Solid Waste Management:

Basel Convention Definition of Wastes

Wastes are “substances or objects which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by the provisions of the law”

Disposal means

“any operation which may lead to resource recovery, recycling, reclamation, direct re-use or alternative uses (Annex IVB of the Basel convention)”

Kinds of Wastes

Solid wastes: domestic, commercial and industrial wastes especially common as co-disposal of wastes

Examples: plastics, styrofoam containers, bottles, cans, papers, scrap iron, and other trash

Liquid Wastes: wastes in liquid form

Examples: domestic washings, chemicals, oils, waste water from ponds, manufacturing industries and other sources

Classification of Wastes according to their Properties

Biodegradable waste is a type of waste, typically originating from plant or animal sources, which may be broken down by other living organisms. Waste that cannot be broken down by other living organisms may be called non-biodegradable.

Biodegradable waste can be commonly found in municipal solid waste (sometimes called biodegradable municipal waste, or BMW) as green waste, food waste, paper waste, and biodegradable plastics. Other biodegradable wastes include human waste, manure, sewage, slaughterhouse waste.

Classification of Wastes according to their Effects on Human Health and the Environment

Hazardous wastes

Substances unsafe to use commercially, industrially, agriculturally, or economically that are shipped, transported to or brought from the country of origin for dumping or disposal in, or in transit through, any part of the territory of the Philippines

Non-hazardous wastes

Substances safe to use commercially, industrially, agriculturally, or economically that are shipped, transported to or brought from the country of origin for dumping or disposal in, or in transit through, any part of the territory of the Philippines.

Sources of Wastes

Households

Commerce and Industry

Agriculture

Fisheries

Waste Generation by Country(Global Waste Survey Final Report Published by IMO 1995)*

Waste Generation in the Philippines

In Metro Manila:

• It is estimated that 25 million m3 of acid and alkaline liquid waste is disposed of annually from the electronics industry.
• Almost 2,000 m3 of solvents and 22,000 tonnes of heavy metals, infectious wastes, biological sludges, lubricants and intractable wastes are disposed of on land or into water courses.
• 4,000 tonnes of solid wastes are generated daily. Of these, only about 3,400 tonnes are collected and transported to existing sites.

EFFECTS OF WASTES IF NOT PROPERLY MANAGED:

• Affects our health
• Affects our socio-economic conditions
• Affects our coastal and marine environmenT
• Affects our climate

EFFECTS OF WASTES:

• GHGs(GreenHouse Gases) are accumulating in Earth’s atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing global mean surface air temperature and subsurface ocean temperature to rise.
• Rising global temperatures are expected to raise sea levels and change precipitation and other local climate conditions.
• Changing regional climates could alter forests, crop yields, and water supplies.
• This could also affect human health, animals, and many types of ecosystems.
• Deserts might expand into existing rangelands, and features of some of our national parks might be permanently altered.
• Some countries are expected to become warmer, although sulfates might limit warming in some areas.
• Scientists are unable to determine which parts of those countries will become wetter or drier, but there is likely to be an overall trend toward increased precipitation and evaporation, more intense rainstorms, and drier soils.
• Whether rainfall increases or decreases cannot be reliably projected for specific areas.

Activities that have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere:

• Buildup of GHGs primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N20).
• C02 is released to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels, wood and wood products, and solid waste.
• CH4 is emitted from the decomposition of organic wastes in landfills, the raising of livestock, and the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil.
• N02 is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels. In 1977, the US emitted about one-fifth of total global GHGs.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE:

REDUCE WASTE:

• Reduce office paper waste by implementing a formal policy to duplex all draft reports and by making training manuals and personnel information available electronically.
• Improve product design to use less materials.
• Redesign packaging to eliminate excess material while maintaining strength.
• Work with customers to design and implement a packaging return program.
• Switch to reusable transport containers.
• Purchase products in bulk.

RE-USE:

• Reuse corrugated moving boxes internally.
• Reuse office furniture and supplies, such as interoffice envelopes, file folders, and paper.
• Use durable towels, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, cups, and glasses.
• Use incoming packaging materials for outgoing shipments.
• Encourage employees to reuse office materials rather than purchase new ones.
  

Donate/Exchange:

• old books
• old clothes
• old computers
• excess building materials
• old equipment to local organizaitions

RESIDENTS ARE ORGANIZED INTO SMALL GROUPS TO CARRY OUT THE FOLLOWINGl

1. construction of backyard compost pit
2. construction of storage bins where recyclable and reusable materials are stored by each household
3. construction of storage centers where recyclable and reusable materials collected by the street sweepers are stored prior to selling to junk dealers
4. maintenance of cleanliness in yards and streets
5. greening of their respective areas
6. encourage others to join
   

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

In the light of growing garbage problem in the country, Republic Act (RA) 9003 also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 was enacted by the Philippine Government.

