Feel Good Friday - Game Rangers International

Today is World Ranger Day, a global tribute to the men and women who risk their lives every day protecting wildlife and wild places, which makes this the perfect moment to spotlight Game Rangers International.

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia, the mission of Game Rangers International (GRI) is "empowering Rangers and local communities to conserve nature." What began as a small effort to support rangers in Kafue National Park has grown into a holistic conservation model spanning three landscapes across the country.

Zambia's wildlife faces relentless pressure from poaching and human-wildlife conflict, and rangers stand on the front line to protect it, despite being chronically underfunded and under-resourced. Rangers are often asked to work long, dangerous hours with limited pay, equipment, and support, which are exactly the conditions World Ranger Day was created to spotlight. GRI starts by providing rangers with welfare, training, and operational support so that they are empowered to safeguard our natural heritage.

GRI's Elephant Orphanage Project rescues calves orphaned by poaching and conflict, then guides them through a rehabilitation journey that can take more than a decade before they're ready to rejoin a wild herd. Other programs include the Zambia Primate Project, rescuing and releasing monkeys and baboons victimized by the illegal wildlife trade, a Resource Protection Programme that trains and equips anti-poaching rangers with rapid response capabilities, and a Community Outreach Programme that has engaged more than 25,000 children in conservation education.

Since they began, GRI has helped apprehend more than 1,850 poachers and traffickers, released 19 orphaned elephants back into the wild, and released over 800 rescued primates with an exceptional 85 to 100 percent survival rate! Their goal is to empower 500 Rangers by 2030 and safeguard 5 million hectares of wild space.

GRI is also taking part in this year's Wildlife Ranger Challenge, an annual event uniting ranger teams across Africa to raise funds and recognition for their work, with donations matched dollar for dollar.

If you’re inspired to support GRI, you have many options. Adopt an orphaned elephant or primate, volunteer with their conservation programs, shop for merch, make a donation, or amplify their message on social media. Follow GRI on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube.

Happy World Ranger Day! 

Feel Good Friday - Eyes in the Sky Revisited

Today I’m revisiting a post from 10 years ago in honor of a friend who recently passed away. She was a longtime volunteer at Eyes in the Sky in Santa Barbara so it’s time to take another look at this organization.

Since the year 2000, Eyes in the Sky (EITS) has been the key wildlife education program of the Santa Barbara Audubon Society and it is still the only licensed raptor education program in Santa Barbara County.

EITS is home to seven rescued and rehabilitated birds of prey who serve as wildlife education ambassadors. There are three owls, two kestrels, a falcon and a hawk. While the birds are housed in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the majority of the EITS programs take place off site in “public elementary schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, and after school programs.” They include classroom visits from the birds, neighborhood bird walks and art sessions where you can draw, paint or photograph the birds.

If you live in Santa Barbara and want to get involved with Eyes in the Sky you can visit or volunteer. The rest of us can show our support by making a donation and spreading the word on social media. Like the Santa Barbara Audubon Society Facebook page and follow them on Instagram @sbaudubon.

Teresa and Ivan

If you do donate, I would appreciate if you can mark your donation “in memory of Teresa Fanucchi”. Thank you. 

Feel Good Friday - Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care

Today’s Feel Good Friday comes to you on location from Lake Tahoe! Three years ago we profiled the League to Save Lake Tahoe – the organization behind the Keep Tahoe Blue campaign - so today we’re going to turn our attention from the lake and focus on the animals. 

Since 1978, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) has been fulfilling their mission to “rescue, rehabilitate, and release” orphaned and injured wildlife. They also educate the community about the health and safety of the wildlife in the Lake Tahoe area.

 

In 2015, LTWC opened a new 27-acre site with a state-of-the-art animal care facility which allows them to care for and release more injured and orphaned animals. Reasons animals come to LTWC can include wildfires, car accidents, predation from pets and other consequences of human activity. All of the animals receive food that is as close as possible to their natural diet as the intention is to treat the animals for their injuries and return them back to the wild.

 

A sampling of the animals LTWC cares for includes: bears, beavers, coyotes, eagles, owls, porcupines, rabbits, raccoons, river otters and skunks! You can see the full list here. The animals are cared for by rehabilitation staff and trained volunteers. Given the frequency of wildfires in California, LTWC has become a leader in treating animals burned in wildfires.

