Amazon Rainforest

Listen closely. Can you hear the monkeys chattering high in the trees? Chatter-chatter-chatter. Can you hear the buzz of a thousand tiny wings and the drip-drop of rain on big, green leaves? The air here is warm and wet, like a giant hug from the earth. All around you, there are so many shades of green that it looks like a big, leafy blanket stretching all the way to the sky. A giant, winding river snakes through me, like a long, brown ribbon. It is my heart, carrying water and life everywhere it goes. My trees are so tall they tickle the clouds, and my flowers bloom in every color of the rainbow. I am a home for more animals than you can count, from the tiniest frog to the biggest cat. I am the Amazon Rainforest.

My story is very, very long. I have been here for millions of years, watching the world change. Long, long ago, even before your grandparents’ grandparents were born, the first people came to live with me. It was over 12,000 years ago. They learned my secrets. They knew which plants could be food, which could be medicine, and how to listen to the whispers of my trees. They built their homes and lived as a part of me, taking care of me as I took care of them. Then one day, in the year 1541, a man named Francisco de Orellana and his friends arrived in big boats. They had never seen anything like me before. 'Look at the size of this forest!' they shouted. 'And this river is as wide as the sea!' They were astonished by my size and power. After them, more people came. Scientists and explorers traveled deep inside my green world. They found amazing new flowers, strange-looking insects, and colorful birds. They learned that every single thing in my forest, from the smallest ant to the tallest tree, is connected and helps each other live. I was like a giant, wonderful puzzle they were just beginning to understand.

Did you know I have a very important job? Some people call me the 'lungs of the Earth'. That sounds silly, doesn't it? But it's true. Just like your lungs breathe in air, my millions and millions of trees breathe in the old, used-up air from the world. Then, they breathe out fresh, clean air for everyone to use. This clean air is called oxygen, and it helps all people and animals to live and be healthy. I am also a busy, bustling home. Colorful macaw parrots squawk from my branches, sleepy sloths hang upside-down for a nap, and sleek jaguars prowl quietly on my floor. I am a treasure for the whole world, filled with wonder and life. It is very important that people help protect me. By taking care of me, you help me stay strong and healthy, so I can keep making clean air and being a safe home for all my amazing animals for many, many years to come.