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The National Weather Bureau just conducted a study averaging out this year’s weather patterns with previous patterns and the results were shocking. When put on a graph, the amount of rainfall has slowly been decreasing over the past ten years. Normally, the average annual rainfall for a tropical region like the one that we live in is about 250cm. However this recent study shows that our rainfall was…(cont. on page 3)

The soil found in the rainforest is very poor in terms of nutrients. This is so because the soil there is so old, that millions of years of rain have washed any valuable minerals out of the soil. The reason the rainforest is able to maintain such an abundance of plant life is because the plants found there have adapted to storing their own nutrients, therefore, when a plant dies, the next plant to grow there will use any nutrients left by the former. Due to this, the soil of land that has been cleared can only be farmed for about to years until it becomes completely useless to plants. Any other soil found in the rainforest has often been turned into red clay - the result of heat and condensed sunlight. The volcano in the middle of our island, however, provides very fertile soil. The reason volcanic soils are so fertile is because they are constantly being replenished by minerals escaping the interior of the Earth. Our country is surrounded by an ocean on all sides.

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Since we have a tropical area, there are a lot of plants in our country. However, our environment makes it extremely hard to support any livestock. This is why we are going to grow different types of plants that are good for medicine. These plants include the Cocoa Tree, the Annatto Tree, the Trumpet Tree, and the herb Clavillia. The Cocoa Tree can be used to treat things such as anxiety, fever, fatigue, and the cough. The Annatto Tree is probably the most useful in day to day life. It can lower blood pressure and help protect against UV rays but the most common use for it is as insect repellent. Every part of the Trumpet Tree can be used for medical purposes but its main use is for respiratory illnesses and rheumatism. Lastly, the Clavillia is used to defend against viruses, parasites, and fungi. We plan on selling the medical supplies made from these, and other, plants to other countries and this will be a major part of our counties income.

Recently, a team of researchers ventured to the west side of the island to study how the natives live and they returned with more than information about the natives; they came back with information about strange plants that we previously did not know existed on this island. One tree they found is called the Rubber Tree. The Rubber Tree is a relatively skinny plant that produces a milky sap. They also uncovered what first appeared to be a sort of skimpy plant that the natives called the Yuca plant. However, when this plant was dug up, it processed potato-like roots that can be used as food, or even medicine in some cases. The Vanilla Fruit was a particularly beautiful plant because of its large flowers. The natives used vanilla in food and in perfume. Although the natives used the Vanilla plant and the root of the Yuca as food, the main food source of the natives came from a tree that grew what was known as Strangler Figs. (cont. on page 4)

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(cont. from page 1)…200cm. This is a problem because the amount of rainfall, if decreased much more than this, will significantly affect the wildlife. Since the temperature and humidity seem to be closer to the average for rain forests (the average temperature for rainforests is about 77 degrees Fahrenheit and the average humidity for rainforests is about 86 percent), there is no need to be concerned yet, but this is diffidently something we might want to keep our eye on, just in case the rainfall continues to drop.

We are only allotted with 15% of the budget each year to combat the harmful effects humans have on this earth. This may seem like a lot but it’s not. We at the DIRCF, Duas Insulas Rainforest Conservation Foundation, recognize that our entire country is based on the health and wellness of our rainforest and if it goes out then so does our entire economy and any hopes of ever succeeding. We urge you now to donate through any of our many options that we have set up so as to make this an exceptionally effortless contribution to society. You can send us checks, envelopes with cash or you can go to our online site, DIRCF.org, and help us in single payments or set up a plan for paying on a schedule. With your help, we can install even more offshore wind turbines and install even more solar panels on the important energy sucking establishments of this country. We are currently investigating all factories on the island to see if they are in check with the federal pollution laws however this, as all things do, requires money. Please donate today.

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(cont. from page 2)The Strangler figs are parasitic send roots down the trunk of their host tree and cut off the host’s nutrient supply so that it can thrive. Another tree they found was perhaps the most useful of all the plants because of the many uses that its fruit has. The coconut tree is used as food, shelter, drinks, soap, margarine, mats, baskets, hats, and it can be used in cooking. The Tualang tree, although not very useful as a plant, is home to many bees whose honey is very valuable to the natives. This tree is extremely tall and dense. The last plant that they researched before returning to the eastern side of the island was called Bengal Bamboo. Mainly just a plant useful for shelter, this bamboo lives for between 25-40 years and can be used to make furniture, baskets, fishing rods, and paper.

The capitol’s zoo is considering getting some new animals soon from the land that will soon be made in to a wildlife preserve. Although some animal rights activists argue that taking the animals out of their natural habitat is wrong, the government will still most likely be receiving the animals in approximately a week. Included in this new group of animals that will soon make the zoo their new home, is the Poison Dart Frog. These frogs are brightly colored, small, and extremely poisonous. They normally reside near a stream or river and lay eggs that hatch about 12 days after they are laid. One of the largest (400-600 pounds and five to ten feet in length), and certainly the most powerful, animal coning to the zoo is the Bengal Tiger. The Bengal Tiger feeds off of large animals, they’ve even been known to eat elephants! Four Harpy Eagles are also expected to be arriving soon. (cont. on page 5)

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These creatures are different from most birds because contrary to what most other birds do, the Harpy Eagle only raises one baby every two three years. These birds feed mainly on small mammals such as sloths and monkeys. The Blue Morpho Butterfly is also to be included in the selection of new arrivals. This species of butterfly live in the high canopy of the rain forest and prefer to eat rotting fruit. Another new animal that likes to spend its time in the canopy of the rain forest is the Siamang Monkey. These monkeys usually eat leaves and fruit. However, they sometimes eat insects, eggs, and nuts. A large snake called the Anaconda grows to be about 35 feet long and eats anything from rodents to small birds. The only aquatic animal that is going to be added to the zoo’s population is the Manatee. Manatees grow to be anywhere form ten to twelve feet and they are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. The last animal that will be arriving at the zoo is called an Okapi. Okapis are particularly strange looking creatures that seem to have the rear end of a zebra and the front of horse. They eat shoots, buds, grass, fruit, fungi, and leaves and only ever give birth to one infant throughout their lifetime.