One day I wish to step inside a real rainforest
To bear witness to their magical splendor and
mystical aliveness that has captured my green
heart from afar
Until then, I will describe a few of the rainforests
that are located in different parts of this world
With this writing, which I hope will help cast their
magical spell upon you too, if you are not already
completely enchanted by their wondrous beauty
There is the Hoh Rainforest at Olympic National Park
in Washington state
In it you can find beautiful birds such as the varied
thrush, western robin, winter wren, pileated
woodpecker, gray jay, junco, and raven which add
sound texture to this rainforest
You will also find animals such as the black-tailed deer,
cougar, black bear, river otter, Douglas squirrel,
jumping mouse and shrew that dwell here
As well as many species of insects, reptiles and
amphibians do too
There are many giant trees in here, so giant that when
you stand next to them you feel your smallness in
the whole of the universe
There is The Atherton Tableland which is situated in the
center of Australia's Wet Tropics World Heritage
Rainforest
In it you can find beautiful birds such as the southern
cassowary, australian brush-turkey, orange-footed
scrubfowl, green pygmy-goose, grey goshawk, sarus crane,
white-headed pigeon, brown cuckoo-dove, double-eyed fig
parrot, emerald dove, australian king-parrot, crimson
rosella, southern boobook, lesser sooty owl, papuan
frogmouth, azure kingfisher, lovely fairy-wren, bridled
honeyeater, pale-yellow robin, golden whistler, pied
monarch, spotted catbird and other birds of beauty
You will also find animals such as the red legged
pademelon kangaroo, musky rat kangaroo, lumholtz
tree kangaroo, long nosed bandicoot, northern brown
bandicoot, giant white-tailed uromys, yellow-footed
antechinus, herbert river ringtail possum, striped
possum, coppery brushtail possum, green ringtail
possum, lemuroid ringtail possum, sugar glider as
well as many others that dwell here
There are many frogs such as the northern red-eyed tree
frog, northern barred frog, dainty green tree frog,
striped marsh frog, giant tree frog, lesueur's frog
green tree frog, green-eyed frog, northern dwarf tree
frog, nursery frog #1, and nursery frog #2 that hop
around this habitat
There are butterflies and moths such as the ulysses
butterfly, birdwing butterfly, regent skipper,
hercules moth, zodiac moth, and union jack delias
that flutter around from flower to flower and branch
to branch
There are even some reptiles such as the carpet python,
amethystine python, boyd's forest dragon, green tree
snake, northern leaf tailed gecko, brown tree snake,
eastern water dragon, red bellied black snake, spotted
tree monitor, and eastern brown snake that slither
around on this rainforest's ground
There is Manu, the hidden rainforest of Peru
This rainforest is home to the Machiguenga
and is also home to over 1,000 species of birds,
300 species of trees, many animals and beautiful
flora and fauna
Mammals such as the jaguar, the howler monkey, the giant
otter, the giant anteater, the tree sloth, the
brazilian tapir, and the Collared Peccary live here
naturally
There are some rodents such as the brown agouti, the paca,
and the Capybara that live here with them
Some of the birds that fly around in here are the harpy
eagle, the yellow-tufted woodpecker, the macaw, the
black skimmer, hoatzin and many more
Some reptiles that slink around here are the black caiman,
the tree boa, and the mighty anaconda snake
One of the insects that live here too is the leaf cutter ant
A few of the magnificent trees that grow here are the
Strangler Fig Tree, the Brazil Nut Tree, the Cacao Tree
and many more
Some of the useful plants that grow here are Ayahuasca Vine,
Piri-piri aka Medicinal Sedges, Curare, Tohe (TOE-HEY)
aka Deadly Nightshade, Rubber Tree, Manioc aka Cassava or
Yuca, Barbasco, Achiote aka Annato, Passion Fruit, Cat's
Claw plus many, many more
There's also formations of Cochas, which are oxbow-shaped
lakes formed when portions of rivers are cut off and
isolated from the main stream, which are located around
the Manu River
Oh my, there are so many birds, animals, amphibians and
insects living in these paradises here on earth
With flora and fauna that is beautiful
beyond the belief of the mind's eye
That beckons from us more than a wondrous sigh
For these are their indigenous homes where they are safe,
happy and warm
How lucky they are to live amongst such beauty
and who are we to take away their beauty that belongs
to them, to take away their place in this world
Most importantly, we must not forget about the indigenous
people who inhabit and protect the world's rainforests,
and who make them their home
If we are to save the world's rainforests
We must learn from their tribal way of life
instead of ignoring them and de-educating them
For they are the guardians of the earth
that are entrusted with worldly wisdom and vision
That is to be passed onto future generations
The future generations that will continue to protect and
inhabit the world's rainforests
Because the future of the rainforests
is the future of Mankind
by savvy-06/11/2001...
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