfully assemble the toy, you have to cut carefully alongplace each the continuous 2. To Cut line. Use the scissors for curves and glue tabs. For(optional). straight lines, ruler along Tools:Scissors, scissors, ruler, and an exacto knife (optional) Tools: ruler and aand hobby knife To successfully assemble the toy, you have to cut carefully along each continuous line. Use the scissors for curves glue tabs. For straight lines, place the ruler along Tools: scissors, ruler, and an exacto knife (optional) line and cut with the exacto knife – but only if an adult is present! Tothe successfully assemble the toy, you have to cut carefully along To successfully assemble the toy, you have to cut carefully along each continuous line. Use the scissors for curves and glue tabs. For straight lines, place the ruler along the line and cut with the exacto knife – but only if an adult is present! To successfully assemble the toy, you have to cut carefully along each continuous N.B. Cut the drawing with the gluing order and put it aside. It will help you assemble the line. Useand the cut scissors for glue tabs. For place the ruler along each line. Use and the scissors for and glue tabs. the continuous line with thecurves exacto knife – but only ifstraight ancurves adultlines, is present! N.B.line. Cut the drawing with the gluing order and put it aside. It will help you assemble the Use the scissors for curves and glue tabs. For straight lines, place the ruler along figurine. the line and cut withplace the exacto – but only the if an adult is present! For straight lines, theknife ruler along line and cut with the the N.B. Cut the drawing with the gluing order and put it aside. It will help you assemble figurine. the line and cut with the exacto knife – but only if an adult is present! hobby knife – but only an adult is present! N.B. Cut the drawing with theifgluing order and put it aside. It will help you assemble the figurine. N.B. Cut the drawing with the gluing order and put itorder aside. Itand will help assemble N.B. Cut out the drawing with the gluing put you it aside. It the figurine. 3. Fold figurine. 3. Fold will help the figurine. There areyou two assemble different kinds of folds (see picture) as indicated by the different dotted 3. Fold There are two different kinds of folds (see picture) as indicated by unprinted the different dotted lines. The “mountain” fold (- - - - - - ) should be folded towards the side of 3. Fold ThereThe are “mountain” two different kinds of folds (see picture) as indicated by the different dotted lines. fold () should be folded towards the unprinted side of . . . 3. Fold the image; the “valley” fold (- - - -) towards the printed side. 3. Fold . . . There are two different kinds of folds (see picture) as indicated by the different dotted lines. The “mountain” fold () should be folded towards the unprinted side the image; the “valley” fold (-kinds - -)oftowards the printed side. as indicated of There are two different folds (see picture), by There are two different kinds of folds (see picture) as indicated by unprinted the different dotted . . . lines. The “mountain” be the folded towards side of the image; the “valley”fold fold(-(-- - - - -- )-)should towards printed side.the thelines. different dotted lines. The ‘mountain’ fold () should be The “mountain” be the folded towards the image; the “valley”fold fold(-(-- -. -- .- -- .)-)should towards printed side.the unprinted side of the image; the “valley” fold (- . - . - . -)side towards the printed side. folded towards the unprinted of the image; the ‘valley’ fold

(- . - . - . -) towards the printed side.

4. Roll 4. Roll Certain parts of the toy need to be rolled. Put the part to be rolled on the table and 4. Certain partsthe of palm the toy to be rolled. Putother the part to grab be rolled on the table 4. Roll Roll hold it with of need your hand. With the hand, the other end andand roll 4. Roll Certain partsthe ofof the toy need to be to rolled. Put the part to the be rolled on the table and hold it with palm of your hand. With the other hand, grab the other end andThese roll Certain parts the toy need be rolled. Put part to be rolled the paper around the table edge, pulling slightly off the table and downwards. 4. Roll Certain parts of the toy need to be rolled. Put the part to be rolled on the table and hold it with the palm of your hand. With the other hand, grab the other end and roll the paper around the table edge, pulling slightly off the table and downwards. These onoperations a table and hold itneed with the palmPut of your hand. Withonthe other allow thetoy paper toto bend without cracking. Certain parts of palm the bepulling rolled. the part totable be rolled the table and hold it with the of your hand. With the other hand, grab the other end and roll the paper around the table edge, slightly off the and downwards. These operations allow the paper to bend without cracking. hand, grab the other endhand. and With roll the theother paper around the table edge, hold it witharound the palm of your hand, grab the other end and roll the paper the table edge, pulling slightly off the table and downwards. These operations allow the paper to bend without cracking. pulling slightly off the table and downwards. These actions allow the paper around the table edge, pulling slightly off the table and downwards. These allow the paper to bend without cracking. theoperations paper to bend cracking. operations allow the without paper to bend without cracking.