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), mandated to initiate the programs in line with R.A 9003 together with the Local Government Units briefed further on this Act, during the seminar on Solid Waste Management December 6.

"The unsystematic disposal and collection of our wastes have posed a tough job for our government. With the modernization of society, we have come to accumulate more wastes than we can manage to dispose of properly. Left unmanaged and improperly disposed, wastes can cause serious heath problems to everyone. Moreover, a dirty environment defeats the aesthetic potential of our surrounding," the Bureau in its statement.

In return, RA 9003 provides for a systematic and comprehensive Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) program for all sectors of society to adopt and implement.

Below is a portion of the RA 9003.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9003
(ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2000)


AN ACT PROVIDING FOR AN ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, CREATING THE NECESSARY
INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS AND INCENTIVES, DECLARING CERTAIN ACTS PROHIBITED AND PROVIDING PENALTIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.


CHAPTER I

BASIC POLICIES

Article 1

General Provisions

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000."

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policies. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to adopt a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program which shall:

(a) Ensure the protection of the public health and environment;

(b) Utilize environmentally-sound methods that maximize the utilization of valuable resources and encourage resource conservation and recovery;

(c) Set guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance and volume reduction through source reduction and waste minimization measures, including composting, recycling, re-use, recovery, green charcoal process, and others, before collection, treatment and disposal in appropriate and environmentally sound solid waste management facilities in accordance with ecologically sustainable development principles;

(d) Ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adoption of the best environmental practice in ecological waste management excluding incineration;

(e) Promote national research and development programs for improved solid waste management and resource conservation techniques, more effective institutional arrangement and indigenous and improved methods of waste reduction, collection, separation and recovery;

(f) Encourage greater private sector participation in solid waste management;

(g) Retain primary enforcement and responsibility of solid waste management with local government units while establishing a cooperative effort among the national government, other local government units, non- government organizations, and the private sector;

(h) Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among waste generators through the application of market-based instruments;

(i) Institutionalize public participation in the development and implementation of national and local integrated, comprehensive, and ecological waste management programs; and

(j) Strength the integration of ecological solid waste management and resource conservation and recovery topics into the academic curricula of formal and non-formal education in order to promote environmental awareness and action among the citizenry.

Article 2

Definition of Terms

Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For the purposes of this Act:

(a) Agricultural waste shall refer to waste generated from planting or harvesting of crops, trimming or pruning of plants and wastes or run-off materials from farms or fields;

(b) Bulky wastes shall refer to waste materials which cannot be appropriately placed in separate containers because of either its bulky size, shape or other physical attributes. These include large worn-out or broken household, commercial, and industrial items such as furniture, lamps, bookcases, filing cabinets, and other similar items;

(c) Bureau shall refer to the Environmental Management Bureau;

(d) Buy-back center shall refer to a recycling center that purchases of otherwise accepts recyclable materials from the public for the purpose of recycling such materials;

(e) Collection shall refer to the act of removing solid waste from the source or from a communal storage point;

(f) Composting shall refer to the controlled decomposition of organic matter by micro-organisms, mainly bacteria and fungi, into a humus-like product;

(g) Consumer electronics shall refer to special waste that includes worn-out, broken, and other discarded items such as radios, stereos, and TV sets;

(h) Controlled dump shall refer to a disposal site at which solid waste is deposited in accordance with the minimum prescribed standards of site operation;

(i) Department shall refer to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources;

(j) Disposal shall refer to the discharge, deposit, dumping, spilling, leaking or placing of any solid waste into or in an land;

(k) Disposal site shall refer to a site where solid waste is finally discharged and deposited;

(l) Ecological solid waste management shall refer to the systematic administration of activities which provide for segregation at source, segregated transportation, storage, transfer, processing, treatment, and disposal of solid waste and all other waste management activities which do not harm the environment;

(m) Environmentally acceptable shall refer to the quality of being re-usable, biodegradable or compostable, recyclable and not toxic or hazardous to the environment;

(n) Generation shall refer to the act or process of producing solid waste;

(o) Generator shall refer to a person, natural or juridical, who last uses a material and makes it available for disposal or recycling;

(p) Hazardous waste shall refer to solid waste management or combination of solid waste which because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics may:

