Lisa O
Every day, we pick up something new about the world around us. From unique partnerships in nature to finding new species, the environment keeps surprising us. With all the climate changes and environmental issues we’re dealing with—it’s good to take a moment to appreciate just how amazing nature is. Here are 15 interesting facts about nature you should know.
Trees Have Their Own Secret Language
Do you know that trees can talk with each other, just like we do? While trees can communicate with each other, it’s not possible for us to see it from the naked eye. Trees talk to each other through a network of fungi in the soil known as the “Wood Wide Web.” This network allows trees to connect through their roots and send signals about upcoming threats like diseases, floods, or droughts.
African Buffaloes Vote on Where to Go
Believe it or not, democracy even shows up in the animal world! African buffalo are famous for their voting system when it’s time to decide where to travel. Here’s how it works: one by one, adult females stand up and look in a certain direction before sitting back down. The direction with the most looks is usually where the herd heads. And get this—only adult females get to vote, no matter their status in the herd.
Birds Are Actually Modern-Day Dinosaurs
When we think of dinosaurs, we often imagine huge reptiles. The Tyrannosaurus Rex might pop into your head as a giant, fierce lizard, but not all dinosaurs were like that. Since the 1960s, scientists have found tons of evidence showing that birds are descendants of dinosaurs. According to Smithsonian Magazine, all living birds are technically dinosaurs, but not all dinosaurs are bird-like.
Bamboo Grows Faster Than Any Other Plant
Bamboo is an incredible, super-fast-growing grass with a hollow stem. It’s not just great for making eco-friendly products—it’s also the main munchie for giant pandas. But something even more interesting is that bamboo is the world’s fastest-growing plant. Some types can shoot up 35 inches in just one day, and others hit full size in only 90 days.
Bees Use Dance Moves to Communicate
It’s tough to imagine bees being even more fascinating, but they totally are! Bees talk to each other, just like many animals do. What makes them stand out is that they communicate through dancing! They have two special dance moves to tell other bees where to find flowers. One bee dances, and the others watch to figure out which way to go to find the best flower spots.
Dolphins Call Each Other by Name
Just when you thought dolphins couldn’t get any cuter, here’s something you might not know! We all know they are super social and extremely smart—but did you know they have names for each other? Scientists discovered that dolphins use unique whistles to call each other by name. And when a dolphin hears its own “name,” it actually responds.
There Are More Trees Than Stars
There are so many trees on our planet that scientists needed a new way to count them. And guess what? They’ve found there are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way. Scientists think there are between 100 billion and 400 billion stars in our galaxy—but there are around 3 trillion trees on Earth. That’s a whole lot of trees!
The Blue Whale is the Biggest Animal Ever
You might think dinosaurs were the biggest animals ever, but that’s actually not true at all. Way bigger than any dinosaur, the blue whale holds the title for the largest animal ever to exist. Just one blue whale is as big as 30 T-Rexes. These amazing creatures can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh as much as 200 tons.
Elephants Have Amazing Memories
Elephants have incredible memories, way better than most animals. Like us and other mammals, they have four brain lobes: parietal, occipital, temporal, and frontal. Each lobe has a specific job—like handling language or processing sounds. Elephants have a bigger and denser temporal lobe, the part of the brain that deals with memory.
Forests Help Create Rain
Forests are pretty amazing when it comes to making rain! This process is called the Biotic Pump Theory. Here’s how it works: trees and plants suck up water from the soil and then discharge it into the air through a process called transpiration. This water vapor rises into the atmosphere—which affects the balance of water and heat at Earth’s surface.
Dolphins Might Be Able to Feel Empathy
We all know dolphins are incredibly smart, but they might be emotionally intelligent too! Some scientists think dolphins can actually feel empathy. There are lots of stories about dolphins going out of their way to help someone they think is in trouble. Whether it’s saving a drowning kid or protecting people from sharks—dolphins seem to pick up on when humans are in distress and jump in to help.
Orcas are Part of the Dolphin Family
Orcas might be known as “killer whales,” but they’re actually part of the dolphin family. All whales, dolphins, and porpoises fall into a group called Cetaceans—which comes from an Ancient Greek word meaning sea monster. Cetaceans are split into two types: toothed whales and baleen whales. And guess what? Orcas are the biggest dolphins around.
Sharks Have Been Around Longer Than Dinosaurs
Sharks were already swimming in our oceans long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Sharks have existed for over 400 million years—while dinosaurs lived from about 245 to 66 million years ago. Unlike dinosaurs, sharks have skeletons made of cartilage, not bone, so they don’t leave behind fossils like other animals. But we’ve still found plenty of fossilized shark teeth over the years!
Some Trees Are Considered Sacred
Trees have a big role in history and myths. For instance, the oak tree symbolizes strength and longevity so many cultures consider it sacred. In Greek mythology, the oak tree was a symbol of Zeus, the top god of the sky and Olympus. Plus, it’s special to other gods like Jupiter, Perun, Dagda, and Thor, all linked to rain, lightning, and thunder.
Trees Can Fight Back
Believe it or not, trees don’t just take threats lying down—they actually fight back. No, you won’t find trees tossing apples at you, but they have their own ways of defending themselves. When insects attack, trees release chemicals called phenolics to ward off the pests. They also have special structures and tricks to protect themselves from diseases.