Conservation 101- The Legacy of Steve Irwin

Posted on Sep. 4, 2008 at 3:59 PM in Conservation 101

 Today, of all days, is a grim reminder that the world is without the greatest Wildlife Warrior ever. Sept. 4th, 2006, Steve Irwin was tragically killed when a sting ray barb pierced his heart. My heart wishese he was still alive saving wildlife. I want to see NEW Episodes of Croc Hunter, with his determination and enthusiasm to save wildlife. My ehart aches for his family who I know miss him more than I do. He is my hero, my idol. I want to do everything he did. I want to save wildlife. I want to stand up for whats right. I want to be something in the world of animals.

But I know I cannot possibly be him and do everything he did for wildlife. But I want to hope. I want to know that my dream is not out of reach. You all must think I am silly, but how would you feel if your idol died suddenly? You would be crushed to, and you would grieve for years later. Nobody understands how important I saw him as. There are a few people I know who have lost a loved one, and to me I loved Steve and everything about him, I saw him as a distant uncle. I would watch his show regularly and would always cheer along whenever he caught a snake or a croc. I do not know if he was saved or not, or if he is in heaven or hell. I don't want to think about it. I just hope at some point in his life he was presented with the gospel and maybe I will get to finally meet him in heaven. I can hope can't I? You can never loose hope, not one inch lost.

His legacy of being a wildlife warrior will continue forever.  His Australia Zoo in beerwah, Australia, will forever be an attraction throughout the world. I AM going there someday. His love of crocodiles told the world that they are not mean,ugly creature's but they are magnificient and poweful.  He also was able to purchase Australian land that is now a habitat for crocodiles and everything else to survive in, however that land in under threat of strip mining. I signed  a petition the other day to help save the land in honour of Steve. Go here to help Save Steve's Place.

I didn't know what I was going to do for today's post, so I guess rambling on was good enough. I have this song on my IPod, it's called 'Goodbye Crocodile Hunter' and whenever i need a good dose of crying I listen to this song over and over and over again. I also have a VCR tape (yes they still exsist) full of Crocodile Hunter episodes and I watch that along with listening to the music. Sometimes I think he is still alive and is in the outback of Austalia, hiding from the world, but thats just my imagination. Here are the lyrics to 'Goodbye Crocodile Hunter'

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Conservation 101

Posted on Aug. 8, 2008 at 9:01 PM in Conservation 101

August '08

Conservation 101 is brought to you from the minds of Julia (Cherryblossoms) and Toria (Croctoria)


Recycling is fun, Recycling 101!

Recycling is good for the environment. By redirecting waste to serve as raw materials for industry, recycling provides a number of important benefits:

 

	Reducing pollution and conserving  natural resources.
	Saving energy by reducing the need to extract and process "virgin" raw materials to manufacture new products.
	Reducing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and     nitrous oxide.
	Stimulating the development of greener technologies.
	Avoiding the cost of waste disposal in landfills and incinerators.

Every ton of paper recycled saves up to 17 trees (Source:  Planet Pals)
 

Recycled paper requires 50 percent less energy, and up to 75 per cent less water than making it from virgin fiber. (Recycling Project)

This is just a section of knowlegable information on recycling that I took from a website I know of. (Credit to them). Our family recycles, and it helps that locally recycling pop cans can give you money. Which always helps. However, recently I was asked to take over the recycling project at my work place (Gap). At Gap we recycle plastic bottles, cardboard, plastic bags, and pop cans! But there are so many other things you can recycle. Our family recycles pop cans, plastic bottles, sometimes cardboard, and pop cans! (Shocking ;) ) Here is a list of things you can recycle:

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Conservation 101

Posted on Jul. 1, 2008 at 12:47 AM in Conservation 101

July '08

Conservation 101 is brought to your from the minds of Julia (Cherryblossoms) and Toria (CrocToria)

Conservation 101 for July 2008 is July '08 Organic Living post. 

Please go to the Organic Living post.

-Julia

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Conservation 101

Posted on May. 6, 2008 at 3:11 PM in Conservation 101

May 08

 

Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area. Residents of sprawling neighborhoods tend to live in single-family homes and commute by automobile to work. Low population density is an indicator of sprawl. Urban planners emphasize the qualitative aspects of sprawl such as the lack of transportation options and pedestrian friendly neighborhoods. Conservationists tend to focus on the actual amount of land that has been urbanized by sprawl. -Wikipedia

One of my favorite quotes is by E.O Wilson,  

"Humanity, in the desperate attempt to fit 8 billion or more people on the planet and give them a higher standard of living, is at risk of pushing the rest of life off the globe."

I wrote a English paper that talked about the negative effects of Urban Sprawl. Here are some "clippings" from what I wrote.

The air pollution of urban cities comes from a variety of sources: car exhaust, airplanes, big industrial companies, and power plants. The pollution from those sources can cause increased risk of bronchitis in children, lung cancer, heart disease and even stroke. Not only does urban city air pollution affect humans, but also the environment. A mixture of rain water and chemicals from the polluted air cause a harmful substance called acid rain to form. This acid rain raining down is causing the rapid decline of forests in northern New York, mid Vermont, and New Hampshire leaving wildlife without a home and are forced to live with humans therefore causing havok in which the animal is the victim of inhumane treatment to solve the problem.