(1) cause, or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible, illness; or

(2) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed;

(q) Leachate shall refer to the liquid produced when waste undergo decomposition, and when water percolate through solid waste undergoing decomposition. It is contaminated liquid that contains dissolved and suspended materials;

(r) Materials recovery facility - includes a solid waste transfer station or sorting station, drop-off center, a composting facility, and a recycling facility

(s) Municipal waste shall refer to wastes produced from activities within local government units which include a combination of domestic, commercial, institutional and industrial wastes and street litters;

(t) Open dump shall refer to a disposal area wherein the solid wastes are indiscriminately thrown or disposed of without due planning and consideration for environmental and Health standards;

(u) Opportunity to recycle shall refer to the act of providing a place for collecting source-separated recyclable material, located either at a disposal site or at another location more convenient to the population being served, and collection at least once a month of source-separated recyclable material from collection service customers and to providing a public education and promotion program that gives notice to each person of the opportunity to recycle and encourage source separation of recyclable material;

(v) Person(s) shall refer to any being, natural or judicial, susceptible of rights and obligations, or of being the subject of legal relations;

(w) Post-consumer material shall refer only to those materials or products generated by a business or consumer which have served their intended end use, and which have been separated or diverted from solid waste for the purpose of being collected, processed and used as a raw material in the manufacturing of recycled product, excluding materials and by-products generated from, and by-products generated from, and commonly used within an original manufacturing process, such as mill scrap;

(x) Receptacles shall refer to individual containers used for the source separation and the collection of recyclable materials;

(y) Recovered material shall refer to material and by products that have been recovered or diverted from solid waste for the purpose of being collected, processed and used as a raw material in the manufacture of a recycled product;

(z) Recyclable material shall refer to any waste material retrieved from the waste stream and free from contamination that can still be converted into suitable beneficial use or for other purposes, including, but not limited to, newspaper, ferrous scrap metal, non-ferrous scrap metal, used oil, corrugated cardboard, aluminum, glass, office paper, tin cans and other materials as may be determined by the Commission;

(aa) Recycled material shall refer to post-consumer material that has been recycled and returned to the economy;

(bb) Recycling shall refer to the treating of used or waste materials through a process of making them suitable for beneficial use and for other purposes, and includes any process by which solid waste materials are transformed into new products in such a manner that the original product may lose their identity, and which maybe used as raw materials for the production of other goods or services: Provided, That the collection, segregation and re-use of previously used packaging material shall be deemed recycling under this Act;

(cc) Resource conversation shall refer to the reduction of the amount of solid waste that are generated or the reduction of overall resource consumption, and utilization of recovered resources;

(dd) Resources recovery shall refer to the collection, extraction or recovery of recyclable materials from the waste stream for the purpose of recycling, generating energy or producing a product suitable for beneficial use: Provided, That such resource recovery facilities exclude incineration;

(ee) Re-use shall refer to the process of recovering materials intended for the same or different purpose without the alteration of physical and chemical characteristics;

(ff) Sanitary landfill shall refer to a waste disposal site designed, constructed, operated and maintained in a manner that exerts engineering control over significant potential environment impacts arising from the development and operation of the facility;

(gg) Schedule of Compliance shall refer to an enforceable sequence of actions or operations to be accomplished within a stipulated time frame leading to compliance with a limitation, prohibition or standard set forth in this Act or any rule of regulation issued pursuant thereto;

(hh) Secretary landfill shall refer to the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources;

(ii) Segregation shall refer to a solid waste management practice of separating different materials found in solid waste in order to promote recycling and re-use of resources and to reduce the volume of waste for collection and disposal;

(jj) Segregation at source shall refer to a solid waste management practice of separating, at the point of origin, different materials found in solid waste in order to promote recycling and re-use of resources and to reduce the volume of waste for collection and disposal;

(kk) Solid waste shall refer to all discarded household, commercial waste, non-hazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, agricultural waste, and other non-hazardous/non-toxic solid waste.

Unless specifically noted otherwise, the term “solid waste” as used in this Act shall not include:

(1) Waste identified or listed as hazardous waste of a solid, liquid, contained gaseous or semisolid form which may cause or contribute to an increase in mortality or in serious or incapacitating reversible illness, or acute/chronic effect on the health of persons and other organisms;

(2) Infectious waste from hospitals such as equipment, instruments, utensils, and fomites of a disposable nature from patients who are suspected to have or have been diagnosed as having communicable diseases and must therefore be isolated as required by public health agencies, laboratory wastes such as pathological specimens (i.e. all tissues, specimens of blood elements, excreta, and secretions obtained from patients or laboratory animals) and disposable fomites that may harbor or transmit pathogenic organisms, and surgical operating room pathologic materials from outpatient areas and emergency rooms; and

(3) Waste resulting from mining activities, including contaminated soil and debris.

