Feel Good Friday - Big Cat Rescue

Monday is International Tiger Day, an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation. What a great time to learn about Big Cat Rescue.

Founded in 1992 by Carole Baskin, who you may remember from a certain tiger-related tv show, Big Cat Rescue is a non-profit educational sanctuary with the mission of “a world where big cats roam free”. They focus on providing a permanent home for exotic cats, ending mistreatment of big cats in captivity, and avoiding extinction of big cats in the wild. 

What started when Carole and her late husband outbid a taxidermist for a bobcat cub, has now become the world’s largest accredited sanctuary for big cats. Their approach has evolved over time as they have become more knowledgeable. You can watch this 5-minute video to get a quick history.

Most of the cats taken in by Big Cat Rescue have been either found, orphaned, or relinquished by owners who either could or would not continue to care for them. Some are retired from performing acts while others were saved from being slaughtered for fur coats. As of 2023 they have rescued more than 230 exotic cats, as wells as successfully rescued, rehabbed and released 55 native bobcats. Starting in 2024, the rescued cats live at the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. You can see photos of the residents and read their stories at this link.

In addition to the sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue encourages laws forbidding breeding and exotic pet ownership and funds conservation projects all around the world to support big cats in the wild. Since they started tracking their numbers in 2006, they have donated $989,000 to other organizations. You can visit an interactive map on this page and search for these organizations by location or cat species.

If you’d like to celebrate International Tiger Day by supporting a tiger or two, there are many ways to do so. Shop for Big Cat Rescue merch, make a donation, and amplify their work on social media. Follow Big Cat Rescue on Facebook or Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Nadace Partnerství (Partnership Environmental Foundation)

Another Feel Good Friday from the Czech Republic, this time highlighting Nadace Partnerství, the Partnership Environmental Foundation.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Brno, Nadace Partnerství is the largest environmental foundation in the Czech Republic. The name translates to Partnership Environmental Foundation because their work helps create partnerships between people and nature.

The vision of Nadace Partnerství is seeing the world as “an open society of free people caring for the environment.” To achieve this, they financially support, educate and empower people and communities that manage the effects of the climate crisis.

First, let’s talk about the adaption measures Nadace Partnerství takes to build resilient cities and healthy landscapes. Examples of projects they support in this category include Cyclists Welcome, a website with routes and resources for cyclists traveling in the Czech Republic and Sázime Budoucnost, a group that has planted over 4.3 million trees and won’t stop until they reach 10 million. Nadace Partnerství also holds an annual contest to identify the best solutions to the climate crisis in the Czech Republic and Austria. Award categories are focused on landscapes, residential areas and buildings.

Nadace Partnerství also maintains the Open Garden located in Brno. It provides a place to relax in the middle of the city and learn about the agricultural cycle from farm to table, or as their website says “from soil to fork”. There are also spaces in the garden that the public can rent for meetings and corporate events, or parties, celebrations and weddings.

Since Nadace Partnerství began over 30 years ago they have awarded 4,897 grants that have supported projects in 3,663 communities across the Czech Republic. You can also support this partnership between people and nature. Make a donation to Nadace Partnerství and amplify their message on social media. Like their Facebook page, follow them on Instagram or LinkedIn, and if you understand Czech, subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Zdravotní Klaun (The Healthcare Clown)

Happy Feel Good Friday from the Czech Republic! I’m in Prague and want to highlight the local organization, Zdravotní Klaun, which translates into the Healthcare Clown.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Prague, Zdravotní Klaun has helped both pediatric patients and seniors endure the process of medical treatment with a smile. Their mission is “to bring joy, good spirits, and hope to places in need”. Those places are primarily hospital rooms and specialized clinics and care centers for seriously ill children or seniors.

Let’s start with their programs for children. The most common is pairs of medical clowns dressed as doctors and nurses visiting children’s wards to “prescribe laughter, banish stress and sadness, encourage small patients and prescribe more than a large amount of humor.” The medical clowns consult with medical staff on the condition of the children before their visit. You can watch this short video to see the clowns in action without having to translate the website.

In addition to children’s hospital wards, the medical clowns also visit intensive care units, emergency rooms and host virtual clown parties. For children with long-term illnesses, there is a weekly program that teaches them skills such as magic and juggling and culminates in a performance for their parents, other patients and staff.

The programs for seniors include medical clown visits to geriatric departments of hospitals, homes for the elderly, treatment centers for the chronically ill, and hospice centers. The clowns enlist the seniors to perform in variety shows based on their memories and favorite activities. Zdravotní Klaun also provides seminars for healthcare professionals to share techniques and methods of open communication the professionals can use with their patients.

Currently, there are 93 professional healthcare clowns in the Czech Republic who make over 300 visits each month to 66 hospitals, 11 nursing homes and one hospice center. That’s a lot of laughter and joy.

If you’d like to support the work of Zdravotní Klaun there are many ways to do so. If you live in the Czech Republic you can become a healthcare clown . The rest of us can make a donation and spread the word on social media. Like the Zdravotní Klaun Facebook page, follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.