24 NAT GEO KIDS^ •^ MAY 2022
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About 80 percent of
Earth’s land animals make
a home among the trees.
But these habitats are
disappearing across the
globe. In the last 10,000
years (when humans
began farming), we’ve lost
30 percent of all trees that
were once on Earth.
That’s bad news for the
animals that live in forests,
as well as for people
everywhere: Trees turn
the atmosphere’s carbon
dioxide into the oxygen
we breathe. Plus, by
absorbing heat-trapping
CO 2 , trees help fight
climate change.
But lots of people are
working hard to protect
forests—and you can help,
too. Follow these tips to
help keep the planet’s
forests standing tall.
GIFT THRIFT
Wrapping paper and greeting
cards are made of paper—
but these items often aren’t
recyclable. Make your own
gift bag by coloring on a
small paper take-out bag,
or create a homemade card
from scrap paper.
ANIMAL AID
Forest animals like scarlet macaws, sloths,
and tigers deserve to live in the wild, not in
people’s homes or at roadside attractions.
Never purchase or pay to touch an animal
that should be living in the wild, and ask
your parents not to “like” social media
posts of these animals living as pets.
SNACK SELECTION
Ask your parents to look for a seal from the Rainforest
Alliance or the Forest Stewardship Council on items like
bananas, coffee, and chocolate. Many food products are
grown on land that was once a rainforest, but these
groups work with farmers and foresters to cut down
fewer trees.
BY ALLYSON SHAW