Warren’s mom was busy in the kitchen. She thought Warren was in the family room next to the kitchen playing with balls. But it sounded like he was on the computer instead.

“Warren, are you on the computer? I do not want you on the computer because it is a beautiful, sunny day. Why don’t you go play outside?” said Mom.

“But I am outside!” said Warren.

“How did you find a website outside?” said Mom. She went to the kitchen glass door.S he opened it and looked out into the yard. Then she saw Warren. He was next to the house.

“See, mom, look at my outdoor website. It is not on the Internet,” said Warren.

Mom came out and looked where Warren was pointing. He found a “website” that was also an amazing work of art. Can you guess what Warren found?

“That is a good way to put it,” said Mom as she looked more closely at the spider web.

Mom and Warren looked at the web together. It was beautiful.

“You know, spiders are useful” said Mom.

“A lot of people are scared of spiders,” said Warren, “But I like them!”

“I like them, too,” said Mom. “Spiders can be useful because many of them eat pests(害虫). We should be kind to them. I’m really glad you found a ‘website’ outside.”

“Me, too,” said Warren. “I think this is the coolest website I have seen.”

【推荐3】A 500-kilometer journey toward the north! Last year 15 wild Asian elephants left their home in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province. Since then they have kept going north, moving through fields and towns.

People wonder why the elephants are on the move and where they are heading to. Someone suggested that the elephants need more space and food or they are losing their home. Another idea suggests that a change in Earth’s magnetic field (磁场) has made the elephants think that they should move.

Along their journey, the elephants have hurt 561, 333 square meters of farms and cost nearly 6.8 million yuan.

The government is trying to protect the safety of both humans and the elephants. They have fed the elephants much food in order to guide them away from city areas. They have also watched the group’s journey carefully and asked people not to get close to joke or scare the elephants. Some have suggested drugging (打麻药) the elephants and taking them back home. But scientists say this is a bad idea. “One possible way is to use friendly ways to change the elephants direction (方向) or lead the animals back to their home with food.” said Chen Mingyong, a teacher at Yunnan University.

Saving the Asian elephant

The Asian elephant is the largest land animal in Asia. These endangered animals are under Class-A protection in China. The elephants usually stand at 5 to 6 meters and weigh 3 to 5 tons. They are fierce animals and sometimes hurt people.

Yunnan is the only home for wild Asian elephants in China. The province has built 11 nature reserves (保护区). The population of the Asian elephant in China has risen from 170 in the 1970s to 300 today.

Hug a Tree

We know that spending time in nature lowers stress and improves our minds. We also know that the act of hugging ourselves or another living thing can improve our health.     1     That’s exactly what hugging a tree does! Read on to learn more about hugging a tree!

Take a fresh breath.

    2     So, when you are close to a tree and hug it in a forest, you are naturally in a richer O₂ environment. You are also more likely to be breathing in fewer pollutants, especially if the forest or woods are away from a main road or air line.

Improve heart health.

One study found that when we experienced nature—whether by hiking in nearby mountains or simply looking at trees and birds on the way to work—we can increase our heart rate(心率) variability.     3    

    4    

Hugging a tree gives us positive effects on our mental health. It works by connecting you to the environment. When you hug a tree, you receive grounding energy through its roots. It is effective for people who have high levels of anxiety or fear, or those who suffer from nervousness and worry.

If you don’t have a tree in your yard, go to visit the local park or hike in the closest woodlands. Find a tree and give it a hug.     5     So what if passers-by laugh at you? The hug you give is not just to the tree but to yourself and your spirit.

【推荐2】

Many farmers prefer to remove natural habitats (栖息地) to keep wild birds, and any bacteria (细菌) they carry, away from their fields and crops. However, a new study published in 2023 shows that farms near natural habitats get the most benefits from birds, including less crop damage and lower food-safety risks.

The study showed that the natural habitats played the most important role in deciding whether a farm would get more benefits than harms from wild birds. Without neighboring natural habitats, birds were more likely to carry bacteria and eat fruit. At the same time, different farming actions influenced the benefits and costs that birds brought to the farms.

The study was done in 21 strawberry fields in California. Together with the data from more than 300 bird surveys, scientists from the University of California also studied 1,000 fecal samples (排泄样本) from 55 kinds of birds. According to the information above, they found out which birds ate pests, beneficial insects and plants, and carried bacteria. Using this data, the scientists then ranked (排序) wild birds to see which were more likely to bring benefits or harms to farmlands. Barn swallows, for example, got a “gold star” in the study.

The lead researcher, Krap said, “A better understanding of the birds’ roles in ecosystem can help farmers bring out the best in the wild birds near their fields.” Another similar study in 2020 found that farms with natural habitats attracted more insect-eating birds — and fewer fruit-eating birds — so that farmers got less plant damage on farms. “All together, these studies suggest that farms with natural habitats are good for both plants and birds,” said Krap.

It is important to know how to take advantage of the benefits while reducing the harms. Growers may say it’s impossible to keep birds off the farms. So how can we make full use of the services birds provide?

【推荐1】On March 28th, Shenzhen Park Camping Culture Week 2023, had the opening ceremony at the Sunrise Amphitheater of Shenzhen Bay Park in Nanshan District. During that week, a total of 26 activities, such as yoga, camping lectures, and golf classes, were held. They made citizens’ camping experience more colourful.

Now, in China, camping has become more and more popular. Many parks allow citizens to camp. You can see camping tents and camping chairs nearly in every park. Together with Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen is one of the top four most popular cities for campers. At the end of last year, Shenzhen had set up 41 camping areas at parks across the city. More camping sites will be set up at the city’s country parks.

In Shenzhen, citizens also like to go camping at local places of interest such as Wutong Mountain. At the foot of Wutong Mountain, at least seven businesses provide camping services. One of the owners said that their camping places are usually booked up during weekends, except rainy days.

Wu Wei took part in the seven-day Shenzhen Park Camping Culture Week. She said, “I often take my kids to parks to camp. I think camping has become a new and comfortable lifestyle. It is the best way to relax after a long week. It can help us slow down. Our family have more time to talk. Camping also makes us feel alive, because we have chance to be in touch with nature.”