Sponsor a Student, Save a Scarlet Project-Honduras

Smiling faces are key to saving Scarlets in Honduras

A few short years ago experiences like this were not possible. Populations of the Scarlet Macaw, the national Bird of Honduras, had undergone massive declines across the country, leaving its future uncertain.

However, thanks to a pioneering education program launched in 2010 to support parrot releases, Scarlet Macaw populations are on the rise!

Education + Releases = More Wild Macaws

To date over 5,000 students have learned about the importance of macaw conservation.

With your help, we'll take it even further in 2014.

This year, our goal is to expand the program to include a visit to the Macaw Mountain Nature Preserve, where the students will see conservation in action.

We need your help to raise $4,800 in the next 30 days.

By sponsoring these students, you are not only creating lifelong memories for them, but most importantly you are deepening their commitment to macaw preservation.

Become a hero to the Students and Scarlets of Honduras - donate today!

The minimum donation is $10, so I won't be blogging on May 1st.

First Response Team of America

As you’ve seen, natural and man-made disasters are inevitable. They can affect any one of us, at any given moment. Our unique way of responding to these disasters with specialized trucks and equipment is costly. Your donation ensures that our team members are properly-trained and our fleet is ready to respond.

Whether it’s deploying our trucks to clear rubble from roads to reach those in need, running our equipment to clear a home site for someone without insurance, or fueling our generator to power a shelter, your donation ensures we will be able to deploy and be there for our fellow man when life is at its worst.

Because of you, we will be there. Thank you for joining our Team!

New England Wildflower Society

Founded in 1900 as the Society for the Protection of Native Plants, New England Wild Flower Society is the nation’s oldest plant conservation organization and a recognized leader in native plant conservation, horticulture, and education. The Society’s headquarters, Garden in the Woods, is a renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts, that attracts visitors from all over the world. From this base, 25 staff and more than 700 volunteers work throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs. The Society also operates a native plant nursery at Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts and has seven sanctuaries in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont that are open to the public.

American Veterinary Medical Foundation

Mission Statement

To Embrace and Advance the Well Being and Medical Care of Animals.

Today I made a $10 donation to AVMF for April 26-27. I hope you will consider making a donation as well.

Turtle Survival Alliance

The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) organized in 2001 in response to the Asian Turtle Crisis. It has since become a recognized force in turtle and tortoise conservation globally.

With programs or projects in Belize, Colombia, Madagascar, Senegal and throughout Asia, we are expanding our global outreach and impact and remain committed to zero turtle extinctions.

Elephant Family

Mark Shand

Today we have lost the head of our family. Mark Shand was a true force for conservation. He was both a legend and inspiration and above all our great friend. We ask at this time that people’s thoughts are with his loved ones. We will miss him always.

A Statement from Clarence House

It is with deep sadness that we have to confirm that The Duchess of Cornwall's brother, Mark Shand, has today passed away in New York. Mr Shand died in hospital as a result of a serious head injury which he sustained during a fall last night. The Duchess, The Prince of Wales and all her family members are utterly devastated by this sudden and tragic loss. Mark Shand was a man of extraordinary vitality, a tireless campaigner and conservationist whose incredible work through The Elephant Family and beyond remained his focus right up until his death.

About Us

Elephant Family is making a real difference to the fate of the endangered Asian elephant.
By working where we are most needed and forming trusted partnerships, we are saving one the world’s most magnificent and threatened creatures.

Success highlights:

Saving Habitat: The fourth settlement of one of the world’s most important wildlife corridors has been secured, leaving just one more before the whole 2,200 acre corridor is protected. This corridor links two large forest areas, which are home to the 6,500 Asian elephants. The largest population on the planet.
Raising Awareness: Elephant Parade London raised awareness for the plight of the Asian elephant in a way it never has been before. Their endangered status was communicated to an audience of 25 million people and attracted international media coverage.
Preventing Conflict: The spread of palm oil plantations in Indonesia is having a devastating effect on the 2,000 – 2,500 Sumatran elephants who list there. Conflict with the human population is rife with regular violent confrontations. Now a training and education centre is teaching local people how to avoid conflict using peaceful, practical methods to turn this volatile situation around.
Fundraising: So far we’ve invested over £6m for the endangered Asian elephant – making us the UK’s biggest funder for their conservation in the wild.

