Nature

Nature Nugget – Poison Dart Frogs

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In the warm, humid rainforests of tropical Central and South America lives a group of small, colorful frogs known as poison dart frogs. These frogs are some of the most poisonous creatures on earth. The origin of their name comes from the fact that the Choco Indians of the Pacific lowlands of Columbia use the frog’s poisonous skin secretions to dip their blowgun darts in. They hunt monkeys and other animals with these blowguns, the poison causing instant paralysis and a quick death.

The secretion of the most poisonous species, the golden poison dart frog, is a nerve poison called Batrachotoxin, which is a steroidal alkaloid. Its poison blocks neuromuscular transmission, resulting in muscle and respiratory paralysis and death. Only 136 micrograms of this alkaloid, which is equivalent to 2 or 3 grains of table salt, is enough to kill a 150 pound person. Other species produce poisons that are not as deadly. It is rumored that just touching one of the golden poison dart frogs will result in death. The truth of the matter is that the poison cannot penetrate the skin unless there is a cut or abrasion, which then will result in a quick death.

More than 100 toxins have been identified in the skin secretions of poison dart frogs. The source of the poison is the frogs’ diet. They feed on worms and small arthropods, especially ants, many of which feed on plants that contain these toxins. Captive specimens lose their toxicity because they are no longer able to feed on these toxic sources.

Poison dart frogs come in an assortment of bright colors and combinations of these colors such as reds, oranges, yellows, blues, and greens. Their bright coloration is a warning to would-be predators that they are poisonous. They are also diurnal so that their colors will show up and warn off predators. Poison dart frogs have a life span of 10 to 15 years and have few enemies. Only a few snakes and large spiders can cope with the noxious poisons of the adult frogs. The young (tadpoles) have more enemies, as they lack, because of a different diet, the poisons of the adults.

During the breeding season, poison dart frogs lay their eggs on wet leaves on the forest floor or in the canopy. Many species carry their hatched young on their backs to a source of water such as a puddle or stream, and some carry their young high into the canopy to deposit them in isolated pools in tree cavities, bromeliads, or other water holding plants. Only one tadpole is deposited per pool, as the young will cannibalize each other. If a parent frog carrying young approaches a plant with a tadpole already occupying it, the resident tadpole will warn the frog off by aiming its head at the center of the plant, holding itself rigid, and rapidly vibrating its tail. If the parent frog does not heed this warning and deposits a tadpole there, the larger resident tadpole will eat the younger tadpole. The strawberry poison dart frog is remarkable in that the females give parental care by periodically visiting the bromeliads where they deposited their young and laying nutritious unfertilized eggs called “nurse” eggs for the young to eat.

Just as deadly as the poison of the poison dart frogs is the sin we harbor in our lives. “The poison of sin is at work at the heart of society, and God calls for reformers to stand in defense of the law which he has established to govern the physical system.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 136.

Nature Nugget – Lichen Intimacy

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Lichens are composed of two organisms living beneficially together and forming a new life form. The dominant partner in the relationship is a fungus. Fungi, of themselves, are incapable of making their own food and survive by being parasites and decomposers. The lichen fungi cultivate partners that manufacture food by photosynthesis, such as algae (Kingdom Protista) and cyanobacteria (Kingdom Monera), formerly called blue-green algae. The relationship is symbiotic, with both organisms benefiting from the arrangement.

The fungi part breaks down rock, wood, and other organic matter to provide minerals and nutrients to the relationship. The algae part has chlorophyll and is able to supply the relationship with energy through photosynthesis. Thus, by living together, they can utilize a wide variety of habitats in which, alone, they could not survive, such as deserts and the Arctic. In many cases, a lichen’s fungi and algae can be found living in nature separately, but many lichens consist of fungi that have become dependant on their algae partner and cannot survive on their own.

Growing in spots that are too harsh or limited for most other organisms—such as bare rock, desert sand, cleared soil, dead wood, animal bones, and living bark—lichens can survive extremes of heat, cold, and drought and are able to shut down metabolically during these periods of unfavorable conditions. One species, the vagrant lichen, is even mobile, moving from place to place by the wind. Lichens can colonize almost any undisturbed surface if given appropriate amounts of light and moisture, clean air, and lack of competition. It is estimated that lichens are the dominant vegetation on eight percent of the earth’s terrestrial surface.

