[gulp] Ahhhh…nothing quite like a tall glass of fresh water to quench your thirst, huh?
And speaking of water…
Did you know that most of the Earth's surface is covered in water? [ding!]
But this isn't fresh water.
No, no.
This is ocean water, which is salty.
That means it's not considered "fresh" water.
We can't drink it.
As a matter of fact, only a very small [ding!] amount of the Earth's water is freshwater.
And that very small amount is responsible for keeping people, plants, and most animals alive.
So why don't we take a minute to learn about this very important part of the Earth's biomes?
It's time to tell you about (drum roll) freshwater biomes. [glug, glug, glug]
[glug, glug] [loud exhale]
[splash]
As I said before, freshwater biomes are super important.
We use them for drinking, transportation, electricity, jobs, and even for fun!
So what are the major areas of fresh water?
Ah, well, we got lakes, rivers and streams, and wetlands.
And even though these freshwater biomes take up a very small part of the Earth's surface,
they are still home to over 100,000 different kinds of plants and animals. [splash]
First, let's take a look at lakes.
You now know that lakes are filled with fresh water.
But they also don't seem to flow or move very much.
It almost seems like the water is just kinda ... sitting there?
It's not that the water's stuck.
No, no.
It's that the water in a lake fills up faster than it can leave through the ground or through
a nearby stream.
Some lakes were formed by giant masses of ice called glaciers.
When a glacier moved over the land, it would sometimes leave giant holes.
Then, over many, many, years, rain would fill the holes up with water.
Some lakes are made when a volcano erupts.
Crater Lake in Oregon, is one of these lakes.
A long time ago, a volcano blew – leaving a huge hole in the ground … Which – over
time – filled up with water from rain and snow.
Now Crater Lake is a beautiful, blue lake – one of the clearest lakes in the world.
It's also the deepest lake in the United States.
Some lakes are close to each other, like these five big lakes in North America.
These five lakes are called the Great Lakes and together they make up the largest water
system in the world!
The five Great Lakes are Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and Lake
Huron.
Lake Michigan is the only one that's fully within the United States.
The rest of the lakes are partly in the U.S. and partly in Canada.
So we share them!
People depend on the Great Lakes to transport goods from one city to the next.
And lots of people depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water, too.
Plus, lots of people have fun at the lakes!
Boating, swimming, fishing, or just hanging out at the beaches.
Speaking of beaches, there's a lot of animals that live on the shores of these lakes, like
otter and moose.
And fish live in the waters, too!
We have trout, walleye, perch, bass ... to name a few.
And birds!
There's lots of birds that feed, rest, and nest around these lakes.
We have bald eagles, tern, loon, cormorants, and so many more that depend on these lakes.
Ponds are like little lakes – and like lakes, they're places where water doesn't flow very much.
You might even have a pond in your own town or neighborhood.
Even though they're not that big, ponds are still teeming with life.
Plenty of plants and animals call the pond their home.
Frogs, turtles, fish, snails, and dragonflies are all sorts of animals that you can find
around a pond.
They eat the plants that grow in the water or those that grow around the edge of the
pond – and they also use them to rest or to build their homes.
Like this heron eating the fish from a pond.
Or this frog that's just chillin' on a lily pad.
You'll also see cattails and other types of wild grass growing in and around a pond.
[splash] Now, let's move on from lakes and ponds and
talk about rivers and streams.
Unlike a lake, a river flows.
It moves.
Whether it's a small, gentle stream or a huge, winding river, this water will flow in one
direction, eventually connecting to another body of water, and finally leading out to
the ocean.
So who lives in a river?
We have trout, beavers, ducks… and salmon.
Oh, man!
These amazing fish are, well, amazing!
A salmon begin its life in a freshwater stream, and when it gets old enough, it'll swim out
to the ocean, where it will spend most of its life, depending on the type of salmon.
When it's finally time for the salmon to lay its own eggs, it will, somehow, find the exact
stream where it was born.
It's a long and dangerous journey from the ocean back to the stream, but eventually the
salmon will swim all the way there to lay its very own eggs, or spawn.
And do you know what animal depends on these salmon for food?
Bears!
Bears will eat and catch the salmon as they're swimming back upstream.
Wow!
The Mississippi River and the Missouri River connect to form the longest river system in
North America.
It's about 4,000 miles long!
Rivers help us transport goods and people over long distances.
We also use the water rivers to water our crops
and for electricity.
In fact, you might have noticed that a lot of towns and cities are built near rivers.
They're just that helpful to us!
One of the longest rivers in the world is the Amazon River in South America.
It's so long that it goes through six different countries!
The rainforests around the Amazon River are lush and full of life.
Monkeys, parrots, sloths, snakes, and… pink dolphins!
Yeah, you heard that right.
Pink dolphins.
Unlike the usual dolphins that we see that live in the ocean, these dolphins are called
"river dolphins," and they live in and around the Amazon River –
fresh water.
[Splash] [fun music]
What's that sound mean?
[kids in the background: "joke time!"]
I can't hear you ... [kids, louder: "JOKE TIME!")
That's right! It's joke time,
and I've got some great fresh water-themed jokes for you today.
OK.
First one:
Knock Knock!
[who's there?]
Water.
[water who?]
"Water" you waiting for?
Open the door!
OK, OK. What about a riddle? I've got a riddle for you ….
What is it that runs but never walks?
A river!
Ah?
OK, OK, I got one last one.
One last one.
Uh, what did the frog use to write down their homework?
A lily pad!
I'll get you next time.
[splash] Now let's take a look at another very important
freshwater biome: wetlands.
Wetlands can often be found near lakes, rivers, or other bodies of water.
At first glance, a wetland might just seem like just a flooded area without much to offer.
But really, wetlands are home to many different types of animals, like beavers, pelicans,
heron, ducks, geese…
Lots of birds live in the wetlands, or at the very least stop by to eat and rest up
on their journeys.
And plenty of plants live here too, like lilies, duckweed, mangroves, cattails, milkweed…
I could go on and on.
Not only do a lot of plants and animals call the wetlands their home, but wetlands also
have a very important job.
Wetlands help prevent flooding by absorbing water before it can overflow onto land.
Not only that, but wetlands also keep water clean.
The plants that live there filter out bacteria and other pollutants naturally.
And the cleaner water flows out to rivers and streams.
The most famous area of wetlands in the United States is the Everglades in Florida.
Boy, is this place home to some amazing plants and animals!
You have birds, like this egret; reptiles, like alligators; mammals, like the rare Florida
panther; and manatees!
The Everglades is often called "the River of Grass."
Can you guess how it got that name?
[splash] Do you have any freshwater biomes near where
you live?
If so, pay close attention to the ponds, rivers, lakes, wetlands, streams, creeks, or other
bodies of water you have.
Take your notebook.
Draw pictures of what you see.
And, make sure to write down any questions you have, so you can look them up later.
And be sure to pay attention to the sounds too.
Don't just focus on what you see – notice what you hear.
If you be still, and listen…you'll be amazed at what kinds of sounds you'll hear.
Birds chirping [chirping], insects buzzing [buzz], water flowing,
frogs croaking [croak, croak, croak], turtles splashing around [sploosh].
You'll never know what you discover.
So, I'll see you guys soon, but in the meantime remember to always be clever!