Thank you squirrels!

Squirrels are responsible for giving the world a lot of new trees. Hundreds of trees grow every year because of squirrels forgetting where they buried their nuts!

Fireflies are beetles, not flies

Fireflies are nocturnal members of lampyridae, a family of insects within the beetle order coleoptera, or winged beetles.

They create light as if by a chemical called luciferin inside their abdomen/tail combines with oxygen, calcium and adenosine triphosphate, a chemical reaction occurs that creates their spectacular light. There are about 2,000 firefly species in which some actually synchronise their flashes in a beautiful light show.

What is a comfort dog?

A comfort dog is a friend who brings a calming influence to people. Golden retrievers are commonly recruited for the role, since they tend to be calm and friendly to strangers.

The idea dates back to the 1970s, when a New Jersey-based nurse Elaine Smith saw that her patients were calmed by visits from a chaplain’s dog.

Smith founded Therapy Dogs International to build a network of animals that love humans and can be dispatched to patients in need. Studies show that dogs have helped lower patients’ blood pressure and helped draw some out of depression.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 30th, 2016