Lichens are highly diverse in looks, varying from gray and green rosettes on trees, green to orange crusts on rocks, tangled brown to green hair hanging from branches, to tiny green goblets on the ground. They are very slow growers, often growing less than a millimeter per year, and are believed to be among the oldest living things on earth.

Lichens produce an arsenal of more than 500 unique biochemical compounds that serve to control light exposure, repel herbivores, kill attacking microbes, and discourage competition from plants. Among these are many pigments and antibiotics that are very useful to man. Half of all lichen species have antibiotic properties. Worldwide, lichens have been used for making dyes, medicines, poisons, clothes, soups, jellies, breads, and fine perfumes. Lichens with cyanobacteria contribute to soil fertility in a major way by taking nitrogen gas from the air and turning it into biologically usable compounds. Lichens are also valuable as food and nesting material for a multitude of wildlife, from the tiny hummingbird that camouflages its nest with it to the large caribous of the far north, which depend on it for food during the long winters.

Just as lichens are composed of two organisms living together and forming a new life form, so the person who cultivates a relationship with Christ and unites his or her life with Him becomes a new creature. “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 11 Corinthians 5:17. “Our life is to be bound up with the life of Christ; we are to draw constantly from Him, partaking of Him, the living Bread that came down from heaven, drawing from a fountain ever fresh, ever giving forth its abundant treasures.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 129. “The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether.” The Desire of Ages, 172.

Nature Nugget – Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents

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Due to plate shifting, fissures open up in the earth’s surface, allowing water to be sucked down toward the center of the earth, where it comes in contact with hot molten magma. This super heats the water to as high as 760 degrees Fahrenheit and forces it back up into the environment through the ocean floor. These hot springs are called hydrothermal vents, and many are located at very deep depths where it is pitch black and the seawater is frigid cold.

Not only is the water from these vents boiling hot, it is also a toxic mix of heavy metals and poisonous gases of which, foremost among them, is hydrogen sulfide. Besides these toxic chemicals and boiling temperatures, most vent water is extremely acid, with pH values as low as 2.8, which is more acid than vinegar.

In spite of these harsh conditions and the enormous pressure from the great depth, life thrives here. Amazing communities of life consisting of fish, crabs, shrimps, clams, tubeworms, and snails, to name a few, exist here. Many of these creatures are blind and lack pigment, and some are giants. More than 300 species of vent life have been identified by biologists, of which over 95 percent were new to science.

All other life ever identified on land or in the sea derives its energy either directly or indirectly from the sun. Since sunlight cannot penetrate this depth, there is no plant life and, hence, no photosynthesis, which is the basis of all other known life on the planet. Heat vent species rely not on photons from the sun, but on thermal and chemical energy derived from the heat and chemicals coming from the earth’s interior.

Tiny microbes (bacteria) oxidize the hydrogen sulfide that diffuses out of the vents, through a process called chemosynthesis, providing nutrients for animals higher up the food chain. Some creatures, like gastropod snails, feed directly on the bacteria which form mats on the sea floor around the vents. Other creatures, such as fish, dine on animals that eat or make use of the bacteria. Still others, such as tubeworms, host the microbes in their tissues in exchange for organic compounds that they produce from the vent chemicals and seawater.

While vent microbes thrive on hydrogen sulfide, it is lethal to other vent creatures that have to keep their distance from the source. The boiling water is also lethal to all the vent creatures except for the microbes which flourish in it. The other creatures live in the lower temperature zones produced by the boiling vent water mixing with the frigid deep-sea water. The only element from above that these heat vent creatures require is oxygen, which is abundant in seawater and was originally produced by plants, so ultimately this ecosystem relies on sunlight also.

Just as these deep-sea vent creatures, located far from the sunlight, still depend on the sun for life-giving oxygen, so the human race, which has been separated from God by their sins, is still dependant on Him for their every breath and, ultimately, on Him for eternal life. “Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator’s love. It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures.” Steps to Christ, 5.

Nature Nugget – New Champion in Avian Migration

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The sooty shearwater is a pelagic seabird that spends its whole life at sea, only coming ashore once a year to breed. It belongs to a group of birds known as tubenoses, named for tubular nostrils on top of their bills used to drain excess salt from their bodies. Sooty shearwaters are dark grayish-brown and are around 16 inches in length with a 43-inch wingspan. They are one of the most abundant birds in the world with an estimated population of 20 million. They are expert gliders, riding the winds inches above the water’s surface in search of food. Their diet consists mainly of fish, squid, and krill which they pick off the surface of the water or occasionally dive under for. There are two populations in the world—an Atlantic population which breeds on islands off southern South America and winters in the north Atlantic, and a Pacific population which breeds in New Zealand and winters in three distinct areas of the north Pacific.

