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National Geographic Kids - 2021.04
National Geographic Kids - 2021.04
National Geographic Kids - 2021.04
EARTH
DAY
GAMESand
TIPS
SPECIAL
TRICKSTER re!
ISSUE
, and mo
nks, cake fakes
Animal pra
BIRD CAT
SNEAKY FULL OF GOES
PLANTS SURPRISES UNDERCOVER
ADVERTISEMENT
GET
GET GET
This book is packed with useful tips and solutions to
everyday problems, from curing hiccups or stage fright
to the best ways to eat a cupcake, study, or fall asleep.
Check out these handy hacks and create some of your own.
Please recycle.
Check out these CHECK OUT
THE BOOK!
outrageous facts.
BY MICHELLE HARRIS AND JULIE BEER
RIPE BANANAS
APPEAR BLUE
Play-Doh
UNDER A BLACK LIGHT. was originally used as
wallpaper
cleaner.
Dairy cows may produce
more milk while listening to
PLASTICROBOT / DREAMSTIME (BANANA); TAELOVE7 / SHUTTERSTOCK (CAMERA); FLYNT / DREAMSTIME (PLAY-DOH); GK HART / VIKKI HART / PHOTODISC /
GETTY IMAGES (COW), RICHARD THOMAS / DREAMSTIME (HEADPHONES), IMAGE DIGITALLY COMPOSED; R. GINO SANTA MARIA / DREAMSTIME (HAND);
sun’s core to
its surface.
DAVID KJAER / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (WASP); FLPA / DAVID HOSKING / AGE FOTOSTOCK (PALMS); TYLER OLSON / SHUTTERSTOCK (LIMO)
SAND WASP
The leaves
2 stretch limos.
of the raffia palm
can grow as long as
PETS
DIDN’T ROLL
IN THE GRASS
THAT LONG.
THE TUNA I
ADDED TO
THIS TEA
MAKES IT
VERY TASTY.
NAME Ed
FAVORITE ACTIVITY
Dyeing his fur green
with grass stains
FAVORITE TOY
Food coloring
PET PEEVE
Brown winter grass
NAME Bella
FAVORITE ACTIVITY
Fishing at teatime
FAVORITE TOY
Squiggly rubber
worm bait
REMOTE
IT’S SO PET PEEVE Coffee LEARNING
FUNNY WHEN ISN’T JUST
THEY THINK I’M FOR KIDS.
LOST IN THE
COUCH.
RADIUS IMAGES / ALAMY (BELLA); ALEXA MILLER / WORKBOOK STOCK / GETTY IMAGES (ED);
JUNIORS BILDARCHIV GMBH / ALAMY (CULLEN); ARNAUD MARTINEZ / ALAMY (ITO)
NAME Cullen
FAVORITE ACTIVITY NAME Ito
Playing hide-and-seek
without his people FAVORITE ACTIVITY
knowing it Changing the
virtual background
FAVORITE TOY
Toilet paper tube to FAVORITE TOY
nibble on Mouse
PET PEEVE PET PEEVE
Locked cage Low battery power
BALANCING
here?
ACT
Dalibor Jablanovic is
a human spoon rest.
Jablanovic, from the
European country
of Serbia, set a record
by simultaneously
balancing 31 stainless
steel spoons on
his face. Maybe he
celebrated with 31
bowls of ice cream.
alpaca is
called a
1 According to cria.
a study, puppies
react more positively
when humans use
“baby talk.”
3 Babies of
mammals that have
large brains—like
humans—take the 4
longest Tyrannosaurus
rex babies might
to learn to walk.
have been 7
covered in Sandgrouse
fuzz. chicks drink
water from
5 Scientists their dad’s feathers
think that 6 Silvery lutung after he soaks
wild parrots monkeys are born in puddles.
might name with bright-
their babies, orange fur that
just like humans do. changes
to dark gray as
PHONLAMAIPHOTO / ISTOCK
they age.
NAT GEO KIDS 7
BY JULIE BEER AND CHELSEA LIN
Where’s
the
KIBBLE? Your
grocery store
is all
mixed
up. St
rasp
ra
b
w
e
b
rr
e
ie
rr ies,
s, and
ies
blackberr
EN ’T REALLY
AR
BERRIES.
