Since April 22 is Earth Day, we thought we would share how the animals used in our projects help us get our green on.
1. Bees
Our world would not be even close to the same without bees. Cross pollination helps at least 30% of the world's crops and 90% of the world's wild plants.
Bonus fun fact: Scientists have discovered that bees can be great detectors of the presence of land mines and toxic chemicals.
2. Pigs
The original upcyclers. Pigs will nourish themselves with what people consider waste––if not for pigs, that stuff would be headed for the landfill.
3. Camels
One word: conservation. Camels can live for up to two weeks without water. Humans can only go for about 3 to 5 days.
4. Night Crawlers
Did you know that Heifer often provides earthworms to our project partners? Earthworms are essential to soil health. They bring nutrients and minerals to the surface soil via their waste, and aerate the soil with their tunnels.
5. Alpacas
If alpacas aren't Al Gore's favorite animals, they should be. Alpacas set a perfect example of how to tread lightly on the Earth. They have a very low environmental impact due to their padded feet that don't hurt the meager soil of the High Andean mountains, and they graze gently in a way that doesn't kill the plants they consume.
So what do you think, humans? Think we can make the list next year?
Tweet us if you have more eco-friendly animals to add to the list @Heifer, or check out our catalog if you want to provide someone in need with a life-changing, eco-friendly animal this Earth Day.