June Monthly Challenge Theme: Off to the Beach

June's Monthly Challenge Theme is...

“Off to the Beach”

This month’s theme says it all!

Just the word “beach” conjures up so many wonderful, relaxing images: cool rolling waves, warm sand, and palm trees! Wish I were there right now! And... I just can’t imagine a beach without kids playing in the sand and dogs playing in the surf!

Here is one of my favorite paintings by Mary Cassatt titled “Children on the Beach”.

And here is a lovely poem about sand…

Beach Sand

by Raymond A. Foss

Maybe it is the memories

the change of pace that brings us there

the sense of vacation

maybe the smell of the place

the sights of the gulls, the dunes, the grasses

but oh it is the feel of it,

the crunch and slide of it

the feeling of beach sand

so different from dirt, soil, loam

no, not earthy, moist, rich,

but oh so granular and gritty

even when wet,

moveable paper spreading under toes

sliding beneath the soles

smoothing my skin

clearing my mind

unburdening me of the rest

drawing me to the tactile, the feel

of beach sand

Can’t you feel it between your toes, so cool and damp, in the hot June sun?

So what are you waiting for? Show us your day at the beach!

Simply tag your item “teamefabeach” (without the quotation marks) and send your entry to Jessicalynneart !

Remember, when we've received sixteen qualifying entries they will be entered in our Challenge Competition where the winner will get a free one month advertising slot on either the EFA website or the Challenge blog, winner’s choice, for the following month!

We are now taking entries for the June competition and will accept entries until June 7th! For further instructions on entering the challenge, check out this link:

http://efaartistshelpinganimals.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-enter-efas-monthly-challenges.html

For further instructions on how to tag your items, check out this link:

http://efaartistshelpinganimals.org/about.htm#n

THANKS !

Heather of TheBlueWindmill

ALL EFA Team Treasury: Celebrating YOUR Pet

'Celebrating YOUR pet - custom work by Team EFA members' by brizel4TheAnimals

Its all about animals !

Celebrate your beloved pets by commissioning these members of EFA, Etsy for Animals, with one of their specialty listings...

Many of these members donate a portion of their sales to animal charities.

Original Custom Painting of ... teresasart $200.00	Custom Dog from Photo in Por... TheMagicSleigh $24.99
Personalized Pet Photo Cubes artchicnj $9.00	Custom Pet Portrait in Oil KneeDeepOrigin... $200.00
Custom pet portrait schmoomunition... $75.00	Custom Animal Telepathic Com... theanimalsmagi... $45.00
Custom Snuggly Dog Hat jessicalynnear... $20.00	cat collage mona lisa leopar... PetCollage $21.00
Eye Love You - Fashionable P... rendachs $20.00	Custom Flock, set of 4 bird ... BirdsinHand $100.00
Little monsters custom order... Sarious101 $6.00	Custom Cards Featuring YOUR ... scrappyrat $18.00
Needle Felted Dog / Cat Pet ... KaysK9s $299.00	Monogram Dog Harness - you p... TerrierTrouser... $19.50
Custom Pet Memorial Scrapboo... PawPrintsCoutu... $25.00	Commissioned Pet Portrait - ... BrazenDesignSt... $75.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

JUNE COTM: Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary

Team EFA's June COTM:

Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary

chosen by Ashley of BirdsInHand

Photographs courtesy of SSS

Located in Florida , the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is the largest nonprofit wild bird hospital in the world. Founded by zoologist Ralph T. Heath, the Sanctuary is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured birds. Many are released upon recovery, but some (unable to survive in the wild) remain at the Sanctuary.

The sanctuary is equipped with medical facilities, with veterinarians and professionally trained staff working year-round. Volunteers are also an integral part of the operations. The facilities stay busy, with dozens of birds admitted daily, as well as many visitors.

Duck in Hospital

Over 8,000 birds are brought to the Sanctuary each year, the overwhelming majority of whom are injured due to human causes. Birds face hazards such as fishing line, hooks, gunshots, pollution, and pesticide poisoning. Those birds lucky enough to be brought to the Sanctuary have an 80% success rate of re-entry into the wild.

Northern Gannet Release

The dream of this organization began with the rescue of an injured cormorant on the side of a highway in 1971. More birds followed, and the nonprofit Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary was created to manage the cost of caring for the (then) 400 strong population of birds. In 1974 a local business complained about the Sanctuary, and the operation was faced with impending eviction.

Northern Gannet

Luckily, it was possible to move the birds a few hundred feet to Indian Shores , where they still reside. In addition to rescue and rehabilitation of avian wildlife, the Sanctuary also provides education to school groups as well as the general public. Their website provides good information about what to do if one finds an injured bird, as well as responsible tips to avoid putting wildlife at risk.

Blue Jay Fledgling

Needless to say, much money is needed to keep these valuable services up and running. It is now “baby bird season” and the Sanctuary is even more pressed for resources.

My shop BirdsinHand will match up to $200 in donations made to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary during the month of June.

I’d like to challenge my fellow EFA members to see how much we can raise for this worthy cause!

Baby Brown Pelican Fledglings

For Further information about SSS

ViSiT THEiR WEBSiTE

MAKE A DONATiON TO SSS

PURCHASE AN EFA PRODUCT

THAT SUPPORTS EFA'S

COTM PROGRAM

but first... dblcheck the

EFA member list to make sure

shop is a current EFA member !

THANKS !