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Great Animal Education Television Programs for Children

July 20th, 2011 . Posted in Education | Comments Off
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What can’t children learn from classrooms that they can from TV programs? For one, there are interesting animal education TV programs that draw attention to endangered species for kids to know about and understand. Information about these endangered species can overcome the problem of limited attention span if they are shown in a colorful and graphic manner. This way it can sustain their interest long enough for the information to be retained. While teachers are amazing educators, they just cannot compete with the scope provided for by TV programs.

Educational TV programs for kids should always include at least one story about an endangered animal in its season run. This is a problem that will affect them when they are adults. The sooner they understand the enormity and complexity of the situation, the easier it will be for them to find solutions as they mature.


Some of the best educational TV programs for children about endangered animals are the shows on the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel. There are also the TV shows of PBS like Sesame Street, Between the Lions, 3-2-1 Penguins, and Teen Kid News.

Through TV shows, children will discover why adults become agitated and angry at situations where animals are not being treated properly. In a non-violent manner, the TV shows can depict how more than 17,000 out of 47,000 animals and plants surveyed could be become extinct unless changes are made. This means that for a 10 year old boy, by the time he gets to 30, he won’t even be able to show his children the animals he freely sees now. Tigers, elephants, and certain bird species will turn into legends because they can only be seen in pictures.

Look at the figures released in 2010: For mammals, one out of every 5 are endangered. This translates to over 1,100 mammals throughout the world. For birds, one out of every 8 species of birds are in danger while one out of every 3 amphibians have been declared as endangered animals.

It’s scary to think about a world with less animals. It’s like not being able to hear chirping in the morning when you wake up or seeing a butterfly in your garden. When was the last time you saw a school of fish other than in an aquarium? If you live in the city, you probably have not heard or seen a lot of birds. This may be because the air is polluted or there are no trees for them to rest. For that matter, have you seen a bird’s nest lately? These are sights that may be gone forever. While the work starts with adults, it will have to be continued by the children. There is no better time to teach them than now.

Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.

National Park Week

July 19th, 2011 . Posted in Nature | Comments Off
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Every year, the United States celebrates National Park Week. It is one way to bring more attention to the plight of endangered animals for kids to know and be more conscious about. The US has 394 national parks, and each of these parks sets a section to pay tribute to the men and women behind the parks, and conservation of endangered animals for kids. This year, it was held last April 16 to 24 with the theme of Healthy Parks, Healthy People.

In a speech given by the President of the United States, President Barack Obama, he encourages everyone to visit one of the national parks wherein entrance fees were waived during the National Park Week.

National Park Week
The country has a total of 84 million acres of dedicated land and 17,000 miles of protected trails for the public to enjoy. The maintenance is a collaboration between government agencies, private donors, scientists, environmental groups, and health care providers who make sure the animals and plants are healthy and thriving.  The water and food sources are also protected and enhanced.

Aside from taking care of the abundance in natural beauty and resources, the National Park Services is a boon to local tourism and economy. The more visitors travel to visit then parks, the more revenue for shops and local businesses.

Part of the services being done by the National Park Services, aside from making sure National Park Week goes without a hitch is to rehabilitate and revitalize local parks and rivers, as well as nurture new open spaces for recreation and fun activities. They are supported by the federal dollar to make the country’s ecosystem is kept balanced.

If all countries in the world would do a similar program, we probably would have less endangered animals to worry about.  Countries would have sustainable clean water sources, the air would not be polluted, and there would be safe places for children and adults to retreat to.

Some of the more popular national parks to visit would be Yellowstone Park or the world-famous Grand Canyon. There are also smaller parks with underground caves and dunes that will fill your heart with pride in the national heritage that is being so carefully cared for by current and past US presidents.

If you like sand dunes, visit the Colorado Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve or travel to Chesapeake & Ohio Canal which runs along the Potomac River. This river connects Washington DC with Maryland. In Kentucky, the Mammoth Cave National Park has incredible spelunking activities to offer explorers of all ages.

These are just some of the national parks in the country that are worth a visit. There are 390 other choices to make, scattered through the country.