Author: Lisa Mungovan

About 1/3 of the food produced around the world, is wasted every year. Visit grocery stores that sell ugly fruits and vegetables, or even give food away. Community refrigerators and food banks feed people with donated food. Food can be turned into fuel or fertilizer. On Stop Food Waste Day, eat all your leftovers!

Today we’re celebrating, Guide Dogs Day. Guide dogs are dogs that are trained to lead blind and visually impaired humans. They help people around obstacles. Dogs are color blind, and can’t read street signs, so they still need to be assisted by their human. Never pet or distract a guide dog. They’re working!

Today is We Jump The World Day, celebrating Parkour. Also known as free running, it requires impossible-looking jumps and catapulting off walls! It might be easier to celebrate International Dance Day, by dancing all day long! It’s also Zipper Day, so use your jacket zipper to create a funky rhythm.

The world’s oldest Humboldt penguin, just celebrated her 38th birthday, at the paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in England. The penguin, named Spneb, received a birthday cake as tall as her, topped with fishy treats. Spneb still has a healthy appetite, and enjoys supervising the younger penguins despite her advanced age.

The Voyager 1 probe, launched in 1977, is the farthest spacecraft from Earth. After nearly 50 years, its generators are losing power. NASA decided to shut down an instrument that studies solar wind and the interstellar medium, in order to save power for Voyager to continue exploring the Universe.

March Madness is all about basketball and brackets. March Napness, however, tracks 22 brown bears hibernating in Europe, at Four Paws animal sanctuaries. The last bear sleeping becomes the March Napness winner. The event lasted until April 15th, when Amelia and Meimo emerged from their den in Switzerland, at the same time.

Today is Superhero Day. Wear your favorite superhero costume, or create your own secret identity. Don’t forget an outfit. Then read something by Shakespeare or Dr. Seuss, Maya Angelou or Shel Silverstein, or another favorite poet. It’s Great Poetry Reading Day! And we can’t forget Blueberry Pie Day! Don’t stain your super-clothes with blueberries.

Frogs are amazing amphibians. It’s fascinating to visit a pond, and watch tiny tadpoles, grow bigger and develop legs. Frogs are an indicator species, meaning land and water pollution, really affect their health. Frog populations suffer, when environmental health declines. Today is Save The Frogs Day, so let’s help all 2000 species.

Today is Crow and Raven Appreciation Day. Corvids, like crows and ravens, are extremely intelligent birds. They’ve been known to solve puzzles, plan for the future, make compound tools! Researchers observed crows using two or more useless objects, to create a tool to help them get food out of a box.

Today is World Tapir Day. Tapirs are animals that look kind of like a pig, with a short trunk like an elephant. There are 4 different types, living in South and Central America, and in Southeast Asia. Tapirs are herbivores, and use their prehensile snouts to pick leaves and berries. That’s a talented nose!