Everglades National Park (大沼泽地国家公园) is located in the state of Florida. It is the largest wilderness in the entire country and makes up 25% of the wetlands in the state. The park is home to several rare and endangered species. It is also the third largest national park in the US, after Death Valley and Yellowstone. Each year, about 1 million tourists visit the park. On a global level, it has been announced as a World Heritage Site.

Unlike most other national parks, Everglades National Park was created to protect an ecosystem (生态系统) from damage. In 1947, President Harry Truman spoke at the official opening of Everglades National Park, saying the goal of creating the park was to protect forever a wild area that could never be replaced.

10,000 different islands make up Everglades National Park. Each of these islands is lived by natural wildlife. The Everglades is home to about 15 species that are endangered. In addition, more than 350 bird species and 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish live within the park. The Everglades is also home to 40 species of mammals and 50 reptile species.

There are many ways to explore the Everglades. Visitors can see alligators (短吻鳄) while hiking the Anhinga Trail. The Everglades is one of the only places on Earth where freshwater alligators and saltwater crocodiles live in the same area. Visitors using airboats are likely to see large groups of birds. Some visitors might enjoy riding bicycles through Shark Valley. Others may want to move slowly through waters where they can see insects and wildlife closely.

According to experts, changes to the Everglades are becoming a danger to several different kinds of wildlife. They say it is a result of actions the US government began more than 50 years ago, and settlers began even earlier.

A humpback, a kind of big whale, can weigh as much as 40 tons and reach 50 feet from nose to tail. That means they can easily overturn small boats and it can be a great trouble to anyone who jumps on the back of the animal.

But that was just what Sam Synstelien did when he saw a humpback in trouble in Central California’s Morro Bay. The animal was hopelessly tangled (缠绕) in a rope that was attached to a buoy (浮标).

Synstelien, along with his partner Nicholas Taron, had already tried reporting the poor animal to the U.S. Coast Guard — but they were told it would be hours before rescuers could come. Hours, the fishermen thought, this whale didn’t have. “If we wanted the humpback to survive we had to go to get it,” Taron later said. “We thought there was no other choice for the whale; we decided to go for it. We were so excited then. I don’t think we were that scared.”

It’s easy for Taron to say, of course. His role in the rescue was mostly in the cheering department. In the video, you can hear him shouting “Swim! Swim! Move! Just get it! Get it!” from the side of the boat while filming the entire rescue. “The humpback was just swimming in circles,” Taron said. “You could tell it was stressed and being held to the bottom.”

The very agitated whale didn’t take well to human intervention (介入) and even hit the boat with its huge tail with a lot of force. But Synstelien hung in there, and at last cut through the rope. And then with a sudden move, the humpback swam deep down beneath the waves. It wasn’t much of a thank you, but Synstelien and Taron were happy.

It was a perfect summer morning on the beach in Rio De Janeiro. A man set up his umbrellas and chair near the water and was ready to read his book. Just then, when he looked toward the sea, he noticed a small shape that came out of the water. It slowly made its way out onto the sand and began to flap its wings. It was obviously feeble and tired.

When the creature was just a few feet away, the man couldn't believe his eyes. A penguin? Penguins don't belong to Rio. The mans was amazed. He looked around to see if there was anyone else this strange sight.

A jogger soon appeared, followed by another. They stopped and stared. It was clear that the penguin was having trouble breathing. The first jogger looked at the sea and said, “Poor fellow, so far away form home.”

The penguin fell to its side. It had swum 2, 000 miles, trying to find the tiny fish that penguins like to eat. Why did the penguin need to travel so far? Perhaps it was confused by moving ocean currents and temperatures—common effects of global warming. The penguin needed help. It would not survive on the hot sand.

One of the joggers phone for help, and soon some firemen arrived. The man was relieved that the penguin would soon be safe, although he felt a little sad, too.

The event on the beach at Rio happened some time ago. It was only the beginning of penguin migration to Brazil. Since that time, hundreds of penguins have appeared on the coasts of Brazil. They come all the way from Patagonia and the Straits of Magellan, southern parts of South America. They land on the sands very tired and starving, and many of them die. Some are shipped or flown back to colder waters farther south.

Perhaps the experience of the penguins will help us better understand the serious effect of human activity on climate change and on the condition of our planet.