By: Shreeya Indap
The DL Trail Project is Dandilyonn’s newest initiative to catch up with our local trails in the Bay Area. The idea was born on a red and yellow train chugging through the rolling hills of the Alps. There, I was overwhelmed with the beauty that Mother Earth has gifted us but ashamed that humans are not realizing how unfortunate it is that they are destroying this gift with their very own hands. In Switzerland, we were visiting new mountains and trails everyday and I thought to myself, “Why don’t we do this in our hometowns and learn about preserving the nature?” What will see on your trip? Which problems do we observe? You’ll find all this information and more in our upcoming DL Trail Project articles!
This week, I had the chance to visit the Sabercat Creek Trail, in the Mission San Jose area of Fremont. Overall, the 2-mile trail itself is very pleasant. There are many native plants around the path; tall trees and some grasses line each side and you can hear the calming sound of running water in the middle portion of the walk. It’s a nice escape from our busy lives that’s only a few minutes away from our homes.
FUN FACT: The Sabercat Creek Trail used to be an archeological dig site where fossils like mammoths, giant sloths, and cave bears have been unearthed!
In addition, seeing some of the good effects of the Sabercat Creek Restoration Project was comforting. There are plenty of young trees growing in the designated areas, but I noticed that some of the other trees that had been planted around the same time were now turning brown and were also withering. It’s not certain why this is happening, because drips have been placed next to each newly-planted tree, but it’s possible it could be because of the California drought that these trees aren’t getting the amount of water that they need to survive.
With the current rate at which the city is permitting new constructions, these creeks and trails might not even exist in the next 10 years! And it doesn’t help that all of these native plants and animals will have to combat the harsh realities of climate change in the near future, like pollution, droughts, and global warming. **I will be emailing the Fremont Environmental Services to inquire if these areas are in protected lands and will update you shortly.**
We need to start focusing on our planet and the long term effects on what these problems are going to do to every living being on Earth in a few hundred years. Instead of building more homes, we should be centering our time on enriching areas like the Sabercat Creek Trail; making them more extensive, healthy, and beautiful.
By: Ojaswee Chaudhary
The arctic is one of the most diverse and unique regions of the world covering the span of about 8 countries and inhabits close to 13 million people. It is rich with various exotic wildlife such as the animal of legends, reindeer, the adorable polar bear, the unicorn of the seas, the narwhal, and many, many more. These precious animals are heavily affected by the rising problem of climate change. Climate change includes the increase in the average temperature of the entire world, courtesy to pollution and the misuse of the Earth’s natural resources. Each animal mentioned above has been, and still is, being harmed by climate change in specific ways.
Let’s begin with the narwhals, who are heavily, HEAVILY affected by climate change. They are, in fact, one of the first to be harmed. Climate change causes sudden shifts of temperature in the Arctic. While narwhals are swimming, the water surrounding them could start to freeze up causing the sea animal to be trapped. Narwhals either die of starvation in the traps or are eaten by polar bears. Trapped narwhals also attract humans, who want the animal’s well-known tusk, which resembles the horn of a unicorn. Increased human attraction causes more boat activity which increases the likelihood of oil spills. On the other hand, warmer temperatures in water attract killer whales, the number one predator of narwhals.
There has been a major decline of land, food, and shelter in the arctic for these animals because of climate change. Reindeer lavishly feed on a specific plant called lichen in the winter season. As temperature increases lichen disappears, obviously causing the animal to die out. Warmer winters also means more rain and precipitation which eventually refreezes the reindeers’ vegetation.
Narwhals, reindeer, and polar bears are just a few endangered animals being harmed by climate change. And this, is mainly all because of humans. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which we create by burning our natural resources, fill the air and block heat from going to space as it should. By reducing the use of cars, electricity, and other causes of greenhouse gases, we can make a difference and save the animals that share our home, the planet Earth.