My Personal Plan to Achieve Ecological Sustainability

MY EXTREME PERSONAL ACTION PLAN TO ACHIEVE ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY

What do I plan to do after learning a bunch of information about the environment?

As a student in the 8th Grade, I plan to do the simplest but most improving things possible for a student as young as me. I plan to take care of stray dogs in the streets. I think by doing this, a ton of dog lives can be saved from death and further animal abuse or violence. I am planning on planting more fresh produce in my garden because my helper has a green thumb and she plants a lot of seeds and they grow miraculously. I hope that with my willingness to do this activity, I can easily learn how to plant fruits and vegetables with natural fertilizer from my helper. I also believe that when a person plants or takes care of an animal or plant, it's a good sign of ecological sustainability development because there will be more greens growing on empty patches of land and animals will be able to reproduce well and their threats of extinction will no longer rise. I think that anyone as young as I am can make a big difference to the improvement and rehabilitation of the environment and its ecosystem. Every action counts, no matter how small or big it is, it matters a lot! Never lose hope because this is not a hopeless case! Nothing is impossible as long as you believe in what you stand for and in what you are doing!

These are some pictures that I took myself when I was bored: 

Nothing beats your connection with nature!

This is the best spot in my garden. I just love admiring this area.
It makes me feel peaceful and chill, even just for a little while.

Since my house is surrounded with nature, I learned to appreciate its unique beauty.

Nature is one of the best gifts that God has given us because it's like a super high definition view,

except that it's in reality.

I hope that you liked and enjoyed my blog! I'm hoping to at least get one share on Facebook* so that people will be aware of what's happening to our environment and what we can do to help!

*Just joking! You don't need to share this blog! But it's okay if you do! But please don't. :)

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SPENDING YOUR TIME ON READING THIS BLOG!

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Indigenous and Endangered Plant and Animal Species

Philippine Indigenous Plants

Indigenous tree species have evolved in the same area, region, or bio-type where the forest stand is growing. These trees have adapted to the specific ecological conditions of the area.

Increasing use of Philippine indigenous tree species has been growing and augments the value and economic importance of these species. This in turn encourages sustainable management of this particular forest resource.

Our collection of native plants have been selected especially for their beauty and aesthetic value for ecological centers, parks, and gardens. Some of these native plants also have reported medicinal and nutritional value.

http://caintaplantnursery.com/our-products/philippine-indigenous-plants/

These are some examples of Philippine native plants:

Embelia philippinensis

Local names: Dikay, Lando

Piper sarmentosum

Trade names: Wild betel, Kadok, Chaphlu

Sauropus androgynus

Local name: Binahian, Chinese malunggay

Trade name: Star gooseberry, Sweet leaf

Rourea minor

Local name: Kamagsa

source: http://www.balinghasai-farms.info/tag/philippine-native-plant/

Most of these plants(from what I've read), have medicinal purposes which can really be helpful in times of need, give flavor to our meals , and  are all edible.

There are also a few indigenous plants which are found in the Philippines that are starting to get threatened in terms of conservation. It is our duty as citizens of this country to help conserve, preserve, and protect these species. These plants that are found in our country are wonderful blessings from God (they even have health benefits), therefore, we shouldn't take them for granted and we should start doing our part in conserving these great plants which add beauty to our world and are natural remedies for illnesses. 



Philippine Indigenous Animals

Today, I thought we would take a look at animals that are unique to the Philippines, animals that generally don’t live anywhere else in the world but the Philippines.  Oh, it is possible that you may find a few in places like Indonesia or Malaysia, but the vast majority of the population of these animals are found only in the Philippines.

Philippine Eagle or Monkey Eating Eagle is found only in the Philippines

Let’s have a look!

• Philippine Eagle.  Also known as the Monkey Eating Eagle.  There was a time, 20 years ago or more where there were only a few of these birds left in the world.  Today, they could not be said to be thriving, but the population is on the increase, largely due to the efforts of the Philippine Eagle Center right here in Davao where I live.  For nearly 20 years the Philippine Eagle Center (operated by the Philippine Eagle Foundation) has been breeding Philippine Eagles in captivity, and later releasing the birds in the wild.  The program has been quite successful and has probably been responsible for keeping the Philippine Eagle alive at all.  If not for the Philippine Eagle Center the Philippine Eagle probably would have been extinct by now.  I have visited the Philippine Eagle Center a number of times, and you can see some really beautiful birds there.
• The Philippine Crocodile.  This crocodile is found only in the Philippines as well.  It is also known as the Mindoro Crocodile or even the Philippine Freshwater Crocodile.  Unfortunately, the Philippine Crocodile is in serious danger of extinction at this time.  This crocodile is not to be confused with the Indo-Pacific Crocodile which is also found in the Philippines.  The Philippine Crocodile is found only in the Philippines, while the Indo-Pacific Crocodile is common in many countries.
• 
  

