1 . Having been born along the shores of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, Rahmina Paulette said she has witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change leading to great difficulties like drought and floods.

The 15-year-old Kenyan teenager said East Africa is highly dependent on Lake Victoria, but high pollution has led to poisoning of the water, soil erosion and health problems in people living around the lake.

As Paulette grew older, she realized she was slowly turning from being a witness to a victim of lake degradation. So, she decided to take action and save the lake in her own little way.

“Being an Indigenous person from Lake Victoria, I would like to help restore the ecosystem for my community that has an ancestral connection to the lake and also for the future generations to enjoy the cool breeze, good smells and see the biodiversity within Lake Victoria,” Paulette said.

In her efforts to end pollution in the lake, Paulette started an environmental organization called Kisumu Environmental Champions.

The young environmental champions carry out their activities during the weekends, and the group focuses on environmental conservation, climate change awareness and wildlife conservation.

The group, with about 200 members so far, has taken up the removal of the invasive plant hyacinth from the lake to make eco-friendly products. This project has earned Paulette international recognition. The group has made furniture, paper, cards, folders, document holders, bags and carton boxes from the water hyacinth.

With help from her mother, Paulette is trying to increase activities as she urges all Kenyans to incorporate eco-friendly ways in their day-to-day lives.

Apart from activists like Paulette, other organizations are casting the net wider in their attempt to save the lake. One such group is nonprofit Osienala in western Kenya. The organization has been cooperating with international partners such as those from China to save Lake Victoria.

5 . All dogs can benefit from training throughout their lives. But where to begin the process? Thus, we have consulted some experts on where to start. Here’s what they say.

Identify your training goals

There are two levels of dog training. If you’re interested in skill training, or basic manners, such as teaching your dog to sit, stay and lie down, that’s the field of a dog trainer. If your dog has a behavior problem—anxiety, aggressiveness, fearfulness—then what you need is a dog behavioral consultant.

Be realistic

Your dog may bark at your guests, which might be a kind of dog that has been selected for hundreds of years to defend against people walking in your front door. Since you can’t change a German shepherd’s genetic impulse (基因冲动) to defend its territory, you may need to change your expectations, instead.

Decide how you’d like to train your dog

When it comes to training methods, you have a few options. Group classes are cheaper but less personalized, while board and training facilities are more expensive and riskier. Your choice will depend on your budget and your training goals. If you don’t want to pay a lot of money for dog training, you can choose free or low-cost resources you can find online.

Understand the methods

Generally speaking, many trainers fall into two broad categories: The first is positive reinforcement (强化) trainers, which means giving your dog something good to train. The second is balanced trainers who are willing to make incorporate corrections, which means using positive reinforcement methods.

6 . In September 2017, villagers found a tiny elephant wandering around alone in Burkina Faso, West Africa. They named the baby elephant Nania and brought it to a local wildlife base. The caregivers there saw promising signs-the young elephant remained physically healthy and didn't seem depressed. Experts predict the elephant was discovered within a day or two of being separated from her family, or she wouldn't have survived.

Fortunately, Nania grew well with her caregivers, who acted as her parents playing with her for 6-8 hours a day. Several months later, Nania was ready to start the process of returning to wild elephant group. As is known to us, turning wild animals into adopted ones is actually a process the animals can do naturally. Most animals including nonrelatives act like family. However, helping an elephant rejoin the wild is no simple task. Will it be able to find food for itself, avoid danger, and eventually have its own children?

Meanwhile, scientists began the search for her mother using DNA matching technology. They began collecting wastes samples from the 40 wild elephant tribes that passed through the area and analyzed the elephant wastes for DNA in a lab. Then one day, the lab found a surprising result: the DNA was a match. One of the sampled elephants was not just a family member of Nania, but almost surely her mother. Most importantly, through the DNA, the scientists discovered that Nania is a forest elephant. Forest elephants are endangered, which makes the importance of saving Nania much greater.

“What you really hope for is that there’s some connection that can be remembered when she finds her own species,” Katie Moore, vice president for animal rescue, said. “And that it just happens. To Nania, it will not feel lonely any more.”

