Save our Planet Earth        "The earth will continue to regenerate its life sources only as long as we and all the peoples of the world do our part to conserve its natural resources. It is a responsibility which every human being shares. Through voluntary action, each of us can join in building a productive land in harmony with nature." - President Gerald Ford - Proclaiming March 21st as Earth Day     Earth Day Earth Day was first proposed by John McConnell, president of WE, Inc. (present Earth Society), in early October 1969 to a few members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and other community leaders interested in caring for natural environment. His proposal resulted in the celebration of the first Earth Day on March 21, 1970, the day of the vernal equinox (also the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere) - the vernal equinox is the moment when night and day are equal throughout the Earth. Earth Day observations and celebrations include different social classes, nationalities and cultures. It is a successful catalyst for ongoing environmental education, action and change.     The Mata Atlântica - Southern Grasslands "In addition to the rainforest, Pantanal, Cerrado, and Caatinga, the grasslands are an important component of the Brazilian landscape. Mostly located in the Southern part of the country, this type of vegetation is made of "clean fields", or humid steppes. Grass, shrubs and other types of low vegetation usually cover the ground. It is an ideal habitat for a great variety of animals. The region covered by the Southern grasslands has a subtropical type of climate, with mild temperatures and regular rainfall, without much change being registered during the year. The mild climate and naturally fertile favored the rapid settlement of the region in the 19th century, particularly by European and Japanese immigrants . The rich soils helped for a quick spread of farming activities in Southern Brazil, without adequate soil tilling practices, resulting in erosion and other serious problems. In order to expand farming areas, German and Italian settlers indiscriminately cleared the forest in the first half of this century. Currently, more than half of this biome has been destroyed, together with several rodent species that fed on pine nuts, birds and insects. The remainder is confined to state conservation areas." Text about the Mata Atlântica reproduced with permission from WWF-Brazil. © 2005 WWF-Brazil. All rights reserved.     - Mico-leão-dourado - Leontopithecus rosalia  The "mico-leão-dourado" (Leontopithecus rosalia), Golden-Lion-Tamarin in Enligsh, is the symbol of the struggle for the preservation of the Brazilian endangered species. Measuring about 60 cm and weighing 600 grs, this small primate is one of the most rare in the whole world. It can live up to 15 years in its natural habitat. They eat insects and fruits and are more active at night. They are monogamic and live in groups of 4 to 7individuals. Their reproduction begins in September and most of them are born between January and February. They are normally born twins. Unfortunately, the Mata Atlântica, the natural habit of the "mico-leão-dourado", is the second threatened forestal ecosystem of the planet . The Mata Atlântica originally covered about 1 million square kilometers, but the urban development along the coast and the agriculture in the countryside destroyed great part of the original forests. The remainders are less than 7% of the original area and the natural habit of the "mico-leão-dourado", the lowland atlantic coastal forests of the Rio de Janeiro State, is reduced to less than 2% of its original area, besides being totally fragmented, divided in small blocks separated by pastures, roads and constructions. Before the colonization of Brazil, these primates could be found in a large number in the woods where it is today the present Rio de Janeiro (city). The navigator Fernão de Magalhães reported seeing them in the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Gradually, the "mico-leão" started to be seen in Europe as a precious pet, which stimulated its capture and traffic. Victim of its own beauty, the "mico-leão-dourado" was almost extinct in the 70's when they were captured in large numbers. In 1971, based on studies that showed that just a little more than 200 animals remained free in nature, there were efforts to guarantee the survival of the species. Groups of national and international organizations, among them the WWF, started a project that is still being developed in the "Reserva Biológica de Poço das Antas", in Silva Jardim, located in Rio de Janeiro, with the aim of assuring the survival of the populations of "micos-leões-dourados" in their natural habitat. With the help of these organizations, the number of these primates free in nature increased from a little more than 200 in the beginning of the 70's to 1.000 in 2004. Despite the partial success, it does not guarantee the preservation of the species. It is necessary to have a population of approximately 2.000 animals to guarantee their survival. All animals that can be found in the 140 zoos that participate in the program of reproduction in captivity, officially belong to IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente) and to Brasil. There are four kinds of "micos-leões" that can by found only in Brasil: the "mico-leão-dourado", which lives in the Lowland Atlantic Coastal Forest of Rio de Janeiro State; the "mico-leão-da-cara-dourada", found in the "Reserva Biológica de Una", south of Bahia; the "mico-leão-preto", found in the Morro do Diabo, in Pontal do Paranapanema (São Paulo); and the "mico-leão-da-cara-preta", discovered only in 1990, which lives in the "Parque do Superagüi", located in Paraná, state in the south of Brazil. Information about the mico-leão obtained from WWF-Brazil and Rio Zoo. English translation by me.  Mico-leão-da-cara-dourada  Mico-leão-dourado Pictures taken by me at the Zoo in Rio de Janeiro, on January, 22 2005. For further information and pictures of the mico-leão, please visit the website Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado.   If you want to make a donation and help some Brazilian species to continue existing on our planet, please visit the websites below. Projeto Tamar WWF Brasil Mico-Leão-Dourado If you do not wish to donate to any of these organizations, please consider making a donation to any other organization in your own country. If we all do our part, we will contribute to helping our planet Earth.     This page was Care to Share's Featured site of the Month in February 2005. Thanks Caroline !   :: Back to the Miscellaneous Corner Menu ::     This page was created on: January 26th 2005.  [ Site Menu ] [ Home Page ]    Nothing in this site is Public Domain. Graphics are copyrighted by various artists and are used with permission. Please, click on the links above to visit the websites were you can download the graphics from. Do NOT save anything from my pages, please.