Last night I read a story on the Wall Street Journal about living with Komodo Dragons on Komodo Isle in the Indonesian Archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, Like I know specifically where that is. Anyway, lately the dragons have become rather vicious, attacking humans and invading farm lands and eating of the goats and cows. Many of the locals blame the strange and sudden behavior on the fact tourists have come in a started disrupting the balance of the environment. Unlike classic american problem solving, the park rangers of Komodo National Park refuse to put down the dragons if they have developed a taste for human blood. In tradition the people believe that the dragons are actually kinfolk that are reincarnated. And supposedly being the older generations they believed in the sactity of the isle being free from foreigners. Does this make sense? In any event, the fact is that tourism is now populating the Komodo isle and once again it is forcing the dragons to find new locations in their own habitat, and when the animals clash with humans catastrophe can occur. Once again Urban sprawl, from neighboring islands, have created a difficult situation for both the dragon and humans.

Another negative thing about Uraban sprawl is the fact that at greater distances people have to use cars and or buses for transportation causing more gas emmision.

Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do to stop the government from expanding cities into unnecessary environments. However, we can avoid disturbing animals natural environment and making them more humanized (re-read Komodo paragraph for reference). After all, you wouldn't want someone to come in and destroy your home, right?

-Julia

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Conservation 101

Posted on Apr. 3, 2008 at 3:53 PM in Conservation 101

(Again, it is late. My apology's. I will answer your comments ASAP)

1. Be aware. Without phone calls from the concerned citizens who report cruelty in their neighborhoods, we wouldn't know about most instances of animal abuse. It all comes from the public, it all starts with YOU—that's why it's so important to keep your eyes and ears open. Get to know and look out for the animals in your neighborhood. By being aware, you're more likely to notice, for example, that the dog next door who was once hefty has lost weight rapidly—a possible indicator of abuse.

2. Learn to recognize animal cruelty. Here are some signs and symptoms that we see in many of the cases we investigate:

• Tick or flea infestations. Such a condition, if left untreated by a veterinarian, can lead to an animal's death.
• Wounds on the body.
• Patches of missing hair.
• Extremely thin, starving animals.
• Limping.
• An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal.
• Dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food and water, often chained up in a yard.
• Dogs who have been hit by cars-or are showing any of the signs listed above-and have not been taken to a veterinarian.
• Dogs who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions.
• Animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners.

3. Know who to call to report animal cruelty. We're lucky here at the ASPCA in New York City, because we have Humane Law Enforcement officers who have the power to investigate and arrest perpetrators of animal cruelty in the state of New York. But every state and even every town is different. In some areas, you may have to rely on the police department to investigate animal cruelty; in others, you may have to contact local animal control or another municipal agency. If you aren't sure where to report cruelty visit our Report Animal Cruelty section.

4. Provide as much as information as possible when reporting animal cruelty. The details that you provide can go a long way toward assisting the investigating officer. It helps to write down the type of cruelty that you witnessed, who was involved, the date of the incident and where it took place.

5. Call or write your local law enforcement department and let them know that investigating animal cruelty should be a priority. Animal cruelty is a CRIME—and the police MUST investigate these crimes.

6. Know your state's animal cruelty laws. These vary from state to state, and even from city to city. You can visit the ASPCA's online database of more than 550 animal cruelty laws—and their penalties—in all 50 states.

7. Fight for the passage of strong anti-cruelty laws on federal, state and local levels by joining the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade. It's frustrating when I have built a strong case against someone who has been arrested for cruelty to animals and the judge treats it like a simple violation. But with stronger laws, they'll be more likely to receive tougher penalties. As an ASPCA Advocacy Brigade member, you'll receive emails asking you to write letters encouraging your legislators to pass these laws-and you can send them directly from our website.

8. Set a good example for others. If you have pets, be sure to always show them the love and good care that they deserve. But it's more than just food, water, and adequate shelter. If you think your animal is sick, bring him to the veterinarian. Be responsible and have your animals spayed or neutered. And I always give my own pets lots of hugs when I get home!

9. Talk to your kids about how to treat animals with kindness and respect. I regularly see children in homes where animal abuse has been reported. If a parent isn't treating the family's pets right, I tell kids that their dog or cat would really appreciate fresh water every day, or if they spent some time playing with them. If the animal has been left outside without shelter, I'll say, 'You have a nice house, and if you get cold, you can put a coat on. But your dog can't do that. Don't you think he'd like a nice warm place to go, too?' I know of families who watch Animal Precinct together, and I think this can help children understand that animals are living creatures who have the ability to feel pain, joy and sadness. You can see these emotions on the faces of the animals on the show.

10. Support your local shelter or animal rescue organization. Before I even knew that police for animals existed, I was volunteering at an animal shelter. It's a great way to make a difference. Some of our ASPCA volunteers foster animals who have been abused in their former homes, giving these dogs and cats the chance they deserve to have a good life. You can find a list of shelters and rescue groups in your area in our National Shelter Directory.

Like I said this list is from the ASPCA, so it has many "I used to" , "our volunteers", etc...

There have only been a few occasions where I have seen an animal that was POSSIBLY abused. If I remember correctly one of my family members called the local animal shelter to report it. I do not know what happened beyond that, I was young. But I am always trying to snatch up stray cats to make sure they are okay and help them find a home. Although I have never had to "snatch" up a stray cat I want too :)

Anyways, those are a few things you can do to help during the month of April.  With your parents permission you can click on the "stop the abuse" Icon on my siderbar. I will be adding more to my sidebar and so forth.

-Julia

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