Are You Seeing Red?

Treasury East by VivaLeChat

Happy World Tapir Day!

What’s related to horses and rhinos, but still gets little respect? What looks like a watermelon on four hooves as a baby, but as an adult is often confused with a pig? The answer, of course, is tapirs! And seeing as today is World Tapir Day, it seems a fitting time to talk about one of my favorite creatures.

My name is Corinna Bechko. I’m one of the Facebook liaisons for the EFA fan page ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/EFA-Etsy-for-Animals-Artists-Helping-Animals/305657243118?ref=tsshop ). My etsy shop is called The Frog Bag ( http://thefrogbag.etsy.com ) It was opened with the hope of selling my crafts, yes. But I also had another aim. I wanted to do something for the tapirs of the world too. For that reason I give 20% of the purchase price of anything bought in my shop to the Tapir Preservation Fund (http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/default.htm ).

Tapirs are truly amazing animals. They have changed very little since the last Ice Age, when they roamed the widely. Today there are only four species left (three in Central America and one in Asia) and all of them are endangered. Despite the fact that tapirs can be described as “charismatic megafauna” most people don’t even know they exist. Maybe this is because they are shy creatures, not given to territorial displays. They don’t grow huge tusks of ivory, or embody the wild majesty of the great cats.

What they do is perhaps even more important: they preserve and shape the rainforest. With their torpedo-like bodies they crash through the undergrowth, creating new paths and rearranging the flora. As they go, they consume fruit and vegetation. After the fruit is digested the seeds make their way through the tapirs’ guts. These seeds are later “planted” a long way from the parent plant. In this way tapirs enrich the very forests they call home, helping to create some of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.


All well and good, of course. There are many charities that support rainforest conservation. What’s so special about a species specific tapir charity? The short answer is: Science. Very little is known about tapirs in the wild. Far less than what is know about elephants, or even elephant seals. When policy is made concerning how much rainforest to set aside as parkland, the best answer is usually just a guess. How much habitat is needed to support a rich cross-section of flora and fauna? To discover the answer it is often useful to look at some of the bigger members of the community. Protecting enough habitat to support a population of tapirs in turn protects wide swaths of rainforest with many other species riding the same “ark”. That’s why the Tapir Preservation Fund is so unique. It funds not just direct habitat conservation, but also field studies of just what tapirs need to thrive in the wild. Armed with this kind of sound science conservationists can enter debates confidently, secure in the knowledge that they have the facts on their side.

That’s why, in my shop at least, every day is World Tapir Day. Long live the tapir

Giving Little Black Kitties Their Due

Treasury East by VivaLeChat

Pepsi Refresh Project

Paw4Love is competing with other causes to win $25,000 at the Pepsi Refresh Project.

Read about them and vote here

Jewelry designer helps local sea lions by “Save Sea Lions” fundraiser

For Spring/Summer 2010, Long Beach jewelry designer, Tracie Pennypacker, of Un-Conventional, will organize the “Save Sea Lions” fundraiser, on LoveItShop.com. During the event, 25% on select items, will be donated to Marine Mammal Care Center of San Pedro (MMCC). Update your spring/summer look, while helping our sea lion community.


Choose from a vast selection of one-of-a-kind jewelry. Handcrafted using vintage and reclaimed materials, they make a positive impact on an already fragile planet. The MMCC, is a volunteer based non-profit, that rehabilitates injured sea lions to return them to the wild. Spring and summer are trying times for them due to the increase of injured sea lions. They need to ensure they get the supplies they need. There is a long list of daily items needed, plus expensive medical supplies and procedures.

Tracie Pennypacker wants the “Save Sea Lions” fundraiser to have a strong effect on our local community as well as our adjoining sea lion community. It is important to help these injured marine mammals because they deserve a second chance. A number of their injuries are due to their polluted environment, such as ingesting plastic bags and fishing line. Between April 15th- July 15th you can help make a difference. By purchasing the selected jewelry designs, you are donating 25% of your purchase to help MMCC with this cause.


Un-Conventional was founded September 2007, by Tracie Pennypacker. It features a vast selection of one-of-a-kind jewelry. Using 95% vintage and reclaimed materials, it helps preserve our planet. It currently sells at Imonni in Long Beach, The Paper Boutique in Miami, Auntie Rosa in Shibuya Tokyo, and on LoveItShop.com.