 

Since the beginning, LTWC has cared for more than 24,000 animals and released over 15,000 back to the wild - a 63% release rate! LTWC also provides information on how to co-exist with wildlife in the area. From tips on sealing woodpecker holes in your house to where to buy coyote rollers for your fence, you can find all the co-existing and reporting information you need at this link.

 

If you’d like to help Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care with their mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release wildlife there are several ways to do so. Volunteer your time, donate your money, shop for art and merchandise and support them on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram and Twitter @LTWCRescue.

Feel Good Friday - San Francisco Animal Care & Control

Well, hello. I skipped last week’s post (accidentally) because I got very involved in Zoom Thanksgiving AND adopting kittens! Today’s Feel Good Friday is dedicated to the agency that put us together, San Francisco Animal Care & Control.

Established in 1989, after taking over the contract from the SFSPCA, San Francisco Animal Care & Control (SFACC) is “San Francisco’s only open-door animal shelter that accepts any animal – in any condition – of any temperament. SFACC is responsible for the City’s stray, injured, abandoned, neglected and mistreated animals – of all species – and wildlife.”

When SFACC says any animal, they mean it. Cats and dogs, of course, but also farm animals, exotic pets and less traditional domesticated animals like rats, hamsters, rabbits, chickens, chinchillas, reptiles, and pigeons. Many of these animals are available for adoption. If you’re looking for a pet, you can see your options using this link. Because of COVID, you aren’t allowed in the shelter and will meet your potential new housemates via Zoom. I was dubious but it works well, and it is very 2020. You can also turn to the SFACC website to check the lost and found for animals, learn about behavior training or find out what to do if you encounter a coyote.

Once you own a pet (not a coyote), SFACC can help you with licenses and permits, microchips and vaccines, spay/neuter services and, if needed, lost and found and humane euthanasia. On that note, while animals that are too injured or sick to survive are euthanized, SFACC saves a very high percentage of the animals that come through its doors: ~85% (compared with a 35% national average). 

Animal rescue services are provided by animal control officers who also investigate cruelty, neglect, and aggressive animals in SF communities. If you have access to the Discovery Channel, you can see them in action on a show called “Animal Cops San Francisco”!

Love what you read about SFACC and want to know how to help? If you live in the Bay Area, you can sign up to foster animals, adopt animals, or volunteer. No matter where you live, you make a donation, and amplify their work by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @SFACC.

Perhaps it was the fact I picked them up during the Thanksgiving weekend, but I’m very grateful to SFACC for bringing these two kittens into my life. Feel Good Every Day!

Feel Good Friday - Wildlife Conservation Society

Friends, the 2020 election is over! While there are still some ongoing shenanigans, I am moving on and fulfilling my blog promise to dedicate today’s Feel Good Friday post to animals. In particular we’ll look at the animals protected by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

 

Founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was one of the first conservation organizations in the U.S. Their mission is to save “wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.”

In order to maximize their resources for the greatest impact, the programs of WCS focus on conserving “14 intact regions on land and in the sea, while reversing the decline of six priority species groups: elephants, apes, big cats, sharks & rays, whales & dolphins, and tortoises & freshwater turtles.” 

Solutions focus on partnering with governments and indigenous communities to protect wildlife, wild places, oceans and fisheries. The team of scientists at WCS share information with other organizations to help combat climate change and wildlife trafficking. They use their expertise to investigate and prevent diseases that move between people and animals, advise on wildlife management, and to influence international policies that will benefit both wildlife and wild places.

 

In addition, in the 125 years WCS has existed, they’ve “supported governments and communities in the creation or expansion of 268 national parks and protected areas.” They also manage four zoos and an aquarium in New York and provide educational experiences and programs that connect people to animals and inspire an interest in conservation. If you’ve got a favorite animal, whether it’s the African elephant, Siamese crocodile or Siberian tiger, you can search through the WCS website to get information on specific conservation efforts.

 

To learn more about the history of the World Conservation Society, you can watch a 16-minute film created for this year’s anniversary celebration. You can also support the work of WCS with a donation and stay current by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @TheWCS. #StandforWildlife

Feel Good Friday - Sydney Wildlife

If you've been reading the news, you know that even though they're getting some rain, wildfires continue burning throughout Australia and the loss of human and animal lives is devastating. That's why in today's Feel Good Friday I'm following Mister Rogers' advice to "look for the helpers", like Sydney Wildlife.

Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services (aka Sydney Wildlife) is an all-volunteer organization founded in 1997 to "rescue, rehabilitate and release sick, injured and orphaned native animals and to educate the community, at all levels, about the need to protect our native animals and to preserve their habitats."

