Antipolo NHS Library

20/10/2026

🌿 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 🌳
Meet the African Umbrella Tree and also known as Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne is a thorny legume tree, usually about 4-8 meters high, but it can reach 20 meters . The crown is dense, umbrella-like and flat-topped. Leaves are compound and the leaflets (6-22 pairs) are very small (1-4 mm long x 0.6-1 mm broad), glabrous to pubescent. Flowers are white, cream or yellow, and highly aromatic. Fruit is a characteristic twisted browny pod, hence the epithet “tortilis” (Ecoport, 2009; Ecocrop, 2009). Pods and leaves are used as a fodder. Fruits are more nutritious if ground. Trees can survive heavy browsing. Acacia tortilis pods are also used as a famine food in eastern Africa.

🌲The umbrella thorn is native to arid and semi-arid areas of Africa and the Middle-East (Arabian Peninsula and Israel). It is found between 15 and 30°N and between sea level and an altitude of 1000 m (Ecocrop, 2009). It grows well on alkaline sandy or rocky soils. It is tolerant to severe drought due to its deep taproot system. It is a phreatophyte, relying on aquifers as deep as 40-50 m (FAO, 2009). It tolerates strong salinity and seasonal waterlogging. It withstands wide temperature variations (0°C to 50°C) (Orwa et al., 2009

Fun Facts 🌿 :
Acacia tortilis is an N fixing species and thus a soil improver. It is used in erosion control since it is able to grow quickly and stabilize shifting sand dunes or hillslopes. It is used to make shelterbelts in India. It is also an afforestation species (FAO, 1985). However, introducing the tree to more humid areas, where grazing and firewood are in adequate supply, is not recommended, as it can grow out of control and become a nuisance (Ecocrop, 2009).

Want to know more about African Umbrella Tree? Here's the source 👇
Source : Feedipedia
https://www.feedipedia.org/node/339

15/10/2026

Improve, enhance, ameliorate, and augment: choosing the right word

15/10/2026

𝗛𝗔𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥?📍

Whether in news reports or everyday conversations, the terms "hazard" and "disaster" are often used interchangeably, even though they have distinct meanings.

A hazard is a 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗻, such as an earthquake, hurricane, flood, or heat wave, that has the potential to cause harm.

A disaster, however, occurs only 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲.

Hazards can be natural, but disasters are largely shaped by human factors. Poverty, poor urban planning, environmental degradation, weak infrastructure, and inadequate preparedness determine whether a hazard becomes a disaster.

15/10/2026

𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗦 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚

Scientists have confirmed that handwriting engages the brain in significantly more extensive and dynamic neural activity than typing.

A new neuroscience study reported by ICNS shows that writing by hand lights up the brain far more intensely than typing, creating rich, widespread connectivity across regions linked to memory, attention, and learning. In contrast, keyboards behave like that one friend who only replies “ok”, efficient, but not exactly stimulating.

EEG scans revealed that handwriting boosts synchronized brain activity in theta and alpha waves, especially in areas tied to sensory-motor control and memory formation. Typing, meanwhile, activates fewer and more limited networks.

Researchers say the fine motor chaos of forming letters forces the brain to coordinate vision, movement, and thought all at once.

15/10/2026

| Para sa mga Magulang at Guardian

May napansing pagbabago sa anak? Huwag balewalain ito. Maglaan ng panahon para kumustahin o makipagkuwentuhan sa kanila.

Simulan ang bukas na pag-uusap at iparamdam sa kanila na handa kang makinig at umalalay.

15/10/2026

𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖 𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗠 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗨𝗟𝗨 🥺

Ever felt like your crush was dropping hints through their social media posts or stories? While it might seem like wishful thinking, for some people, this belief can be a symptom of erotomania.

This rare delusional disorder makes a person firmly believe that someone, often a celebrity or other high-status individual, is secretly in love with them, even without evidence.

Ordinary gestures, random posts, or seemingly unrelated messages may be misinterpreted as secret declarations of affection. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, the belief can remain deeply ingrained.

Erotomania offers a striking yet troubling glimpse into how the mind can distort reality, turning everyday interactions into an imagined romantic connection that feels undeniably real to the person experiencing it.

15/10/2026

English Vocabulary 📖
Confelicity (noun) /kənfəˈlɪsəti/
finding pleasure or joy in another person's happiness and success

Examples:
She felt genuine confelicity when her friend finally achieved her dream.
His confelicity was evident when he celebrated his colleague’s success.

Try using the word in your own sentence!

15/10/2026

Which is your favourite slang word/phrase from the list? ⁣
⁣
Our favourite is ‘a cuppa’! 🫖⁣

15/10/2026

14/10/2026