  Flying Lemur
  Philippine Flying Lemur. One of two species of lemurs that can fly, and this one is found exclusively in the Philippines.  This lemur can be found in Basilan, Leyte, Samar, Bohol and Mindanao.  The vast majority of the population is in Bohol and Mindanao.  The average Philippine Flying Lemur weighs from 2 to 4 pounds. These lemurs are generally considered to be pests, as they eat fruit crops.
• The Philippine Mouse Deer.  This is the world’s smallest hoofed mammal.  It can be found on a small island called Balabac, which is south of Palawan.
• The Philippine Spotted Deer.  Can be found on the island of Panay.  This deer is considered to be the most endangered deer anywhere in the world.  They are very rare.
• Tamaraw.  The Tamaraw is a pygmy version of a Carabao.  A carabao is the Philippine name of what westerners would call a water buffalo.  
• Shells.  Here is something unique and kind of cool, both Tridacna gigas, one of the world’s largest shells, and Pisidum, the world’s tiniest shell, can be found under Philippine waters.

source: http://liveinthephilippines.com/content/unique-animals-indigenous-only-to-the-philippines/

 These indigenous animals are marvelous creatures which play a big role in our ecosystem. Just like us, we were sent here by God to be STEWARDS NOT TERRORISTS OF NATURE. Weren't we all supposed to perform our duties as stewards? A great deal of bloggers, news reporters, and advocates of conservation are raising awareness in the net and probably everywhere. This is a sign of willingness to change our atrocious human ways for the better of our environment and its animal and plant species. Now that we are aware of the environmental changes, why don't we take the chance that we have to improve our manners towards the environment?

Philippine Endangered Animal Species

Friends, Pinoys, every Juan, presenting a special kind of Death Row: the Top 10 Animal Species about to be Wiped out in the face of Planet Philippines in specific and the Earth in general.

#10: PHILIPPINE CROCODILE

Yes, if it had its way it may not hesitate in taking a chunk out of your limbs. Careful there!
But the opposite is true. Through the years, many of these Mindoro crocodiles – endemic only to the Philippines – have disappeared falling prey to relentless hunters. Mighty and dangerous may the Philippine Crocodile be, its hide is a prized catch, an expensive material for fashion accessories (e.g., bags, shoes).

So if you truly love our very own endangered animals, be wary of what you buy in those slick exclusive fashion bazaars!

Unlike the saltwater crocodile Lolong, said to be the world’s largest crocodile at 21 feet long weighing 1,075 kilos, Philippine Crocodiles also called as Mindoro Crocodile are much smaller growing 3 meters or less than 10 feet (almost half of Lolong).So it’s not the big saltwater crocs that are endangered, it’s their smaller cousins.

Scientific Name: Crocodylusmindorensis
Common Name: Philippine freshwater crocodile
Habitat: Mindoro, only about 100 left

#9:THE MINDORO BLEEDING-HEART

Its heart must be bleeding saddened by its fate.

Another species that is fighting for its very existence is the Mindoro Bleeding-heart, a type of ground dove with the unmistakable red markings on its chest. The sad reality is most, of its natural habitat has been cleared as majority, if not all, of the primary forests of Mindoro have been cleared.

Scientific Name: Gallicolumbaplatenae
Common Name:Kulo-kulo
Habitat: Mt. Siburan, Mindoro

#8:RUFOUS-HEADED HORNBILL

This bird with a lot of weight on its horn, is found only in the Philippines. Yes, you’re right. No other country has this mighty specie.

That fact alone should make us proud. Had it stayed that way. The thing is the Kalaw or rufous-headed is in an extremely rapid population decline or in plain English their numbers are dying. It’s a shame that we can’t take care of such a wonderful bird treasure.

Scientific Name: Aceroswaldeni
Common Name:Kalaw
Habitat: Panay, some part of Zamboanga del Norte, extinct in Guimaras

#7:HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE

Again here is a story of how a wonderful creature can be lost in the face of the Earth all because of human impact.
Distinguished for its narrow, pointed beak that earned it its name as “Hawk’s bill”, this medium-sized vegetarian of a turtle has been under heavy attack from humans in general, and Filipinos in particular who hunt them for their meat and for their shells which are prized material for many accessories in the fashion industry.