(ll) Solid waste management shall refer to the discipline associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations, and that is also responsive to public attitudes;

(mm) Solid waste management facility shall refer to any resource recovery system or component thereof; any system, program, or facility for resource conservation; any facility for the collection, source separation, storage, transportation, transfer, processing, treatment, or disposal of solid waste;

(nn) Source reduction shall refer to the reduction of solid waste before it enters the solid waste stream by methods such as product design, materials substitution, materials re-use and packaging restrictions;

(oo) Source separation shall refer to the sorting of solid waste into some or all of its component parts at the point of generation;

(pp) Special wastes shall refer to household hazardous wastes such as paints, thinners, household batteries, lead-acid batteries, spray canisters and the like. These include wastes from residential and commercial sources that comprise of bulky wastes, consumer electronics, white goods, yard wastes that are collected separately, batteries, oil, and tires. These wastes are usually handled separately from other residential and commercial wastes;

(qq) Storage shall refer to the interim containment of solid wastes after generation and prior to collection for ultimate recovery or disposal;

(rr) Transfer stations shall refer to those facilities utilized to receive solid wastes, temporarily store, separate, convert, or otherwise process the materials in the solid wastes, or to transfer the solid wastes directly from smaller to larger vehicles for transport. This term does not include any of the following:
(1) a facility whose principal function is to receive, store, separate, convert or otherwise process in accordance with national minimum standards, manure;
(2) a facility, whose principal function is to receive, store, convert, or otherwise process wastes which have already been separated for re-use and are intended for disposals, and
(3) the operations premises of a duly licensed solid waste handling operator who is receives, stores, transfers, or otherwise processes wastes as an activity incidental to the conduct of a refuse collection and disposal business.

(ss) Waste diversion shall refer to activities which reduce or eliminate the amount of solid waste from waste disposal facilities;

(tt) White goods shall refer to large worn-out or broken household, commercial, and industrial appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, and clothes washers and dryers collected separately. White goods ate usually dismantled for the recovery of specific materials (e.g., copper, aluminum, etc.);

(uu) Yard waste shall refer to wood, small or chipped branches, leaves, grass clippings, garden debris, vegetable residue that is recognized as part of a plant or vegetable and other materials identified by the Commission.

To read the full text of RA 9003, please visit these websites

http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/philippines_citizenship_act_9003.html

http://www.tanggol.org/environmental_laws/IRR_ra9003.html

TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS

Tropical Rain Forests

Rain forests are found in the tropics. Forming a thick, lush carpet of vegetation with a stunningly diverse array of species, tropical rain forests of the world once covered an area about the size of the United States. Today, tropical rain forests have been reduced by half, and logging continues at a feverish pace in many areas. Some experts think that tropical rain forests in all but a few places could be virtually obliterated early in the next century if nations do not enact strict measures to protect them.

A forest is that portion of the public domain where there is a predominant growth of trees. It is an area of land where plants and animal live together in close association, bound by specific and recognizable patterns of interdependence. Philippine forests are called tropical rain forests because of the country's tropical location and the amount of rainfall received (over 200 cm a year).

Of all the world's forests, it is those in the tropics that face the greatest threat from mankind. Tropical rainforests are one of nature's treasures, and many of them are now at risk. We have already destroyed half of the world's original tropical rainforests! Just in a few decades, we can possibly witness the complete elimation of the world's rainforests. Technically, this type of forest can be defined as a forest in the tropics receiving 4-8 meters of rain each year. Tropical rainforests are found in Central and South America, Southeast Asia and islands near it, and West Africa. There are smaller rainforests in northern Australia and other small islands. All tropical rainforests are found along the equator where the temperatures and the humidity is always high, with the days being equal to the nights.

Tropical Rainforest Layers

Tropical rainforests have four layers:

Emergent Layer
These giant trees thrust above the dense canopy layer and have huge mushroom-shaped crowns. These trees enjoy the greatest amount of sunlight but also must endure high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.

Canopy Layer
The broad, irregular crowns of these trees form a tight, continuous canopy 60 to 90 feet above the ground. The branches are often densely covered with other plants (epiphytes) and tied together with vines (lianas). The canopy is home to 90% of the organisms found in the rain forest; many seeking the brighter light in the treetops.

