Marine Debris and How It Affects the Guam Kingfisher

MARINE DEBRIS AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE GUAM KINGFISHER

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WHAT DO THESE THINGS HAVE IN COMMON? THEY ALL END UP AS DEBRIS (WHICH MEANS TRASH)– MARINE DEBRIS OR IN LANDFILLS! MARINE ANIMALS GET CAUGHT IN FISHING NETS MARINE ANIMALS GET CAUGHT IN ALL OF OUR TRASH PLASTIC CAN KILL MARINE ANIMALS MANY ANIMALS AND BIRDS MISTAKE GARBAGE FOR FOOD PLASTIC STRAWS GET CAUGHT IN SEA TURTLES’ NOSES SEA CREATURES CAN GET TANGLED IN OUR DEBRIS OLD GARBAGE BAGS CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR FOOD BY MARINE ANIMALS WHAT IS A GYRE? • A MASSIVE WHIRLPOOL (OR VORTEX) IN THE OCEAN. PLASTIC GETS CAUGHT IN THESE GYRES. • THE NORTH PACIFIC GYRE IS BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND ASIA. • IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE NORTH PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH.

SOME PLASTIC BREAKS DOWN SO YOU CAN’T ALWAYS SEE IT, BUT IT’S STILL THERE AND FISH EAT IT. SOME OF THE PLASTIC FROM THE GYRES WASHES UP ONTO SHORE ON SMALL ISLANDS AND THE BIRDS EAT IT AND FEED IT TO THEIR BABIES THERE ARE ENDANGERED ANIMALS ALL OVER THE WORLD BECAUSE HUMANS ARE DESTROYING THEIR HABITATS

• MRS. LUCHETTE’S STUDENTS WILL BE RAISING AWARENESS TO HELP THE GUAM KINGFISHER. • THE GUAM KINGFISHER IS EXTINCT IN THE WILD. • YOU CAN SEE THE GUAM KINGFISHER AT THE PHILADELPHIA ZOO. THE GUAM KINGFISHER LIVES IN GUAM WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NORTH PACIFIC GYRE WHY ARE THEY ENDANGERED? • GUAM KINGFISHERS LIVED IN GUAM, AN ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC. • DURING WWII, BROWN SNAKES WERE STOWAWAYS ON WARSHIPS AND PLANES THAT LANDED IN GUAM. • THE BROWN SNAKE ATE ALMOST EVERY GUAM KINGFISHER ON GUAM. • THERE WERE ONLY 29 LEFT WHEN THEY WERE BROUGHT TO THE ZOO TO BE BRED IN CAPTIVITY. • PLASTIC IN THE NORTH PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH IS DESTROYING THEIR HABITAT. • GLOBAL WARMING IS ALSO DESTROYING ITS HABITAT. CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE GUAM KINGFISHER

• WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE? HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=PQXMZKLYRZ4 • BIRDS AND OTHER ANIMALS THAT LIVE ON ISLANDS ARE EASILY HURT BY CLIMATE CHANGE. • THEY DON’T HAVE OTHER OPTIONS OF WHERE TO LIVE OR WHAT TO EAT IF THE AIR AND OCEAN GETS WARMER AND THE CORAL REEFS ARE DAMAGED FROM FLOODS OR TYPHOONS. • THERE WILL BE LESS FRESH WATER AND THE AIR WILL BE TOO HOT FOR THEM. • MANY OF THE THINGS THEY EAT SUCH AS ALGAE IN THE CORAL REEFS CAN DIE DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THAT WILL HURT THE GUAM KINGFISHER. HOW ARE WE HELPING THEM?

• ZOOS AROUND THE USA HAVE BEEN BREEDING GUAM KINGFISHERS IN CAPTIVITY AND PLAN TO REINTRODUCE THEM INTO THE WILD. • THERE IS DEBATE AS TO WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE REINTRODUCED TO GUAM OR ANOTHER ISLAND WITH A SIMILAR CLIMATE. • THE BROWN SNAKE STILL LIVES ON GUAM. SOME PEOPLE FEEL THEY NEED TO BE ELIMINATED AS ITS NOT THEIR NATURAL HABITAT. • SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING ON WAYS TO CLEAN PLASTICS FROM THE OCEAN AND THE GREAT GYRES. FUN FACTS

• GUAM KINGFISHER MALES HAVE ORANGE BELLIES AND FEMALES HAVE WHITE BELLIES. • GUAM KINGFISHERS EAT LIZARDS. • THEY TAKE THE LIZARDS AND BEAT THEM AGAINST TREES TO KILL THEM BEFORE EATING THEM. • IN THE ZOO, THEY ARE GIVEN LIZARDS THAT ARE ALREADY DEAD, BUT THEY BEAT THEM AGAINST TREES ANYWAY. WE NEED TO GET AHOLD OF OURSELVES! WHAT CAN WE DO?

