Natural Resources
Plants are one of our most valuable natural resources. Why? Without plants there would be no life on earth! It's a good thing we have plants and plenty of them. We'd like to show you some of the ways that plants affect your daily life.
Plants Clean the Air: Take a deep breath. Plants recycle the carbon dioxide that we give off and turn it into oxygen that we need in order to breathe. Do you have any plants inside your house? Plants kept indoors can help purify the air and smell better than a fake air freshener. Save some money, buy a plant instead!
Plants Are Our Food: Plants are not only food for animals but they are our food too! What did you have for breakfast this morning? Unless you decided to skip breakfast there was probably at least one plant somewhere in there. There are grains in cereal, or maybe you drank orange juice, either way you are using plants! What about your other meals? Maybe there are apple slices in your lunch, sweet pineapple on your sundae or french fries from the cafeteria, all of these come from plants.
Do you like tangy barbeque? How about spicy pizza? You can thank plants for that tasty boost. Now that should give you something to chew on for a while!
One of your food colorings comes from a tree. During WWII there was a shortage of butter, so people would have to use margarine. In order to make the plain white margarine look more like real butter the companies would include a small packet of dye that your family could mix into the margarine and make it turn yellow. That dye came from the Annatto tree.
Plants Become Shelter: Did you know that every building that you see around you has been constructed using wood from trees? Whether wood is hiding on the inside of the walls or very obvious on the outside, trees are part of your shelter. What about the furniture that you sit on? Do you have a wooden bed? Tonight when you get into bed look at the tag on your bed sheets. Are they made of cotton? How about the clothes you are wearing? Cotton shirts, cotton blue jeans and cotton socks are just a few of the important things in your life that come from plants.
Plants Are Used For Medicine: You probably already knew that plants were the original medicines that people would use when they were sick. Did you know that we still use them today to come up with new cures for illnesses? Just the smell of some plants can make you feel better. Have you ever used a special cream to help you breathe when you're feeling stuffy? It was probably mint or eucalyptus that helped you breathe a little easier. Do you know anyone that likes to wear perfume? Wonderful scents come from all kinds of wood, grasses, flowers and even roots.
Plants Around the World
We use plants in many different parts of our lives. Let’s find out how people all over the world used plants in their lives by visiting the WOW children’s garden and exploring six different biomes!
The Powhatan Native Americans: The Powhatan Native Americans used the native plants found in our area of the world. They used the trees and river reeds to build their homes. They grew corn, beans and squash in their three sisters garden. The native Americans were also very skilled in woodworking and created tools and weapons from the trees that grew in their area.
The Aboriginal People of Australia: The Aboriginal People of Australia use the wood from many different varieties of trees to create their tools. The wood of the acacia tree is a good choice for shields due to the solid dense wood that it provides. Clubs and boomerangs are also important tools that are made from trees such as the she-oak and wattles. Plants are collected and used for food. These include fruit, seeds, nuts and the green parts of plants. Roots, corms, bulbs and tubers are also a good source of food.
Did you know that cotton is used to make our paper currency? The money needed to be more durable than regular paper, this is why you can wash dollars and they do not fall apart!
The Ancient Greeks: The Ancient Greeks depended on three plants that make up the mediterranean triad for a large part of their diet. Olives, grapes and wheat were staple crops that the greeks would use not only for food but also for trade. Even today the olives in greece are very important to their country. During the first olympic games the reward for the winning olympian was a crown wreath made from the olive tree.
Serengeti: The Maasai people of the Serengeti Savanna rely on plants for tools, such as their drinking gourds and the spears that they use when they are hunting and protecting their cattle. Another way they use plants for protection is as fencing. The acacia tree is a tree that can live in the harsh desert conditions, and produces large thorns on the branches. These thorny branches are then used to create fences that would surround the village and help to protect their people and livestock.
Chachi: The Chachi tribe lives in the Choco rainforest of Ecuador. The rainforest provides all of the materials needed to build their homes. This structure is created from bamboo, with palm fronds making up the thatched roof. The wood from the trees is used to make canoes that the Chachi use during floods and for fishing in the river. Taro root is ground into a paste that is high in nutrients. Another plant that they eat are plantains which are a member of the banana family.
Chocolate comes from a tree that grows in warm areas and it likes to be in the shade. But do you know the difference in white and brown chocolate? Brown chocolate uses the ground up cocoa bean powder for its flavor, and the white chocolate is made with the cocoa seed oils or fats. Cocoa butter is also used as a moisturizer for your skin.
How People Affect Plants
Did you know that the things we do have an effect on the plants in our world? Think about this. Every year more and more land is being developed for homes and businesses. The trees are cut down in those areas and sometimes not replaced. Those trees provide oxygen for us to breathe and homes for the animals that live in those areas.
What can you do?
- Plant trees with your school
- Create a garden in your backyard.
- Reduce the amount of paper you use
- Recycle your cardboard and other paper goods.
- Any way you can make your planet a little more green is a good idea!
Plants are used to help freshen your breath! The mint plant is used in mouthwash, toothpaste, breath mints and gum which all help your breath smell better!
