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Hi Green Kids!
Welcome to the Green Kids Club Newsletter where you can keep up with the Green Kids Club happenings each month, learn some new things, and challenge yourself as a true Green Kid ambassador for the planet (adult or child)!
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Our new Bee Book is almost out! We have been working this book with our friends from Elephants Without Borders. The beautiful art is by Andreas Wessel-Therhorn, a past Disney Artist. This is a cute story about bees trying to find a new home after their family of bees are dying from pesticides. The bees led by Princess Lilly find a home at the beautiful Chobe Reserve in Botswana.
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Please help us with our virtual fundraiser to benefit our friends at Elephants Without Borders (EWB). The beautiful tote bag features a photo of Molelo and his adopted elephant family. All proceeds will go directly to the work that EWB is doing for elephant conservation in Botswana. With COVID hitting many areas in Africa including Botswana, EWB can use all the help they can to continue making a difference!
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The Belize Trash Monster
We wrote a book about the "Isla Bonita" - beautiful island - in Belize. The book is called the Belize Trash Monster. We are fortunate to be working with an amazing Belizean Artist, Walter Castillo. If you look at the pages of the book, you will see how his art style and art has been integrated into our stories. Proceeds of our books are going to work with environmental groups that Walter is promoting and the Island Academy in San Pedro, Belize - run by Lady Dixie Bowen.
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Green Kids Club Book Donations in Collaboration with Love the Wild Foundation
Right before the Christmas break we were contacted by an associate of Thomas Mangelsen, who's beautiful photos grace the back of our Grizzly 399 book (and of course include Tom himself in our story), contacted us to see if we would donate books to a classroom in Kentucky (Mrs Young's 4th Grade Explorer
classroom). And we were excited to provide these books to help the children learn more about Grizzly 399 and wildlife issues.
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We are pleased to announce Ian Michler from Blood Lions as our environmental hero (see our webpage) for this quarter. Ian has made a significant difference in ending lion farming and the commercial exploitation of this species in South Africa. He is the lead character, researcher, and co-campaign leader of the award-winning documentary Blood Lions .
According to Ian, there could be as many as 12,000 lions in captivity in private facilities throughout the country. In some of these captive-breeding facilities, tourists pay to pet, bottle-feed, and take selfies with lions cubs. Often, once the cubs grow up they are sold to hunting facilities where they are shot by trophy hunters in "canned" hunts held in fenced areas. The skins and heads are kept by the hunters, and their bones are often exported to Asia for use in traditional medicines. These lions lead a miserable and inhumane life.
This documentary has helped to shed light to these abhorrent practices, and public outcry has influenced the South African government to end the captive lion breeding industry in this country. Now its time to see if they actually do this. Listen to the Q&A’s with Ian on what is happening right now.
Thank You Ian for making a difference!!!
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The Real Grizzly 399 and her 4 Cubs
Right before the holidays, our friends with Grizzly Times held a webinair discussing the impacts and life of Grizzly 399. I think for our newsletter today, it would be most fitting to post the link - and I hope you can watch this. The presentation includes grizzly bear experts David Mattson, and Louisa Wilcox with world-renowned wildlife photographer, Thomas Mangelsen. There is also a guest presenter of Jane Goodall with her words of wisdom to save these iconic animals. If you can click here to view this excellent discussion.
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January Animal & Environment Observances
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Month: (Alpha Order)
- Adopt a Rescued Bird Month
2022 Weeks: (Alpha Order)
- Bald Eagle Appreciation Days - January 22-23, 2022
- Christmas Bird Count Week - December 14, 2021 - January 5, 2022
- Kiss a Shark Week - January 23-29, 2022 (Fourth Full Week of January)
2022 Days: (Date Order)
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One of the observances this month is "Kiss a Shark Week!" This celebration is promoted mainly to protect sharks and other marine life. Sharks are starting to go extinct, and frankly this is because of the exploitation of this species for Shark Fin Soup due to shark finning. Finning involves slicing fins off live sharks and tossing the wounded shark overboard, where they sink to the bottom and suffocate, or die of blood loss, or get eaten by other predators.
Currently, only 12 states in the US prohibits the sale of shark fins - but what's worse is that most states allow shark fin soup to be sold. "This means that even though shark finning is illegal in U.S. waters, any given bowl of shark fin soup in the United States may contain imported fins from a country where shark finning is occurring." usa.oceana.org/sites/default/files/shark_fin_ban_announcement_report…
A federal ban is needed for import of any shark fins to any country allowing this,
On another note, if you want to see someone try and kiss a shark - not for the weak of heart!
SHOCKING: Shark Week Footage Of Man Kissing Shark | HPL - Bing video |
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Animal Facts - The African Penguin
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Most people would think you find penguins in only frigid or cold areas at the Poles. But there is a species found in South Africa (and the coast of Namibia) called the African Penguin! It is also referred to as the Jackass Penguin because it sounds like a donkey breying! Seriously!
The African penguin is an endangered species. It is estimated that there are about 52,000 birds left. As usual, we humans have managed to be the largest threat to their population, by collecting eggs for sale, destroying nesting sites (by collecting guano or fertilizer), and competing with commercial fisherman for fish. Where I live in Idaho Falls our zoo has a wonderful exhibit of these beautiful animals. I hope to one day see them in their natural habitat.
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It may be a tad late for this - but if you have a Christmas tree or wreath left consider recycling it by making mulch out of it, turn it into a no-cost bird feeder or use it to create safe paths or erosion barriers. Replant it if you can. Create crafts with it or use it for outdoor firewood. This year our family did not put up a Christmas tree - but if we do next year - we hope to get one we can replant!
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The Wyoming Wildlife Advocates non-profit is a group that I recently encountered. They are doing an amazing job in trying to protect wildlife through education, public involvement and working to try and make changes to legislation that makes a difference for the animals of Wyoming and even surrounding areas. They have taken an active position in trying to protect grizzly bears, like 399 by meeting with local governments and promoting change. We hope that through theirs and many others they will be successful.
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Our Livestream Interview with Ian Michler of Blood Lions
Princess storytelling with Dr. Gary Shapiro - click here
Hear us read Grizzly 399 and also A Tail of Three Lions
Our first E-book out on Amazon Kindle Books – Grizzly 399 – you can take this book anywhere you can carry your phone!!!!
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Calling all Educators – Including Home Schooled Children!
If you are interested in an online class to teach children about wildlife, especially grizzly bears, go to our online class about Grizzly 399, through Inspired Classroom. We plan to add in some additional classroom challenges as we get into the winter. If anyone is interested in participating in this challenge go to Inspired Classroom to learn more. Feel free to email us questions as well, if you would like to get involved in our challenge! |
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About the author
Green Kids Club