Click the image below to go to the website:

www.elephantfamily.org

Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project

Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project is driven by science and dedicated to the conservation of Hawaii's native forest ecosystems. Formed in 1997, our mission is to develop and implement techniques that recover Maui's endangered birds and to restore their habitats through research, development, and application of conservation techniques.
We employ conventional mist-netting, banding, and survey techniques to monitor wild forest bird populations.
We study breeding success in the wild and monitor bird food resources and prevalence of avian diseases.
We develop and apply novel recovery initiatives for species of concern.
We aim to effectively manage and reduce the impact of non-native invasive species.
We conduct research to investigate the effectiveness of our control methods and formulate this knowledge into long-term management strategies.

CORAL REEF ALLIANCE

Our History

Originally founded in 1994 to galvanize the dive community around conservation, CORAL has grown from a small, grassroots alliance into a world-renowned organization with a history of successfully working with local communities in coral reef regions around the world to protect their coral reefs. We believe that for conservation to be durable, our interventions must be aligned with the social, cultural, and economic needs of each community, and that local leaders must be empowered to lead the effort. Now, we’re honing our strategies and tools to ensure that they benefit new places and new people.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

BIG DAY 2014

Team Sapsucker heads out for a Big Day every year, spending 24 hours to spot as many bird species as they can.

They broke the North American record last year, sighting 294 species in Texas.

For Big Day 2014, they’ll race against the clock to find as many birds as possible along the El Gigante route, a rapidly changing landscape in southern Arizona and California.

A diverse cast of birds reside here but face challenges stemming from urban sprawl, drought, and habitat degradation.

Please help Team Sapsucker bring awareness to this area in desperate need of conservation action.

Big Day will happen in early May—the exact date depends on birding conditions.

VIN Foundation

The Mission:

To help veterinary professionals navigate the challenges of their careers in order to foster a healthier animal community.

A $10 donation was made to the VIN Foundation. Therefore, I will not be blogging on Easter Sunday.

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence, and a working plan to better treat, prevent, and eventually cure T1D.

As the largest charitable supporter of T1D research, JDRF is currently sponsoring $568 million in scientific research in 17 countries. In 2012 alone, JDRF provided more than $110 million to T1D research. More than 80 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education. In 2012 Forbes magazine named JDRF one of its five All-Star charities, citing the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness.

4-H

4-H’ers across the nation are responding to challenges every day in their communities and their world.

With a rich history and an expansive network reaching every corner of the country, 4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization. More than 6 million 4-H youth in urban neighborhoods, suburban schoolyards and rural farming communities stand out among their peers: building revolutionary opportunities and implementing community-wide change at an early age.

In honor of my participation in 4-H as a teenager, I have made a donation of $10. I will not be blogging on April 17th.

826CHI.org

826CHI is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
Our services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.
With this in mind, we provide after-school tutoring, creative writing workshops, field trips, in-school support, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications.
All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student’s power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice.

PROJECT PERRY

About our organization

Project Perry / The Central Virginia Parrot Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, adoption and sanctuary of parrots living in captivity. Our primary mission is to provide exceptional natural environments for our residents where they can enjoy the enrichment of flight and the togetherness of flock with excellent care provided by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. Parrots and other exotic birds represent the largest population of captive wildlife in the U.S., and the need to protect them continues to grow. Our impact extends beyond our residents through outreach and education - helping to improve the lives of birds everywhere.

SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE

Mission

Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), member supported organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations.

Our mission is to conserve and promote America's culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.

At the heart of Seed Savers Exchange are the dedicated members who have distributed hundreds of thousands of heirloom and open pollinated garden seeds since our founding over 37 years ago. Those seeds now are widely used by seed companies, small farmers supplying local and regional markets, chefs and home gardeners and cooks, alike.


Seed Savers Exchange was founded in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy to honor this tradition of preserving and sharing. Their collection started when Diane's terminally-ill grandfather gave them the seeds of two garden plants, Grandpa Ott's morning glory and German Pink tomato. Grandpa Ott's parents brought the seeds from Bavaria when they immigrated to St. Lucas, Iowa in the 1870s.


Today, the 890-acre Heritage Farm, near Decorah, Iowa, is our home. We maintain many thousands of heirloom garden varieties, most having been brought to North America by members' ancestors who emigrated from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the world.



Unlike Fort Knox, Heritage Farm is not surrounded by security fences and guards. Our perimeter is patrolled by bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, deer, raccoons and other wildlife. The farm is ringed by hiking trails that take visitors through majestic scenery, past our certified organic preservation gardens, historic orchard and ancient White Park Cattle.


