Author: Lisa Mungovan

It’s International Tiger Day. The world’s largest cat, with its distinctive black stripes, is found in Asia. Unfortunately, tigers are endangered. Less than 4000 remain in the wild. There are different types of tigers, such as Bengal, Siberian and Sumatran. Did you know tigers like to swim? What else can you learn about tigers today?

The night sky is full of meteors. A camping trip would be the best way to spend a night under dark skies, watching the Perseid meteor showers. August 11th will be the peak, as the Earth passes through fields of comet waste. The debris burns up, causing the shooting stars overhead.

The youngest athlete in this year’s Tokyo Olympics, is 12-year-old Hend Zara. She’s a table-tennis player from Syria, who started playing ping-pong when she was 5. Although she lost her first round to 39-year-old Lou Jia, reaching the Olympics is an amazing accomplishment. Zaza would also like to be a pharmacist or lawyer someday.

A lagoon in Argentina, turned a stunning pink. Unfortunately, the hot pink water is due to pollution. A chemical used to preserve prawns, contaminated the Chubut River and surrounding waters. Residents would rather have the natural beauty of Southern Patagonia, than the artificial color of waste chemicals.

For the first time, astronomers have detected signs of water vapor on one of Jupiter’s moons. Ice-covered Ganymede is the largest moon in our Solar System, and scientists believe it could have liquid oceans under the ice, possibly holding aquatic life. Do you think undersea aliens might look like octopuses?

It’s World Nature Conservation Day. Start your morning with a nature walk outdoors. Don’t forget a bag, to pick up any trash you find. Reward yourself with a candy bar, since it’s Milk Chocolate Day! It’s also Waterpark Day. Time to slip down some water slides, or plunge into a wave pool!

Plastic gets recycled, right? Not always. If no one wants to buy the recycled plastic, it costs waste companies too much to deal with it, and it goes to landfills. The state of Maine, started charging a fee to companies who don’t use eco-friendly packaging. It gives companies a financial incentive, to go green.

Some kids are excited to get eyeglasses. After all, they make everything crisp and clear, and they come in fun styles. For children who aren’t so happy to get glasses, there’s Truffles the cat. The support cat works with an optician, helping kids feel less nervous about glasses or eyepatches, by wearing them herself.

Today is Bagpipe Appreciation Day. Listen to some lovely bagpipe music, and make sure it’s loud enough for everyone to hear! You can even make your own, out of a garbage bag and recorders. Find the bagpipe instructions on instructables.com. Then you can play bagpipes, for the whole neighborhood to appreciate.

Today is Gary Gygax Day. He created the role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, in 1974. Get a group of wizards and barbarians together, and learn to play D & D. You’ll need same snacks, so how about popcorn and crème brûlée, also known as burnt cream. Since it’s Crème Brûlée Day, enjoy a caramelized custard cup.