Journey Through the Biosphere

Do you see anything strange...weird...or unusual?

A GLOBE ON MY BACK! Why do you think a scientist like me would carry a globe on his back?

THE STRAPS WITH THE DOOR BELLS! What do you think would happen if I pressed one of the door bells? We'll see.

LOOK! On one strap is the word BIOSPHERE. Can you say that?

The Biosphere is the living and life-supporting system in the outer part of the Earth – our planetary home. It is made up of all the Earth's air, land, water, and millions of different kinds of plants and animals. It extends from the top of the Himalayan Mountains to the bottom of the oceans and below. It is big. It is thick. But, on the scale of my globe the Biosphere is only as thick as a postage stamp.

On the other strap is another big word – ECOSYSTEM. Can you say that?

An ecosystem is a part of the Biosphere – like this room, or the City of Buenos Aires, or Argentina. When I refer to an ecosystem, I mean a part of the Biosphere that contains people. You have a personal ecosystem. Your personal ecosystem consists of you and your environment, jointly. You don't exist without an environment, and your personal environment doesn't exist without you.

MY BELT! What is this, on the buckle of my belt? The Earth! Why do you suppose I would have a picture of the Earth on the buckle of my belt? Yes, because I care about our Earth. But, there is another reason. There is a part of my body just underneath the buckle. You have one too. What is it called? The belly button! Does anyone know what the belly button is the remains of that used to be so important to us? Yes! The umbilical cord, the cord that united us to our mothers when we were in our mothers' wombs!

Sometimes kids talk about having been in their mommies' tummies. But, that's not right is it? If we had been in our mommies' tummies we would have been – like a peanut butter sandwich – digested! We were in our mothers' wombs. Mother took a deep breath – and oxygen went into her blood stream, down through the umbilical cord to us. That's how we got the oxygen to breathe. The umbilical cord transported food in and carried wastes out. It is a life-line to mother. That's why I put Mother Earth on top of my belly button.

MY BACK PACK! What do you think I have in my back pack? School books? Lunch for tomorrow? We'll see.

THIS SUIT! It is true, some people call this a jungle suit; but, in a jungle you have to cut your way through the vegetation with a machete knife – like Rambo. It's a safari suit. When you are on a safari expedition you are in Africa, driving over a flat, grassy plain in a Jeep or Land Rover. There are no roads. Only a tree sticking up here, a giraffe over there, a lion hiding in a bush behind you, and a cobra wiggling up toward you. That's more like Crocodile Dundee than Rambo.

HEY! Who do you like more, Rambo or Crocodile Dundee? Hands up for Rambo. Hands down. Hands up for Dundee. Take a look at that, teachers. (Dundee wins!) Don't despair! There is yet hope for the world!

Safari means exploration, travel. Scientists explore the world of ideas, and they travel. Six months ago I was in India. In two months I will be in Australia. Would anyone like to come along? We could charter a plane. Teachers too!

WHAT ABOUT THESE REEBOCK HIGH-TOPPERS? What sport are they for? Right! Basket ball! I'm a globe trotter.

Now, we are ready to start our journey through the Biosphere. Buckle up. For take-off we need a volunteer to press the button on the BIOSPHERE strap.

What is your name? Maria? Oh, fantastic! Maria pressed the button on the BIOSPHERE strap and the globe lit up. That means that Maria has done something good for the Biosphere today. Maria: tell us what you did today that was so good for the Biosphere.
Maria doesn't know. She is smiling and looking over there for the answer. That is the kind of woman we want on Earth. Whatever Maria did, she did it automatically, unconsciously, without thinking. Congratulations Maria! Keep up the good work. Let's have a big hand for Maria.

Now, we need a volunteer to press the button on the ECOSYSTEM strap. Keep it pressed down.

You can hear the sounds below. Listen to the sound and guess what they are, then check your answer:

That's the end of our trip. We are back home. Look at my belt. Here are pictures of our friends who made the sounds – other stakeholders in the Biosphere. The whale, the penguin, my two adopted children when they were younger than you, a wolf, the head of a rhea, lightning for the atmosphere, the head of a laughing kookaburra, chimpanzees, the nightingale, and the Asian elephant.