ECOBUDDIES PARTNER PANDAS INTERNATIONAL WISHES YOU A BEARY CHRISTMAS

This is sooooo cute. Check it out. Pandas International is a wonderful organization that helps kids and adults support Pandas! Pandas are an endangered animal so they need lots of love and support!

Check out the organization by clicking here: http://www.pandasinternational.org

Stay Green!

Violet

Check Out This Amazing Video!

Waste Reduction Week: Ocotber 19 to 25

Wow! It is waste reduction week! October 19 to the 25th! So what does that mean? It means that this is a great week to think about how you can care for our planet, as well as how to reduce the amount of garbage you create!

One of the things I thought about this week was how to reduce the amount of garbage I create from all the stuff in my lunch box. My mom usually gives me a granola bar that comes in a wrapper, a juice box, a sandwich wrapped in tinfoil, and an apple. We decided together that we would make some changes this week so my lunch created less waste. Now we are baking cookies to replace the granola bar so that we don't use extra wrappers and we are using reusable containers for my juice, sandwich, apple and cookies. Yeah!

I feel pretty happy!

Over and out, Stay Green!

Violet

EcoBuddies Partners with Pandas International and Kids Saving the Rainforest!

Oh My Goodness! EcoBuddies is partnering with Pandas International and Kids Saving the Rainforest in order to give its players information about the awesome work that these organizations do and the animals they protect!

By the end of today, you will be able to check out the Pandas International hut within our virtual world right beside our Eco-Explorers hut on the Tiki Islands!!

Next week you will be able to explore the Kids Saving the Rainforest hut too, which will be located beside the Pandas International Hut and the Eco-Explorers Hut! Yeah!

Let us know what you think of all the cool new materials!

Yay! Violet

AN ANIMAL RIDDLE

I am one of the slowest creatures on earth but if a crocodile attacks it may not kill me because of my protective amour. What am I?

All About the Fen Raft Spider

Photo Credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/details.php?gid=53&sgid=&pid=228

I just happen to love spiders. Especially the Fen Raft Spider, which is a very endangered spider. These spiders live in Britain (have any EcoBuddies fans in Britain seen these spiders? Let me know!) and live on the water. You know those spiders that zoom past you when you are swimming in a river? These spiders are like that. I think these spiders are awesome because the mom fen raft spiders carry their egg sacs underneath them for a few weeks when they are about to have babies. They are quite big egg sacs and I think they must be very strong to carry them for so long. Every so often they dip the eggs sacs in the water to keep them moist. Cool hey?

Here is a trivia question for you: How long does it take for a fen raft spider to become an adult?

Does anyone know?

Shazam,

Pesto

OH NO: WE MUST VOTE ALL OVER AGAIN

Hi Buddies,

Bad news! Jumbles the Clown accidentally wrote that Spiny Spiders are endangered but they are not! We want to be as fair as possible to the spiders so we are going to start over again with our vote!

We are now voting for:

Spruce Fir Moss Spider
Fen Raft Spider
Kauai Cave

Vote before the 20th of September for the spider you would like to support!

Shazam!

Pesto

Snow Leopard

Hello all,
Today I bring you a new fact sheet. This one is all about snow leopards. Enjoy!
Stay Green,
Violet

Snow Leopard Fact Sheet

SEPTEMBER SPIDERS FOR BUDDIES FOR BABY ANIMALS DAY!

Look closely at this Kauai Cave Wolf Spider... What do you see on her back?

You got it! This is a very rare picture of a mom with her newly hatched spiderlings!

Photo courtesy of Gordon Smith - US Fish and Wildlife Service

I want to tell you some quick facts about the spiders we are voting on this month. We are voting for spiders because, hey, we're all starting school soon and we need some extra fun. AND SPIDERS ARE AWESOME!!! I will start with our first two and then post about the third spider later today, kk?:

Kauai Cave Wolf Spiders
WHY THEY ARE AWESOME: These spiders live in lava tubes in Kauia, Hawaii. They are cave hunters and have adapted so well to the dark cave environment that they are the only wolf spider that have no eyes. Kauai Cave Wolf Spiders use their fangs to kill their prey, which are small shrimp-like crustaceans called Amphipods. Both the Kauai Cave Wolf Spiders and the Amphipods have babies very slowly, so any negative change within their habitat makes it hard for them to survive because they do not have large populations. In fact, these spiders have only been found in 4-6 caves.
WHY THEY ARE ENDANGERED: The Kauai Cave Wolf Spider is endangered because of habitat destruction. Their caves are being destroyed through construction and the use of pesticides, as these actions really hurt their habitats.