Visitors are welcome at Heritage Farm from March 1st through December 23rd. The Lillian Goldman Visitors Center is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donations are welcome to help us with our preservation work. Guided tours and bus tours are available for a charge of $3.00 per person. Please contact Seed Savers Exchange at 563-382-5990 for more information or to arrange a tour.

A $10 donation was made to Seed Savers Exchange. Therefore, I won't be blogging tomorrow.  Click on the link below to visit their website.

Chicago Zoological Society

The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature.

Since the opening of Brookfield Zoo in 1934, the Society has had an international reputation for taking a cutting-edge role in animal care and conservation of the natural world. Among its historical firsts are indoor multispecies exhibits, zoo nutrition residencies, methods for animal husbandry, and medical care that includes successful brain surgery for a gorilla.

Today, there is an increasing need for conservation leaders to guide, teach, and motivate people to protect the world’s threatened wildlife and ecosystems. In addition to conservationists, the Society inspires and engages children, students, teachers, and others among the general public to make a positive impact on the natural world around them. From protecting regional wilderness to creating environmental stewardship through zoo interactions and educational opportunities, from guiding future scientists to pioneering global conservation efforts, the Society sits at the apex of care for animals and their habitats.

In building its legacy of animal care and compassion, the Society has launched two new centers: the Center for Conservation Leadership and the Center for the Science of Animal Welfare (CSAW). These innovative learning and research hubs will integrate a wide variety of disciplines, changing the way animal conservation issues are considered and advancing the science of “animal-directed” care around the world.

KELLOGG BIOLOGICAL STATION

KBS is Michigan State University's largest off-campus education complex and one of North America's premier inland field stations.
KBS's mission is focused on research and education in ecology and evolutionary biology and its application to sustainable agriculture and conservation.  KBS fulfills many aspects of the land grant mission of the University by integrating research, graduate and undergraduate education and outreach.

The station is named for cereal magnate W. K. Kellogg, an early 20th century entrepreneur who believed that people should use their gifts and knowledge to help others. He was also an environmentalist who understood the importance of preserving the land and its resources.

Kellogg established, and later donated to Michigan State College, several important facilities that became part of what is now Michigan State University's Kellogg Biological Station (KBS).

Located between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, Michigan (about 65 miles or 105 km from the main campus), the 3,200-acre station includes Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Kellogg Farm, the Kellogg Biological Laboratories, the KBS Conference Center, Outreach offices and the Lux Arbor Reserve. The nearby Kellogg Experimental Forest is closely affiliated with KBS.

World renowned for its contributions to ecological science and evolutionary biology, the Station is home to one of the National Science Foundation's Long-Term Ecological Research sites, and is committed to science and ecology education, conservation of natural resources and sustainable agriculture research and demonstration.

The station is administered through the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Natural Science. Click on the map below to go directly to the KBS website.

WORLD VETS

World Vets develops, implements and manages international veterinary and disaster relief programs to help animals, educate people and have a positive impact on communities.  Improving animal welfare and alleviating suffering are high on our priority list but our work extends beyond that.  Our programs help to prevent the spread of diseases from animals to humans; our livestock programs help small farmers to pull themselves out of poverty, and our disaster relief efforts for animals directly impact people who might otherwise remain in dangerous situations if the needs of their animals are not addressed.

World Vets recognizes the importance of the One Health concept in which health of humans, animals and their ecosystems are inextricably linked.  Our programs help not only animals, but also people and the communities in which they live.

World Vets is able to improve the lives of thousands of animals each year by providing free veterinary care through our dedicated volunteer force of over 3,600 individuals combined with financial support and in-kind donations.

Our volunteers have a wide range of skill, expertise and experience. Our volunteer force is comprised of veterinarians, licensed and non licensed technicians, pre veterinary, veterinary and technician students, as well as those who are simply animal lovers.  All our volunteers are passionate about helping animals and the desire to make a difference.

CHICAGO COMMONS

For 119 years, Chicago Commons’ mission has been to partner with individuals, families, and communities to overcome poverty, discrimination, and isolation. We are a neighborhood-focused nonprofit dedicated to improving the well-being of thousands of children, adults, seniors, and families. Our programs are designed to provide the necessary tools to help strengthen skills and develop self-sufficiency. Since 1894, we have operated in neighborhoods where children, seniors and families are most at risk for poverty, violence and educational disadvantage including West Humboldt Park, Pilsen and Back of the Yards and Grand Boulevard.

OPERATION SMILE

Operation Smile is an international children's medical charity that heals children's smiles, forever changing their lives.

