Website of the Week: Tree of Life Project

This week’s Website of the Week is the Tree of Life Project. This is a truly mind expanding collection of information, images, videos and much more dedicated to, well… life itself. Explore this amazing repository of knowledge about living things and the world they inhabit. It is organized along scientific principles of classification from the smallest micro-organisms to huge mammals and everything in between. The site shows in great detail the interactions and interrelations between species and how incredibly complex Earth’s ecosystems really are.

TOL’s own ‘About’ page describes the project:

“The Tree of Life Web Project is a collection of information about biodiversity compiled collaboratively by hundreds of expert and amateur contributors. Its  goal is to contain a page with pictures, text, and other information for every species and  for each group of organisms, living or extinct. Connections between Tree of Life web pages  follow phylogenetic branching patterns between groups of organisms, so visitors can browse  the hierarchy of life and learn about phylogeny and evolution as well as the  characteristics of individual groups.

For background information about the Tree of  Life Web Project, see this article in the special issue of the journal  Zootaxa, Linnaeus Tercentenary:   Progress in Invertebrate Taxonomy:”

 

Website of the Week: Seriously Amazing

This week’s Website of the Week is Seriously Amazing from the US Smithsonian Institute. Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities.

Seriously Amazing is a really interesting site chock full of strange, little-known, quirky and yes seriously amazing questions, and their answers.

The Smithsonian asks and answers questions every day about science, art, history and culture.

Check out Seriously Amazing to view some of the best.

Website of the Week: One Ocean

 

This week’s Website of the Week is One Ocean. Watch amazing videos about our oceans produced by David Suzuki and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. You can create your own virtual marine reserve, manage fishing resources, explore the biosphere and defend the coral reef.

National Tree Day 2012

National Tree Day is Sunday 29 July. Click on the image above to find out what activities are planned in your area and get involved. Trees are good, mmkay.

World Environment Day is June 5

World Environment Day is designated and organised by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme).

The UNEP website explains, “World Environment Day is an annual event  that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day  for positive environmental action. World Environment Day activities take place all year round but  climax on 5 June every year, involving everyone from everywhere.”

“World Environment Day celebration began in 1972 and has grown to  become the one of the main vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide  awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.”

This year’s WED theme is “Green Economy: Does it Include You?”