5.Paste Paste 5. 5. Paste Usean anall-purpose all-purpose liquid whitewhite glue, (eg. Lepage’s glue). a fine thread of glue Use liquid glue. Put a finePut thread of glue along 5. Use Paste anthe all-purpose liquid white glue, (eg. Lepage’s glue). Put a fine thread of glueit ............ ............ along dotted “glue” line ( ). Place the part to be glued on top and press thePaste dotted ‘glue’ liquid line (white ).(eg. Place theglue). partPut to abe glued on glue top 5. Use anthe all-purpose glue, Lepage’s fine thread along dotted “glue” (............ ). Place the part to be glued on top andof press it between your fingers forline several seconds. Glue the parts in the order indicated. 5. Paste and press it between your fingers for several seconds. Glue the Use anthe all-purpose liquid white glue, (eg. Lepage’s Put a fine thread glueit along dotted “glue” (............ ). Place the part to be glued on top andof press between your fingers forline several seconds. Glue theglue). parts in the order indicated. Use an all-purpose liquid white glue, (eg. Lepage’s glue). Put a fine thread of glueit parts in the order indicated. ............ along theyour dotted “glue” (............ ). Place Glue the part be glued topindicated. and press between fingers forline several seconds. the to parts in the on order along theyour dotted “glue” ( ). Place Glue the part be glued topindicated. and press it between fingers forline several seconds. the to parts in the on order between your fingers for several seconds. Glue the parts in the order indicated.

MOBILE

We hope have enjoyed making Emperor We hoped you have you enjoyed making your crane! Makeyour sure to ‘find it a We hoped you have enjoyed making your crane! Make sure to ‘find itbea Be sure a Eco home your desk home’ onpenguin! your desk. In the next to fewfind issuesitof Kids on planet, we’ll We hoped you have enjoyed making your crane! Make sure to ‘find itbea home’ on your desk. In the next few issues of Eco Kids planet, we’ll or somewhere else safe. In the next few issues publishing more endangered creatures figurines. You can then assemble We hoped you have enjoyed making your crane! Make sure to ‘find itbea home’ on your desk. In the next few issues of Eco Kids planet, we’ll publishing moreof endangered figurines. Youpublishing can then assemble Eco Kidscreatures Planet, we’ll be more them all into a mobile, such as this one: We hoped you have enjoyed making your crane! Make sure to ‘find itbea home’ onmore yourendangered desk. In the creatures next fewall issues Eco planet, we’ll publishing figurines. YouKids can then them into of a mobile, such asassemble this one: endangered creature figurines. We hope you've home’ onmore yourendangered desk. In the creatures next fewall issues Eco planet, we’ll be publishing figurines. YouKids can then them into of a mobile, such asassemble this one: publishing enjoyed more endangered creatures figurines. You can then assemble making your emperor penguin. If you've them all into a mobile, such as this one: all into endangered a mobile, such ascreature this one: been making them the other figurines from previous issues of Eco Kids Planet, you can assemble them all into a mobile. Turn to page 46 to find out how.

Wildebeest and Zebra Crossing the Mara River Kenya

Every year, around two million animals – wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle and eland – make a round trip across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara plains. On their way, they must cross the treacherous Mara River.

? u o Y re A r to ra ig M g in ly Which F Do you prefer to travel alone?

No Yes

Do you like wearing bright colours?

Do you prefer non-stop flights?

No Yes

Do you like snacking throughout the day? Do you like rain?

Yes No Do you like milk?

Yes

No Yes

Barâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;tailed godwit

Ruby-throated hummingbird

Arctic tern

Monarch butterfly

Dragonfly

E N D A N GEEARTUERDE CREATURE F

Blue Whale A True Ocean-Going Giant The blue whale is the largest creature to have lived on Earth – ever! It’s even bigger than any of the dinosaurs were. This massive marine mammal quietly cruises across the world’s oceans in search of food and to raise a family. It’s hard to believe that we very nearly lost this awesome animal altogether.