Spruce Fir Moss Spiders
WHY THEY ARE AWESOME: They are the smallest tarantula out there and measure 0.10 to 0.15 inches which is about the size of two typed Bs put together- BB. They can only live on moss mats under a spruce-fir forest, which makes me think that each Spruce Fir Spider has a little mossy bed- lol.
WHY THEY ARE ENDANGERED: Well, there is an insect called the Adelgid, which sadly destroys the Spruce Fir Moss Spiders' habitat. More so though, logging has really hurt this spider's chance at survival.

KK, I will post more soon.

Vote today!

Shazam,
Pesto

SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST FOR SCHOOL!

Many of you have been letting EcoBuddies know that going back to school can be pretty hard after a terrific summer! So, EcoBuddies created a scavenger hunt for you all to do with your classes once you go back to school.

If you do this with your class and send in your answers to EcoBuddies, as well as pictures of what you have found, we will give your class a PRIZE! Send in your answers and pictures to info@ecobuddies.com or

EcoBuddies
103-8430 Jellicoe Street
Vancouver, BC
V5S 4S7

Press the link below to get the scavenger hunt!

Also remember there is the drawing contest 'My Favorite Animal Drawing Contest'. The contest will close on September 20, 2009 so send in your submissions SOON to either info@ecobuddies.com or

EcoBuddies
103-8430 Jellicoe Street
Vancouver, BC
V5S 4S7

Cool Critters Scavenger Hunt

WOW! BUDDIES FOR BABY ANIMALS BUYS 30 BABY BOTTLE NIPPLES FOR LITTLE PANDAS

Photo: Rob, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Wow Buddies! Great news! The memberships you bought on Buddies for Baby Animals Day (August 20, 2009) went towards purchasing 30 baby bottle nipples for some thirsty pandas! Little pandas need lots of baby bottle nipples because their sharp teeth puncture the nipples all the time- lol- super cute, hey!?

The organization that will use these baby bottle nipples to feed pandas is called Pandas International. They do TONS of work to support pandas and have some awesome videos of pandas on their site. Check out their website at:

https://www.keysecure.com/pandasinternational.org/index.html

Here are some pages that I really like:

https://www.keysecure.com/pandasinternational.org/kids.html

http://www.pennies4pandas.org/

Here is the cutest movie: http://www.pennies4pandas.org/09-wolong-movie/09-p4p-movie.html

Wow!

Shazam!

Pesto

BUDDIES FOR BABY ANIMALS DAY

Buy your membership today and 10% of the cost will go to help baby Pandas! Thanks everyone for voting! Yayayayayayy! We will let you know how we will support Pandas tomorrow!

Make sure to tell all of your friends!

Shazam, Pesto

Polar Bear Fact Sheet

Hi buddies,

Today I bring you a fact sheet about polar bears. I hope you learn something new about this endangered arctic animal!

Stay Green!
Violet

Polar Bear Fact Sheet

Cheetah Fact Sheet

Hey everybody!

I have another fact sheet for you today. This one is all about cheetahs. Enjoy!

Stay Green!
Violet

Cheetah Fact Sheet for Kids 6-12 Years Old

Sea Otter Fact Sheet

Hi Everybody!

Today I bring you a fact sheet all about the slip sliding sea otter! Click on the link below!

Stay Green!
Violet

Sea Otter Fact Sheet for Kids 6-12 Years Old

Coloring Sheet: Bike or Walk Whenever Possible

Hi buddies,

I've got a new coloring sheet for you today. This one is all about biking or walking instead of driving. Not only are they fun activities, they are also environmentally friendly. Download by clicking: More > Save Document.

Stay Green!
Violet

Bike or Walk

An Amazing E-Book on Endangered Animals and Buddies for Baby Animals

You Can Help These Animals
Another amazing ebook from Violet on endangered animals! Check it out! This comes just in time for our Buddies for Baby Animals Day! Remember to tell your friends to buy their memberships on August 20th and 10% of their membership cost will go to the animal with the most votes on our Buddies for Baby Animals poll!

Cool!

Shazam, Pesto

Hey Buddies! A New E-Book By Violet!

Check out our super cool e-book on caring for the ocean! Just click below and enjoy!

Keep the Ocean Cool (An E-Book for Kids 7 to 11 Years of Age on Pollution in the Ocean)

Coloring Sheet: Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Hey Gang,

Today is the start of a series of coloring sheets that give you tips on how to be green! Today's sheet is about using energy saving light bulbs. Download by clicking: More > Save Document.

Stay green!
Violet

Ecobuddies Coloring Sheet: Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Giant Panda Fact Sheet

Hey Buddies,
Today you get double fact sheets! Click the link below to learn all about the Giant Panda!
Stay green!
Violet

Giant Panda Fact Sheet for Kids 6-12 Years Old