Quokka Coloring pages

Coloring pages of quokkas, one of the most cute animals in the world. The quokka is an Australian marsupial, also called the "happiest animal in the world" because of the smile that is always on its face. Quokka Day does not yet have a fixed date, and is celebrated between the end of August and mid-September. The Quokka Day celebrations were announced by the Minister of Tourism of the island of Rottnest in Australia, which is the main place where the quokka lives. Quokka is the national emblem of the island of Rottnest, located near the city of Perth in the state of Western Australia. Unfortunately it is in danger of extinction, because its living area shrinks as the person makes his mark in the area. Quokka is an herbivore that is mainly active at night. It needs hiding places to protect her from foxes, cats, dogs and dingo. Due to deforestation, swamp drainage and burning of vegetation for agricultural development, its hiding places are shrinking and its species is in a vulnerable state of conservation. For this reason the Rottnest Island Authority has announced an entire weekend to be dedicated to quokka to raise awareness for the need to preserve it. Many quokkas live in a small terrestrial colony in the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, where they are parallel to another small marsupial, the Gilbert's potoroo (Potorous gilbertii). The size of the quokka is about the size of a domestic cat and is one of the first Australian mammals to be seen by Europeans who came to Australia in the 17th century.
Willem de Vlamingh, a Dutch captain who explored the central west coast of Australia (then called New Holland) reported in 1696 that the island where he saw the quokka was full of giant rats, so he called it "Eylandt 't Rottenest" (in Dutch "rat's nest").
The quokka is a human-friendly animal. It is not afraid of them and often approaches them, but on the island of Rottnest, coming into contact with quokka is illegal.
The weight of the quokka ranges from 2.5 to 5 kg. Its body length is 40-90 cm and its tail is relatively short for a pocket animal. It can climb trees and shrubs. The quokka calves once a year, and in its litter there is only one puppy, which further puts this species in danger of extinction.

Here are the coloring pages of quokkas. Choose the drawing of quokka that you want to paint, print and color for your enjoyment. If it failed or you want to paint differently and use other colors, no problem, you can go back and print again. 

PS- To save paper and help our planet, you can print on used pages, on the blank side ♥

World Bee Day - May 20

In 2007, beekeepers around the world discovered that 40 billion bees had disappeared from their hives. If the disappearance of the bees continues, we will be in serious trouble.

Bees are one of the most important animals for the continued existence of humans, and in recent years there has been a fear of their extinction because their numbers are declining. The bees are pollinating animals, the ones that transfer the pollen of the plants from the males to the females, in order to reproduce them, and without them this process will be harmed. Bees also help warn of environmental hazards and when a local ecosystem is not functioning properly.

The extinction of bees will not only result in a worldwide shortage of honey, but also of fruits and vegetables.

Photo courtesy of: Yoel Yaron

The dangers facing bees are invasive insects, pesticides and land use for uses other than agriculture, and thus their nutrients are reduced and bee colonies are under serious threat.

Following the discernment of the declining bee population, initiatives have arisen to protect them. One of these initiatives is World Bee Day, announced by the UN in 2017.

The date of May 20 was chosen because it is the birthday of Anton Janša, the pioneer of the bee industry who was involved in beekeeping and honey production. Janessa was born in Slovenia in the 18th century, and was the first beekeeper in the world.

How to mark Bee Day around the world?

Plant wildflower seeds (from which the bees produce nectar), and grow plants in the garden that do not need much water or special chemicals to grow.

Get to know the local beekeepers and learn from them about the craft of making honey.

Buy / prepare / eat honey or foods that contain honey.

Read and learn about bees and other pollinators, and how we can stop bee extinction.

May 20 is also Quiche Lorraine Day

Squirrel Appreciation Day- January 21st

 January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day, a day created to recognize the role that the squirrel plays in nature and its contribution to the environment.

The Squirrel Day was created by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife restorer in North Carolina, USA, from the Western Nature Center in North Carolina on January 21, 2001.

The squirrel family in the world has about 50 types of squirrels that are divided into about 270 species.

A fossil study has found that the squirrel family originated in the northern hemisphere. Their earliest remains were found in the North American continent and date to about 36 million years ago. A fossil has been found in Europe from 23.8-33.7 million years ago.

Squirrels are not shy creatures, they have no problem getting out during the day, making them one of the rare wild mammals we often see, even on city streets and parks.

In honor of Squirrel Day, get 20 fun facts about them:

1. The squirrel family is common all over the world except Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica.

2. In Greek the word "squirrel" means skioros - "tail". Gave them the name of the Greek philosopher Aristotle.

3. The most prominent behavior of squirrels is the storage of nuts and acorns for the winter. What is needed for squirrel species that do not fall asleep this season.

4. The hind legs of squirrels are double-jointed, giving them the ability to run up and down trees very quickly.

5. In 2007, Iran claimed that 14 squirrels found near the country's borders were in fact spies.

6. The mating season of squirrels is from February to May, with a gestation period of 44 days. Usually two to four young squirrels are born in each litter.

7. Squirrels have 4 front toes, which are extremely sharp and are used to hold bark while climbing. They also have 5 toes on their hind legs.

8. In addition to living in the eastern United States, eastern gray squirrels are found in many western countries, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa.

9. Squirrels can eat food at their body weight each week, which is about 1.5 kg.

10. Squirrels can fall from a height of 30 meters, without harming themselves. In jumping, or falling, they use the tail both for balance and as a parachute!

11. A male squirrel can smell a female in heat up to a distance of about 10 miles.

12. Arctic ground squirrel (a type of ground squirrel native to the North Pole) is the only warm-blooded mammal capable of withstanding freezing body temperatures during hibernation (winter sleep).

13. The squirrels' eyes are positioned in a way that allows them to see behind them.

14. In 2013, authorities shut down a campsite in the Los Angeles National Forest when they found an infected squirrel living there. The infection actually killed a 15-year-old boy from Kyrgyzstan, who was bitten by a mountain squirrel. A closure on 100 people had to be carried out for this infection to disappear.

15. Squirrels are smart creatures and can learn to navigate many obstacles to find the most effective way to eat, they are also quite good at finding shortcuts.

16. Squirrels can jump up to 20 meters. They have long, muscular hind legs and short front legs that work together to aid in leaping.

17. In the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from 2005, in the squirrel scene, the squirrels were not animated but real, and were professionally trained by Walnut Animal Trainer Michael Alexander and his team who spent 19 weeks training these squirrels for this one scene.

18. In 1963, a bridge called Nutty Narrows was built in Longview, Washington. The 60 feet total length bridge made the city the capital of squirrel-loving America. In the city of Longview, a squirrel festival is held in August every year.

19. Since 2004 the squirrels have been divided into five subfamilies: Xerinae (ground squirrels), Ratufinae (Oriental giant squirrel), Sciurillinae (Neotropical pygmy squirrel), Sciurinae and Callosciurinae (beautiful squirrels).

20. Squirrels have a great ecological impact. They are miners from burrows where rodents and reptiles live, they dig in the soil and extract from it substances that help the plants, but are also a bit harmful because they eat their plants and seeds. They are used as food for many predators like foxes, ferrets and birds of prey.

How to celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day?

The best way to celebrate this special day is to learn about the types of squirrels.

There are so many interesting things about squirrels that we did not mention, like the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel which are small furry creatures (20-30 cm) and sweet, with big eyes and a long hairy tail. They are common in China, Japan, Northern Europe and Asia and are also adopted as pets .

Share the information about this day with friends and express love to squirrels! You can also buy squirrel-themed gifts like a doll or a miniature.

  January 21 is also Hugging Day