Super-sized Everything about the blue whale is BIG! • It measures up to 30 metres in length – longer than three buses! • It can weigh over 150 tons – that’s as heavy as 30 elephants! • A blue whale’s heart is the size of a small car! • Its tongue is so big a whole football team could stand on it! • Its calls are louder than a jet plane. They can be heard by other blue whales over 1,000km away! • A blue whale lives for 80 to 90 years!

Little and large The blue whale is the biggest animal in the ocean, but it eats one of the smallest. It feeds on krill – tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans that swim about in the water. A blue whale needs to gulp down about 40 million krill every day!

Moving mountains Blue whales migrate as the seasons change. Many spend the summer at their favourite feeding grounds, near the Arctic

Protected but not safe The blue whale isn’t hunted any more, but it is still threatened by several things: 1. Climate change could mean that our oceans get warmer. This might affect the availability of krill. 2. Noise from ships and drilling for oil and gas can confuse blue whales and make it harder for them to communicate with one another. 3. Ships can kill or injure whales if they hit them. Whale-watching boats can disturb their normal behaviour. 4. Fishing nets can trap and drown whales. 5. Ocean pollution can poison whales. 6. Whaling is banned at the moment, but if the number of blue whales keeps increasing, people might want to start hunting them again.

What would the world be like without the blue whale? If we want it to carry on cruising our seas for centuries to come, we need to learn from the past and look after this gentle giant of the ocean. and Antarctic, filling up on krill. Then they move to warmer, tropical waters for the winter, to breed and give birth. Travelling between the two areas takes a blue whale up to four months, and it can cover thousands of kilometres on the way. That’s one amazing migration!

Eco Kids Unite! We can all help blue whales – and other sea life – by reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans. Why not organise a beach-cleaning party if you live near the sea or when you’re on holiday? (Ask an adult to help.)

Almost extinct There are estimated to be between 10,000 and 25,000 blue whales in the world. This might sound like a lot, but just over 100 years ago, there would have been many, many more. During the first part of the 20th century, blue whales were often hunted by people on whaling ships. Hundreds of thousands of them were caught and killed for their meat and oil. Because of this, the blue whale very nearly became extinct. Hunting blue whales was eventually banned in 1966. Since then, the number of whales in our oceans has slowly increased. But the blue whale is still classed as an ENDANGERED species.

Did You Know? Scientists can work out the age of a blue whale by counting the layers of wax in its ears! The oldest whale ever found using this method was 110 years old!

Vocabulary Crustaceans: Small animals with shells, such as shrimps and crabs.

d n a l s I s a m t Chris

! b a r C d Re

Charlie Meets a

Hi, Charlie here, the Eco Kid who can talk to animals! In November, I went to Christmas Island, a small island in the Indian Ocean, where an incredible event takes place every year…

Charlie: As soon as I heard about Christmas Island, I couldn’t wait to come. I thought it must be Christmas all year round here, with presents every day! Then I discovered it’s only called Christmas Island because it was officially named on Christmas Day, 1643! In fact, it’s not very Christmassy at all. It’s pouring with rain, and I’m in the dense green bushland, up in the mountains, under an umbrella. I’m looking for a red crab called Clawdia. Clawdia: Is that you, Charlie? Charlie: Great to see you, Clawdia! And this is the only place I could see you, isn’t it? You Christmas Island red crabs aren’t found anywhere else in the world. Clawdia: We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

Charlie: And there are plenty of you here, aren’t there? Some say as many as 120 million! Clawdia: Well, I’ve never had time to count us all! Charlie: Now, most of the year, you live in these forests, don’t you? Clawdia: Most of us do, because it’s moist here, and we can forage for leaves and fruit. Yum! Charlie: But tell me about the incredible thing you all do around this time of year. Clawdia: Millions of us migrate down from the mountains to the sea. Charlie: I’ve seen the videos online. With at least 50 million of you moving at

once, it’s like a giant red carpet all over the island! And the people here make sure you can cross the streets safely, don’t they?

back up the mountains, and we stay in the burrows for a couple of weeks. Then comes the great day when we clamber down to the sea and deposit our eggs in it.

Clawdia: Yes, they clean up rubbish, build us bridges and underground tunnels, and even close down some of the roads!

Charlie: But you just said you crabs can’t swim!

Charlie: But why do you do it? Clawdia: We go to the sea to spawn and lay our eggs.

Clawdia: Don’t worry, our eggs are fine. They hatch into tiny creatures called megalops that can survive in the water. When they come out again, they’ve turned into baby red crabs!