Understory
Receiving only 2-15% of the sunlight that falls on the canopy, the understory is a dark place. It is relatively open and contains young trees and leafy herbaceous plants that tolerate low light. Many popular house plants come from this layer. Only along rivers and roadways and in treefall and cut areas is sunlight sufficient to allow growth to become thick and impenetrable.

Forest Floor
The forest floor receives less than 2% of the sunlight and consequently, little grows here except plants adapted to very low light. On the floor is a thin layer of fallen leaves, seeds, fruits, and branches that very quickly decomposes. Only a thin layer of decaying organic matter is found, unlike in temperate deciduous forest.

Did you know that enough rainforests are being destroyed every minute to fill 50 football fields? We need to preserve these valuable resources because they are the lungs of our planet, and can possibly hold cures for many of our most deadly diseases. The tropical rainforests are a critical link in the ecological chains of our our earth's biosphere.

Despite covering only 2% of our planet's surface, over half of the earth's animal, insect species, and flora live there. Within a four mile square area of a tropical rainforest, you would find:

• Over 750 species of trees
• 1500 different kinds of flowering plants
• 125 species of mammals
• 400 species of birds
• 100 reptiles
• 60 amphibians
• countless insects
• 150 species of butterflies
  

**Only 1% of these species has ever been studied**

Important Facts

• Amazon rainforests produce about 40% of the world's oxygen
• One in four pharmaceuticals comes from a plant in the tropical rainforests
• 1400 rainforest plants are believed to offer cures for cancer
• 40% of tropical rainforests have already been lost in Latin America and Southeast Asia

Animals in the Tropical Rain Forests

AGOUTI The agouti is a large, short-tailed rodent from rainforests in the Americas.

ALLIGATOR Alligators are large reptiles. Primitive alligators evolved during the late Triassic period.

AMPHIBIAN Amphibians (meaning "double life") are vertebrate animals that live in the water during their early life (breathing through gills), but usually live on land as adults (and breathe with lungs). There are three groups (orders) of amphibians: newts and salamanders; frogs and toads; and caecilians.

Anaconda The biggest snake in the world.

ANT Ants are social insects.

APES Apes are primates that anatomically resemble humans. They include the gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo, orangutan, gibbon and siamang.

ASSASSIN BUG Assassin bugs are insects that eat other insects.

AYE-AYE A strange, nocturnal primate from Madagascar.

BASILISK A South American lizard that can walk on water.

BAT A bat is a flying mammal.

BINTURONG A dark, furry mammal from rainforests of southeast Asia.

BIRDS Many birds live in the canopy of rainforests. Birds have feathers and wings. Birds may be the descendants of theropod dinosaurs.

Blue Morpho Butterfly A brilliant blue butterfly from rainforests of South and Central America.

Blue-tongued Skink An Australian lizard with a long, blue tongue.

BOA CONSTRICTOR A large constricting snake from South and Central America.

BONGO The bongo is a large, striped antelope from African forests.

BONOBO Bonobos are closely related to chimpanzees. They are very intelligent, peaceful primates.

BUTTERFLIES Butterflies are flying insects with two pairs of wings, a proboscis, and clubbed antennae. They belong to the Order Lepidoptera and the Family Rhopalocera. Many butterflies thrive in tropical rainforests.

CAIMAN The caiman is a widely distributed, medium-sized crocodilian. It is about 6.5-8 ft (2-2.5 m) long. The caiman is widely distributed in Central America and northern South America, ranging from southern Mexico to Peru and Brazil. The caiman is the most widely distributed of the New World crocodilians; it is found in almost all of the lowland wetlands and riverine habitats in its range. It prefers still, fresh water. Juveniles are yellow with black spots and bands; adults are a dull olive green to black with a paler belly. These carnivores eat fish (including piranha), amphibians, reptiles and water birds, using their 72-78 teeth. Females lay about many eggs in late summer in soil-and-vegetation nests.

CAPYBARA The capybara is the world's largest rodent. It has no tail and partially-webbed feet. It lives on river banks.

CASSOWARY A huge, flightless bird from Australian rainforests. It has a helmet-like crest on its head.

CATERPILLAR A caterpillar is the larval stage of butterflies and moths. Caterpillars eat almost constantly and molt many times as they grow.

CHIMPANZEE Chimpanzees are very intelligent mammals (primates).

