August 4, 2011–I love this cause. I love it so much, I might post it twice today just so more people read it! First of all, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do suggest causes, because I enjoy learning about all sort of causes and if you are passionate about a cause, then I would be honoured to blog about it here.
Today I am blogging about a cause for causes: Sevenly, is an grassroots project that has social media and web selling tee-shirts that individually contribute $ 7.00 per shirt to a cause through the sale. Their unique spin is that they only sell one type of shirt per week, and it is only available at the time. They partner with a new non-profit every 7 days, help them design a interesting tee-shirt promoting their cause and then sell it on their website, sevenly.org. I was amazed with how essentially simple their concept is, but how effective it could end up being.
Here is a short video explaining what they do and why:
To learn more about what they are doing, suggest a charity or help design tee-shirts, click HERE to visit their website or on their logo.
(Thank you to Nadine for suggesting today’s topic for the 365 Blog!)
July 29, 2011–First official post from ranch country, and I am happy to report that after a long day cramming a storage container with all my possessions, I am tired and done; yet still able to blog. I find all sorts of organizations, causes and events during my day; whether it be on the side of a bus, on a radio advertisement or during one of my rabbit-hole voyages in the world wide web. Today was the former, and I am please to tell you about One Sky, a Canadian non-profit/NGO that is helping lead the way for sustainable living, not just as Canadians, but as a global dream.
One Sky is based in British Columbia, in a tiny little town called Smithers, and small-town postal code or not; they are making some amazing strides in sustainable living. One Sky doesn’t just promote sustainable living in terms of products and lifestyle, but they are all about being agents for social change as a whole, and by whole–I mean whole world. Simply take a look at their past and present projects and you can see their diverse portfolio of interests is of the global scale.
To highlight some of their projects:
Green Diamonds: For 6 years, One Sky worked with Brilliant Earth & the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone to restore alluvial diamond mines for agricultural use. This grassroots project also included environmental education, training for local groups, and create a sustainable source of livelihood a wide variety of communities.
Save the Primates: This current program is working with communities in the Nigeria/Cameron region to save the Cross River Gorillas, who are hunted as a food source. The Cross River Gorilla is one of the more endangered primates in Africa. This program not only creates awareness about the possible complete depletion of this gorilla, but actually provides training for villages in cattle husbandry, as well as a mature cow for slaughter in lieu of the gorilla meat.
I could continue to list a number of programs currently running by One Sky, but it would take a good deal more typing and I am exhausted. So, I encourage you to visit their website HERE to learn more about all of the amazing work they are doing around the world. Or, of course–you may click on their logo.
July 24, 2011–Today was an excellent day. The sun was out and the beach was our afternoon hangout, just me and some friends plus a few dogs to enjoy swimming in the ocean. I grew up on the west coast, going to the beach and cruising the pacific in with my dad in his boat. I have so many great memories associated with our beautiful oceanic landscape, from bears to whales and starfish covered reefs spanning for miles. All in all, the pacific ocean habitat is one that I want to keep preserved for generations to come.
The Pacific Wildlife Foundation is dedicated to doing just that–by inspiring the conservation of the Pacific ecosystem with research and education, they hope to keep our oceans safe and livable for all the creatures that depend on it to flourish. From birds to fish, the PWF works with governements, experts and international committees so that they are able to give the public important information about the Pacific ecosystem through the internet, television and publications. To be involved with this continued effort, you can choose to donate directly or participate in other ways. For example, the foundation is currently looking for high quality marine photographs to add to their website, among other talents that they seek for volunteers who wish to help out.
To learn more about the wide array of life found in our Pacific Ecosystem and some good scientific reads, visit the Pacific Wildlife Foundation website HERE or by clicking on their logo.
July 4, 2011–What can you do with $ 100? Probably a reasonable amount, in fact you may have surpassed that amount this past long weekend on things like beer, chips and steaks for the BBQ. I’m not saying that BBQ is a bad investment of your money, so please don’t take this post that way–but did you know that $ 100 buys an acre of rainforest permanently?