Clawdia: We need it to be moist, so we go when the wet season’s rains start. Charlie: Like now? Clawdia: Yes, the males will be setting off any time now. Us females follow a little later. Charlie: Why do they go first? Clawdia: They go to dig and defend our mating burrows on the beach. But first of all, they dip themselves in the ocean to replenish their moisture and body salts. That’s a bit risky. We’re land crabs, so we can’t swim. If a wave sweeps them away, they won’t survive!

Charlie: It must be an amazing sight when millions of baby crabs emerge from the sea, turning the beaches red!

Charlie: So then you join them and mate in the burrows?

Charlie: Well, one of my grown-up friends is taking me down from the mountains, so I can watch you all cross the island. A sight like that will be better than any Christmas present!

Clawdia: Yes, after we’ve taken our own dip in the ocean! Then the males head

Clawdia: You bet, but the sea is rough, and some years none or very few of our babies survive. Other years, millions of them do!

Dangers of Migration! Migrating animals face lots of dangers. After you’ve read about them, you might wonder how any of them survive their journeys at all! Migrating across the world may sound like an incredible adventure – but it’s also a big gamble!

Dangers to birds Birds have great navigation skills, but it’s easy for them to get lost. Winds can blow them too far out of their way, so they never get home. Storms at sea might drive them down into deadly waves, and they can face blizzards, sandstorms and wildfires.

Solution!

As well as natural disasters, they also face man-made perils. As they reach the coast, they’re often attracted by the light from lighthouses. As they get closer, the intense light can blind them, making them crash into the lighthouse tower – sometimes in their thousands! And while wind turbines are a source of clean energy for us, birds can fly into them. They also often crash into tall glass buildings, TV aerials, radio masts and power lines. Over seven million birds die from striking radio and TV towers each year in North America alone!

The steady red lights on radio and TV towers confuse the birds, but their flashing lights don’t. If just the flashing lights were kept on, many would be saved! Climate change also creates problems. For example, rising sea levels can flood the nesting beaches of seabirds. There’s also the risk of disease breaking out, and surviving birds carrying it to the breeding grounds. Then there’s the danger of being eaten by predators when they stop to rest!

Fun Fact Before people knew about migration, some believed that birds spent winter hibernating in trees – or even in the muddy bottoms of ponds!

Illustration by Alan Marks

East Africa East Africa has a world-famous annual migration. Two million thundering wildebeests, zebras and gazelles travel thousands of kilometres between Tanzania and Kenya! That’s risky enough as it is; they have to avoid lionesses on the hunt, and pass through the big, muddy Mara River, which is full of lurking crocodiles! Now they have climate change to deal with, too. They choose the rainy season to travel – but in 2017, there was a drought. That meant less grass for them to feed on, and little water to drink on the hot, dusty plains. It risked them straying out of protected areas in search of food and drink – and getting poached by hunters! Climate change might cause more droughts, and also more intense rain. Both will cause big problems.

Fun Fact It’s sad that thousands of wildebeests die crossing the waters each year, but their rotting flesh helps the river ecosystem – for decades!

Increased deforestation often makes the Mara River flood, making it even harder to cross. Now work has started on a Serengeti highway. It’s planned to be a big road with lots of speeding cars and fences – and it’ll pass right through the migration route! It’s bound to interfere with the animals.

Vocabulary Deforestation: When people destroy forests. Trees act as a barrier to floodwater, so getting rid of them increases flooding! Drought: A period of low or no rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.

Salmon Salmon migrate downstream to the sea to feed for a few years before returning to spawn in the same freshwater stream. These determined fish have been known to fight the fiercest river currents and even jump up waterfalls as they travel! Natural dangers include fish-eating fish lurking in the waters, but their biggest obstacles are created by humans. The dams we build block their way, or change the nature of rivers, turning them into slow-moving, warm-water pools that are too hot for salmon – but ideal for their predators! Salmon often try to pass through dam turbines, which have spinning blades and can be deadly.

Fun Fact Salmon change colour several times during their lives. We hope they don’t turn red with anger because of our dams!

Solution! We can build passages and fish ladders to help the salmon migrate around the dams. People cause lots of the biggest migration problems. Take the Sahel, a grassland region stretching from the edge of the huge Sahara Desert in North Africa. Millions of hungry birds find food there as they travel. But people have so much livestock grazing in the region that its plants are disappearing, its soil is damaged and the whole area is drying up. It’s making the desert even wider, so it’s harder for birds to cross. Also, as our forests shrink, so does the number of migrating birds that depend on them for food and shelter!

