The Largest Living Roof 3 Years Later
January 31, 2012 by admin · View Comments
It’s been three years since the green roof was planted on Vancouver’s new convention centre.
Is it a success? Is it as good as they promised it would be?
The answer is that some parts are terrific — attractive, quality planting; a beautiful habitat for songbirds and insect life.
But other areas are untidy, scrubby, a bit of a mess; you might even say, an eyesore, and a fair ways from what they could or should be.Overall, the roof is more a success than a flop, but there’s definitely room for improvement, so the designers should not spend too much time patting themselves on the back. There’s still some refining work to do.
Covering 2.4 hectares (just over six acres), it is still the largest living roof in Canada and the largest non-industrial green roof in North America.
But being 10 storeys above ground, you can’t see much of it from street level, say from outside the Fairmont Pacific Rim at Canada Place.
The roof is mostly visible to people working in adjacent highrise office blocks, such as the Shaw Tower, or living in luxury condos opposite.Read more at the Vancouver Sun.
Beth
Social Entrepreneur: Sari Revkin from Israel | Global 3000
October 6, 2010 by · View Comments
Yedid means friend in Hebrew. It’s also the name of the largest Israeli organization dedicated to helping the country’s poor and underprivileged. It was founded by Sari Revkin 13 years ago. Sari Revkin was born in the United States but has lived in Israel since 1983. The aim of her organization is to empower others to help themselves, by offering an advisory service that is free of charge. People often come for advice about money problems or debts, or to learn about their rights at work or welfare entitlement. Most of the workers at Yedid are volunteers. There are now 23 Yedid centers spread throughout Israel, advising over 35000 people a year.
Yellow Lobsters, Winged Cats, Hulking Whippets, and More!
September 23, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Marc in Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems, Science & Research. ]
Not every person looks alike, and the same goes for animals. Some of these animals have genetic mutations that are natural, though rare, while some are well correlated to pollution. So, while we’re used to red lobsters and 4 legged frogs, let’s explore some of the infinite variety that grace this earth.
Rare Colored Lobsters
(Images via sodahead, naturalap, bukisa, catchthegalley, goodmorninggloucester, keenobservers)
Lobster shells are typically a blend of primary colors, but the occasional one does crop up with one distinct color (or even two!). Some of these special lobsters can be as rare as 1 in 100 million (albino), or as relatively common as 1 in 2.5 million (blue). It’s unusual enough to find one of these cool looking creatures, that it often makes headlines.
Black Penguin
(Images via rainbowlens, galacticroundtable)
Antarctica’s South Georgia island may hold millions of penguins, but there’s one that truly stands out. This all black penguin is one of only a few that have ever been sighted. While it’s common for some coloration differences to appear between penguins, it’s more likely for white to appear where there is normally black, and not the other way around.
Double Muscled Whippet
(Images via canada, bettermost, ourstory)
This large whippet is named Wendy and she has something called “double muscling”, causing her to have much higher muscle mass than her lithe counterparts. Included in these photos are a few typical whippets to use as comparison. Wendy is friendly and by all accounts, happy, but if there’s ever a hulk television show starring dogs… we know who to cast.
Mutated Frogs
(Images via frogmatters, esajournals, momsrising, oneofkarma)
Frog mutations are not typically very cute, and they’re often correlated quite directly to pollution. While frogs don’t seem to mind having a few extra limbs here or there, it’s more disturbing when one knows the source of their discomfort and strange formation.
