Well, today is National Penguin
Awareness Day. I feel as though, being Canadian, National Polar Bear or Puffin
Day would be more appropriate. Regardless, I don’t make up the day, so let’s
talk penguins!
For those of you unfamiliar with
the penguin, they are more than a character and an incredible performance by
Danny Devito in Batman Return’s! They are in fact, flightless, aquatic birds.
They are also generally only found in the Southern Hemisphere, although they
can be found in various zoos around the world! There are somewhere around 20
different species of penguin, with Emperor and Rockhopper being two of the more
recognizable due to various films.
The purpose for National Penguin
Awareness Day is actually to bring recognition to the impacts of climate change
on these unique and entertaining creatures. If you’ve been reading the news at
all lately, you’d know that climate change is becoming evident in several ways.
One in particular, are the melting ice caps, both in the north and south. In
some instances, certain species of penguins rely on these southern ice covered
areas to live. There are other environmental issues causing stress on penguins,
such as a reduction in the food chain and pollution. Its awareness days like this
that allow us to see that our own actions have impacts far greater than on our
own species. How will you help save the penguin?
In 2005, authors Justin
Richardson and Peter Parnell wrote a children’s book called “And Tango Makes
Three” about a homosexual penguin couple in New York City’s Central Park. This
tale is based on actual events at the famous zoo. For more info click here, or visit
your local independent bookstore to get yourself a copy of this sweet, and
wonderfully written story.
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