When you donate to World Land Trust (or, World Land Trust-US) you are able to purchase an acre of rainforest (among many other donation options) that is protected from development, commercial use or any other form foul play! The WLT has the immense goal of saving rainforest habitats acre-by-acre with donations from individuals around the world. They are currently working on saving rainforests in Columbia, Guatemala, Ecuador and Mexico and no, you probably don’t get to set-up your winter home on your purchased acre, that defeats the purpose!
And saving acres of rainforest isn’t the only thing that the WLT is up too; there are a number of other appeals that they are in need of support for. Things like saving orangutans in Borneo. Orangutans are pretty hilarious, so it seems like this is something that everyone should be contributing to so that our future is able to be continuously refreshed with orangutan YouTube videos.
To donate to World Land Trust or to learn more about their programs, visit their website by clicking HERE or on their logo. For the North American (U.S.) website, click HERE.
June 20, 2011–The other day when I was on a boat, someone mentioned they wouldn’t mind seeing some killer whales. I decided that today’s post would be about a amazing program offered through the Vancouver Aquarium–The Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program. As a gift or in memory of someone, the adoption of a wild killer whale ranks pretty high on the unique-gift scale.
Launched in 1992, the adoption program funds research on killer whales, mainly through the Vancouver Aquarium. The proceeds go into research about the habits and habitats of killer whales, as well as other marine life that interact with the whales (such as their prey). To study and learn about these whales is expensive–boats, depth sounders, research facilities and other equipment is pricey. Your adoption fee goes directly into the research being done on killer whales, making it possible for scientists to continue learning and solving some mysteries surrounding the killer whale.
Don’t think that your adoption fee goes into a giant pot where you “sort of†are responsible for a whale out there somewhere. The adoption packages actually give you the scientific I.D. of your chosen whale. The research you’ll be funding is not only responsible for tracking the whale population along our coast, but study everything from their pod communications to their feeding habits. Without the help of the individual donor, this research wouldn’t be possible. So, next time you are stumped on what to get for your best friend or grandma on her birthday, think big: think killer whale. Click HERE to learn more.
June 5, 2011–First of all, Happy World Environment Day! This year the theme was Forests: Nature at your Service. To keep in with this environmentally-friendly weekend, I have spent the last few days discussing air, land and today, water: all major components in what makes up our beautiful planet. I love where I live on the Westcoast of Canada. Happy to be close to the mountains and some gorgeous forests but mostly blissful that I live a few minutes away from the Pacific Ocean. I grew up on the water, going to the beach and fishing on my dad’s boat.
The Canadian coastline is the longest in the world: 243,793 kilometers. That’s ridiculous. That’s over 2.6 million football fields for you sports fans. The wildlife that inhabit the coastlines need to maintain a delicate balance that is often overturned by us as human beings. Specifically, and coincidentally, my favourite food, Wild Pacific Salmon requires us to be especially good stewards when it comes to their habitat, food and water. To maintain a healthy salmon population (salmon species include: Steelhead, Coho, Sockeye, Pink, Cutthroat and Chinook), it takes time, money and dedicated people. Why can’t nature just run its course on these delicious fishes? Wild Pacific Salmon has undergone a serious decline due mostly to hydropower, habitat, harvest and hatcheries. Dams make it hard to swim up and downstream from breeding grounds. Habitats have undergone commercial invasions, including pesticides from forests and farms. Fishing increases as our population increases. Farmed salmon spread disease to wild salmon when farms are not carefully monitored or placed. These are just a few examples in regard to those four major contributors to the decline of wild Pacific Salmon. There is more information out there about what is happening in all these arenas, and I encourage you to learn more on your own if one particular area is of interest to you.
So what is happening with the tasty wild fish? We are working on it. Provincial and Federal governments, along with individuals and communities are taking action to keep our Pacific Salmon population on the rise: good news for future Canadians. These fish aren’t just a delicacy at your local sushi joint: they impact a number of species, both in and out of the water along the entire Westcoast. One major player in the sustainability and future planning for Wild Pacific Salmon is the Pacific Salmon Foundation. They have information about the variety of Salmon in our pacific waters, plans for future sustainability and upcoming community events. Click HERE to visit their website or on their logo.