Recently, scientists fitted 33 sooty shearwaters with electronic tags to record data such as position, air temperature, and diving depth while feeding. The 6-gram (about 22-ounce) electronic tags were placed on the shearwaters after they were captured in their breeding burrows in New Zealand. A year later, 20 of the tags were recovered with 19 providing a full record of the distances traveled. The data from these tags showed that the sooty shearwaters travel the Pacific Ocean in a massive figure-of-eight pattern during their migration every year. Their migration paths covered the whole of the Pacific region and took about 200 days to complete. The shearwaters’ journeys took them from their breeding colonies in New Zealand to winter feeding grounds off Japan, Alaska, or California. Some even stopped off on the western coast of South America on the way. During this migration, the sooty shearwaters traveled a maximum distance of up to 40,000 miles and up to 565 miles per day, setting a new record for the longest animal migration known. This record was formerly held by the Arctic Tern, which travels 22,000 miles annually during its migration between the polar ice caps. The data from the tags also showed that the shearwaters dived to an average depth of 46 feet while feeding and could dive as deep as 225 feet.

Someday soon, if we are faithful, we will be long distance travelers also, but on a universal scale. “Many seem to have the idea that this world and the heavenly mansions constitute the universe of God. Not so. The redeemed throng will range from world to world, and much of their time will be employed in searching out the mysteries of redemption.”

“Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 990. “All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flights to worlds afar—worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon ages in contemplation of God’s handiwork. With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation—suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from least to greatest, the Creator’s name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed.” The Great Controversy, 677, 678.

Nature Nugget – Thermoregulating Plants

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A number of species of plants have been discovered that produce heat when they flower, much like warm-blooded animals. Three of these species not only produce heat, but they also thermoregulate like birds and mammals. This means they are able to maintain a fairly constant temperature despite fluctuating air temperatures. Scientists are not completely sure why they produce heat and regulate their temperature, but since it is mainly the flowering parts of these plants that produce the heat, they believe it has to do with creating a warm, stable environment for pollinators, which facilitates reproduction. Another possibility is that the constant warmth may be required for proper development of its reproductive structures. Two of these plants, Skunk Cabbage and Selloum Philodendron, are in the Arum family and the other, Sacred Lotus, is a type of water lily.

The Sacred Lotus maintains its temperature near 90 degrees Fahrenheit for two to four days during its flowering period, even when air temperatures drop to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Its receptacle, the spongy, cone-shaped center of the flower, produces most of the heat. In the Arums, the flowering part is called a spadix and is not a true flower, but is an inflorescence or clustering of small flowers called florets. The spadix, consisting of hundreds of florets on a common stalk, is partly surrounded by a large bract, or specialized leaf, called a spathe. The Skunk Cabbage’s spadix holds its temperature between 59 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two weeks during late winter when air temperatures are below freezing, and it even reportedly melts the snow around it.

The Selloum Philodendron, a common house plant, is able to maintain a high constant temperature in the 100 to 115 degree Fahrenheit range for 18 to 24 hours during its flowering period. The flowers are actually hot to the touch. Its foot-long inflorescences contain about 3,000 florets on a stalk. The uppermost florets are fertile males while the lowermost florets are fertile females. The middle florets in between are sterile males which provide food for the pollinators and are where the main heat is produced. During cold spells down to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, they were discovered to be able to maintain their temperature as much as 60 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the air around them. This is producing heat at a level for their weight comparable to birds and insects in flight, which are the greatest heat producers known. This energy intensive reaction is fueled by fat in a very similar way as to what occurs in the metabolism of animals. This is very unusual, as plants normally utilize carbohydrates (starches and sugars) for energy.

Worldly scientists are saying that these thermoregulating plants and their animal-like strategy of cellular mechanics is an excellent example of convergent evolution whereby two distinct organisms come to the same conclusion because of a similar need. We as Christians know better than this. “The most profound intellects of the world, when not enlightened by God’s Word, become bewildered and lost while trying to investigate the matters of science and revelation. . . . Those who view these from a merely human standpoint will most assuredly come to wrong conclusions. The thorns of error, skepticism, and infidelity are disguised by being covered with the garments of philosophy and science. Satan has devised this ingenious manner of winning souls away from the living God, away from the truth and religion. He exalts nature above nature’s Creator.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 906.

