Poison Berry - Poem & Poster on MDG 7

The purpose of my action project was to choose a issue that covered Millennium Development Goal number 7, which is to Ensure Environmental Sustainability. I chose deforestation because I was interested in a type of plant called buckthorn. This type of plant relates to deforestation, because it kills native plant species. Buckthorn takes away nutrients, light, and moisture, not allowing other plants to grow. 

For my external investigation I talked to my uncle Dan. He was a former Archaeologist for the forest preserve district of Cook County. He explained to me that buckthorn was like a cancer to forest preserves. That inspired me to take action, by writing a poem and showing that buckthorn is a disease. 

The picture below shows my drawing of buckthorn "cancer". I drew a cancer ribbon (which is yellow and dark green) to symbolize "forest cancer". I drew buckthorn coming out of the ribbon to show that it spreads. Behind the ribbon there are trees to represent forest preserves. A challenge that I faced was drawing my picture.  I overcame it by really taking action and expressing how I feel about invasive species. What I enjoyed about this action project was doing research. I improved a lot on research.

                                                  Photography JV Forest Cancer Awareness 2013*

Looks like berries but feels like poison, grows and grows but never ends

The way it curves and grows up in to a leaf, this plant bears fruits which are black and red berry like a drupe 

The name is due to the woody spine of each twig, it grows 25 feet tall, the fruits are like dye used for silk or wool

Comes from Europe, over 150 species this invasive plant called buckthorn

Looks like berries but feels like poison, kills native plants

takes away nutrients, light, and moisture, never dies during winter

Make animals sick, threatens the future forest 

Like cancer that can’t find a cure, growing repeatedly without end

Looks like berries but feels like poison, buckthorn is like a disease to forest preserves 

will never stop growing, let's help stop planting buckthorn for privacy 

help Cook County forest preserves from its, sickness it could work

Looks like berries but feels like poison, help deer and birds stop getting stomach pains

let's not make them think it's a fruity berry, let trees grow healthy without getting replaced from buckthorn

let's follow Chicago Wilderness, people volunteering to take down buckthorn this cancer can get cured

Citations

"Corporate Council". chicagowilderness.org. 2012. Web. October 16, 2013.

Melone, Dan, personal interview with former Archaeologist from the forest preserve district of Cook County. 13 October. 2013.

"Forest Preserves of Cook County". fpdcc.com. Thornton C. Ralph. N.P. N.D. Web. October 11, 2013.