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Guest ArticlesFeel free to email us your own writing! We will post submissions from young people around the world. If any editing is needed before posting, we'll let you know.
Here are a few pieces of writing sent to us.
Florida Panthers Struggle to SurviveBy Naamah
In the Everglades River, many organisms are struggling to survive. There are sixteen animals and insects that are on the endangered list. One example is the Florida panther. The Florida panther has been endangered since 1967. The population of the panther has shrunk to 40 to 50 panthers. They have been killed by cars, trucks, hunters (even though it is against the law), and bad health. Mercury poisoning in raccoons and other animals that panthers eat causes them to become sick and die. There are many ways you can help save the Florida panther. One way you can prevent panthers from being killed is to drive carefully on the highway. Another way is to notify a wildlife program if you seen an injured panther. You could also make or sign a petition to strengthen the law about hunting panthers. Florida panthers have many interesting qualities. One quality is that panthers run up to 35 miles per hour, but for only a few yards. Another quality is that panthers live up to 12 to 15 years. Panthers are delicate animals that everyone should work to save. ManateesBy Rianna and Kimberly
Manatees eat sea grass and other water plants. These creatures eat, sleep, and play, just like humans. Manatees can hear very well and make noises to communicate. Manatees use their flippers very well to get water plants and put the plants in their mouths. They are big and graceful. The adults have darker skin color. When a calf is born, it is pink. Manatees are endangered as a result of humans' behavior. People litter or pollute land and water. Motorboats and speedboats injure manatees' ribs and make cuts that leave scars. Often, manatees die from motorboat injuries. In addition, the increasing human population of Florida is continuing to take away water for cooking, cleaning, and more. There are many ways that you can help the manatees' chance of survival. To help manatees and other endangered species, you should not pollute water or land. Another way to help is to not buy products that may come from real animals. Also, you can donate money to a club that works to protect endangered species. All boaters should drive slowly near manatees' habitats. These are some of the ways you can help manatees. The manatees will remain endangered or become extinct if you don't help out. Please help the manatees by following the suggestions above. My Dream for a Better WorldBy Grayson
My dream for a better world is to have a litter free earth. I can start at home. I see trash in my neighborhood and it really bothers me. Even though people try to keep it clean, there is always trash around my school playground. It really looks bad and I don't like it. I am also afraid that the animals will think it is food and will get sick or die. I think my school is a good place to start. I have some good ideas to stop the littering and keep my school clean. I would like to start a program that includes all of the students in my school. Each grade would be responsible for one day of the week. They would clean up the school grounds at the end of the day. That way, it will be clean each day. If the kids all helped out, maybe they would not want to litter. I hope this will keep my school grounds clean and stop the littering. If we all work together we will have a clean school and neighborhood. This would make our world a better place. This is my dream. Amphibian? What's That?By Lakeitha
The females of most frogs and toads lay hundreds of eggs at a time. Frog eggs are laid in big masses, called frog spawn, and toad spawn are laid in long stings. Female newts and salamanders lay many eggs one at a time among underwater plants. After frog spawn is laid, it usually takes about 7 to 10 days for the tadpoles to hatch from the eggs. 
The cycle begins when the female frog, toad, newt, or salamander returns to the pond or stream to lay her eggs. The male clutches the female's sides and begins to release sperm onto the eggs. Inside each fertilized egg, a tadpole starts to grow. Eventually it will hatch out. After 8 weeks the tiny creature has back legs, and after 12 weeks it has all four legs. The baby frog still has some tail at this time, but eventually it is absorbed into the body. Because frogs spend more time on land, they don't need their tails. However, adult newts and salamanders spend most of their time in the water, so they need their tails to help them swim. Once the tadpoles are born, they at first eat tiny plants. But once their back legs have grown, they will eat small pieces of meat. The word tadpole comes from the Middle English word taddepol, a combination of tadde meaning "toad" and poll meaning "head." Can Rodents Fly?By Danielle Southern flying squirrels, found in forests from eastern North America to southern Ontario, Canada, are remarkable creatures. When southern flying squirrels are born, they are hairless, and their eyes and ears are also closed. They weigh less than one ounce. In contrast, adults weigh 2 to 4 ounces. They need deciduous forests in order to find food. Flying squirrels eat nuts, such as acorns and hickory, fruits, berries, mushrooms, buds, flower blossoms, tree bark, insects, bird eggs, mammals, shrew and mice. To prepare for winter, the squirrels gather nuts to store. 
Southern flying squirrels don't hibernate, but may stay in the nest for several days at a time. Squirrels have two breeding periods in February to March and April to May. A litter can include up to four babies. The father that helps make the babies leaves the mother, so the mother is the one that cares for the young. Before it can glide down, a southern flying squirrel must first climb up a tree. As it jumps from the tree, it hunches its body and extends all four legs at right angles outwards. This opens its flying membrane, a thin sheet of skin that stretches from leg to leg to act as a parachute. Don't you think this would be a wonderful way to get around? A flying squirrel uses its tail to steer around branches or other obstacles. It can also control the tension of the membrane to steer and control speed. |
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An amphibian is a vertebrate that spends parts of its life on land and part in the water. When amphibians are young, they live under water and breathe through gills, like fish. As they grow older, they develop lungs so they can survive on land. Amphibians usually feel sticky and slimy when you touch them because a thick, slimy substance called mucus protects their skin and helps to keep it moist. There are about 4,000 different species of amphibians including tadpoles, frogs, toads, newts and salamanders.