Vocabulary Spawn: When a water-dwelling creature lays eggs.

From butterflies to whales! We cause problems for migrating creatures of all shapes and sizes! Millions of monarch butterflies start out in the mountains of Mexico and travel 3,000 miles north to Canada, breeding along the way. But farmers spread toxic pesticides, which destroy much of the milkweed they depend on. They lay their eggs on milkweed, and the newly born caterpillars feed on it. In March 2018, it was announced that 60 million acres of monarch butterfly habitat would be sprayed with weedkiller. The butterfly numbers have fallen by 80% over the past 20 years – that’s 8 out of 10 butterflies gone!

Solution! American butterfly fans are asked to plant milkweed and stop using herbicides and pesticides!

Several endangered whale species travel between 2,500 and 4,000 miles, or even further. Many migrate through shipping routes, and several collide each year with cruise ships or cargo vessels.

Solution! A new computer tool, called WhaleWatch, helps ships avoid colliding with whales by telling them where the whales are most likely to be!

Yes, migration’s a risky business. If you’re a bird, you might fly for thousands of miles, avoid all the human hunters, survive big winds and storms at sea, find food along the way… then get killed by a cat as soon as you reach your destination! There’s no telling how far you’ll get, but at least we’re working on solutions to help migrating creatures and protect their habitats.

Quiz Planet What special skill he wildebeest survive lps th long-distance migr eir ation?

he longest ever migration T belongs to A Leatherback turtle B Arctic tern C Wildebeest

erflies ow do monarch butt H know where to go?

ts A They follow air curren B They follow the queen butterf ly C They use the magnetic fields of the Earth to navigate

A They can sm ell water B They can slee p on the go C They take ex actly the same route ever y ye ar

How do scientists know how old a blue whale is? A By measuring its weight and length B By counting the layers of wax in its ears C By counting bumps on its head

How can we help birds stop crashing into TV towers? A Replace the steady red lights with flashing lights B Add a protective layer to the walls C Use scarecrows

Where do European eels migrate to? A Sargasso Sea B Hawaii C Pacific Ocean

Need a hint? Find the answers by reading these pages… 1) page 11, 2) page 18, 3) page 9, 4) page 31, 5) page 34, 6) page 17

Word Finder

Anagrams Rearrange the scrambled letters to form a word.

Can you find a five-letter world hidden in the grid below? To find it, cross out any letter that appears more than once!

Edible Stew

(Clue: In Africa)

Gator Mini

(The clue is in the title)

Ha Bull Wee

(Clue: Huge)

Jokes Corner

Q: Why do birds fly sout h for the winter? A: It's too far to walk.

rd Q: What kind of bi t can carr y the mos weight? A: The crane!

Q: Why don’t you see penguins in Britain? A: Because they’re afraid of Wales!

See answers at ecokidsplanet.co.uk/free-resources.

Over to You In our May issue, we asked you to create your favourite Mekong animal. Thanks to all you emerging artists for sharing your mega-amazing Mekong creations! Here are the winning entries.

Callum (a ge 6) and Alistair (a ge 8) Web b, Derby

, age 8, Govinda swor th Rickman

Emily Iro nside, ag e 8, Aber ystw yth

d age 5) an ( o d n a l Or oss, age 7) M ( e k o o r B Reading

We loved receiving all of your letters! You can see them on our website at ecokidsplanet.co.uk/mekong-competition

Painting nature

Stones and pebbles come in all different shapes, sizes and textures, making them a fun and tactile object to paint on. This month, we’re challenging you to transform your stones and pebbles into plants and animals!

What you need: yy yy yy yy yy yy yy

Pebbles and stones Washing-up bowl/sink Tea towel Poster or acrylic paints Paintbrushes A colour-mixing dish/palette Clear nail varnish

Step 4: Allow your masterpiece to completely dry. Step 5: Using a clean paintbrush, coat your pebble/ stone in clear nail varnish. Once dry, this coating will make your artwork waterproof if left outside.

What to do:

Step 6: Find a ‘natural habitat’ for your pebble and take a photo! Below are some awesome ideas for inspiration! Step 1: Wash your stones with clean water. Dry them with the tea towel. Step 2: Decide what animal or plant you’re going to create and mix up your colours ready. Step 3: Paint away! Will your pebble be a shy mouse? A bright butterfly? Or a warty toad?