Tomatoes,
bell peppers, avocado
s,
But bana green peas, and
nas, egg
chili pep plants, okra are all
oranges pers, and
ARE BE FRUITS,
RRIES. not vegetables.
s,
Peanuts, almond
EWA STUDIO / SHUTTERSTOCK (CAT); MAKS NARODENKO / SHUTTERSTOCK (BANANAS); DIONISVERA / SHUTTER-
ews
pecans, and cash
RISKING
HOW AN
ANTEATER IS
SUPPOSED TO
CROSS OVER
THE LAND
EVERYTHING
IS THE ONLY
WAY TO
REMAIN SAFE.
Superhigh Snooze
Playa Guiones, Costa Rica
Talk about a high-wire act: This anteater took a nap on a 25-foot-high power line.
Wild animals from nearby habitats sometimes use the power lines to cross over
developed areas. A conservation group called Refuge for Wildlife had placed rubber
covers on that section of the line, protecting wildlife from being electrocuted. But
rescuers worried that the young northern tamandua (a type of anteater) might walk
along the line to an unprotected section. “She was OK in that spot but not out of
danger,” wildlife rescuer Brenda Bombard says.
Refuge for Wildlife rescuers and the local power company used long poles to gently
wake up the tamandua, and they nudged her to grab onto the pole. Then they lowered
her down and put her into a transportation kennel.
After a quick checkup, the rescuers released the tamandua into a forested area with
plenty of tasty ants and termites. Hopefully next time she’ll find a safer spot to catch
some z’s. —Susan B.B. Schabacker
ANTEATER
Playa Guiones,
Costa Rica
p Knock,
Knock.
ran sters
k How 7 sneaky species play tricks to survive
BY JASON BITTEL
Think pranks are just for kids? You’re in for a surprise! Wild
animals use tricks to swipe snacks, hide from predators, and
even steal from their friends. Read on to discover how these
seven critters are masters of mischief—no joke! WAIT—
Who’s
There?
1 PRANK CALLER
Most of the time, meerkats in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa are glad to have a bird
called the fork-tailed drongo nearby. While the meerkats dig for insects, they rely on the
drongo to let out a screeching alarm call if a hawk, owl, or other predator approaches—then
they’ll scamper back to the safety of their burrows. But this security system has a price.
“Sometimes when a meerkat finds a tasty treat, the drongo gives a false alarm,” behavioral
ecologist Mandy Ridley says. The meerkats drop their goodies and run as the drongo dives
down to steal an easy meal.
But if the drongo performs the trick too often, the meerkats realize they’ve been fooled
and stop fleeing. So this prankster has to come up with another plan: It mimics alarm calls
from dozens of other species until the meerkats are tricked once again.
FORK-TAILED DRONGO
We aren’t
fallIng for
that agaIn.
YeaH,
rIght.
CRAB-ULOUS
3 COSTUME
The ocean is full of sharp
teeth and hungry mouths,
so how can a little crab avoid
being eaten? For sponge
crabs, the answer is to make
a helmet. These crabs cut off
NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (ORANGUTAN); FRED BAVENDAM / MINDEN PICTURES (CRAB); KARINE AIGNER / NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION (OPOSSUM IN TREE); JOE MCDONALD / GETTY IMAGES (OPOSSUM PLAYING DEAD)
pieces of sponges or other
SCARI DIEGO / ADOBE STOCK (MEERKATS); GABRIEL ROJO / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (DRONGO); FIONA ROGERS /
materials, dig a hole in one
side to fit their backs, and
then wear them like hats. The
fashionable defense keeps the
crabs safe because the toppers
2 VOICE-OVER
Although orangutans are the largest tree-living mammals,
seem unappetizing.
Another type of crab, called
they still might become dinner for a clouded leopard. So the decorator crab, camou-
some Bornean orangutans use a trick to fool potential flages itself by playing a game
predators. When an animal sniffs up an orangutan’s tree, of dress-up. “If you look up
the ape will sometimes put a hand or leaf up to its mouth close at their shells, you can
and let out a special distress call. “This lowers the sound of see these hooked hairs all over
their voice, making them sound bigger than they actually their bodies,” marine ecologist
are,” biologist Adriano Lameira says. Jay Stachowicz says. The crabs
The forest canopy is thick with branches and leaves, use those built-in hooks to
so predators usually can’t see the entire orangutan—or attach things like slimy seaweed,
how big it is. “With this sly and smart trick,” Lameira says, green algae, and stinging
“orangutans deceive a potential predator from even anemones to their shells.
thinking about attacking them.” “These crabs basically invented
Velcro way before people did,”
NOT REALLY DEAD! Stachowicz says.
