1. A brief introduction of Wolter Lizards

-The wolter lizard is a reptile that can be found in parts of Russia, China, Japan, and Korea.

 It can be seen in mountains, bushes, and within weeds there is a lot of sunlight. The lizard sheds its skin at least once in a year, and feeds of insects or worms.

-This specific type of lizard uses autotomy as a defensive skill. When the wolter lizard meets a predator, it cuts off its tail and flees. In the process, the muscles encompassing a single bone decrease in size. Within few weeks, a new tail grows, but a lot of energy is needed in order to do this. Thus, the tail is shorter than before and it has a different color.

-The back of a wolter lizard is a reddish grey-brown, while the side is a deep reddish brown. Its head is long and the tip of its mouth is pointed. The tail is longer than the rest of the body, and the lizard appears to be slim

-About 250 species of wolter lizards have been found presently. The wolter lizard breeds during June~August and hibernates during November~April.

2. My Encounter with the wolter lizard

-It was just a few weeks ago - late April when I found a wolter lizard that had just woken up from its deep winter sleep. Our school traditionally holds a marathon and jogging ritual right after exams. For most of the time though, the students had a leisurely time walking through the trees and flowers of early spring.

-South Korea is a populated country full of life.. and full of people. Seoul, the capital, is the most crowded of all. (and possibly one of the most polluted). Yet even in the city, there are greeneries and parks that provide fresh air and a place for nature to settle in.

-The place where our school chose to hold the ritual was one of these places. We were to walk alongside Han River – probably the most famous river in our country.

-Although Han River isn?t the cleanest places, the area we walked along was quite different. Patches of grass and wildflowers were planted all around us, while small streams flowed far and wide. There were all sorts of rocks, trees, insects near us, and it was a part of Seoul that I hadn?t known for many ages.

-Our group, consisting of over 50~60 students and teachers, had finally decided to take a rest. The students talked, played, laughed and did all sorts of things that any group of students would. Then suddenly, I heard my friends screaming. Soon, a large crowd of students were moving around, shouting. It was chaotic, but I didn?t pay a lot of attention because that?s how things always are.. with kids at my school. But then, kids started to scream my name and started to find me.

At first, I thought that there was a problem. A problem with my bag? Had insects invaded my lunch? No.. I let myself through the crowd and in the middle.. I found a baby wolter lizard.

-Of course. I had been famous for a professional reptile handler all over my school! With my experience of taking care of more than 20 different species of turtles, fish, and a green iguana.. I was quite famous.. OR notorious for that matter. During our school trip to Thailand last summer, I had also taken part in catching the lizards there too. I had saved a lot of lizards from kids who wanted to throw rocks at them. I?d even caught a small black-and yellow frog that I quickly let go because I?d suspected it to be poisonous. Well.. that?s another story..

-Anyway, even kids who I?d never been in the same class knew that I was the only person capable of catching lizards. They seemed terrified. I was thrilled. I had kept a green iguana as a pet and seen quite a lot of lizards around the globe.. but a lizard in Korea!

-In the past, I had heard that people in my nation had encounters with wolter lizards. I happened to know a lot about it.. because it was one of the only few lizard species residing in Korea. ?Polluted? was what I had always thought of my country, with only buildings and cars. It was only insects, planted trees/flowers, bugs, and stray cats that I had seen in the natural environment of my country. Yet this was a different experience.

-According to what I know, the wolter lizard is a bit endangered, so people can?t take them home as pets. They live in a clean environment where they can bask in sunlight, usually alongside rivers. They are known to be agile, but catching the lizard wasn?t much of a problem.. because I found my pet iguana about twice as fast.

-In the wolter lizard, my friends and I saw a small seed of hope for Seoul?s environment. Slowly, things were changing, and changing a lot. With more trees, lakes, and parks, natural habitats for lizards and other animals could be created. Someday, within the city environment, we could let biodiversity and eco-friendliness seep into our lives. With just more patches of green land, the environment can heal itself.

-The wolter lizard was put back between the shrubs. The students who were afraid now touched the lizard and waved good-bye. There was always room for understanding and getting used to. Another step forward to understanding our environment.

3. How we have changed.

-After the encounter, my friends and I were pretty much impressed about all the wonderful organisms around us. Yet a lot of things still needed change. So we decided to start our actions for a cleaner city.

-While finishing the walk, the students took out leftover containers and plastic bags. We picked up garbage from the streets and riverbanks. This would make a cleaner city, a cleaner ecosystem for the river itself. One by one, we collected the wasted from the streets.

Nobody had told us to clean things up. Before, we had always complained when our teachers ordered us the clean up the classroom. Now, though, something was changing within us. A stronger desire to protect than to be protected, to love than to be loved. Wherever we went, wherever we walked, the tissues, cans, and candy wrappers disappeared, giving life to blooming flowers.