Scientific Name: Eretmochelysimbricata
Common Name:pawikan
Habitat: global

#6:RED-VENTED COCKATOO

You can never mistake this 12 inch-long cockatoo made up of just two colors: white and red. Like a priest out to say Holy Massthis bird is all-white with red feathers around the vent.

Perhaps because of its strikingly-clean personality, the red-vented has become a victim of the cage-bird trade with a bird fetching as much as $160 in Manila. And that was in the late 90’s.

Scientific Name: Cacatuahaematuropygia
Common Name:Katala, Kalangay
Habitat: Palawan, only about 180 left

#5:PHILIPPINE FOREST TURTLE

This turtle may have gotten a misnomer as it is totally not endemic to the island of Leyte but only in the Palawan island group.

You can easily distinguish this land turtle by its ginkgo-shaped vertebral scutes (at its back). Also, a line which is colored pale white to yellow traverses across its head behind the ears.

They are prized as pets and ranks as one of the most commonly confiscated species in the Philippines with overseas buyers visiting the islands to collect them. However, sadly, the Philippine forest turtle do not do well in captivity making them avery vulnerable species.

Scientific Name: Siebenrockiellaleytensis
Common Name: Palawan turtle
Habitat: Palawan

#4:PHILIPPINE NAKED-BACKED FRUIT BAT

Size is not everything. Being the largest cave-dwelling bat in the whole archipelago measuring up to 220m in total length is no protection. Instead, the Philippine naked-backed fruit bat has attracted bad men, being hunted for its meat.

However by some twist of fate, this mega bat specie known for its naked appearance due to the wings attachment on the midline of their back, made an amazing recovery. Reported to be extinct in 1970’s, the night-flier known to very equipped at biting through hard-skinned fruits making them extremely unpopular to farmers, were rediscovered, though in small numbers by the 2000’s.

Fortunately, Cebu forests where this bat is endemic to is protected by law. Negros may do well to follow suit.

Scientific Name: Dobsoniachapmani
Common Name:kwaknit
Habitat: Cebu, Negros Island (very small numbers)

#3: VISAYAN WARTY PIG

It’s no secret Filipino love to eat pork. One of the major reason why this wild pig known for the 3 pairs of wart in its appearance has become so rare.

And to confound things up, the pig has as a subspecies the Cebu warty pig. Seems things are looking bleak for the boar as Cebu is the unofficial lechon capital of the Philippines.

Luckily, breeding programs for the specie are being undertaken in Rotterdam Zoo and San Diego Zoo.

Scientific Name: Suscebifrons
Common Name: Cebu warty pig, Negros warty pig
Habitat: Cebu, Panay, Negros Island

#2: TAMARAW

The wild buffalo, a distant cousin of the carabao, has been grazing the land 12,000 years ago, long before there were any natives to disturb their peace – much less malls.

Today, however, the Tamaraw distinguished by its slightly smaller build and V-shaped horns as compared to the more docile carabao, holds its final stand in the rugged mountains of Mindoro. They are at the brink of extinction as only about 350 remain.

Scientific Name: Bubalusmindorensis
Common Name:Tamaraw
Habitat: Mindoro

#1: PHILIPPINE EAGLE

Truly a jewel of the Philippines, the Philippine Eagle also known as monkey-eating eagle is tagged as the national bird of the Philippines.

Though like a king of the forest this eagle is among the most powerful of birds with sights that are the stuff of legends, the Haribon has become one of the rarest. Foremost cause for this population decimation is habitat loss.

If you fancy catching the Philippine Eagle, think again. Killing one means you’d have to spend 12 years of your life in prison. Not to mention paying heavy fines.

Scientific Name: Pithecophagajefferyi
Common Name:Haribon
Habitat: Philippines

That’s it folks. For a more comprehensive list, please click here. This is not a hopeless case though. But certainly an uphill climb.

Let us take part in redeeming our future. In this regard, let us hear your plan for affirmative action in the comments section below. Nothing is impossible with a 100 million people working as one. Start by sharing this piece of information. I’ve provided the share buttons below for easy-sharing.

Truly, we don’t have to be great to start, but we have to start in order to be great!

source:http://www.topten.ph/2014/10/31/top-10-critically-endangered-species-philippines/

Philippine Endangered Plant Species

Here is a list of the top 10 endangered plant species found in the Philippines:

•  Waling-Waling 
•  Almaciga 
•  Jade Vine 
•  Rafflesia 
•  Kris plant
•  Ipot palm 
•  Agarwood 
•  Aloewood 
•  Eaglewood 
•  Lign-aloes

What are the measures taken to conserve, preserve, and protect these plant and animal species in a broader level?