Send a picture of your painted pebble to us via email at hello@ecokidsplanet.co.uk or ask your parent or carer to post it on our Facebook wall: facebook.com/ecokidsplanet.

Monthly Competition

Migration Madness Top Trumps! Let’s get creative and design our own Top Trumps game! For this month’s competition, we’d like you to create a Top Trumps migration card. Choose one of the migrating animals; it could be a bird, a mammal, an insect, a fish or even a plant (yes, they migrate, too!). Then find out the key migration facts about your creature and design your card. We created one for the Arctic tern as an example.

Arctic Tern

ration ever – L o n g e s t mig per year! km over 90,000

flying was recorded An Arctic tern ounds gr ng its breedi 96,000km from to UK e th in s nd la in the Farne Is the is is Th n. d back agai Antarctica, an ed! rd co re er ev n longest migratio

90,000km nce: Migrating Dista 4 months Travel Time: 40km/h Speed: 100g Weight: rpower: 10 Migration Supe

FOUR aspiring game creators will win this fabulous Ocean Bingo game from Laurence King!

Ocean Bingo Illustrated by Holly Exley Words by Mike Unwin

4 TO! WIN Available at laurenceking.com on 16th July 2018.

Ocean Bingo is a beautifully presented game, packed with ocean creatures for hours of bingo fun! This new addition to Laurence King’s bestselling bingo series features 64 weird, wonderful and beautiful marine species, each with fun facts and glorious illustrations. RRP £19.99 How to submit your entries: Send a letter to Eco Kids Planet, 41 Claremont Road, Barnet, EN4 0HR or email win@ecokidsplanet.co.uk before 31st August 2018. Please make sure you include your full name, age and address, so we know how to reach you.

