0.2 Part two: special topics  (Page 16/39)

Almost at once two other males charged after him. One broke off a low branch from a tree as he ran and brandished it in the air beforehurling it ahead of him. The other, as he reached the end of his run, stood upright and rhythmically swayed the branches of a tree back and forth beforeseizing a huge branch and dragging it farther down the slope. A fourth male, as he too charged, leaped into a tree and, almost without breaking his speed,tore off a large branch, leaped with it to the ground, and continued down the slope. As the last two males called and charged down, the one who had startedthe whole performance climbed from his tree and began plodding up the slope again. The others, who had also climbed into trees near the bottom of theslope, followed suit. When they reached the ridge, they started charging down all over again, one after the other, with equal vigor.

The females and youngsters had climbed into trees near the top of the rise as soon as the displays had begun, and there they remainedwatching throughout the whole performance. As the males charged down andplodded back up, so the rain fell harder, jagged forks or brilliant flares of lightening lit the leaden sky, and the crashing of the thunder seemed toshake the very mountains.....Twenty minutes from the start of the performance the last of the males plodded back up the slope for the lasttime."

(Goodall, Jane (1988) In The Shadow of Man . Houghlin Mifflin: Boston p. 52-53)

Assignment 1: ecological survey

Observation is a key skill in environmental education. Connected to that skill is the skill of asking questions andlistening, then synthesizing - putting it all together to serve a community need.

To do this assignment, click on the Word icon below. When it appears, press "Save" so that you can work on this assignment"off-line."

Assignment 1: Ecological Survey

In this assignment, you will get a good sense for the ecology of your community as you conduct this survey and find out the answerto the following questions:

• What are the streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans that pass through or have a connection to your community? What is a watershed? Find out moreabout your watershed.
• Rate your waterways using this scale of 1 to 10 (1 being "Very Polluted/Floating Trash" and 10 being "Crystal Clear"). This can bebased on visual observation of the waterway or on more detailed water-quality tests.
• Where does your drinking water come from? What are the various sources of drinking water? Locate local drinking water information.
• Are there any sources of human pollution along your waterways? What type?
• Where do your storm drains empty?
• Are there any sources of soil pollution in your area? Learn more about soil quality.
• Is there a litter problem in your community (do you see trash in the streets, gutters, or along roadsides)? Learn about why people litterand the major sources of litter.
• Find a local organization that is addressing littering problems.
• Have you noticed air pollution in your area? Does the air ever appear hazy or do you have trouble breathing? Do you notice any strange,unnatural smells in the air?
• Are there groups or individuals working in your community to help improve the quality of the water, land, and air? What are some projectsthat have been successful?