“There are wonderful truths in nature. . . . But fallen man will not understand. Sin has obscured his vision, and he cannot of himself interpret nature without placing it above God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 107. “Science is ever discovering new wonders; but she brings from her research nothing that, rightly understood, conflicts with divine revelation.” Education, 128.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Nature’s Cultivator

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Earthworms are free-living terrestrial and aquatic worms. There are 2,700 known species of earthworms in the world varying in size from less than an inch to nearly ten feet in length. Although some live in arid areas, most prefer to live in environments such as humid forests and other moist vegetated habitats where they are found in soil and leaf litter and under stones and logs. Earthworms do not have lungs, but breathe through their thin skin, which must be kept moist for this exchange of gases. In order to stay moist, earthworms coat their skin and burrows with mucous. They are sensitive to light and heat, so they must stay underground during the day. The worms are blind, but have light sensitive tissues near their heads, which help them avoid daylight. Earthworms come out of the ground at night when it is moist and humid, especially after rains, to feed and mate and to travel to new areas in search of food. They retreat deep underground in hot, dry weather and stay below the freeze zone in winter.

Being scavengers, earthworms feed on dead organic matter that they locate with chemo receptors (taste receptors) which cover their entire body. They feed by passing soil through the gut or by eating organic debris, such as leaves, which accumulate on the soil surface. Earthworms have gizzards where they use tiny stones to grind up the organic matter so it can be digested more easily. After the organic matter and soil pass through the worm, the waste is deposited on the surface of the soil in the form of castings.

Earthworms do wonders for the physical and chemical structure of the soil. The soil is “cultivated” by being ground up in the worms’ gizzards. Organic matter and nutrients are introduced to the soil by the worms pulling leaves and other matter underground and by the addition of excretory waste from the worms. Their castings are rich in nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus which are important for soil fertility and, along with their burrows, aerate the soil, improve drainage, and increase the soil’s water-holding capacity. Other positive influences on the soil by the worms are the mixing of surface and subsurface soils by their burrowing and ingestion of the soils. Scientists estimate that there can be over a million earthworms per acre in healthy moist soils, which can cover the soil’s surface with up to 18 tons of rich castings in a year.

As the earthworms cultivate the soil, building and improving it, so we as Christians need to cultivate our powers toward the building and perfecting of our characters. “All heaven has been looking on with interest, and ready to do whatever God might appoint, to help fallen men and women to become what God would have them. God will work for His children, but not without their cooperation. They must have indomitable energy, and a constant desire to become all that it is possible for them to be. They should seek to cultivate their powers and develop characters that will be meet for a holy heaven. Then and then only will the servants of God be bright and shining lights in the world. Then they will bring energy into their Christian life, for they will put all their powers to the task, and respond to the efforts that have been made to uplift, refine, and purify them, that they may shine in the courts above. They will bring all their powers under the control of the Spirit of God; they will study His Word, and listen for His voice, to direct, encourage, strengthen, and advance them in their religious experience.” Reflecting Christ, 296.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Autumn Leaves

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Every autumn, in temperate regions around the world, the leaves of deciduous trees undergo a transformation of color that can be quite spectacular. Leaves that spent the previous spring and summer in various shades of green now turn to brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. This color change is the result of transformations in leaf pigments.

The green pigment in leaves is chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy from the sun and converts it into chemical energy in the form of sugars and starches in a process called photosynthesis. Because chlorophyll is not a very stable compound, bright sunlight causes it to decompose. Therefore, plants have to continuously make more, which is a process that requires sunlight and warm temperatures.

Another pigment found in many plants is carotene, which produces yellow, orange, and brown colors. Unlike chlorophyll, carotene is very stable. When chlorophyll and carotene occur together in most leaves, the green color of the chlorophyll dominates and masks the colors of the carotene. This is why leaves appear green during the spring and summer.

A third class of leaf pigments, the anthocyanins, are red in color. Most anthocyanins are produced in the fall as a result of a reaction between high concentrations of sugars and certain proteins in the sap of the leaf cells in the presence of light. The color produced by anthocyanins is sensitive to pH. If the cell sap is highly acidic, the pigments will be a bright red color. If the cell sap has low acidity, it will be more purplish in color.