Assembly instructions for the mobile Assembly instructions for the mobile

If you collected all five endangered bird crafts (published throughout the year), you can Before every step, read the instructions carefully and make sure you understand them. create your toy! the Follow these step-by-step Before everymobile step, read instructions carefully instructions. and make sure you understand them. 1. Prepare the Japanese crane Crane,(issue Rhinoceros hornbill, Blue-throated 1. Prepare 40), rhinoceros hornbill 1. Prepare the Japanese Crane, Rhinoceros hornbill, Blue-throated macaw, White shoulderedmacaw Ibis and Emperor penguin. (issue 41), blue-throated (issue 42), white-shouldered macaw, White Ibis and Emperor penguin. ibis (issue 43) shouldered and emperor penguin (pages 25-27). 2. Cut and carefully fold the hook (#1 of the mobile). Measure out 2. Cut and carefully fold theone hook (#1 30-35 cm of thread. Roll end of of the mobile). Measure out 2. Cut out and carefully fold the hook 30-35 cm of thread. Roll one end of the thread three timesMeasure around the (part 1 of the mobile). out the thread dotted line in thetimes middle. Insert 30-35cm ofthree thread. Rollaround one endthe of dotted line in the middle. Insert the thread other end of the thread through three times around the insert the end the other end of the thread through of the the thread Insert insert endhere the slit perpendicular to the center. dotted line in the middle. Insert the of the thread here the slit perpendicular to the center. Glue parts of the hook the otherthe endtwo of the thread through Glue the two parts of the hook together. This will fix your threadGlue in place. Make a big knot at the slit perpendicular to the centre. the two parts of the hook together. This fix your thread thread in in place. place. Make Make aa big big knot knot at at the the free end of thewill thread. together. This will fix your free thread. free end end of of the the thread. 3. Cut and fold the upper part of the support. Do not forget to cut 3. Cut and foldfold the upper part of the support. Doand not forget to cut the two slits where you willpart hang hornbill macaw. 3. Cut out and the upper ofthe the support. Do the not forget to the slits where you willsupport. hang the hornbill and the macaw. Glue part #2slits to #2a of the cut two the two where you will hang Glue part #2and toof #2a of the support. Place the knot the hook’s thread the hornbill the macaw. Glue insert the knot Place the knot of the hook’s thread into inthe thesupport. centre and then part the 2 toslot 2a of Place the of the hook’s thread here Insert the the knot knot insert into the slot in the centre and then of the thehook’s hook’sthread threadhere here glue #3hook’s to #3athread of the support. knot part of the into the glue the two parts together glue part #3 to #3a of the support. slot in the centre and then glue part Glue the two two parts parts together together glue the 4. Cut and fold the lower part of the 3 to and 3a offold thethe support. insert the knot of 4. Cut lower part of the the penguin ’s thread here support. Do not forget to cut the two the knot knot of of Insert insert the the penguin’s penguin ’sthread threadhere here the support. Do not forget to cut the two slitsout where crane 4. Cut andyou foldwill the hang lowerthe part of slits where you will hang the crane and ibis. GlueDo part to #4a of the the support. not#4 forget to cut the and ibis. Glue part #4 to #4a of the support. two slits where you will hang the support. crane and ibis. Glue part 4 to 4a of 5. To hang the penguin: assemble the the support. 5. To hang the penguin: assemble the penguin as per its instructions. Cut 15-20 cm of thread. Drive one penguin as per its instructions. Cut cmDrive of thread. Drive one endhang of the through the dot of on15-20 the penguin’s back using a 5. To thethread penguin: cut 15-20cm thread. one end of the end of the thread through the dot on the penguin’s back using a needle. Make a big inside the bird and secure putting a thread through the knot dot on the penguin’s back usingita by needle. needle. Make a big knotthe inside and secure it by drop glue on it. Make another bigbird knot atitthe end of the a Makeof a big knot inside bird the and secure by other putting aputting drop drop of and glue on it. it Make another big at knot at the of theof thread through the through slitother on the bottom of glue on it.insert Make another big knot thethe other end ofend the thread and insert it through the through the slit on the bottom the support (marked with a drawing of the a penguin). Glue #5of thread and insert it through the slit on bottom of the part support the support (marked with ofGlue a penguin). part #5 and #5a of the together. (marked with asupport drawing of aa drawing penguin). parts 5 Glue and 5a of the and #5a of the support together. support together. 6. For all of the other birds: assemble the bird as per its 6. For all other birds: assemble the bird as perMake its at instructions. Cut a birds: threadcut of 30-35 cm. a big knot one 6. For all of of the the other a thread ofMake 30-35cm. a big instructions. Cut a thread of 30-35 cm. Make a big knot at one end Usethread. a needle to adrive theto other the knotof atthe onethread. end of the Use needle driveend theof other end of the thread. Use a needle to drive the other end of the thread through the dot on the back of the bird. Make a big end of the thread through the dot on the back of the bird. Make thread through the on the secure back ofitthe bird. bigitLet knot the bird and secure it with a drop ofMake glue. Let dryit a big inside knot inside thedot bird and with a drop of a glue. knot inside the bird and secure it with a drop of glue. Let it dry completely. dry completely. completely. 9. Glue the two parts of the the support support (7 (#7 and #7a) together 9. Glue and 7a) together andand let let 9. Glue the two parts of the support (#7 and #7a) together and let them dry completely. them dry completely. 10. Finally, insert insertthe theknot knotat atthe thetop topof ofeach eachbird’s bird’sthread threadininthe theslit slit 10. Finally, 10.of Finally, insert (each the knot atis top ofwith eachaabird’s thread inbird the slit isthe marked with drawing ofthe the bird the support end marked drawing of of the support is markedadjust with athe drawing of the bird that If necessary, necessary, adjust the thread’s length. should be (each on it).end If thread’s length. that should be on it). If necessary, adjust the thread’s length. insert the knot Insert Secure each knot in the support support with with aa drop drop of of glue glueand andlet letitit dry thread of the thread here insert the here knot Secure each Your knot mobile in the support with a hung. drop of glue and let it dry completely. is ready to be dry completely. of the thread here completely. Your mobile is ready to be hung. Your mobile is ready to be hung.

insert the Insert the knot knot of the the thread here thread insert knothere of the thread here

5a bottom

top

If you missed any of the endangered birds crafts, you can order them online here: https://www.ecokidsplanet. pro easy co.uk/collections/back-issues Use code BUNDLE at checkout to get freeÂ shipping.

Insert the knot of the hookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thread here

MOBILE

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF ECO KIDS PLANET

The Earth in the Universe

Issue 47

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for some out-of-this-world exploration!

Our Earth and itsÂ Neighbours How are stars and planets formed? How did life start on Earth?

Why is our Sun important?

Is there life beyond Earth? ecokidsplanet.co.uk