• REUSE – USE REUSABLE BOTTLES FOR OUR WATER – LOOK FOR A BOTTLE FILLING STATION COMING TO OAKS SOON! • WILL YOU COMMIT TO BRINGING A REUSABLE BOTTLE TO SCHOOL RATHER THAN BUYING WATER IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS? • REFUSE – REFUSE PLASTIC STRAWS! THEY CAN END UP IN THE NOSE OF A MARINE ANIMAL! USE YOUR MOUTH IN THE CAFETERIA. WILL YOU COMMIT TO REFUSING? OR WE WILL BECOME A PLASTIC PLANET!

• RETHINK – HOW ABOUT REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS? • REPAIR – CAN WE FIX THINGS BEFORE JUST THROWING THEM AWAY? • RECYCLE – USE THAT RECYCLE BIN! OR MAYBE DONATE THINGS RATHER THAN THROWING THEM OUT? • REDUCE – IF POSSIBLE, SAY NO THANK YOU TO A BAG WHEN YOU PURCHASE THINGS RECYCLING TIPS FOR PLASTIC TO SAVE THE GUAM KINGFISHER

• ALWAYS RECYCLE PLASTIC BOTTLES AND CONTAINERS. • NO PLASTIC BAGGIES • NO THIN PLASTIC (SUCH AS PLASTIC THAT COMES IN PACKAGING) • NEVER RECYCLE PAPER PLATES, PLASTIC UTENSILS, CUPS • EMPTY ALL CONTAINERS BEFORE RECYCLING THEM. • NEVER RECYCLE PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS. TAKE THEM BACK TO THE STORE WHERE THERE ARE SPECIAL BINS FOR DISPOSAL. ADOPT A GUAM KINGFISHER FROM THE PHILADELPHIA ZOO!

• HTTPS://WWW.PHILADELPHIAZOO.ORG/ANIMALS/BIRDS/OTHER-BIRDS/GUAM- KINGFISHER.HTM • MICRONESIAN KINGFISHER FLEDGLING HAND-REARED AT THE PHILADELPHIA ZOO DEBATE: SHOULD WE RETURN THE KINGFISHER TO GUAM OR A NEARBY ISLAND? • GUAM IS ITS NATURAL HABITAT. • BUT THE BROWN SNAKE STILL LIVES THERE SINCE STOWING AWAY ON CARGO SHIPS. • THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED TWO MILLION BROWN TREE SNAKES ON GUAM — THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF A SNAKE POPULATION IN THE WORLD. • THERE ISN’T ENOUGH FOOD FOR THE SNAKE SO IT’S GOING INTO PEOPLE’S HOMES LOOKING FOR FOOD. • DEAD MICE FILLED WITH POISON ARE BEING DROPPED ONTO THE ISLAND IN THE HOPE THAT THE BROWN TREE SNAKE WILL EAT THEM ALLOWING THE KINGFISHER TO COME BACK TO THE ISLAND. • SHOULD THE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO TRY TO KILL THE BROWN SNAKES SO THE KINGFISHER CAN COME BACK TO GUAM OR SHOULD THEY FIND A NEW ISLAND FOR THE KINGFISHER?

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HOW TO DRAW THE GUAM KINGFISHER

• HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=CMKVP TW2GCW • ADD SOME FACTS TO YOUR POSTER! • TITLE IT SAVE THE GUAM KINGFISHER! • HANG IT UP FOR THE SCHOOL TO SEE! • AND YOU KNOW WE THANK YOU! NEED TO REUSE, REFUSE, AND REDUCE. WHO WILL JOIN US? PLEASE READ THE POSTERS THAT WILL BE HANGING AROUND THE SCHOOL! • WE THANK YOU. THE OCEANS THANK YOU. THE EARTH THANKS YOU. THE GUAM KINGFISHER THANKS YOU. WE ALL THANK YOU. • THINK GREEN!