CHLAMYDOSAURUS Chlamydosaurus (meaning "caped lizard") is a rare, modern-day frilled lizard native to New Guinea and North Australia. Its frill is a 7-14 inch (18-34 cm) flap of skin that completely circles its head. It opens this brightly-colored frill to frighten enemies. Adults are over 8 inches (20 cm) long. These climbing lizards live in trees in humid forests and eat cicadas, ants, spiders and smaller lizards. It can run quadrupedally (on all four legs) and bipedally (with the front legs off the ground). Adult females lay 8 to 14 eggs per clutch in spring and summer. Classification: Class Reptilia, Order: Squamata, Family: Agamidae, Genus Chlamydosaurus, Species kingii (named by Gray in 1825).

COATI (pronounced ko-WAH-ti) Coati (also called coatimundi) are long-nosed, long-tailed mammals from the Americas.

COCKATOO Cockatoos are birds with a large, feathery crest and a hooked bill.

COYPU. Coypus (also called nutrias) are semi-aquatic rodents that are originally from South America

CROCODILIAN Crocodilians are the order of archosaurs that includes alligators, crocodiles, gavials, etc. They evolved during the late Triassic period and are a type of reptile.

CUCKOO The cuckoo is a bird whose call sounds like its name. Many cuckoos live in rainforest canopies throughout the world.

DHOLE The dhole is a wild dog from Asia.

DODO The dodo is an extinct, flightless bird that lived on an island in the Indian Ocean near Africa.

DRAGONFLY Dragonflies are primitive, flying insects that can hover in the air. They evolved during the Mississippian Period, about 360-325 mya. Huge dragonflies with wingspans up to 27.5 inches (70 cm) existed during the Mesozoic Era (when the dinosaurs lived).

ELECTRIC EEL A fish that can generate electricity, the electric eel lives in the Amazon River basin of South America.

EMERALD TREE BOA The emerald tree boa, Corallus caninus, is a green snake with white bands. It grows to be up to 7.25 feet (2.2m) long. It lives in trees and shrubs near water (like swamps and marshes in rain forests) in the lower Amazon basin (in Brazil) and in Guyana and Suriname. This snake catches food with its long teeth then squeezes it. It eats birds and rodents. This snake is nocturnal (it is most active at night) and bears live young.

FOSSA The fossa is a meat-eating mammal from the island of Madagascar.

FRILLED LIZARD Chlamydosaurus (meaning "caped lizard") is a rare, modern-day frilled lizard native to New Guinea and North Australia. Its frill is a 7-14 inch (18-34 cm) flap of skin that completely circles its head. It opens this brightly-colored frill to frighten enemies. Adults are over 8 inches (20 cm) long. These climbing lizards live in trees in humid forests and eat cicadas, ants, spiders and smaller lizards. It can run quadrupedally (on all four legs) and bipedally (with the front legs off the ground). Adult females lay 8 to 14 eggs per clutch in spring and summer. Classification: Class Reptilia, Order: Squamata, Family: Agamidae, Genus Chlamydosaurus, Species kingii (named by Gray in 1825).

FROG Frogs are amphibians. They start out as gilled, swimming tadpoles, but grow to be air-breathing adults.

Fruit Bat Fruit bats are large bats that eat fruits and flowers.

GECKO Geckos are the only lizards that make noise. Some geckos live in rainforests.

Giant Anteater The biggest anteater, from South and Central America.

GIBBON Gibbons are rare, small, slender, long-armed, tree-dwelling apes from Asia.

GOLDEN LION TAMARIN A small, golden-haired arboreal tamarin from rainforests in Brazil.

GOLIATH BIRDWING BUTTERFLY The Goliath Birdwing (Ornithoptera goliath) is the second-largest butterfly in the world. This brightly-colored butterfly is poisonous and has a wingspan up to 11 inches (28 cm) wide. It has black, yellow and green wings and a yellow and black body. This butterfly in found in tropical forests in Indonesia. Family Papilionidae.

GORILLA Gorillas are large primates from Africa. They are in danger of extinction.

GRAY PARROT The African Gray Parrot is an intelligent, talkative bird from rainforests in Western and Central Africa.

GREATER APES The great apes (family Pongidae) include the gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans.

GREEN IGUANA Plant-eating lizards from moist habitats.

HARPY EAGLE The Harpy Eagle is one of the largest eagles in the world. It lives in rainforests of Central and South America.

HOWLER MONKEY The loudest monkey and the largest New World monkey.

HUMAN BEING A human being is a mammal (a type of primate). Some people live in rainforests

INSECTS Insects have an exoskeleton, a three-part body, and six legs. They evolved during the Silurian Period, 438 to 408 mya, long before dinosaurs existed. Insects are the most numerous animals in rainforests.

