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New orchid species found in Japan

Orchids - Level 0

Nature has many secrets. We uncovered one last week. A nature lover found a new species of orchid in Japan. Scientists studied the new orchid. They said it grows all over Japan. It is pink and white. Its thin petals look like they are made from glass. A professor said we should look for more new species in common places.

There are 28,000 orchid species. The new orchid belongs to a class found all over Japan. It is in a Japanese poem from the year 759. The professor was happy because the orchid was found in a park. Finding the orchid is good news. However, orchids are in danger. We need to protect nature. Orchids bring colour to our world.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Orchids - Level 1

Nature still has many secrets. We uncovered one of them last week. A nature lover found a new species of orchid in Japan. It is unusual to find new plants in Japan. Scientists studied the new orchid. They believe it grows all over Japan. It is pink and white. Its thin petals look like they are made from glass. A professor said: "The discovery of new species in common places means it is necessary to keep exploring, even in everyday places."

There are 28,000 orchid species worldwide. The new orchid belongs to a class that is common in Japan. The class is in a Japanese poem from the year 759. The professor was "thrilled to have identified a new species". He was excited because it wasn't found in a rainforest or jungle. The discovery of the new orchid is good news. However, many orchids are in danger. We need to protect nature. If we lose more orchids, the world will be less colourful.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Orchids - Level 2

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There are still many secrets to find out about in nature. We uncovered one of them last week. A nature lover found a new species of orchid in Japan. It is rare to find new plants in Japan. The country's trees and flowers are well documented. Scientists studied the new orchid. They believe it grows in parks and gardens across Japan. It is pink and white. Its delicate petals look like they are made from glass. A professor from Kobe University said: "The discovery of new species in common places means it is necessary to keep exploring, even in everyday places."

There are 28,000 orchid species worldwide. The new orchid belongs to a class called Spiranthes. This class is the most common orchid in Japan. A Japanese poem from the year 759 mentions it. The professor said he and his colleagues were "thrilled to have identified a new species". He was excited because it wasn't found in a rainforest or jungle. The discovery of the new orchid is good news. However, many orchids are endangered. This is because of habitat loss. We need to protect nature to stop flowers disappearing. If we lose more orchids, the world will be less colourful.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Orchids - Level 3

Nature is full of secrets. There are still many things to find out about it. One of those things was discovered last week in Japan. It is rare to find a new plant in Japan. Its trees, flowers and other flora are well documented. However, an amateur naturalist came across a new species of orchid in Tokyo. Scientists studied the flower and believe it grows in parks and gardens across Japan. The newly-found orchid is beautiful. It is pink and white, and its delicate petals look like they are made from glass. Professor Kenji Suetsugu from Kobe University said: "The discovery of new species in common places means it is necessary to keep exploring, even in everyday places that don't look so remarkable."

There are about 28,000 orchid species worldwide. The new orchid belongs to a class called Spiranthes. There are about 50 different kinds of Spiranthes. They are the most common kind of orchid in Japan. They are mentioned in a Japanese poem from the year 759. Professor Suetsugu said he and his colleagues were "thrilled to have identified a new species". He said it was exciting because it wasn't found hidden deep in a rainforest or jungle. The discovery of the new orchid is good news. However, many orchids are on the endangered species list. This is because of habitat loss. We need to protect natural environments to stop flowers disappearing. If we lose more orchids, the world will be less colourful.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson