Jake's Environmental Change Blog

  ~ Meet the Brown Spider Monkey ~      The brown spider monkey, or Ateles hybridus, is an endangered species of monkey found only in one region of the world. They are rather small, typically weighing in from 6.5 to 8.5 kilograms, however they have relatively long limbs. Thanks to their very long tail, they can easily swing between branches. You'll need to head to the northwestern-most portions of South America to find a brown spider monkey. More specifically, in northeastern Colombia's middle Magdalena River basin, in the Perija Mountains, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta's southeastern areas, and lastly across the Andes, bringing you into the western portion of Venezuela.      Ripe, fleshy fruits are crucial to the brown spider monkey, making up roughly 80% of the monkey's diet. While they mostly eat fruits, they'll also eat young flowers, leaves, seeds, aerial roots, and decaying wood, especially during times of fruit shortages. They also disperse l...

~ The Impacts of not Maintaining Soil Health ~ The United States was once known for having some of the best soil for growing crops you can find anywhere in the world. Our soil could once consistently put out very high numbers of some of the best and most nutritious crops in the world. Now after decades of very few changes in the methods of the agricultural industry, the once-famous soil found only in America is a thing of the past. But it doesn't have to be. This Politico article by Jenny Hopkinson explains some reasons behind the decline of American topsoil, some effects that has had, and how the future of healthy soil can be reshaped. In order to compensate for the increasingly low numbers of crops being produced from this worn-out topsoil, alternate measures have had to be used. For many years now, farms all over the country have been turning to spraying their crops with tons fertilizers and herbicides to desperately try to still turn a profit. Since the soil has been being til...

My favorite place to go in order to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and unwind in nature is Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania. Located in southern/central PA, a half-hour drive from Hershey, is the town of Mt. Gretna - a small lake community from the Victorian era that's nestled in the mountains. Hundreds of quaint cottages with wraparound front porches dot the tree-lined streets that wind through the hills covered in chestnut and pine trees. The town is a popular outdoorsy vacation destination, with outdoor restaurants, concerts, shows, shops, a nice beach, and close access to hiking/skiing trails. My grandfather grew up in Mt. Gretna, and my family goes down for a week during the summer every few years. We love spending time outdoors in Mt. Gretna, and taking in all that this historic resort town has to offer. An open-air restaurant/ice cream parlor in the woods of Mt. Gretna which has been open for over 100 years. Photo licensed under Creative Commons. Photo of The Jig...

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