Please share us with yours!Halo and welcome back friends! I've really enjoyed giving you a tour of my home country, West Sumatra, Indonesia! We've learned about Sumatra's history, animals and nature. We discovered tasty Padang food and made a yummy Bakso soup recipe together. And last week, we learned about Indonesian Independence Day and how to make Wayang puppets!
This week, I'm writing to you about something that affects me and my home personally:
deforestation (de·for·es·ta·tion).
Deforestation is when trees in the forest are burned or cut down to clear the forest. (Photo to Right By Dave59 at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL] or CC-BY-SA-3.0] via Wikimedia Commons).
To help slow down the rate of deforestation, there are many things that we all can do that can make a difference, no matter how big or small.As pretty as the forests in Sumatra are, they are in danger. Forests full of diverse plants and animals are being cleared at a very fast rate. The cleared forests are often replaced with farmland pasture or plantations. While these new lands may be important to the people that settle on them, this means that the animals, like me, that need the forest lose their homes and sources of food.
Here are some ways you can help keep my home and other rainforests in the world safe and beautiful:
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Don't waste paper - Use both sides when you're drawing and fill the page.
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Reduce the use of palm oil - You'll find palm oil in many products like vegan butters, baked goods or even cosmetics.
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Treat pencils like gold - Cherish them and don't waste them.
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Look for organizations that could use your help - Organizations like the the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) offer many options for helping the animals in the rainforest.
Other organizations that help are:
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Free the Bears and Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre - Where you can sponsor or adopt sun bears like me to help out.
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Rainforest Alliance - Where you can help the rainforest and animals that live there by donating and finding certified products that are better for you and the environment.
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1% for the Planet - Where businesses can join to donate a small percentage of their profits to help the environment and you can donate directly as well.
Reducing your use of paper and palm oil can help a lot and result in less need to tear down rainforests to make more. If everyone in the world used just a little less of these products, the assistance to the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo would be very valuable!
I also want to thank my friends who sent in their beautiful works of art! I love all the pictures of me and am so glad to see you learned so much about me, my home and what I love to eat: fruit and HONEY!
Sophia, 6 years old, California, U.S.A.
Alex, 5 years old, Colorado, U.S.A.
Simone, 6 years old, California, U.S.A.
Thank you for joining me on a tour of my home in West Sumatra! I have a secret to tell you...
A short time ago, I was visited by Viracocha, the god of creation from the Incan myths and legends. He gave me a magical red air balloon, and showed me how to use it to travel the world and learn all about the different types of people, plants and animals that live on Earth. I don't always know where the red air balloon will take me, but sometimes I get clues to help me try and figure it out - maybe you can help me sometimes! Together, we can explore the world and discover new lands, cultures and customs! Then we can use everything we've learned to help bring the world together and make it a stronger, safer, and better home for everyone.
Can't wait to see where my new adventures will take me! Til' then, hope you close the month with joy and good health!
Thanks for visiting my beautiful home and selamat tinggal friends!
-Joy Sun Bear
Author: joysunbear
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