Conserve. Preserve. Protect. 
We can help these endangered animal and plant species by:

• Helping these animal and plant species survive by protecting their habitats in nature or national parks, zoos, and wilderness areas. This means that illegal logging and deforestation is a BIG NO. Who knows? There might be living organisms and microorganisms that might have lived in those trees and patches of green.
• Joining wildlife campaigns, organizations, and preservation groups.
• Planting more native plants so that more native animals will be encouraged to return there.
• Making more space for wildlife. Our society may be going through urbanization this time but we can encourage land developers to leave those harmless creatures alone for a higher biodiversity and lesser threatened species.
• Planting trees and build nests and birdhouses in your backyard. This will encourage birds to dwell in that area.
• Not using harmful or chemical- based fertilizer in your gardens. It's better to use natural or organic fertilizer! An example is manure.
• Practicing the three Rs! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! These three Rs are the most important ways in helping our environment become a better place for mankind and nature!
• Visiting nature parks to help raise money for the preservation and conservation of animal and plant species ( whether threatened or not).
• Taking public transportation. Walk or ride bicycles instead of using cars which emit harmful gases into the atmosphere.
• Saving energy. Turn off any gadget, home appliances, and others so that we can stop "vampire" energy drain.
• Saving water. Turning off the tap and using water-saving devices can surely help water conservation actions.
• Avoiding the use of plastic in grocery stores and in the mall to avoid harmful effects on the animals and plants.
• Prohibiting the worse human habit ever: LITTERING. Littering can cause a lot of harm on an organism and it can pollute our environment too. These organisms also live in the environment which means that they can easily be affected by this so called "harmless" habit. 

 This is what happened to a turtle that got affected by littered plastics.

Read more about this turtle in this website: http://inhabitat.com/peanut-the-story-behind-the-poor-sea-turtle-deformed-by-a-six-pack-ring/

• Shopping for more locally grown organic fruits and vegetables.
• Planting your own farm in your garden!

 Hope this article helped you a lot with your problems about threatened animal and plant species!

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Ecological Degradation

Ecological degradation is a process through which our environment is being compromised. This process is accelerated by human activities and other natural causes. Ecological degradation is a major threat for humans and other living things because sooner or later, when our planet can no longer sustain our needs to help us survive, it could be the end of human existence.

Ecological degradation happens when natural resources are being deteriorated and depleted. The air that we breathe, the water we use, and other natural resources we are blessed with, are being depleted due to overuse and wastage. Natural resources are being depleted every day because of the growing population and the harmful activities that we do to help sustain our lives. Because of our harmful actions towards the environment, our planet is at risk of losing all the resources (especially nonrenewable resources) that we need. I'm also afraid that because of our careless doings today, the future generations won't be able to survive that long and experience the great things that our environment has done to us.

What causes environmental degradation?
Human disturbance towards the environment can aggravate the situation of our planet. Natural causes like typhoons, landslides, tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires can completely destroy plant and animal communities to the point where our environment can no longer function.

With or without the impact of human activities, some of the ecosystems degrade because they cannot support the inhabitants of the environment. This happens because our environment changes constantly as time goes by which means that Mother Earth causes problems to our environment too! But that doesn't mean that the calamities that are affecting our lives are only because of Mother Earth's natural changes.......

Harmful human activities like deforestation( for urbanization), pollution, and wastage of natural resources are one of the main causes of environmental changes. Depletion of the ozone layer is also caused by the greenhouse gases being emitted and it's also our fault. Floods and other natural calamities would actually be fine if our environmental health is great, but with a million trees being cut everyday, garbage being piled up in the canals, and other activities that would greatly affect our environment, I would think that there's a high possibility of further destruction in the planet.

The degradation also impacts our wildlife, plants, animals, and micro-organisms which can result to poverty, illnesses, death, and loss of Earth's beauty. 

This is how ecological degradation looks like:

Do you think it's beautiful? If not, then let's DO OUR PART IN TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND PREVENT FURTHER DESTRUCTION!

                                                   What can we do to help?

• Avoid using plastic!
• Stop littering.
• Participate in tree planting activities!
• Conserve water. I mean don't stay in the bathroom for too long!
• Bike instead of using the car to travel. (It saves a lot of money and it saves the Earth little by little!)
• Appreciate the Earth's beauty and don't ignore their important roles in our lives.
• Pray for the Earth's recovery.
• Only use paper when needed.
• Stop taking our natural resources for granted.
• Join programs which are against illegal logging.

References:

( for images only)

http://www.doyourpart.com/eco-news/landmark-limits-put-on-toxic-air-pollution/

http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Slideshow:Causes_of_Water_Pollution#2

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/consumer-goods-forum-deforestation-climate

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