The cool nights and short days of autumn trigger a change in the trees. A corky membrane forms between the branch and the leaf stem. This membrane cuts off the flow of nutrients into the leaf, resulting in a decline in the production of chlorophyll. As a result, the remaining chlorophyll decomposes, causing the green color of the leaf to fade. If the leaf contains carotene, as do the leaves of birch and hickory, the color will change from green to yellow or orange. If it contains anthocyanins, the leaf will change to a shade of red or purple, as do the leaves of red maples, red oaks, and sumacs.

Weather also affects how bright the colors will be each season with temperature and moisture being the main influences. Lots of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp, above freezing nights produce the most spectacular color displays. Also, dry weather conditions increase the concentration of sugars in the leaf sap, which increases the amount of anthocyanins that are produced.

As the death of the leaves in the autumn produces a splendor of beauty, so the soul who surrenders his life to Christ and dies daily to self will develop a beautiful character as he beholds the life of Christ. “We need to understand how necessary it is that we die to self. Self-crucifixion will place souls on vantage ground. I entreat those [of you] who profess to be Christians to die to self that you may be stirred with a new life by the Holy Spirit’s power. Satan is working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Daily we need the converting power of God, or we cannot walk in the footprints of Christ. As the mind is enlightened in regard to what is purity and sanctification, and the heart responds to the strivings of the Holy Spirit, a daily conversion will be the result.” The Upward Look, 269.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – King of Grasses

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Bamboos are woody, perennial evergreen plants that are members of the true grass family. There are about 1,200 species worldwide occurring in diverse climates from cold, 12,000-foot mountains to low, hot, tropical regions. They occur naturally on all continents except for Europe.

Bamboo stems, called culms, can range in height from a few centimeters to 40 meters (131 feet), with stem diameters ranging from 1 millimeter to 30 centimeters (about 12 inches). The stems are jointed with regular nodes, with the sections of stems between the nodes being hollow. A single stem of bamboo grows to full height from a rhizome (root) in one growing season and can persist for several years. Bamboos are the fastest growing woody plants, with some tropical species capable of growing from 1 to over 3 feet per day, but 1 to 2 inches per day is more typical for most garden variety species. When it comes to flowering, bamboos are gregarious, meaning that all of the same species within a region bloom at the same time. Some species flower only every 28 to 120 years, with some species dying after going to seed.

Numerous species of wildlife are dependent on bamboo and bamboo forests for food and shelter. Rare animals such as the giant pandas of China, mountain gorillas of Africa, golden lemurs of Madagascar, and the mountain tapirs of South America are dependent upon or closely connected with bamboo. Several birds are known to drill holes and nest in the hollow stems. The world’s second smallest bat species roosts in holes in bamboo stems. Many little known invertebrates are specially adapted to the environment within the hollow bamboo stems. Cavities that catch and hold water become the home and breeding place for frogs and numerous aquatic insects.

Millions of people use and depend on bamboo also, especially in third world countries. Because of its diversity of uses, it is known as the “friend of the people” in China and as the “wood of the poor” in India. Traditional uses by man include housing, furniture, food, cooking, paper, musical instruments, and boats. A single bamboo clump can produce up to 9 miles of usable poles in its lifetime. There are currently 1,500 documented uses of bamboo which support a 2 billion dollar bamboo industry.

Bamboo is one of the many gifts that God has given us and the animals to use for food and shelter. “Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. It is from Him that we receive every good gift. He is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator’s love. It is God who brings the bud to bloom, the flower to fruit. It is He who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures as brought forth in the beautiful words of the Psalmist: ‘The eyes of all wait upon Thee, And thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing.’ [Psalm 145:15.]” Bible Training School, November 1, 1908.

David Arbour writes from his home in De Queen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Bowerbirds

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Bowerbirds are native to Australia and New Guinea. Unlike most birds which use just showy plumes and/or melodious songs to attract a mate, bowerbirds construct an elaborate structure on the forest floor called a bower. These structures are not nests for raising young but are bachelor pads designed to attract and seduce one or more females for mating.

Bowers vary from a simple circle of cleared earth with a small pile of twigs in the center to complex and highly decorated structures of sticks and leaves, which into and around the male places a variety of objects he has collected. These objects are usually brightly colored or shiny and may include hundreds of shells, leaves, flowers, feathers, stones, berries, insect parts, and even pieces of plastic and glass. The male will spend hours carefully sorting and arranging his collection, with each item having its own specific place. If an object gets moved while the bird is away, it is carefully placed back in its place. No two bowers are the same, with each collection of objects reflecting the personal taste of each bird and its ability to procure rare and unusual items. Male bowerbirds spend nine to ten months of each year working on their bowers.