7 . As global warming becomes more and more serious, each one of us must take action to help.

Changing what you eat could easily have a significant effect because animal agriculture creates about 14% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions (排放).     1     Each kilo consumed produces 26.5 kilos of CO2 emissions, five times more than chicken or turkey. Changing to plant-based diets could reduce emissions greatly.

Nearly all transport relies on fossil fuels. In the US, driving one mile in an average 2016 car emits 404 grams of CO2 equivalents per mile. But taking nearly any other means of transport will reduce CO2 emissions.     2    

    3     But a few quick changes can make a difference. Switch from incandescent (白炽灯) lights to LEDs. They use a quarter of the energy and last 25 times longer. And taking for showers, the average water heater is set to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. But bringing it down by 20 degrees can save 250 kilograms of CO2.

Think before you buy. The fashion industry creates about 10% of global greenhouse emissions and consumes more energy than flight and shipping combined.     4     If you' re buying food, bring your own containers and just get the amount you need.

Plant a garden instead of building a yard out of cement (水泥), the production of which creates 8% of global CO2 emissions a year.     5    

So from a burger to a cyclist, no one thing will have a big influence, but lots of little things can.

9 . Trip Fun

Thinking about going camping? You might want to try one of these campsites for quality and comfort!

This Spanish campsite is a great family destination, with prices starting from €20 a night. You’ll be able to enjoy the beach by day, and you’ll have time to explore historic Tarragona in the evenings. The site has restaurants that offer traditional Spanish dishes such as Gambas al Ajillo and Albondigas. For more information, please go to www.playamontroig.com.

France’s number one campsite is in the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park in the Tarn area. The campsite is in the grounds of a medieval house. There’s a swimming pool, a river and a pizzeria all on site. The scenery around the park is beautiful and great for walking. A week’s stay will cost you about €300. For more information, please go to www. eurocamp.co.uk.

Instead of tents, there are canvas cabins ( 帆布小屋) with showers and modern conveniences. Plus, there’s a gourmet restaurant, a spa and a pool. There are only 15 cabins to rent so you’ll have to reserve your spot before availability runs out. The camp is only accessible by riverboat, but once there you can learn to ride an elephant. Unfortunately, this sort of luxury isn’t cheap, and two nights at the Four Seasons will cost you about €1, 500! For more information, please go to www. fourseasons. com /goldentriangle.

There is a camp shop where you can buy food and drink, and there are pubs and restaurants nearby so you won’t even have to cook. You can waterski from the beach, or go walking along the Gower Way, a 50-kilometre nature trail which passes close to the campsite. A family tent (2 adults, 2 children) is about €28 a day. For more information, please go to www.threecliffsbay.com.

10 . If there is one thing that comes to mind when the words “South Pacific” are spoken, then it must be coconut palms (椰子树). Most of us have images of all attractive coconut palms lining sandy beaches. But the coconut tree is more than a central characteristic of picture postcards bought by tourists.

To people of the South Pacific, the coconut tree is also known as the “Tree of Life”. It gets this name because of the different kinds of products which the coconut palm provides from its various parts. From the leaves down to its roots, it plays a great part in the life of many island people. The coconut tree provides food, shelter, fuel as well as income from exports.

Coconut leaves produce good-quality paper pulp (纸浆), hats, wastebaskets and bags. Flesh (果肉) and water (often called the milk) from the young, green coconut can be taken as a healthy food and drink. It is also used in salads and other tasty dishes.

Coconut husks (外壳) it are often thrown away, but they can be used to produce different kinds of useful products such as ropes, fishing nets, and floor coverings.

Coconut water can be used in the production of wine and is also used to treat a number of medical problems.

The white coconut flesh is a good source of coconut oil, coconut chips, and feed for animals.

The trunk of the coconut tree is a strong and durable wood, which can be used to build houses.

Medicines and dyes (燃料) are obtained from the roots.

The English oak, the Lebanon cedar or the Australian gum tree all have a place in history but the coconut palm is the only true “Tree of Life”.