New article on African penguins for kids

[DavidBrown]

Hi all,

I just wrote an article about African penguins for kids that was "published" (i.e., posted on the website) of an e-magazine called "Imagination Cafe". I am posting it here if you have kids or know any that are interested in African penguins:

Doggy Bag - Imagination Cafe

Partly this post is blatant self-promotion, but I wanted to encourage anyone who is interested in writing nature or conservation articles for kids (of any age) to pursue it. This is essential conservation work that sometimes gets sneered at by academia and the scientific establishment, but unless kids know and care about the natural world around them then all of the conservation work that scientists and zoos do is ultimately futile.

 

[snowleopard]

I think that there is nothing wrong with blatant self-promotion, and I enjoyed the line about anchovies on pizza. Congrats my friend!

 

[nanoboy]

Hi all,

I just wrote an article about African penguins for kids that was "published" (i.e., posted on the website) of an e-magazine called "Imagination Cafe". I am posting it here if you have kids or know any that are interested in African penguins:

Doggy Bag - Imagination Cafe

Partly this post is blatant self-promotion, but I wanted to encourage anyone who is interested in writing nature or conservation articles for kids (of any age) to pursue it. This is essential conservation work that sometimes gets sneered at by academia and the scientific establishment, but unless kids know and care about the natural world around them then all of the conservation work that scientists and zoos do is ultimately futile.

No sneering from me! In fact, I see value in publishing articles in humble departmental newsletters! Just keep adding to your portfolio.

Well done amigo. Really good article. I hope that this is the start of many more publications. I, like many other forumites, would be quite happy to assist with proof-reading and editing. (I might have advised to pluralise hippopotamus and crocodile in the opening paragraph for consistency - 690 GMAT score, boom!

"Some penguins do live where the South Pole is in Antarctica." As far as I know, the South Pole is not located anywhere but Antarctica.

Do I get the internship? )

 

[DavidBrown]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[BeardsleyZooFan]

Nice work! I really enjoyed it, and it's especially appropiate to post the article just a few days after African Penguin Awareness Day! Well done!

 

[Chlidonias]

I liked it too. Good job.

 

[nanoboy]

What other online articles do you have to share? And what is your next project?

 

[DavidBrown]

What other online articles do you have to share? And what is your next project?

No other online articles yet, but articles on giraffes (surprise), African elephants (more surprise), and burrowing owls out to other magazines to try and get published. I'm also working on story proposals about otter-shrews and tenrecs.

 

[nanoboy]

No other online articles yet, but articles on giraffes (surprise), African elephants (more surprise), and burrowing owls out to other magazines to try and get published. I'm also working on story proposals about otter-shrews and tenrecs.

That is fantastic. We all wish you the best of luck. I trust that you have built up a nice little network on the forum, so I hope that they assist you if they can.

It sounds like you want to publish mostly stuff for kids. Any particular reason for that? (I feel like I am interviewing a celebrity author, which you probably will be soon. )

 

[DavidBrown]

It sounds like you want to publish mostly stuff for kids. Any particular reason for that? (I feel like I am interviewing a celebrity author, which you probably will be soon. )

When I was a kid I read every book and magazine article I could about African megafauna, wildlife conservation, and zoos. They had a profound effect on how I decided to spend my life. Animals and their habitats will only survive if people care about them. The vast majority of people on this planet are young people, so I'm hoping that interesting articles may make some small contribution to increasing wildlife conservation awareness and action in that audience.

 

[nanoboy]

When I was a kid I read every book and magazine article I could about African megafauna, wildlife conservation, and zoos. They had a profound effect on how I decided to spend my life. Animals and their habitats will only survive if people care about them. The vast majority of people on this planet are young people, so I'm hoping that interesting articles may make some small contribution to increasing wildlife conservation awareness and action in that audience.

That's fantastic David. Keep the passion burning.

I guess that Nat Geo Kids and Animal Planet etc may also be on your radar. Here in Oz we have many local kids' television shows that regularly feature segments on wildlife and conservation. Many scientists appear on the shows: is this something that you could explore as well?