JAGUAR The jaguar is a large, spotted wild cat from South and Central America.

JULIA The Julia is a yellow-orange tropical butterfly from the Americas, about 3-4 inches wide. It belongs to the group of Heliconians, tropical butterflies that have a bad taste and smell, and a large head. The eggs are round. The pupa is angular. The Julia feeds on passion flowers (Passiflora). Julias are found from South and Central America to the southern USA.

KAKAPO A large, flightless, nocturnal, solitary parrot from New Zealand.

KEEL BILLED TOUCAN A rainforest bird with a huge, colorful beak.

KINKAJOU A long-tailed, nocturnal mammal from rainforests in the Americas.

KOMODO DRAGON The biggest lizard in the world and a fierce predator.

LEAFCUTTER ANT Leafcutter ants are fungus farmers - they grow their own food.

LEMUR Lemurs are large-eyed primates from Madagascar.

LEOPARD Leopards are widely-distributed, spotted wild cats.

LESSER APES The lesser apes (family Hylobatidae) include the gibbon and siamang.

LIZARD There are 2,500 types of lizards, many of which live in rainforests around the world.

MAMMAL Mammals are warm-blooded animals with hair. They nourish their young with milk. Mammals evolved during the Triassic period. Many mammals live in rainforests, including gorillas, sloths, jaguars, and people.

MANDRILL Mandrills are large, brightly-colored monkeys.

MILLIPEDE Segmented plant-eaters with many, many legs.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a common poisonous butterfly found worldwide. It eats milkweed in its larval stage and lays eggs on the poisonous milkweed plant. Monarchs have a wingspan of 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm).

MONKEY There are two types of monkeys: Old World monkeys from Asia and Africa, and New World monkeys from the Americas.

Morpho Butterfly The Blue Morpho is a brilliant blue butterfly from rainforests of South and Central America.

MOSQUITO A small flying insect that is a carrier of disease.

MOTH Moths are winged insects that belong to the Order Lepidoptera. Moths have feathered antennae (not clubbed antennae, like butterflies), a frenulum or jugum, and are generally dull colored. There are over 100,000 moth species alive today.

MOUSE Mice are small rodents with long, hairless tails.

NUTRIA. Nutrias (also called coypus) are semi-aquatic rodents that are originally from South America

OCELOT Ocelots are wild cats from the Americas.

OKAPI The Okapi is a nocturnal, giraffe-like mammal from African rainforests.

ORANGUTAN Orangutans are large, tree-dwelling apes from southeast Asia.

OROPENDOLA, CRESTED The crested oropendola is a tropical black bird that builds long, pendulous nests.

OWL Owls are nocturnal birds with large eyes and very good eyesight. Some owls live in rainforests.

PEAFOWL (Peacocks and Peahens) Peafowl are magnificent birds from India.

POISON ARROW FROG Poison arrow frogs are poisonous frogs from rainforests of South and Central America. Some South American Indians apply the poison to the tips of their hunting arrows and blow-gun darts.

PRIMATE Primates are mammals that include monkeys, apes, lemurs (prosimians), and people. All primates have 5 fingers on each hand and 5 toes on each foot. They have color vision.

QUEEN ALEXANDRA'S BIRDWING BUTTERFLY Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is the biggest butterfly in the world, with a wingspan up to 1 ft (30 cm) wide. The female is brown with cream spots and larger than the male. The male is brown with blue and green markings; it has a bright yellow abdomen. The caterpillar is black with red tentacles, and with a cream-colored spot in the middle of its body. This rare butterfly is found in the lowland forests of northern Papua New Guinea (east of the Owen Stanley Mountains).

QUETZAL A quetzal is a beautiful rain forest bird with very long tail feathers.

QUOLL The Quoll is a cat-sized carnivorous marsupial from the islands of Tasmania and Australia.

RAINBOW LORIKEET A small, colorful, brush-tongued parrot from Australia.

RAT A rat is a rodent with a long tail.

RED-EYED TREE FROG A small rainforest frog with bright red eyes.

REPTILE Reptiles (meaning"to creep") are a group of animals that have scales (or modified scales), breathe air, and usually lay eggs. The term reptile is loosely defined in everyday English to mean scaly, cold-blooded, egg-laying animals. In cladistics (a way of classifying life forms), the reptiles are more strictly defined as: all the descendants of the most recent common ancestor of the turtles, lepidosaurs (lizards, snakes, tuataras), and archosaurs (crocodilians, dinosaurs, and birds). The maintenance of body temperature (cold- vs. warm-blooded) is not a factor in this classification, but skull and egg structure are.