4 DEATH FAKER
Opossums could win an
award for their acting I’ll
accept
abilities. When a coyote, my oscar
mountain lion, or other now.
predator approaches, this
marsupial puts on a perfor-
mance to save its own life: The
opossum’s body goes limp, its
drool-covered tongue hangs out of
its mouth, and it may leak a stinky,
green goop out of its rump. Even if
the predator bites or paws at the
opossum, it stays totally still. (It’s
how we got the saying “playing
possum.”)
“This is one last attempt to sur-
vive a predator’s attack,” behavioral
ecologist Ted Stankowich says. These
scene stealers convince the carni-
vore to stop the fight. If it works,
the predator will slow down; when it
looks away, the opossum can come
back to life and make an escape.
Your house
Isn’t covered
In dung?
POOP
5 POOP BAIT
Burrowing owls are oddballs: Unlike other owls, they’re
active during the day, and they live in holes in the ground
instead of nests in the trees. But the weirdest part? Rather
than flying off to hunt, they sometimes trick their food into
coming to them … using poop.
These owls collect pieces of dung from cows, horses,
antelope, and even cats and dogs. Then they arrange the
patties and pieces around the entrance to their burrows
like little welcome mats. But these aren’t for decoration,
says National Science Foundation scientist Douglas Levey.
The clever birds use the poo to attract dung beetles, a
favorite snack, right to the owls’ doorstep. “It’s easy to
think that owls standing quietly at their burrow entrance
aren’t doing anything,” Levey says. “But they’re waiting for
prey to arrive.”
14 NAT GEO KIDS • APRIL 2021 SANDYMOSSPHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES (OWL); RON WOLFF (OWL WITH DUNG); JOEL SARTORE / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE
COLLECTION (BATS); JURGEN AND CHRISTINE SOHNS / FLPA / MINDEN PICTURES (SQUIRREL); MAXFOCUS / GETTY IMAGES (SNAKE SKIN)
6 BUG BLOOPER
Stare up into the sky at dusk, and you might see bats
zooming through the air, chasing after tasty bugs. Each
bat uses a sonar-like system called echolocation to
snatch its prey: The bat produces pulses of sound from
its nose and mouth, then listens for the echo to detect Bat-cha
can’t
the insect’s location. But what if two bats want the catch
same bug? the fIrst
Biologist Aaron Corcoran discovered that when two bug!
Mexican free-tailed bats go after the same insect, the
bat that’s farther away will send another type of call to
the first bat. This noise overlaps with the feeding echo-
location, creating a mess of sounds that causes the first
bat to miss.(It’s like if you were trying to listen to a
MEXICAN FREE-
song, and your friend blasted another tune—it’d make TAILED BATS FLY
it hard for you to focus!) “This was the first time anyone OUT OF A CAVE
IN TEXAS.
had observed bats actively jamming one another’s sig-
nal,” Corcoran says. In this battle for bugs, the sneaky
bat gets the snack!
SNAKE SKIN
7 INVISIBILITY CLOAK
While studying behavior between rattlesnakes and ground
Snake squirrels in California, biologist Barbara Clucas noticed some-
Goo Is
actually thing strange. She knew that snakes shed their top layer of skin
sort of when they outgrow it. But she was surprised by what the
tasty. ground squirrels did next: When a squirrel found the old skin,
sometimes the rodent would chew it up, then smear the gross
goo all over its fur. “It was so bizarre that I just had to figure
out why the squirrels were doing it,” Clucas says.
After performing experiments in the lab, Clucas learned that
the snakes couldn’t sniff out the difference between another
rattler and a squirrel coated in snake-skin perfume. “The squir-
rels were using the snake scent to hide from rattlesnakes,”
Clucas says. “By smelling less like a squirrel, mother squirrels
and their pups could be safer in their burrows.” It’s sort of like
a stinky cloak of invisibility.
