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(NAPSA)—While flower loverscan appreciate orchids for theirexotic and delicate charm, there’smore to these beautiful bloomsthan many realize. For instance:

• Orchids are one of the largestgroups of flowering plants, con-sisting of some 25,000 to 30,000species;

• In their natural environment,each orchid species is dependent ona specific type of insect to carry outits pollination; and

• There are two principal typesof orchids: terrestrials, which fea-ture extensive belowground rootsystems, and epiphytes, charac-terized by their aerial or exposedroot structure.

For individuals fascinated bythese flowers, there will soon bean opportunity to have the ulti-mate orchid experience. Held onceevery three years in a differentinternational location, the WorldOrchid Conference® (WOC) is thelargest and most influential gath-ering of orchid enthusiasts, hobby-ists, growers, hybridizers and sci-entists. Rare species, fragrantfloral compositions and creativehybrids will seduce and impressvisitors to this momentous show.

The highlight of the 2008WOC—to be held January 23-27in Miami, Fla., the first time in 25years that the conference will beheld in the U.S.—will be its majororchid show, titled “Orchids—Nature’s Masterpiece.” Nearly100,000 attendees are expected forthe conference, which will featureorchids by the tens of thousandsarriving from every major orchid-growing center in the world. Manyof these exotic flowers will arrivecourtesy of FedEx, its official ship-ping partner. These prestigious

“guests of honor” will be displayedin artistically designed exhibits ofvarying sizes and shapes.Acclaimed orchid growers fromaround the world will exhibit andsell their magnificent blossoms.Orchid art and related items willbe on display and there will be alarge sales mart carrying plantsand all things related to orchids.

In addition to the extravagantshow and sale, the WOC will spot-light an extensive seminar andlecture series on science, conser-vation and horticulture, sponsoredby The Arthur F. and Alice E.Adams Charitable Foundation.There will also be parties, net-working events and sight-seeingopportunities.

To register as a vendor orattendee for WOC, which will beheld at the Sheraton Miami MartHotel and Exhibition Center, or foradditional information—includinga complete schedule—visit theWeb site at www.19woc.com.

World’s Biggest Orchid Show Will Bloom In The U.S.

All Things Orchids: Orchids arefound in nearly every climaticcondition except deserts. Theworld’s biggest, most popularorchid show will take root in thelush, tropical setting of Miami.

(NAPSA)—Vaccinations arenot just for babies and young chil-dren. In fact, health experts rec-ommend several vaccinations forpreteens and teens. These shotscan help protect them from seriousdiseases, such as whooping cough.

Results of a national survey ofparents of preteens and teens 10-18 years old show four out of fiveparents think that up-to-date vac-cinations are very important forpreparing their child for a success-ful school year.

While 83 percent of parents ofpreteens and teens agree thattheir children should receive abooster shot to help protectagainst whooping cough, less thanhalf say their child has actuallyreceived the booster shot. The sur-vey also found that only about onein three parents surveyed wasextremely or very concerned abouttheir preteen or teen beingexposed to a contagious diseasesuch as measles, mumps, polio orwhooping cough.

Of all vaccine-preventable dis-eases, whooping cough is the onlyone that has been on the rise inthe United States. In 2005, therewere more than 25,000 cases ofwhooping cough reported in theU.S. Thirty percent of thosereported cases occurred in pre-teens and teens 10-19 years old.Whooping cough outbreaks oftenoccur in middle and high schools.

One study found that preteensand teens with whooping coughmiss an average of more than aweek of school. To help preventthis, health experts recommendthat preteens and teens receive abooster shot to help protect themagainst whooping cough, whichspreads easily. This booster shotalso helps protect against tetanusand diphtheria.

Sonia Manzano, who has played“Maria” on “Sesame Street” for over30 years, has teamed up with theNational Association of SchoolNurses (NASN) to remind parents

to “Give Your Kids a Boost!” Thisnational campaign is dedicated tospreading the word about theimportance of making sure preteensand teens receive the recommendedvaccines that can help protect themagainst serious diseases.

“Much of my career has beendedicated to helping young chil-dren to learn and grow. I’mpleased to be working with theNational Association of SchoolNurses to help make sure childrenstay healthy as they grow up, sothey have the best chance of suc-ceeding in school,” said Manzano.“Kids are never too old for a check-up. Taking our preteens and teensto the doctor and asking if theirshots are up-to-date is an easything we can do to set them up fora healthy school year.”

For more information on theimportance of vaccinations for pre-teens and teens, and how to keepchildren healthy during the schoolyear, visit the National Associationof School Nurses Web site atwww.NASN.org. GlaxoSmithKlinehas provided funding and addi-tional assistance to the NationalAssociation of School Nurses(NASN) for the “Give Your Kids aBoost!” campaign.

Help Protect Your Preteen Or Teen From Serious Diseases

Sonia Manzano, “Maria” from“Sesame Street,” reminds par-ents about the importance ofmaking sure vaccinations fortheir preteens and teens are up-to-date.

(NAPSA)—Nutritionists andparents alike are nuts over pista-chios—and with good reason.

The U.S. government’s “DietaryGuidelines” reports America’s chil-dren are missing out on fiveessential nutrients critical to theirgrowth and health.