SATURN BUTTERFLY The Saturn Butterfly (Zeuxidia amethystus) has a wingspan of about 3.9-4.3 inches (10-11cm) and lives in the shady forest understory. The female is paler than the male (above). The Saturn Butterfly is found in Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines, Burma, and Sumatra. It was named by Butler in 1865. Classification: Family Nymphalidae (Subfamily Morphinae).

SCARLET MACAW A brilliantly-colored parrot from Central and South American rain forests.

SCORPION A venomous arachnid with a large stinger on its tail. Found worldwide except in Antarctica.

SIAMANG The siamang is a rare, black, long-armed ape, a type of gibbon.

SKIPPER Skippers (family Hesperiidae) are drab-colored, moth-like butterflies that are distinguished by the hook at the end of their antennae (instead of a club, like other butterflies have). These antennae are also farther apart at the base than other butterflies. There are about 2,000 different species of Skippers. They fly in a darting fashion (hence their name) and hold their wings in a moth-like fashion when at rest. The Australian Skipper also has a humeral lobe (a frenulum-like projection on its hind wing which holds the forewings and hind wings together during flight).

SLOTH The sloth is a slow-moving mammal that lives in trees. Sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside-down from tree branches; they eat, sleep, mate, and give birth upside-down in the trees. They hold onto tree branches with strong, curved claws that are on each of their four feet. These plant-eaters are more active at night; they eat leaves, tender young shoots, and fruit. Sloths have a thick brown (and slightly-greenish) fur coat and are about the size of a cat (roughly 2 feet = 61 cm long). Their coloration and their slow actions make them almost disappear in the forest canopy. Some sloths have colonies of green algae encrusting their fur, both adding to the camouflage effect and providing some nutrients to the sloths, who lick the algae. These mostly-quiet mammals live in the tropical rainforests of South and Central America. Sloths may live 10-20 years in the wild. Sloths are hunted by jaguars, eagles, and man. Classification: Class Mammalia, Order Xenarthra, Family Bradypodidae and Megalonychidae.

SLUG The slug is an animal that lives in moist areas.

SMALL-EARED ZORRO The small-eared zorro is a dog-like fox from South American rainforests.

SNAKE A snake is a reptile with no legs. Its skin is scaly. There are many snakes in rainforests.

SPECTACLED CAIMAN The Spectacled Caiman is a common meat-eating reptile from fresh water habitats in South and Central America.

SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY Swallowtail butterflies (family Papilionidae) are strong fliers with three fully developed pairs of legs. Many swallowtails have distinctive tailed wings (hence the family name). They lay spherical eggs. These butterflies are found from the tropics to more temperate regions.

SUGAR GLIDER This small marsupial (also known as the lesser flying phalanger) glides from tree to tree in Australia and nearby islands.

TAPIR A plant-eating, hoofed mammal with a small trunk.

TARANTULA A tarantula is a large, hairy spider.

TARSIER Tarsiers are small mammals with enormous eyes.

THREE-TOED SLOTH The sloth is a slow-moving mammal that lives hanging upside-down from trees.

TIGER Tigers are large, fierce Asian cats that have stripes. They live mostly in forests in India, Sumatra, Indochina, and Siberia. Tigers are threatened with extinction due to loss of habitat.

TOAD Toads are amphibians with poison glands. They usually have warty skin.

TOUCAN A South American rainforest bird with a huge, colorful beak.

TURTLE Turtles have a protective shell on their body. They are anapsids, having no extra holes in the sides of their heads. Turtles evolved during the late Triassic period, roughly 220 million years ago, about the same time the dinosaurs and mammals evolved. Proganochelys is the oldest known turtle.

ULYSSES BUTTERFLY The ulysses is a spectacular swallowtail butterfly from Australia.

UMBRELLABIRD A bird with a large tuft of feathers on its head.

WHITE-TAILED DEER The White-Tailed Deer is a shy, fast-moving plant-eater.

XENOPS The Xenops is a rainforest bird from the Americas.

ZODIAC MOTH The Zodiac moth (Alcides zodiaca) is a large moth that looks like a swallowtail butterfly (but like all moths, it rests with its wings outspread). Its rounded wings have large brown and cream/purple stripes. This moth lives in Australian tropical rainforests. It drinks flower nectar through its proboscis. The Zodiac moth is diurnal (most actice during the day).

ZORRO The small-eared zorro is a dog-like fox from South American rainforests.