You can tell you're dealing with an Australian organization when the FAQs include what to do when a Kookaburra attacks your windows or a an Eastern Water Dragon lays eggs in your driveway. Sydney Wildlife cares for a range of animals including: snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, birds, possums, bats, flying foxes, kangaroos, wallabies, long-nosed bandicoots and wombats! If you're wondering what a bandicoot is (like I was) it's a small marsupial you can learn more about here.

Because Sydney Wildlife offers rescue and advice service on a 24/7 basis, they rely heavily on their volunteers. If you live in Sydney and want to get involved in wildlife rescue, you'll need complete the two-day rescue and care course. Volunteers also give educational presentations at schools, offices and nursing homes and can set up an information booth at community events.

For those of us not in Australia, we can support the work of Syndey Wildlife with a general donation, a donation targeted to the "bush fire and drought relief wildlife recovery fund", and by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @SydneyWildlife1.

Feel Good Friday - WildAid

I've been asked where I find the groups I profile on Feel Good Friday. Sometimes it's organizations I have experience with, other times I search for ones that connect to current events, this time I saw an ad for WildAid at the Fruitvale BART station. I'll take inspiration anywhere I can find it.

As explained on their website, "WildAid works to reduce global consumption of wildlife products and to increase local support for conservation efforts." They are the only organization in the world focused on reducing demand for endangered species products and they target many of their efforts in Asia where demand is highest.

After watching this very high quality intro video, I learned the following shocking statistics about the illegal animal trade:

• 33,000 elephants are killed each year for their ivory
• the world's tiger population has dropped from 100,000 in 1900 to 3,800 today
• 90% of the world's rhinos have been poached in the last 40 years
• since 2000, 1 million pangolins have been trafficked for their meat and scales
• 73 million sharks per year are killed so their fins can be used for soup

No wonder WildAid's tag line is "when the buying stops, the killing can too".

In order to get the message across that conservation can be exciting, WildAid uses a small budget and lots of donated media to deliver messages with the quality of the worlds best tv ads. You can see examples of these videos here.

In addition to slick production value, WildAid harness the power of celebrity. They have an impressive roster of celebrity ambassadors who all champion different animals: Yao Ming (sharks), Lupita Nyong'O (elephants), Zhang Ziyi (pandas), Leonardo DiCaprio (tigers), Jackie Chan (pangolins), and Prince William and David Beckham (elephants and rhinos and sharks, oh my).

Their awareness campaigns have made a difference. Consumption of shark fins in China has gone down 50-70% in recent years. Three years after a 2012 campaign against the ivory trade featuring Yao Ming, prices for ivory had dropped 50% and the governments of China and Hong Kong announced they would ban ivory sales. In Kenya, elephant poaching has dropped from 390 per year to 90.

You can see what WildAid is doing for your favorite animal by checking out their programs page. To support their work you can make a donation, apply for a job or spread the word on social media by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @WildAid. Now do yourself a favor and go to the website to learn more about pangolins!

Feel Good Friday - World Wildlife Fund

Since April is Earth Month, we're keeping Feel Good Friday focused on the environment by highlighting the work of World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

World Wildlife Fund, with the recognizable giant panda logo, is the world's leading conservation organization. Since 1961 they've been fulfilling their mission "to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth."

As summarized on their website, "WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by more than one million members in the United States and close to five million globally. WWF''s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature."

Their work and goals focus on the six areas below. Clicking on the links will provide very detailed information as to why it matters, what WWF is doing and how you can help. For those of you who like a snapshot - here it is:

• wildlife conservation -  ensure the world's most iconic species, including tigers, rhinos and elephants, are secured and recovering in the wild
• climate - create a climate-resilient and zero carbon world, powered by renewable energy
• food - drive sustainable food systems to conserve nature and feed humanity
• forests - conserve the world's most important forests to sustain nature's diversity, benefit our climate and support human well-being
• fresh water - by 2025, the health of the world's major basins is improving or maintained
• oceans - a resilient ocean sustains marine life and functioning ecosystems that support rich biodiversity, food security and sustainable livelihoods

In practical terms these goals transform into projects such as transforming the global rubber market by producing rubber without clearing forests, studying and protecting the Tuul river in Mongolia and conserving snow leopard habitat.

Since 85% of WWF's spending is directed to worldwide conservation activities you can feel good about making a donation. You can also show your support by adopting an animal, joining WWF for some conservation travel or buying and wearing some apparel.