At Operation Smile, we're more than a charity. We're a mobilized force of medical professionals and caring hearts who provide safe, effective reconstructive surgery and related medical care for children born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities.

Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate. A baby born with a cleft has twice the odds of dying before celebrating their first birthday. The children who survive are often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places, they are shunned and rejected. And in too many cases, their parents can't afford the surgeries they need to live a productive life.

Every child deserves access to safe, quality surgical care. Every child deserves a future filled with hope.

That's where we come in as the largest volunteer-based children's medical charity providing free cleft surgeries. Since 1982, Operation Smile — through the help of dedicated medical volunteers — has provided 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with facial deformities. Our work creates a lasting global impact. We train local doctors in developing countries and strengthen healthcare systems so more children in some of the poorest areas in the world can be treated.

As one of the most prominent charities for children in the world, we work in over 60 countries to heal children’s smiles and bring hope for a better future. Together, we are saving children’s lives.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

Vision Statement

The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that...

...all people affected by disaster across the country and around the world receive care, shelter and hope;

...our communities are ready and prepared for disasters;

...everyone in our country has access to safe, lifesaving blood and blood products;

...all members of our armed services and their families find support and comfort whenever needed; and

...in an emergency, there are always trained individuals nearby, ready to use their Red Cross skills to save lives.

Today I donated $10 to the American Red Cross. May the people of the World enjoy the benefit and safety created by this great organization.

The Conservation Foundation

Simply put, we save land and we save rivers, and we've been at it for more than 40 years.

Founded in 1972, The Conservation Foundation is one of the region's oldest and largest not-for-profit land and watershed conservation organizations dedicated to preserving and restoring open space, protecting rivers and watersheds and promoting stewardship of the environment in northeastern Illinois.

We focus our work in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties, but have also had the honor of working on significant projects in DeKalb, Grundy and LaSalle Counties.

Growing Home Inc.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to operate, promote, and demonstrate the use of organic agriculture as a vehicle for job training, employment, and community development. Donate today and change a life forever.

About Us

Growing Home is the leading social enterprise focused on empowering people and communities with Chicago’s first USDA-Certified Organic, high-production urban farms. With farms in the Englewood and Back of the Yards neighborhoods, as well as the 10-acre Les Brown Memorial Farm in Marseilles, Illinois, Growing Home seeks to operate, promote, and demonstrate the use of organic agriculture as a vehicle for job training, employment, and community development.

Every year, Growing Home hires committed Chicagoans and trains them in all aspects of production and distribution on our farms. Production Associates help staff run the social enterprise and, in the process, prepare themselves to reenter the workforce. Our farms are market-driven workplaces where staff persons act as supervisors and expect Production Associates to be on time, reliable, and work with a sense of urgency to meet production driven deadlines. In the classroom, Production Associates set and achieve goals that will move them into permanent & sustainable jobs after Growing Home. While taking on a variety of individual goals, ranging from restoring a suspended driver’s license to sealing past criminal convictions, our graduates also learn how to become reliable employees.

Growing Home develops innovative agricultural initiatives with economic development potential, working in communities where we can make a positive difference. In 2011, Growing Home’s Wood Street Urban Farm grew and sold over 13,000 pounds of local, USDA Certified Organic produce, with over $45,000 in earned income. Growing Home sells its produce at the Green City Market, through a Community Supported Agriculture program, and to fine Chicago restaurants. Additionally, Growing Home holds a weekly farm stand for our neighbors in Englewood and provides programming on healthy cooking and nutrition to bring healthy options to this food desert.

Growing Home is a leader in advocating for local healthy food systems. Our staff speaks regularly on urban agriculture policy issues and sits on numerous city- and nation-wide committees focusing on urban agriculture, food security, and food access. Growing Home, along with the Chicago Community Trust, founded the Greater Englewood Urban Agriculture Task Force to plan an economic restoration in the community focusing on urban agriculture as a catalyst.

FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA

"Future Farmers of America" was founded by a group of young farmers back in 1928. Their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. They taught us that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting-- it's a science, it's a business and it's an art.

FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet those challenges by helping its members to develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways.

So today, we are still the Future Farmers of America. But, we are the Future Biologists, Future Chemists, Future Veterinarians, Future Engineers and Future Entrepreneurs of America, too.

March of Dimes

Mission:

We help moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies.

For moms and babies everywhere

In local communities across the country, we're helping moms take charge of their health, and supporting families when something goes wrong. The March of Dimes also acts globally: sharing best practices in perinatal health and helping improve birth outcomes where the needs are the most urgent.