Endangered Species Day is May 15, 2009!

May 8, 2009 - PRLog -- In 2006, the United States Congress designated the third Friday of May Endangered Species Day in an effort to spread awareness of endangered wilderness areas and wildlife. Education is imperative in the protection process. After all, how can we protect an endangered species if we do not even know it is endangered? To prevent species extinction, this day was created to educate and inform. Sylvan Dell Publishing was founded in 2004 on similar principles, and its books continue striving to inform children of positive ways to influence their environment.

“How can we expect future generations to protect the environment if they’re never taught? Protecting the environment is about respect—respecting each other, our communities, and the Earth. That is what parents have to teach their children,” says Sylvan Dell co-founder Lee German. Mr. German and his wife, Sylvan Dell co-founder Donna German, started the picture book publishing company after a six month cross-country trip with their three homeschooled daughters, traveling through national parks, zoos, and aquariums. “Part of Endangered Species Day is creating awareness. Children must be aware of endangered species and the threat of extinction. Once they become aware, they become proactive. Working together, we can save dwindling habitats and species.”

Sylvan Dell Publishing creates picture books of stunning artistic value, with a “science and math through literature” slant and an emphasis on environmental education. Each title includes a 3-5 page “For Creative Minds” section, which consists of educational activities based upon the images and text of each picture book. In celebration of Endangered Species Day, here are some endangered species fun facts from the Sylvan Dell website:
•   Sea turtles: Turtles don’t change shells as they grow—the shell grows with them, just like our bones grow as we grow.
•   Manatees: Manatees use their paddle-like front flippers for swimming or “walking” along on the ground. Sometimes they even use their flippers to hold things and to bring food to their mouths!
•   Hippopotamus: They close their nostrils (noses) and fold down their ears when they go under water.
•   Koala: Living high in eucalyptus trees, an Australian koala spends most of its life sleeping. It usually sleeps 18 to 20 hours each day. It tucks into a fork of tree branches to snooze.

For more information about Sylvan Dell titles and their mission of conservation education, visit the company website at http://www.SylvanDellPublishing.com. For Endangered Species Day details and activity ideas, visit the celebration day website at http://www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org.

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About Sylvan Dell Publishing
Sylvan Dell Publishing in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., is on a mission to excite children’s imaginations with artistically spectacular science, math, and nature themed stories. Founded in November of 2004, Sylvan Dell’s family has grown to include more than 64 authors and illustrators, in the U.S. and Canada, and 40 titles – honored as finalists or winners of more than 70 book awards. For more information, visit http://www.SylvanDellPublishing.com.