May 23, 2011– You may be wondering what about today is so special, besides the fact it’s Victoria Day. Well, get ready because this holiday Monday has a new occasion to light up the BBQ for on the podium: World Turtle Day. That sort of reads like I want you to serve turtle up for your Monday dinner which I can assure you, is not the case. 
In 1990, American Tortoise Rescue was founded to rescue and rehabilitate turtles and tortoises the world over, from the desert to the ocean. They act as a resource for those working with different types of tortoises and turtles who are in need of help, they run a sanctuary for abandoned and lost tortoises and they actively fight for the lives and well being of our shell-homed friends.
I didn’t realize what was going on with tortoises before this post. I sort of just thought, a turtle is a turtle (heat-seeking shells or otherwise). However, there is apparently a whole heap of issues facing the turtle: illegal breeding, exotic sales, live-market slaughter, and collectors. With the help of World Turtle Day and the ongoing efforts of the ATR, we can hope that education and awareness will win out in the end. By limiting reptile sales in North America we might just help one of the oldest species on our lovely planet can cease it’s downward spiral into extinction.
Remember kids, even if you think it will impress the girls–an endangered species as a pet is just not cool.
May 16, 2011–I love my dog. If you’ve talked to me since I adopted him in February, you already knew that. He’s a character and half; 25 pounds of wheaten terrie
r crossed with a goldendoodle. In other words, he’s a “whoodle doodle,†which is fun to say and the truth. I’ve been told that he looks like the flying dog in the popular 80′s movie, The Never Ending Story. His name; however, is Muppet. Muppet has giant brown eyes that he uses like a weapon to get what he wants. He’s a good dog, just over a year old and has been a welcomed addition to my life.
I adopted Muppet from the SPCA in BC, the Vancouver branch. They were friendly and caring towards me from the moment I walked in the door. When I called to confirm my application for Muppet, they were friendly and accommodating for my schedule so that I could come and get Muppet and complete the final paperwork. Muppet came with food and pet insurance for his first 6 weeks with me. It was a great experience.
I know that when you have animal control or the SPCA take your animal into custody, it can be an aggravating experience to get them back–but try to understand that what they are doing is a good thing. The person behind the desk didn’t steal you dog or cat, they didn’t cause you harm. Just because you have the inconvenience of having to go get your animal doesn’t give you the right to lash out at people just trying to look out for the welfare of animals. I’d rather have the SPCA or animal control pick up my dog then him get hit by a car or taken by a random person never to been seen again.
I’m participating in the upcoming “Paws for a Cause†with Muppet in the fall. Registration is free until the end of the month, so if you want to participate in this great relay then I encourage you to visit the website HERE to register or to learn more. The BCSPCA has a great search engine to find dogs or cats or animals for adoption, so check them out HERE or by clicking the logo below:
May 6, 2011-Ducks Unlimited Canada
I really like ducks. I think that little ducklings crossing the road is the cutest thing ever, even if it blocks traffic. Ducks Unlimited Canada, as I recently found out, doesn’t just save ducks. In fact, the entire mandate of their organization is the conservation of our national wetlands and through that, our water systems.   Wetlands provide a natural filtering system for our water, giving us a higher quality of water that what we would have without them.
Wetlands are also the home to many waterfowl and other species (over 600!).  Canada’s wetlands are constantly destroyed and degraded nationwide due to things like urban development and industry, as well as agriculture. Wetlands and water quality is important to our way of life here in Canada; however, despite our concern for our national wetlands, we still lose 80 acres of wetlands a DAY.
Want to know more or find out how you can help? Check out DUC (Ducks Unlimited Canada) by clicking HERE or on the logo below. The website has an awesome online auction for limited edition art, as well as cool swag with ducks on it…
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