Watch optical illusion videos to find out how
your brain plays tricks on you!
natgeokids.com/april
VTAURUS / SHUTTERSTOCK (SPIDER); OORKA / SHUTTERSTOCK (COYOTE); CAMMEP / SHUTTERSTOCK (RABBIT); TANTRIK71 / SHUTTERSTOCK (RAVEN); YIK2007 /
SHUTTERSTOCK (TORTOISE); CREATIVEBUCKET / SHUTTERSTOCK (FOX); RATOCA / SHUTTERSTOCK (MANTIS); CREATIVEBUCKET / SHUTTERSTOCK (MONKEY)
APRIL 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 15
PLAY!
E
Find the Tricky Animals
Animals often blend in with their environments to mask their
identities. Some critters are hiding from predators, while others
are sneaking up on prey. Find each animal listed below in one of
the pictures. Write the letter of the correct photo next to each
animal’s name. F
1. herring gull chicks ___ 10. crab spider ___
2. pika ___ 11. green tree frog ___
3. ghost crab ___ 12. leaf insect ___
4. agile frog ___ 13. geometer moth ___
5. white-tailed deer ___ 14. arctic hare ___
6. Asian vine snake ___ 15. western screech owl ___
7. flatfishes ___ 16. red-shouldered macaws ___
8. hoary marmot ___ 17. sac-winged bats ___
9. day octopus ___ ANSWERS ON PAGE 31
GETTY IMAGES (G); JEREMY WOODHOUSE / GETTY IMAGES (H); PLACEBO365 / GETTY IMAGES (I); SCOTT MCCUSKER / 500PX / GETTY IMAGES (J); DAVID
JEFF R CLOW / GETTY IMAGES (A); VISUALCOMMUNICATIONS / GETTY IMAGES (B); MARK NEWMAN / GETTY IMAGES (C): VICKI JAURON, BABYLON AND
LAURENT / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES (K); BREAKINGTHEWALLS / GETTY IMAGES (L); CHICO SANCHEZ / GETTY IMAGES (M); SOMNUK KROBKUM / GETTY
A G
BEYOND PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES (D); MATTEO COLOMBO / GETTY IMAGES (E); SAVA IVANOV / GETTY IMAGES (F); SHAWN WHITE / EYEEM /
IMAGES (N); COLLEEN GARA / GETTY IMAGES (O); JOSE A. BERNAT BACETE / GETTY IMAGES (P); OLIVER MARX / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES (Q)
B C
16
J K L
O P
SWEET TOOTH,
ER, TEETH
Makeup artist Molly Robbins
decided to try painting cakes
instead of people’s faces
after making desserts that
resembled her customers’
pets. She eventually moved
on to crafting complicated
wild animals, such as sloths,
giraffes, and, yup, sharks.
To give this predator its
sharp-looking teeth, THE PERFECT PIZZA
Robbins sculpted cubes
Bite into this greasy-looking slice
of sugar into some 30
of pepperoni pizza and you’ll get
individual shark
a sugary surprise: chocolate cake,
teeth—only a 10th as
vanilla buttercream, and pieces of
many as the 300 a real
chocolate painted to look like pep-
great white shark
peroni. Baker Ben Cullen drizzled a
would have.
sugary glaze over the “cheese” to
make it look oily, plus he curled up
the edges of the chocolate pepper-
onis with a tweezer for a just-out-
of-the-oven appearance. To get the
crust color right, he experimented
with yellow, red, and brown food dyes
for a slightly burnt look.