Winged Cats
(Images via geekologie, justonemorepet, weirdcorner)
Winged cats in China? Maybe. The verdict isn’t entirely in, whether these cats have actual formations behind their spine as some people claim, or if the wings are actually fur matted in such a way as to provide the appearance of wings. Whatever the cause, these winged cats are beautiful, and have definitely caught the eye of an international audience.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Altered Evolution: Strange Animal Deformities
(Images via: Bolsta Blog, Turtle Journal, Think Article, Next Nature)
Not all animals are created alike, as seen by animal deformities that may include creatures that feature plus/minus a c…
4 Comments - Click Here to Read More
Biggest Animals: More of the World’s Largest
July 8, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Marc in Animals & Habitats. ]
A Great Dane is a large dog, but imagine if you got to see the largest Great Dane in the world (over 7 feet long), or a rabbit that weighs over 23 pounds? Well, consider this your ticket to see some of the enormous wonders of genetics and a good diet, as we explore the most jaw dropping animals that outsize their cousins:
(Images via insanepics, smjl123, odditycentral)
Rabbits are undeniably cute, and more is always better, right? Well here are a few rabbits that could give a lot of dogs trouble. I’d love to see how much lettuce these fluffy behemoths go through each week.
(Images via dogster)
George is a Blue Great Dane, and about to be named the tallest in the world. He tops out at 43 inches and 245 pounds. Over 7 feet in length, this 4 year old eats 110 pounds of food a month.
(Images via cellar, hapou, aquahobby)
Goldfish can live for an extremely long time – up to 40 years, and this gives them a lot of time to grow. Despite the diminuitive size of most household goldfish, they can grow up to a whopping 23 inches long and can weigh up to 10 pounds.
(Images via syracuse, mirror)
Pigs are social and intelligent animals who just happen to like to eat… a lot. “Big Norm,” was once the largest pig in the world: Big Norm weighed 1,600 pounds and was 7 feet long, until his untimely death by heart attack in 2008.
(Images via antlercreeklodge, internet-pets, texashuntlodge, rockinjlonghorns)
There are a wide variety of breeds of livestock and wild animals that grow incredible sets of horns… from deer to longhorn cattle (up to 7 feet from horn tip to horn tip), these are animals I would not want to encounter during any running of the bulls, that’s for sure.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Biggest Animals: The Largest of the Large
These are the extreme animals - the largest of the large; those powerful creatures who dwarf the others in their species, and awe us all:
Click Here to Read More
Biggest Animals: The Largest of the Large
July 1, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Marc in Animals & Habitats. ]
There’s a normal, expected size range in any species, and it’s natural that some will fall on the small end, and some will fall on the large end, but wow, you still don’t expect to see creatures like this. These are the extreme animals – the largest of the large; those powerful creatures who dwarf the others in their species, and awe us all:
(Images via polkaswithpugs, guzer, yousaytoo)
When your cat is larger than your neighbor’s dog, and it’s not an exotic wildcat, you’ve got a winner. The orange Maine Coon featured above is named Verismo Leonetti Reserve Red. He is 48 inches in length, and weighs 35 pounds. When standing up, he’s about the height of an 8 year old.
(Images via equineink, runcornponyclub, funnypictures, dimensionsguide)
Horses are large, powerful, animals. As the main source of early farm power and transportation, large draft breeds were utilized heavily. Here are some of the largest horses in the world, those whose genes and predispositions have bloomed into the full expression of girth and power. These horses make their human companions seem comical in comparison.
(Images via gldfrogs, yapunbreakable)
Frogs are supposed to be small and cute; sitting on a little log or in a puddle with as much impact on your life as a pretty flower. Goliath frogs missed the memo, and can grow up to 13 inches long and weigh upwards of 8 pounds!
(Images via guzer, thewere42, nationalgeographic)
Some fish can live for decades, doing nothing but gently grazing like undersea cattle… endlessly fattening up until they’re stumbled on by an ambitious fisherman. Forget putting these examples into a koi pond; you could put the pond inside them.
(Images via worldsmostunique, vinaminh, inra, bennadel)
Double muscling typically involves a genetic defect involving myostatin, a muscle inhibitor. When this beta protein isn’t around to inhibit muscle differentiation and growth, animals get… big. The most drastic example above is the Whippet (typically a lean animal) named Wendy, who weighs in at a whopping 50 pounds. Let’s hope humans don’t figure out how to start inducing this type of muscle behavior, or our body builders will become freakish.
