Penguins, courtesy of Wikipedia

Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.

Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator.

The largest living species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): adults average about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (75 lb) or more. The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the Fairy Penguin, which stands around 40 cm tall (16 in) and weighs 1 kg (2.2 lb). Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates (see also Bergmann's Rule). Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions; on the contrary, subantarctic regions harboured high diversity, and at least one giant penguin occurred in a region not quite 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, in a climate decidedly warmer than today. (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Do the Next Right Thing: Life, and Penguins

Penguins on South Georgia Island
The sun is shining and a summer breeze is blowing. It's Sunday afternoon, and at least three possible activities show up on my to-do list. I've decided to do a portion of two of them -- not quite as much of either one as my "list" would prefer, but enough. Most importantly, doing some of each will let me savor a sense of balance today.

Often I find I have one of these situations: (1) too many options, with no certainty about which to choose; or (2) only two choices, neither of which seems right.

Today's list-making fell into the first group. So I remembered the guideline: Do the next right thing.

Somehow, there usually is something on the list that qualifies as "the next right thing." Then it's simpler to make the choice -- although there may still be a cost.

At  South Georgia Island
I'm looking forward to helping with penguin survival this week. Lucy and Bernd, whose travels around the world included a visit to Antarctica and nearby lands to see the penguins, found a place where even small donations make a difference: the island of South Georgia.

South Georgia is still recovering from devastating sealing and whaling practices that altered its marine and land species drastically. Now another danger has arrived: Brown Norway rats, imported to the island (probably on ships), are eating the eggs of the penguins there.

Any size donation here will help to eradicate the invasive rats -- and protect this colony of penguins. The donation can even be made via PayPal (how easy!).

I am so glad that today's "next right thing" doesn't actually require me to sail across that ocean.
Posted by Beth Kanell at 9:21 AM

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