Explore the Outdoors and Marine Mammal Day

Weekend events in North Carolina and a bonus on whale intelligence!

 

Source: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/beluga-whales-pass-our-dangerous-chemicals-on-to-their-babies

Explore the Outdoors at the EnergyExplorium

Source: Photolibrary.com via National Wildlife Federation

This Saturday, Nov 3, from 10-2, organizations such as the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve, Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the NC Wildlife Federation will be at the EnergyExplorium introducing children to the wonders of exploring the outdoors.  Hands-on activities will include fishing, rock climbing, wildlife encounters as well as interactive educational exhibits focusing on outdoor safety, the environment, conservation, and more.  This event is free!

 

For more information, click here.

 

The EnergyExplorium

13339 Hagers Ferry Road
Huntersville, NC 28078

 

Marine Mammal Day

Source: Google Images

Also this Saturday, Nov 3, from 9-5, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science is having Marine Mammal Day!  Spend the day learning about marine mammals, the ocean, and climate change.  There will be talks all day at the Daily Planet in the Nature Research Center and exhibits throughout the museum on topics such as, Antarctic Wildlife Adventure: Studying Marine Mammals along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, Beaufort’s Dolphins- Getting to Know Them, The Life of Plastic, Whale Diversity, Polar Bears: Arctic Icons, Fun with Oysters — The Ecological Importance of Oyster Reefs and much more.  This event is also free!

 

For more information, click here.

 

 

Bill of Rights for whales?

 

Years of research showing a high level of intelligence in cetaceans has led some marine scientists to argue that whales and dolphins deserve to be protected under an international bill of rights.  The move to support a Declaration of Rights for Dolphins was made at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's biggest science conference. Sparking a philosophical debate on what constitutes an individual, years worth of research shows the complexity of dolphin and whale brains and that the organisms show a human-like level of self-awareness.  An article in the BBC News cites several examples of dolphin intelligence such as this: "A number of captive dolphins were rewarded with fish in return for tidying up their tank. One of them ripped up a large paper bag, hid away the pieces, and presented them one at a time to get multiple rewards.Antarctic Wildlife Adventure: Studying Marine Mammals along the Western Antarctic Peninsula."

 

Such a Declaration of Rights would make it illegal to kill or hold captive dolphins and whales.  You can read the entire BBC article here.