(Images via worldmustbecrazy, dogsarethecoolest, petdoctorforum, neveryetmelted)
Dogs are such a common part of our everyday lives, that giant ones are a welcome departure from the ordinary. The above dogs have all been recognized at some point for being the largest in the world, and they don’t disappoint. The largest dog currently is a Great Dane named George who is 43 inches tall and slightly over 7 feet long (245 pounds).
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Living Large: Nine Outstanding Expanding Animals!
Size DOES matter: These 9 amazing animals prove that when the going gets tough, the tough get big!
4 Comments - Click Here to Read More
High Nature: Amazing Mountain Wildlife
June 30, 2009 by admin · View Comments
(images via claude74, itsnature, gravitydude99)
Mountains are some of the most inhospitable places on earth. Thin air, lack of vegetation and harsh weather highlight that fact. But some creatures have adapted to mountain life. For them, negotiating rocky terrain, breathing thin air, and finding food in such a scarce environment is second nature.
Snow Leopard
(image via newagecrap)
Snow Leopards are at home in South and Central Asia. They are an especially stocky cat, weighing up to 120 pounds. Despite their ferocity (snow leopards have been known to kill animals three-times their size), they are endangered, with the worldwide population estimated around 10,000.
Indian Rhino and Yak
(images via Wonker and thomaswanhoff)
The Indian Rhinoceros is one of the most unusual mountain creatures. They thrive in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in Northeastern India and Nepal. They can weight more than 3 tons, easily the largest mountain animal on earth.
The yak is a woolly, strong creature that has made life possible to humans in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau for centuries. They have larger hearts and lungs than their other bovine cousins and can survive at up to 18,000 feet above sea-level.
Mountain Goat
(image via mikefats)
There are actually several species that are often tagged as Mountain Goats. The shaggy, sure-footed Rocky Mountain Goat is frequently sighted in Colorado and Wyoming. Other species are equally sure-footed and able to survive by eating whatever the mountains have to offer.
Himalayan Griffon, Andean Condor, and Tibetan Snowcock
(images via reurinkjan, Ester Inbar and Otto Plantema)
The Himalayan Griffon Vulture is a scavenger that can often be seen soaring over the mountains of South Asia. With a wingspan that approaches 10 feet, this is one of the largest birds to be found at high altitudes.
The Andean Condor is the Griffon’s Western Hemisphere cousin. It has a similar size. This South American species can live up to 50 years.
The Tibetan Snowcock is not as large as the two scavengers above, but it is arguably as tough, carving out an existence high on the Tibetan Plateau.
Alpine Marmot
(images via leo-seta)
Alpine Marmots are the largest relative of the squirrel. They have an ideal set of skills for life in Central Europe’s mountains. They are able to dig through hard, rocky ground with ease and can escape harsh conditions by hibernating (sometimes up to nine months per year).
Vicuna and Llama
(images via Rico Hubner and eschipul)
The rare Vicuna is a cousin of South America’s most famous domesticated animal, the llama. It thrives in the same high-altitude conditions, but is considerably harder to find. At one point, there were only about 10,000 left in the wild. Protection has brought the number back to more than 100,000.
The Llama has become of necessity of life for people living in the high Andes. These relatives of the camel have are used for labor, for their thick wool, and even for food.
Alpine Ibex
(image via Earth explorer)
This species of goat is easily recognized by its long, curving horns (which can be more than three feet long). Despite the menacing appearance this gives them, the horns are mainly used for protection against predators. Like most other goats, the ibex is strictly a herbivore, surviving on sometimes scarce mountain foliage.
Water-holding Cabbage
(image via Esculapio)
This unique plant species is one of the many unique ones that grow high on Mount Kilimanjaro. The flowering tops make it seem top-heavy and completely alien.
Bharal and Deer Mice
(images via reurinkjan and kwantlen park)
The Bharal is yet another goat-like animal that thrives in sparse, rocky terrain. Its sure footing and ability to ingest anything that is vaguely edible make it an ideal mountain dweller. Bharal are a major food source for another animal on this list, Snow Leopards.
Deer Mice are found high on many of the world’s mountains. These creatures can adapt easily to a number of environments, including the extreme cold of the Andes Mountains.
Josh
Featured Video
