Author: Lisa Mungovan

Plan a night under the stars, watching the Perseid meteor showers. August 12-13th will be the peak, as the Earth passes through fields of the Swift-Tuttle Comet’s waste. The debris burns up, causing shooting stars in our skies. You can start searching the skies now, as they are visible from mid-July to late August.

Today is I Love Horses Day. Whether you horseback ride, or just enjoy watching them, horses are wonderful. If you’re lucky enough to have one for a pet, include them for Pet Fire Safety Day. Survey your home for ways your pets could start fires, and create an emergency rescue plan for them.

Today is Give Something Away Day. Maybe it’s a toy you don’t use anymore, or some shoes you outgrew, but someone out there is sure to find a use for it! It’s also Gummi Worm Day, and Tapioca Pudding Day. Put the worms in pudding, then give some servings of your yummy-gummy dessert away!

Did you know, it’s Be Nice To Bugs Day? Don’t squish bugs just because you’re bigger than them. Most insects won’t hurt you, and they’re an important part of the ecosystem. Bugs are pollinators, decomposers, soil enrichers, and food for other animals. Study a beetle, watch ants work, and be nice to bees.

Today is World Chimpanzee Day. Chimps are not monkeys, but great apes. They are the closest genetic relatives, to humans, and like us, they don’t have tails. Chimpanzees are endangered, primarily due to their habitat loss in the forests and savannahs of Africa. They live in groups, but build their own individual beds each night.

Today is Shark Awareness Day. There are over 400 species of sharks, from the 7-inch dwarf lanternshark, to the 60-foot whale shark. Only 34 shark species have ever made a rare attack on a human, but humans kill over 100,000,000 sharks per year. You’re actually 20 times more likely to get killed by a cow, than a shark!

Chaos! Ruckus! Commotion! It’s all good on Pandemonium Day! Cause pandemonium by tying a tape measure in a knot, while celebrating Tape Measure Day. Measure the length of your cheesey noodles, since today is also Mac And Cheese Day. Then try to measure a wet dog with your cheese-covered ruler. That’ll cause real pandemonium!

When you drive by a field full of cows, do you moo at them? Today is Cow Appreciation Day. The main part of a cow’s 4-chambered stomach can hold 50 gallons of food. That’s about the same as a big bathtub! Did you know a cow can walk up stairs, but not down? That’s crazy!

Six metallic spheres, about twice as big as a basketball, were found on a beach in Queensland Australia. The mysterious objects were nicknamed space balls, because they appeared to be debris from a rocket. The pressurized vessels sometimes contain gas or liquid, so the objects were removed by emergency responders.

Don’t be alarmed if you see a squirrel, stretched out flat on the ground. It’s just trying to stay cool. On hot days, squirrels and other animals sploot on cool surfaces, to dump heat. Many mammals have less fur on their bellies, so the cooler temperatures of a shaded rock feels refreshing.