SNEAKY SNEAKERS
Like new-but-ripped jeans, Goldberg
scuffed up these kicks on purpose. “That’s
what makes it look like it’s really a shoe,”
GOSS IMAGES / ALAMY (PINK ICING); KATE PRITCHETT (TOILET PAPER); MOLLY ROBBINS
EAT THE BEAT vanilla sponge cake that she carved into a
WAY, ONLINE CAKE TUTORIALS (TIGER, GUITAR); STUDIO CAKE (ICE CREAM, SHOE)
You can strum this guitar cake— sneaker shape. Then she molded fondant
but you’d have to lick your fingers over the sneaker structure. Finally, she
afterward. Except for the flexible brushed powdered edible paint over
cords used to mimic real guitar the fondant to look like
strings, this 2.8-foot-long instru- fabric and added gray
ment is completely edible. Plus, scuff marks with a
the whole thing is coated in a tiny paintbrush.
sweet glaze to make it shine. To
make the neck, Yener used a sugar
paste that dries superhard; the
body of the guitar is made of
sponge cake that Yener covered
with colored fondant. “The
hardest part of making any
cake is always delivering it,”
he says. “You’re like an air-
line pilot who has to land
very carefully.” GET MORE FUN FOOD FACTS!
natgeokids.com/april
Fooled
Ya!Five ways
ostriches
‹ aren’t your
basic bird.
BY JAMIE KIFFEL-ALCHEH
An animal sprints across
the savanna, startling a
bunch of nearby zebras.
It’s not a big cat, though.
It’s an ostrich!
These feathered
creatures aren’t exactly
what you picture when
you think of birds. You’ll
never spot an ostrich
soaring gracefully across
the sky or chirping softly
on a tree branch. And
instead of being easy
prey, these African birds
are totally capable of
defending themselves
against fierce predators
like lions, cheetahs, leop-
ards, and spotted hyenas
if they have to. Discover
five ways the tough
ostrich isn’t just
an ordinary bird.
A CURIOUS OSTRICH
CHECKS OUT A
PHOTOGRAPHER’S
CAMERA IN SOUTH
AFRICA.
AN OSTRICH IN
KENYA HISSES
AT ANOTHER
OSTRICH TO GET
ITS ATTENTION.
THE SAVANNA
IN KENYA IS A
GREAT PLACE
FOR SPRINTING!
AN OSTRICH
IN SOUTH
AFRICA GRAZES
ON PEBBLES.
You
think they
eat only plants
and seeds, but
they also eat
small stones.
= = =
on journeys. Check out how
other items compare to 60 ostrich eggs weight of 1 ostrich 1 ostrich egg size of
cantaloupe
1 12 chicken
eggs
these whoppers.
BLICKWINKEL / ALAMY (OSTRICH WITH STONES); KLEIN & HUBERT / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (RUNNING OSTRICH); PHILIP J. BRIGGS / ALAMY (OSTRICH
CASSOWARIES
These ostrich
cousins have dense
black feathers that
look like long human hair covering their wings.
You Cassowaries use these wings—along with the horned
AN OSTRICH BREAKS
think they OFF A PIECE OF FRUIT crest atop their head called a casque (CASK)—to push
FROM ITS STEM AND aside thorny plants in their rainforest homes of northern
drink a lot of TOSSES IT UP TO
water, but they SWALLOW IT WHOLE. Australia and New Guinea, plus their surrounding islands.
don’t drink much
of anything. PENGUINS
Since they live in some of the hottest parts of Africa, Unlike birds that can fly, all 17
you might assume ostriches need to guzzle lots of water. species of penguins have solid
But ostriches have earned the nickname “camel birds” bones rather than hollow ones.
for good reason. They can survive for long stretches of That makes them too heavy to
time with just the moisture they get from the plants they take flight. But penguins make
eat. “In large parts of their habitat, there’s really no up for it in water. Their flipper-
water at all,” Bertram says. “Depending on how much like wings are built to propel
water they get from them through the ocean up to
their food and how 22 miles an hour.
hot it is, they can go
virtually forever
without drinking
KAKAPOS
any water.” Found only in New Zealand,
That’s not to say A F R I C A these parrots reach the top
they never drink water. of trees by climbing instead
According to Bertram, of flying. Their strong legs
when ostriches find a A TLANT IC boost them up branches,
O CEA N and their wings act like
watering hole, they’ll
usually stop for a parachutes to help them
drink just for the Where
float gently to the ground.
extra hydration. ostriches I ND IA N
live OCE AN
EMUS
Most bird feathers
have small “hooks”
that help keep each
The world’s smallest egg, from a feather connected,
VERVAIN
vervain hummingbird, is about HUMMINGBIRD creating a smooth
the size of a small pea. Around surface against a
5,600 of these eggs could fit bird’s body. But
inside of one not emus. The
ostrich egg! largest bird in Australia, emus don’t have these hook-like
features, so their feathers sit looser against their bodies.
