Canada Goose - Canada

Canada has more inland water systems than any other country. Canada’s Mackenzie River ranks as the 12th longest river in the world. Of the fifteen largest lakes, Great Bear, Great Slave, and Winnipeg are in Canada, four others are shared with the United States: Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior.

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Branta canadensis - In the second year of life, a Canada goose will choose a permanent mate; Canada geese are monogamous and remain together for life. A female will typically lay a clutch of about five eggs. Both parents tend to the nest; the female dedicating herself to the incubation process and the male will standby to offer protection or help maintain the nest. The incubation period lasts from 24 to 28 days. Once hatched, the goslings are capable of walking, swimming, and fending for themselves in finding food.

Sugar Maple - Canada

Acer saccharum - The sugar maple is one of several maple species found worldwide. It is a slow growing tree, attaining a height of 40 meters at maturity. The maple is a hardy and tolerant tree, but recent declines in acreage is a direct result of increased acid precipitation and air pollution in the northeastern industrial corridor. Maple syrup is derived from the xylem of the sugar maple tree. Xylem is the vascular tissue of the sugar maple and allows the tree to transport water from the roots to the leaves.

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The first European settlement of Canada occurred in 1000 AD; Norsemen built a small colony at L'Anse aux Meadows. The settlement did not survive and Europeans remained absent from Canada until John Cabot’s exploration of 1497; he claimed his findings for England. Jacques Cartier arrived in 1534 and claimed the area along the Saint Lawrence River for France. This pitted England against France in several wars for control of Canada; England emerged as the victor during the Seven Years’ War.

Monarch Butterfly - Mexico

Lake Xochimilco was one of four lakes in the Valley of Mexico during the time of the Aztecs. These lakes were the sites of an agricultural style known as Chinampas. The Aztecs would pile alternate layers of mud and marsh plants onto large floating rafts, merging them with the seabed to create fertile islands.

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Danaus plexippus - The monarch butterfly is a milkweed butterfly native to North America. They use the milkweed plant as a food source during the larvae stage. Each fall the monarch migrates along various routes in a quest for warmer habitats. The monarch butterfly, through multi-generational migration paths, travels between Ontario, Canada and the mountains of Central Mexico. Monarchs butterflies are aposematic, an organism with the ability to use warning coloration to ward off potential predators.

Maize - Mexico

Maize was first domesticated by the indigenous people of the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico. Maize has become an important food source throughout the world. It is a hardy plant able to flourish in diverse climates. The leafy stalk produces cobs or ears of maize containing the seeds or kernels. The Mesoamericans used a planting system called the “three sisters,” a technique of planting maize, squash, and legumes into one field, a beneficial technique known as “companion planting.”

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Spain divided its claims and conquests in the Americas into various administrative entities. The Viceroyalty of New Spain was a territory and predecessor to the current state of Mexico, formed when independence from Spain was achieved in 1821. The viceroyalty was founded in 1535 and included Spanish territory in North America and surprisingly, the Philippines. New Spain did not serve as a Spanish colony; it had the legal status of an independent kingdom under Spanish control.

American Bison - United States of America

Fernandina Beach, founded by the French in 1562, is the oldest European settlement in the continental United States. Saint Augustine, also in Florida was founded in 1565 by the Spanish and is the second oldest. Both cities were established almost fifty years before Jamestown, Virginia, the first English settlement.

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Bison bison - The American bison has 14 pairs of ribs instead of the 13 found in true buffaloes. Great herds of bison once roamed over the vast North American grasslands. The bison was the primary food source for the Native American tribes living in the central plains area. By 1889, the bison herds had been exploited to the brink of extinct, only 541 remained alive in the United States. Through conservation efforts, the American bison has successfully recovered and is now thriving in national parks and protected reserves.

Roses - United States of America

Rosaceae - The family of Rosaceae contains over 100 species of roses, a family of erect shrubs or climbing vines, with most varieties having thorns. The majority of rose species are native to Asia, but there are species native to each region of the world. Roses are primarily grown for ornamental purposes, but they do have other uses. The essential oils are extracted for use in manufacturing perfumes and rose hip, the fruit of the plant, can be made into jams, marmalades, soups, and teas.

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The first people in the United States arrived from Siberia via a land bridge across the Bering Sea more than 15,000 years ago. When the Europeans arrived, they found well established societies. The native people were displaced as each colonial power claimed their share of the newly discovered lands. The English took the Atlantic seaboard, the Spanish the Pacific coast and western region, the French claimed the Mississippi Valley, and the Dutch limited themselves to an area of present day New York.

Walrus - Greenland

Greenland, lying mainly in the Arctic Circle, is the world’s largest island. It was first explored by Eric the Red in 985. He named it “Grønland” merely to attract potential settlers; the name had little to do with real environmental conditions. The Vikings used Greenland as a base for further westward exploration and expansion.

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Odebenus rosmarus - A male walrus is approximately 3.6 meters long and can weigh up to 2,000 kilos. The tusks of a mature male can grow to 1.2 meters; both sexes have tusks. The tusks are used for defense and digging into the ice to open or maintain breathing holes. They also serve as grappling hooks; the walrus will dig their tusks into the ice for support when hauling their massive bodies out of the water. A spread of heavy bristles sprouting from the upper lip serve as sensitive feelers when submerged and foraging for food.

Hooded Seal - Saint Pierre And Miquelon

France maintains several categories in defining its many territorial possessions. The islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon have the status of being an “overseas collectivity” territory. João Álvares Fagundes, a Portuguese explorer, landed on the islands in 1520, but they were claimed for France by Jacques Cartier in 1536.

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Cystophora cristata - The hooded seal’s name is derived from the large inflatable sac extending from the nostril to their forehead; only males have this feature. Sexually mature males also have the ability to blow a pinkish balloon out of their left nostril. The males use these displays as a means of intimidating rivals during courtship battles and to attract females. This odd feature is also used as a signaling device in defining status within a group for feeding privileges or basking rights and as a general indicator of the animal’s health.

Bermudan Juniper - Bermuda

Juan de Bermúdez, a Spanish explorer, discovered an uninhabited Bermuda in 1505. Left unsettled, the island was used as a replenishing point for Spanish and Portuguese crews crossing the Northern Atlantic. Great Britain, through a charter granted to the Virginia Company, began to officially settle Bermuda in 1612.

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Juniperus bermudiana - The Bermudan juniper tree is one in about 60 species making up the Juniperus genus. Junipers vary in configuration; there are tall trees measuring up to 20 meters and ground level shrubs with long trailers. The Bermudan juniper grows to about 15 meters in height. The first arrivals on Bermuda found the tree growing throughout the island, but clearing the forest for agricultural and shipbuilding purposes brought the Bermudan juniper and those animals relying on the tree for food or shelter into sharp decline.