february is… submitted by bonnie sizer, resident assistant, colorado state university

February is…

Submitted by Bonnie Sizer,

Resident Assistant,

Colorado State University

Humpback Whale Awareness Month

Humpback whales are one of the largest baleen whales at 40-50 feet long

and weighing up to 79,000 pounds!

They are well known for their

‘songs’ and acrobatic leaps out

of the water.

Once on the brink of extinction due to whaling,

their numbers have increased greatly, but they are still at risk.

If you are interested in learning more about whales, or what you can do to help

conserve whales visit: http://www.wdcs.org/

National Cherry Month

The cherry is generally understood to have

been brought to Rome from Persia.

Cherries have a very long growing season

they can grow anywhere including the

great cold of the tundra.

Anthocyanin, the red pigment

in cherries is also a powerful

antioxidant!

The Japanese sakura, cherry blossoms, are a

national symbol celebrated in the yearly Hanami

festival.

Odd Holidays in February7th – Charles Dickens Day9th – Toothache Day11th – Don’t Cry over Spilt Milk Day12th – Nat’l Plum Pudding Day13th – Get a Different Name Day16th – Do a Grouch a Favor Day17th – Champion Crab Races Day22nd – Be Humble Day23rd – Int’l Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day27th – Int’l Polar Bear Day28th – Public Sleeping Day

Famous February Birthdays

3rd – Norman Rockwell (1894)

12th – Abe Lincoln (1809)

17th – Michael Jordan (1963)

22nd – George Washington (1732)

23rd – The Tootsie Roll (1896)

26th – Grand Canyon Nat’l Park (1919)

Feb. 9th is G.I. Joe’s 4th Birthday!

The initial G.I. Joes represented four of the

branches of the U.S. Armed Forces with the Action Soldier (Army), Action

Sailor (Navy), Action Pilot (Air Force) and Action

Marine (USMC).

"G.I. Joe" stood for "General Issue Joe"

signifying the universal makeup of the US forces at the time.

The development of G.I. Joe led to the coining of the term

"action figure“.

The original 12" G.I. Joe line ended in America in 1976. At this

time, Hasbro released a line of inexpensive, rotationally molded mannequins in the G.I. Joe style

called "The Defenders“.