There are three basic types of bowers: mats, avenues, and maypoles. Mat bowers are among the simplest, consisting of thick pads of plant material ringed with ornaments. Avenue bowers have two close-set parallel walls of sticks that sometimes arch over to create a tunnel. A couple of species even paint the inner walls of their avenue bowers with a stain made from chewed plants, charcoal, and saliva, using a leaf or twig as a paintbrush. Maypole bowers are the most elaborate of all, consisting of twig towers and hut-like structures built around one or more saplings in a carefully groomed courtyard decorated with ornaments. Some create lawns of moss around their creations. The first European naturalists to observe the hut-like bowers believed they were built by human pygmies because of their skillful and aesthetic design.

Researchers have noticed that the drab species of bowerbirds build the more fancy and elaborate bowers, and the brighter colored species build the more plain and simple bowers. Apparently, the drab birds, which can look similar to their females, compensate for their dull appearances by building flashier bowers. The Vogelkop Bowerbird is the plainest of the bowerbirds and is the builder of the largest and most elaborate bower. Its bower is a cone-shaped hut 40 inches high and 60 inches in diameter, with an entrance and a front lawn artistically arranged and decorated with colorful flowers and fruits. In addition, this bird is an amazing songster and mimic. Many species even vary their decoration schemes from year to year, like a fashion trend, to keep up with the changing tastes of the females.

As the male bowerbirds go to much trouble to prepare bowers for their females, so our Saviour is preparing mansions for us in heaven. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.” John 14:1−3. “What a comfort these words should be to us! Think of the work Christ is now doing in heaven—preparing mansions for His children. He wants us to prepare to dwell in these mansions.” That I May Know Him, 363.

David Arbour writes from his home in De Queen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Hubble Ultra Deep Field

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On a clear night, approximately 3,000 stars are visible with the naked eye, all of which are in our own galaxy. It is estimated that there are at least 100 billion individual galaxies in the Universe of which many contain hundreds of billions of stars. Each star, like our sun, is capable of having numerous planets rotating around it. Our galaxy, known as the Milky Way, is a cosmic ocean of 200 billion stars.

Astronomers are overwhelmed with the size of the Universe and the distances involved, so they have developed a special unit of measurement called the “light year” which enables them to begin to estimate distances in space. Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. At this speed, a trip to the moon would take only 1.3 seconds, and to reach the sun would take only 8 minutes. To reach the nearest star outside our solar system would take 4 years. A “light year” is the distance light travels in one year, which is 6 trillion miles.

Between September 24, 2003, and January 16, 2004, scientists picked a point in space and stared at it for a total of 11 days with the Hubble Telescope, which is in orbit 300 miles above the Earth. The region they picked to observe was a small patch of sky, one-tenth the diameter of the full moon, located in the constellation Fornax. This region was chosen because it had a low density of bright stars in the near-field. What they found and photographed is the farthest men have ever seen into the Universe, approximately 47 billion light years, and is said to be the single most important image ever taken by humanity. Using two types of cameras, they generated a composite image from 800 exposures taken over the course of 400 Hubble orbits around the Earth. This photo, known as the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, recorded 10,000 galaxies in a field of view which is smaller than the area blocked by a grain of sand held at arm’s length. This “deep core” sample of the Universe shows galaxies of various ages, shapes, and colors. Among the classic spiral and elliptical shaped galaxies are a number of odd shaped ones, including some that look like toothpicks and some that look like links on a bracelet. A few appear to be interacting.

“God calls men to look upon the heavens. See Him in the wonders of the starry heavens. [Isaiah 40:26 quoted.] We are not merely to gaze upon the heavens; we are to consider the works of God. He would have us study the works of infinity, and from this study, learn to love and reverence and obey Him. The heavens and the earth with their treasures are to teach the lessons of God’s love, care, and power. . . . The heavenly bodies are worthy of contemplation. God has made them for the benefit of man, and as we study His works, angels of God will be by our side to enlighten our minds, and guard them from satanic deception.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1145. “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” Psalm 8:3, 4.

David Arbour writes from his home in De Queen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.