This helps them more easily fluff their feathers in cold
OSTRICH weather to trap their body heat and stay warm.
=
EGG
SOURCE (HUMMINGBIRD EGG); HORTIMAGES / SHUTTERSTOCK (PEA); NEIL BOWMAN / GETTY IMAGES (VERVAIN
HUMMINGBIRD); BENDENHARTOG / GETTY IMAGES (CASSOWARY); SUZI ESZTERHAS / MINDEN PICTURES
(PENGUIN); TUI DE ROY / MINDEN PICTURES (KAKAPO); ROB DRUMMOND / BIA / MINDEN PICTURES (EMU)
THIS CA R IS
N FIDE N TIAL
CO
But we’ve got some secrets
about the president’s ride.
BY CRIPSIN BOYER AND SUZANNE ZIMBLER
The president of the United States doesn’t
take the bus or fly coach. For long trips, the
commander in chief boards the presidential
plane, called Air Force One, or the official
helicopter, Marine One. But once the
leader lands, he or she climbs inside
the Beast.
The Beast is the nickname of the
official state vehicle that carries the
president in comfort and safety using
the latest in science and technology.
It’s based off a Cadillac CT6 (the cur-
rent model rolled out in 2018), but
the Beast is more like an armored
truck—President Barack Obama
called it a “Cadillac on a tank frame.”
And like a tank, the 10-ton Beast was
designed to be nearly indestructible.
Many of the Beast’s features are
classified. But according to reports, it’s
loaded with James–Bond–style tricks,
including the ability to create a smoke
screen or oil slick as well as launch tear gas.
Check out these other sort-of-secret details
about the president’s ride.
24 NAT GEO KIDS • APRIL 2021 SPECULATOR27 / DREAMSTIME (THE BEAST); PIOTR_PABIJAN / SHUTTERSTOCK (BULLETIN BOARD)
BEHIND THE WHEEL MORE THAN FREE WI-FI
The Beast’s most impressive feature isn’t any of its high-tech The president has access to a state-of-the-art com-
gadgets—it’s the human driver, trained for making getaways munications system that keeps him or her connected
and handling dangerous situations. The driver even has access to to the world. The leader can even place a call to a
night-vision technology to keep on rolling if the headlights go out. nuclear submarine on the other side of the world.
WINDOW TREATMENT
Up to seven people can ride inside the
Beast. Several passengers are Secret
Service agents, who protect the presi-
dent in case of an attack. The Beast
typically rides in a convoy that includes
Secret Service vehicles, a backup
Beast, and a communications truck.
AIR FORCED
The interior of the Beast can
be sealed off and supplied with
its own air in case of a chemical
attack or if the vehicle crashes
into water.text box
It can basically turn
into a submarine!
DOOR BUSTERS
The Beast’s doors are
rumored to be at least
eight inches thick—
about as thick as the
doors of a commercial
airplane. That’s one
reason you never see
the president open his
or her car door. It’s too
heavy!
GAMES,
LAUGHS,
AND LOTS
TO DO!
STUFF
5 Eco-Friendly Hacks
BY AUBRE ANDRUS
Hacking is all about solving a problem in
2 REDUCE THE
WRAPPING
a creative way—sometimes in ways that Even though plastic sandwich bags can
protect the planet. be recycled, they usually need to go to
These solutions, for instance, can help a special recycling center, which many
you cut back on water waste and single-use people can’t do. That means the bags
plastic pollution.(An estimated seven billion often end up in a landfill or blown into
tons of plastic sit in landfills or pollute the ocean. Instead of plastic, wrap
Earth’s oceans. That’s about the same your sandwich or snack in a bandanna.
weight as a billion T. rex!) Try out these Bonus: It doubles as a napkin!
planet-protecting life hacks.
KEERATI / SHUTTERSTOCK (TOILET), BRAND X (FLOWERS), IMAGE DIGITALLY COMPOSED; NATALIYA
TURPITKO / SHUTTERSTOCK (BUBBLES); MARK THIESSEN & BECKY HALE / NGP (BANDANNAS)
TRICK OUT
1 YOUR TOILET
Put sand or small rocks inside a half-
gallon milk jug or water bottle, then top
it off with water and close the bottle.
