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| Kali River Rapids |
My family and I just spent one very hot week at Walt Disney World. Now, we live in Texas, so for us to say it’s hot is really something! Temperatures were only in the mid-90s, but that Florida humidity makes it feel like 100+. Needless to say when we hit Animal Kingdom, which feels hotter than the other parks to begin with, we were ready to cool off with a splishy-splashy raft ride down the Chakranadi River (Sanskrit for “river that runs in a circle”).
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| Kali River Rapids |
Animal Kingdom’s Kali River Rapids is an adventurous jaunt through raging rapids, past lush scenery, and over daring waterfalls. Big kids, teens, and adults board circular, 12-passenger rafts and ascend a 90-foot climb before dropping into geysers and plunging down the river. The twisting turns and choppy motion send periodic wafts of water crashing over the sides of the raft, drenching passengers from head to toe. One woman on my raft held a towel over her head in attempt to stay dry, but she ended up getting soaked more than anyone else on board!
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| Kali River Rapids |
As with other Disney World attractions, Kali is more than merely an entertaining ride. It tells a story. About midway through the journey, Guests pass a burned out logging encampment. Evidence of illegal logging activity litters the riverbanks, demonstrating how renegade logging companies are threatening wildlife and destroying natural habitats. It’s quite a startling lesson about proper stewardship of our planet.
Today’s Takeaway:
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| Aspen photo via Arbor Day Foundation |
The burn scene featured in the Kali River Rapids shows us damaging effects that can happen when people are irresponsible with the environment. Resulting damage to the land sometimes needs to be rectified with a controlled burn that clears the forest floor of nutrient-robbing debris and allows fresh growth of new seedlings to sprout and thrive.
Whenever a forest fire occurs, park officials sometimes need to step in and help nature recover. This is what occurred in the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park in California last year. A 2003 wildfire wiped out 280,000 acres of cedar woodlands. Over a period of five years, officials monitored growth and decided to give it a little help by clearing the debris in controlled burns before re-planting new conifers. You can read the full article here.
Today, help the planet and plant a tree! There’s no need for a preparatory controlled burn in this case, however! Simply follow the advice found at TreeHelp.com to start a seedling and raise it big enough to transplant in your yard. Then enjoy its beauty and benefits for years to come.
Visit the Arbor Day Foundation to learn what trees are native to your area and how to properly tend them. If you decide to join the foundation, you will receive 10 FREE TREES as a thank-you gift! You can plant them in your own yard or give them as gifts to friends or donate them to the National Parks system to reforest damaged zones.
SCHOOL SUBJECT: Environmentality, Earth Science, Botany
SKILL LEVEL: All
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