Wishing everyone a happy Memorial Day as we remember the many heroes who have served our country.

Water is all around us and is necessary for us to live. But did you know that there are 332,500,000 cubic miles of water on Earth? And that only about one percent of that water is fresh and available for us to use? Read on to find more fun facts about Earth's most precious resource.

1) The Earth's surface is covered by 70.9 percent water, 97 percent of which is salt water. Some scientists believe that there might be more water beneath the floor of the ocean than is actually in the ocean.

2) At birth, the human body is about 80 percent water, while as an adult, a person is about 70 percent water.

3) Water can act like a magnifying glass when on the leaves of plants. The sun can reflect off small water droplets causing plants to burn! This can happen to people, too, as body hair can hold water and cause sunburn!

4) On a daily basis, Americans consume a collective 400 billion gallons of water. (Flushing the toilet consumes the most water.) Europeans use about half that amount.

5) If you're sipping water from a water bottle, note that 25 percent of bottled water manufacturers source their water from municipal water supplies! And it wasn't until 2009 that the FDA required bottle water manufacturers to screen their water supplies for E. coli bacteria!

20 Things You Didn't Know About… Water [Discover]
20 Interesting and Useful Water Facts [AllAboutWater.org]
Water Trivia Facts [EPA]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Lee Edwin Coursey

Although the Austin Zoo is on the smaller side, its interesting selection of wild animals and fun, friendly environment proves it to be an enjoyable way to spend a weekend afternoon. The Austin Zoo doubles as an animal sanctuary, which means that the majority of its animals were rescued, adopted, or even born at the zoo.

From the majestic Bengal tigers to the curious lemurs and the colorful peacocks that roam freely around the zoo’s grounds, all of the Austin Zoo’s animals have plenty of indoor and outdoor space to enjoy. The reptile area offers visitors an up-close-and-personal look at numerous snakes, tortoises, and large lizards, and there is even an exotic bird facility filled with beautiful birds from around the world. With its low ticket prices, the Austin Zoo makes a fun and affordable activity for the whole family.

If your little one loves the zoo, you can even host a birthday party surrounded by animals at one of the pavilions!

Austin Zoo
10808 Rawhide Trail
Austin, TX 78736
(512) 288-1490
www.austinzoo.org
www.yelp.com/biz/austin-zoo-and-animal-sanctuary-austin-2

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Martin Pettitt