Four of those five nutrients—calcium, fiber, magnesium andpotassium—can be found in pista-chios. Additionally, pistachios arecholesterol free and good sourcesof thiamine, vitamin B6, manga-nese and protein.

Serious FunPerhaps equally important,

though, children say pistachiosare a tasty, fun-to-eat snack. Andnow, new types of pistachios havehelped the nut become even morekid friendly. For instance, Every-body’s Nuts! California-grown pis-tachios feature only the largestnuts, come with a comic strip inevery box and are available infour varieties: Salt & Pepper,European Roast, Roasted &Salted and Roasted No Salt. Plus,each box features an “alwaysopen” nut guarantee: if you find aclosed nut, send it in (along withproof of purchase) and receiveanother box free of charge. The pis-tachios are available in the pro-duce department at grocery stores.

Serious Nutrition“With all the recent excitement

about the health benefits of nuts,now is the time for parents to putthe spotlight on pistachios,” says

Dr. David Heber, director, UCLACenter for Human Nutrition atthe University of California, LosAngeles. “The nuts are packedwith nutrition and kids love eat-ing them. Plus, they’re a satisfy-ing snack that keeps children feel-ing full, longer.”

• Pistachios are a “superfood,”meaning one serving of pistachiosoffers dense levels of eight nutri-ents including copper, manganese,vitamin B6 and phosphorus.

• One handful of pistachiosoffers a natural source of 3 gramsor more of fiber. Fiber aids diges-tion, promotes satiety and helpsmaintain a healthy body weight.

• Pistachios offer high levels ofphytosterols, which are importantfor heart health.

For more information, visitwww.everybodysnuts.com.

Parents: Pistachios Have Come Out Of Their Shell

Lunchbox Ready—Pistachios area child-friendly snack that pack anutritional punch.

(NAPSA)—Protecting the envi-ronment can take you places—especially if you do your part bymaking sure your car is as“green,” or environmentallyfriendly, as possible.

Every vehicle owner can takesome preventative maintenancesteps to have a greener car. By fol-lowing these five simple stepsfrom the Car Care Council, youcan help protect the environmentby improving gas mileage, whichin turn saves money at the pump.

1. Keep your car properlytuned for optimum performance. Awell-tuned engine delivers thebest balance of power and fueleconomy and produces the lowestlevel of emissions. A 21st Centurytune-up for modern vehiclesincludes the following systemchecks: battery, charging andstarting; engine mechanical;power-train control (includingonboard diagnostic checks); fuel;ignition; and emissions.

2. Regularly check and replacedirty air filters. An air filter thatis clogged with dirt, dust and bugschokes off the air and creates a“rich” mixture—too much gasbeing burned for the amount of air—that wastes gas and causes theengine to lose power.

3. Check the spark plugs—ifthey haven’t already been checkedas part of the tune-up—andreplace if necessary.

A vehicle can have four, six oreight spark plugs, which fire asmany as 3 million times every1,000 miles. This results in a lot ofheat, electrical and chemical ero-sion. A dirty spark plug also causesmisfiring, which wastes fuel.

4. Maintain the cooling systemof your vehicle.

A cooling system thermostatthat causes the engine to run toocold will lower the fuel efficiencyof a car by as much as one or twompg. There are also improvedradiator caps on the market todaythat allow the cooling system tooperate at a higher temperaturebefore boiling over, increasing thesystem’s efficiency and reducingemissions.

5. Get a free copy of the “CarCare Guide.” The last step towardkeeping a green car is to properlymaintain and repair your car asoutlined in the Car Care Council’s“Car Care Guide.”

The guide helps drivers under-stand their car, the care it needs,and when it needs it and why. Sin-gle copies of the free guide may beordered on the Car Care CouncilWeb site, www.carcare.org.

Five Steps To A “Greener” Car

A free “Car Care Guide” can helpdrivers understand what care theircar needs and how some car main-tenance can lower emissions.

Hit The Books WhenStudying Abroad

(NAPSA)—Study abroad forcollege students in the UnitedStates recently reached an all-time high with more than 190,000students participating in pro-

grams—and thenumbers areg r o w i n g . H o ws h o u l d t h e s escholar/explorersprepare for theirtrips? By hittingthe books beforethey leave home.

That’s where“ M T V Tr a v e lGuides,” a newline of guidebooksfrom Frommer’s,

comes in. Fresh, edgy and opinion-ated, the guides are written by col-lege-age travelers, and include no-nonsense, insider advice oneverything from staying in the besthostels to booking student ticketsonline for the Louvre to buying vin-tage chic for the chillest nightlife.

The line features “MTVEurope” (be sure to check out theflamenco dancing in Seville),“MTV Ireland” (grab a quick surflesson at beautiful, cliff-linedCounty Clare), and “MTV Italy”(hit the cities of Perugia andBologna to meet other studenttravelers).

Also in the series are guides toSpain, France and England, aswell as “MTV Roadtrips U.S.A.”for those who prefer to stay a littlecloser to home.

To learn more or to downloadpodcasts for the books, visitwww.frommers.com.

The new guideto student travel

In England in 1558, beardswere taxed according to theirlength.

One in every 2,000 babies isborn with a tooth.