California’s Yosemite National Park is home to many stunning waterfalls. However, from mid-to-late February each year, the unlikely star of the preserve is Horsetail Fall-a small waterfall that forms over the eastern edge of the park’s famous vertical rock formation, El Capitan, every winter. That’s because, during the two-week-period, the temporary1,000-foot fall frequently transforms into a red “firefall” for about ten minutes a day during sunset.

For the phenomenon to occur, several conditions need to coincide. There must be enough snow and snow must be melted to form the waterfall. During drought years, Horsetail Fall is reduced to a trickle flowing slowly in drops or does not appear at all. Additionally, the skies have to be entirely clear. Even a slight mist is enough to ruin the illusion (错觉) of fire falling down the cliffs. Finally, the sun has to strike the water from the right angle to set the waterfall “burning” brightly.

The “firefall” has been popular with professional and amateur photographers since the 1940s.However, in recent years, thanks to social media, its fame has risen to new heights, with thousands of people flocking to the national park each February. In 2019, over 2,200 people crowded into the small viewing areas on February 22, the best day to see the light show last year. However, the visitors not only stepped on sensitive vegetation but also left behind large amounts of rubbish.

To prevent a repeat of the unfortunate incident, in 2020, the park service closed two of the ideal viewing areas. The only one open required a 1.5-mile-long hike. However, the 3-mile round-trip, as well as a warning by the officials that a dry spell turned the fall into a trickle, leaving the possibility of a “firefall” in doubt, didn’t not seem to have deterred fans. Hundreds of people made their way to Horsetail Fall to catch a glimpse of the light show. Hopefully, Horsetail Fall enthusiasts would be more respectful of the natural environment this time.

Le Le, the giant panda that died early this month at Memphis Zoo, may have suffered from heart disease, according to an autopsy (验尸) by zoologists from China and the United States.

The experts’ original judgment was that this was the cause of the death of the 25-year-old male panda, according to a media release from the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens on Sunday. “But that judgment still needs to be confirmed through further examinations, “ it said. The autopsy was conducted following the arrival of a Chinese team at the zoo recently. Experts from both countries studied the results from the autopsy and ruled out a number of common conditions.

Le Le died in his sleep on Feb 3 before he could be returned to China, according to the zoo.

“Over the last 20 years Le Le has delighted millions of visitors, served as an exemplary ambassador for his species and remains a shining symbol of conservation partnership with the People’s Republic of China,” the zoo said in a statement on Feb 3.

Le Le arrived in Memphis accompanied by a female giant panda, Ya Ya, in 2003. Last December, the zoo said that the famous pair would make the journey back to China within the next few months, as the current loan agreement with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens was coming to an end.

The Chinese team also examined Ya Ya, and checked her medical and monthly health reports, according to the Chinese association. Despite hair loss resulting from a skin discase, the female panda was found to have a good appetite and was maintaining a stable weight, it said, adding that no abnormalities were observed in its feces. Aside from holding a discussion with Memphis Zoo about Ya Ya’s skin condition, the group gave advice on how to feed and nurse the female giant panda.

“China and the US are now coordinating the handling of procedures so that Ya Ya can be returned to China as soon as possible, ” it noted. China has completed all necessary preparations to receive the female panda. Import and quarantine permits have been issued and the quarantine location has been determined.

For every goal that Lesein Mutunkei scores, trees get planted. It’s a simple yet effective message that appeals, and leads to a satisfying way of motivating us to promote environmentalism in our own way.

Born in Nairobi, Lesein is in his late teens, and his Trees4Goals is the means with which he intends to make the world greener. It unites two of his passions in life: love of the outdoors and love of football. Lesein enjoyed walking in the forest. He recognised his country was experiencing a serious loss of tree cover. Between 2001 and 2020, Kenya lost an estimated 11% of trees, releasing 176 million tons of CO₂.

In a blog post for WWF Kenya, Lesein revealed that, once he started the Trees4Goals initiative, he originally planned to plant one tree per goal. In 2020, he wanted to take his efforts even further. What started as one tree planted per goal mushroomed into 11 trees planted per goal. Explaining the reason behind expanding the tree-planting, he said, “It represents team efforts in football and the contribution by my team. I have planted over 1,000 trees in the last two years.”

While it’s something of an own goal to destroy the forests and jungles providing enormous biodiversity, initiatives like Trees4Goals are an assured way to score an environmentalist hat-trick. Sports such as football are popular with the booming Kenyan population and have the ability to cut through cultural barriers regardless of the countries they are played in. Sports have the power to unify and excite large audiences. Lesein Mutunkei has taken this strategy and scored a winning goal of his own.

Like a seed, best ideas start small and change into something that can become far larger than anticipated. While Lesein continues planting 11 trees per goal, the Kenyan government is aiming to plant 1.8 billion trees to reach a point where 10 per cent of the country is covered by trees. The science behind is clear; a report in 2019 claimed that if 900 million hectares were devoted to additional tree planting of half a trillion trees, the world could offset (抵消) half of all carbon emissions produced since 1960.