To find out more information or to donate to Marine Mammal Care Center go to www.marinemammalcare.org.



Un-Conventional Wearable Art
Tracie Pennypacker
386 Temple Ave. #9
Long Beach, CA 90814
(562) 480-2222

Mon-Fri 11am-6pm

Info@loveitshop.com

www.loveitshop.com

Support the April Charity of the Month; Animal Ambulance Alphen, Netherlands

The EFA March Charity of the Month is Animal Ambulance Alphen, chosen by Ama of http://missminoes.etsy.com.

"This Dutch animal ambulance service provides emergency care to injured animals and transports them to the vet. Also they transport animals to specialized shelters throughout the country. The ambulance staff is highly trained and in possession of a diploma for Animal First Aid.... Also for transporting your pet to the vet and back home, you can call upon the animal ambulance. "


"The volunteers at the Animal Ambulance in Alphen a/d Rijn have a big problem. One of the 2 vans was completely destroyed after a collision on Wednesday January 27th, 2010. This collision was not their fault and luckily no-one was hurt. But until there is a solution to replace this ambulance van animals in need will often have to wait longer before help arrives... The animal ambulance needs to raise a few 10,000 euros /dollars for a new fully equipped ambulance..."


Financial support:
* Donations via Dierenbescherming (Animal Protection) Dutch giro 17761 (Do mention it is for the animal ambulance).
* The Dutch banknumber for the animal ambulance, mentioned in the article on 'webregio' is 3061.07.796.
* Mailing address:
Dierenambulance Alphen a/d Rijn
Postbus 1067
2400 BD Alphen aan den Rijn
Netherlands
* Or if you find it more convenient you can sent your donation by PAYPAL to missminoes@live.nl and I'll banktransfer your donation to the Animal Ambulance.

Hoppers!

This adorable treasury full of EFA hoppers has been curated by http://rabbitude.etsy.com

Strings Attached Treasury

A beautiful EFA treasury by http://thoseparasoldays.etsy.com

Make Mine Chocolate!

It's Easter, and you know what that means-jellybeans, egg hunts, and...abandoned bunnies. As a volunteer with Alabama EARS (a rabbit rescue in the Birmingham area) and a pet lover, I thought I'd take a moment to share the plight of the real live Easter bunny with everyone. Here's where my story begins:


It's Memorial Day 2009: Ken is finishing up at work, and I am rushing around the house getting things ready for the cookout we have planned. I start slicing the watermelon, casually staring out the window, and there she is again-the tiny snowy white bunny that's been hanging around my deck for about 3 days. I decide "this bunny *must* be someone's pet! No wild bunny is pure white with red eyes and brave enough to hang out this close to where people live!" So, I slowly head outside with some watermelon to see if I can catch her and find her people.

I catch the cute little bundle of fur and get her set up the best way I know how. See, I'd never had a rabbit before. The best I could do on short notice was try to convert Ken's old rat cage (it was really big) into a bunny-friendly area and put in the only veggies I had on hand-an iceberg salad mix. I notice her teeth look odd. I put up fliers all over the neighborhood, at grocery stores and pet clinics, even local pet stores. And I wait.


After a week, it becomes clear that nobody lost this bunny. I take her to the nearest vet that sees rabbits, where he determines her age to be about 2 months and assumes she was once an "Easter bunny". I find out she has malocclusion (her teeth grow in odd directions) and that eventually the best option is to remove her incisors. This is the most likely reason that her first family let her go. Lucky for me, my husband is amazing and agreed on the spot to let me keep my new friend. Since that first day, I had done tons of research and gotten her the proper food and better housing.


Almost one year later, she has brought me so much joy (and a cranky friend that's fun to tell stories about...I'm sure I'll share some of his later), and I can't fathom how someone can just turn an animal loose like that. Yes, bunnies do live in the wild, but not domestic rabbits. It's pretty much a death sentence. The problems with her teeth made it even worse for her.

So, for Lexi, I am sharing the message of the House Rabbit Society's "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign: A rabbit is NOT a toy, and should not be purchased on a whim as an Easter gift for a child. If your kid really wants a bunny, please make it chocolate!


For more bunny information, please visit www.alabamaears.org and www.rabbit.org

Here's the link specifically to the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign: http://www.makeminechocolate.org/