Ask an adult to place it in the tank of
your toilet away from any moving parts.
Now the water bottle takes up room in
your toilet tank—not new water.
CHECK OUT
THE BOOK!
3 DITCH WASTEFUL
DISHWASHING A binder clip can
P T L N A- S BA D E
OLHTC KPNAINS GBEURR LOSAR ASEPLN
RIGHT): MARIA FRANCESCA MOCCIA / SHUTTERSTOCK; SSUAPHOTOS / SHUTTERSTOCK; AMOPHOTO_AU / SHUTTERSTOCK. BOTTOM
ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): MICHAEL H JONES / SHUTTERSTOCK; CHOKSAWATDIKORN / SHUTTERSTOCK; OKSANA2010 / SHUTTERSTOCK.
TOP ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): MARAZE / SHUTTERSTOCK; FRANNYANNE / SHUTTERSTOCK; HSC / DREAMSTIME. MIDDLE ROW (LEFT TO
EUSERABL IDWN NUETIBR R E Y E G N -V I N A S G
R WA E T T O B LT E HLGTIULBB
B M OA B O ABR ASPO
C C L RY E E I B N ASWTRS
ANSWERS BELOW
events took place.
the order in which the
of each box to show
up. Number the corner
have gotten all mixed
Day Lake Cleanup
from the Annual Earth
The scrapbook photos
else—safe.
you— and everyone
PLAY!
guidelines to keep
all local and state health
year, make sure you follow
community cleanup this
to participate in a
If you plan
CLEANUP
STUFF
MIX-UP
EARTFUN !
HD
SPECIALAY
SPECIAL
EARTH DAY
Think?
FUN
STUFF! Check out how Nat Geo Kids readers
Whatcha
responded to this poll, then go online
to vote in the next one!
natgeokids.com/whatchathink
12%
BIKE OR AL
TO NEARBYW K
PLACES
9% EAT LESS
MEAT
DONATION
MAKHE A SAVE AN AL
LP IM
TO EGERED AN
N
ENDA
How do
16%
CLEA
NEIGHN UP YOUR
BORHO
OD
23%
N
BA CK O E
CUT GLE-USUFF
SIN TIC ST
PLAS
COMPOST
BROWN
Grow a healthy garden and reduce waste by using leftovers to make your own MATERIALS
compost, which is organic material that adds nutrients to the soil. • Dead leaves
• Eggshells
• Twigs
Recycle the Natural Way • Shredded
By composting, you reduce the need for chemical fertilizers in your yard and newspaper
send less waste to landfills. Yard trimmings and food scraps make up about 30 • Nutshells
percent of the trash from cities and towns in the United States. So put that
banana peel to good use. Turn it—and a lot of other things in your trash can—
into environmentally helpful compost. By making natural fertilizer, you’ll help GREEN
MATERIALS
the environment and have a great excuse to play with your food!
• Grass clippings
• Coffee grounds
• Vegetable and
fruit scraps
• Tea bags
COMPOST
NO-NOS
DON’T ADD
THESE TO
YOUR
COMPOST!
• Meat and
fish scraps
• Dairy products
• Fats, grease,
or oils
• Kitty litter
• Nonorganic
HOW TO MAKE materials
COMPOST
1 Choose a dry, shady spot to create your compost pile. 5 Finish with another three-inch layer of brown materials.
2 Use a bin with a tight-fitting lid and plenty of airholes 6 Add water until the contents are moist, like a wrung-out
to hold your compost ingredients. In the bin, start with sponge. If you accidentally add too much water, just add
a six-inch layer of dry “brown” material. (See examples more brown materials to the bin. Mix your compost pile
in the list above.) Break down large pieces before you every week or two.
place them in the bin. After one to four months, the compost will be almost
7
3 Add a three-inch layer of “green” materials. (See list.) ready. When it’s dark brown and moist and you can’t
Add a little soil to this layer. identify the original ingredients, wait two more weeks.
Then add your finished compost to your garden.
4 Mix the brown and green layers.
5 6
A gray wolf’s
sense of smell
is over 100 times
WOLF
than a human’s
.
13
12
7/27/20 1:50 PM
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