1 . According to the National Audubon Society, about 60 percent of all North American bird species have experienced northward shift during migration over the past four decades. This is symbolic of habitat loses from human development, as well as climate change. Without taking action to protect migratory bird’s habitats, many of these species will eventually die out, which in turn can destroy the ecosystems that depend on the bird species. While these numbers are based in North American, bird extinction is a worldwide problem.

World Migratory Bird Day was established in 2006 as a holiday to help educate the public and raise awareness about the growing problems that are affecting the habitats of bird species around the world. It has since become a holiday recognized by the United Nations, and it helps to organize events in numerous countries. World Migratory Bird Day was established at the height of the age in which humans were starting to understand the influence of climate change.

Since World Migratory Bird Day is held over the second weekend of May, the dates can differ. In 2014, the holiday started on Saturday, May 10^th. In 2015, the starting date was May 9^th. Celebrating the holiday over an entire weekend gives families and bird enthusiasts alike a chance to get outdoors and learn more about migratory birds.

Education is at the center of World Migratory Bird Day celebration. The number of programs and festivals continue to grow each year, the content differing by area. World Migratory Bird Day provides people with the opportunity to learn about their favourite birds, and there are often bird watching tours planned for that weekend.

While World Migratory Bird Day can be a fun way to learn about birds and their habitats, the weekend holiday is also focused on some serious notes surrounding conservation. At events and festivals, the public can learn exactly how their native birds’ habitats are being destroyed, and more importantly, people can learn how to stop the destruction.

2 . Everyone “talks” with their hands at least sometimes. Some people’s hand-talking, or gesturing (手势) matches their messages well. Other people like to make gestures that can be confusing. And still others don’t use their hands much at all. No matter which group you are in, it’s important to pay attention to your hand gestures while you are communicating. And also remember hand gestures can have cultural meanings.

A few years ago, I was a speaker at a conference in Lisbon, Portugal. It was my first time in Portugal, and I became immediately fond of the special pastries (糕点) that Lisbon and Portugal are known for. One morning I went into a bakery and ordered two of the pastries. I did so by holding up two fingers, similar to the “victory” or “peace” gesture in the United States. The person behind the counter put three pastries in the box. I later learned that the gesture for two would raise thumb and index finger. Even though my thumb wasn’t showing, the person behind the counter thought I was signaling for three.

I was lucky that I didn’t get into more trouble than an extra pastry. Many hand gestures are not universal. Before speaking in a country that you are not familiar with, do some research to find out which gestures might be misunderstood, not understood at all or rude.

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3 . Imagine a dog you don’t need to train. Instead, you can program it to do whatever you want. Now, you don’t need to imagine it. Meet Spot, a dog-like robot from US company Boston Dynamics.

In March, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (庞贝考古公园) in Italy gave Spot a new job. Pompeii is a famous “time capsule (胶囊)” from the ancient world. Thousands of years ago, a nearby volcano covered the city in ash. Many people died, but the ash kept buildings safe until someone found it in 1748.

So, what is Spot doing in Pompeii? It walks around the site with a 3D scanner (扫描仪). There are many narrow, underground tunnels in Pompeii. Thieves used the tunnels to steal things. The tunnels bring safety problems to the ancient buildings. Robot dogs are small enough to go through these tunnels and find any changes to the buildings.

According to Gabriel Zuchtriegel, new director of the site, this is the first time anyone has used a robot to help protect an archaeological site. “It’s a breakthrough and it would allow us to protect the ruins with greater speed and in total safety,” said Zuchtriegel.

Spot will also work with a 3D-scanning drone (无人机). The two tools will check the site regularly. They will look for any damage that may need a repair. As art magazine ARTnews said, Pompeii is turning into a “Smart Archaeological Park”.