If you'd rather show your support via social media, take an animal trivia quiz then post your results on the WWF Facebook page and on Twitter @World_Wildlife

Feel Good Friday - Humane Society of the United States

It's Feel Good Friday and you know what makes people feel good? Animals. So today we're highlighting the work of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

To sum up their work in once sentence from their website, "The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization."

Their mission is "celebrating animals, confronting cruelty" and they accomplish it by working in the following areas: animal rescue and care, animal advocacy, and finally, pets and shelters. You can click on this interactive map to get details on the work done in your state.

Examples include the animal rescue team which works with local law enforcement to rescue animals from natural disasters, puppy mills, and animal fighting organizations. Wildlife protection focuses on stopping the fur trade, exotic animal trade and the slaughter of seals and horses. Advocacy work includes policies at both state and federal levels and then there's a host of pet care services - adoption initiatives, training for shelter staff and pet care tips.

How many animals are they helping, you ask? Along with their affiliates, HSUS provides "hands-on care and services to more than 100,000 animals each year." This short video of Adam and Billy (a dog rescued from a puppy mill) is just one example. An adorable example.

You can get involved by subscribing to one of their magazines, making a donation or volunteering. You can also show your support by buying and wearing HSUS gear, liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @HumaneSociety.

Feel Good Friday - Virunga National Park

Do you love gorillas? Me too! So do the people of Virunga National Park, our Feel Good Friday organization for today.

If you get a chance to watch the Netflix documentary, Virunga, I recommend it. This is where I learned all about Virunga National Park and the rangers that are risking their lives to protect it.

If you haven't heard of this park, the website gives you a quick breakdown. "Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on the border of Uganda and Rwanda. Virunga is Africa's oldest national park and is also the continent's most biologically diverse protected area." In addition to all that, "Virunga is home to about a quarter of the world's critically endangered mountain gorillas."

It was founded in 1925 by King Albert I of Belgium, primarily to protect the mountain gorillas living in the area. The last few decades have been dramatic. In 1994, over one million refugees from the Rwandand genocide came into DROC, placing pressure on the park forests and wildlife. In 2007, people from the charcoal mafia (for real) killed nine mountain gorillas to eliminate any motivation to protect the park. Despite all this, partnerships between the park and foundations were formed in 2008, and the park is now open for tourism.

In addition to hosting tourists who come to visit the mountain gorillas, Tongo chimpanzees and Nyiragongo volcano, the park runs several programs. Their main focus is protecting the 95 habituated gorillas and surrounding wildlife. Senkwekwe Center, located in the park, is the only facility in the world for critically endangered orphan mountain gorillas. Rangers also protect the elephant population, which has been reduced from 3,000 to 400, and are training bloodhounds to apprehend and arrest poachers in the park.

The people who do this work do so at great risk. In the last 20 years, over 150 park rangers have been killed protecting Virunga National Park. The Fallen Rangers Fund was created to support widows and children of rangers killed in the line of duty.

To support the people and wildlife in Virunga, you can make a donation and stay in the social media loop by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @gorillacd. Best of all, if you're planning a trip to Africa, you can support the park by visiting! I think that's the win-winiest option of them all.

Feel Good Friday - Grand Canyon Association

Happy New Year!

I was fortunate enough to spend the new year in the Grand Canyon. It was my first trip to the park and there was much more to do and see than I had time for in just two days. If you're planning a trip and want to make the most of your time, I encourage you to check out today's Feel Good Friday
organization, the Grand Canyon Association.

The National Park Service only covers baseline support for operations of the park and so, enter the GCA. As explained on their website, "the Grand Canyon Association is the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, raising private funds to benefit Grand Canyon National Park, operating retail shops and visitor centers within the park, and providing premier guided educational classes, hikes, and tours about the natural and cultural history of the region."

This is a great resource to help you plan your visit. I wish I knew about them before I went! They have links to maps, lodging options and activities, including guided hikes with the GCA Field Institute.  They also host art exhibits, operate many of the visitor centers and bookstores and organize volunteer activities such as vegetation rehabilitation and wildfire management activities.

If you'd like to support the work of the GCA, you can make a donation or shop online for maps, books, videos, calendars, clothing and jewelry. You can also "Adopt a Lion" by making purchases that directly support wildlife research and monitoring of three mountain lions that roam the park. I'm glad to know they are there and glad I didn't see them in person!

As always, you can stay in the social media loop by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @GrandCanyonAssn.