Archive for December 2009
December 28, 2009 | 
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Thanks to Ted MacRae of Beetles in the Bush, The Do Something! (Good) “pot” has gone up another $8. Not only did Ted choose to DO the Actions listed below, he also chose to tell us about it. Ted, thank you for leading by example! Ted says of his Do-Gooding,
Enviromentalism is simply a way of life – a series of small choices that, when added up, makes a much bigger impact than a single, large act.
Ted did these things:
- HELPED RAISE AWARENESS that everything we do affects the well-being of other creatures
- GAVE SOME OF MY OWN HABITAT back to nature
- ENGAGED CHILDREN in outdoor activities that helped instill a sense of wonder and excitement about flora and fauna
- PLANTED A NATIVE TREE on my property
- REDUCED OR ELIMINATED my use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers
- VISITED a state park, national park, or wildlife refuge
- IDENTIFIED & LEARNED about one bird that I was unfamiliar with
- DONATED TIME OR MONEY to an organization that is dedicated to protecting and preserving habitats and wildlife
…anyone else? 
Posted in 
The New Year is fast approaching, and we all have ideas about what we want to change, start, or stop. New Year’s resolutions abound during this time of renewal and general cleaning of slates. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has sponsored an initiative called Countdown2010 – Save Biodiversity. The problem of dwindling biodiversity was identified years ago, and 2010 was set as the future date by which to attain the Target. And now…2010 is here!
I will be talking much more about this Initiative in the coming months of 2010. Countdown2010 has provided a list of Actions that individuals can take to contribute to this worldwide effort:
- Take public transportation, bike, walk, or carpool to work at least one day a week. Avoid air travel where possible.
- Buy food, preferably organic food—vegetables, fruits, dairy, eggs, and meat—from a farmer’s market at least one day a week.
- Eat sustainably harvested seafood and farmed fish that is herbivorous, like catfish, tilapia, and shellfish. Avoid farmed carnivorous fish like salmon and shrimp.
- Install at least one compact fluorescent light bulb in your home—it will save roughly 30 EUR in electricity and replacement bulb costs each year, and reduce carbon emissions by a ton every three years.
- Turn off lights in empty rooms.
- Lower the thermostat by at least 1 degree ° C in winter.
- Stop using herbicides and pesticides on your lawn.
- Only drink wines with natural cork stoppers.
- Tell everyone what you are doing to conserve biodiversity and ask them to join you. Support representatives who act for biodiversity.
- Above all, do not waste—reduce your consumption, buy only what you really need, and re-use and re-cycle whatever and whenever you can.
It is almost time for me to make my year-end donation to the two Birder’s Lounge charities, and you may be able to increase the amount I donate, simply by checking off your Do-Gooding in 2009. This may sound weird, but I want to be able to say that every dollar I donate comes from a good thing that someone else did. I’ve been keeping a running total all year, displayed prominently on the sidebar. So far, we have had 11 (eleven) Do-Gooders review the list below, check off as appropriate, and even brag on themselves a bit. That’s what I call leading by example!
If you haven’t taken an opportunity to tell us about YOUR Do-Gooding, there’s still time! I’ll leave the badge up until the end of the day, 12/30/2009. Checks go in the mail on 12/31/2009. Thanks!
Winner - Jason Hogle - chose to let me choose the charity!
The last ID Challenge contest for 2009 has come to a close and we have a winner! Jason Hogle of Xenogere was the first person to get the most number of correct answers. This month, we had 2 participants – thank you!
Jason has chosen to let ME choose the charity! Thanks so much, Jason – you’re the best. I am delighted to send this check to Project Coyote, a wonderful organization that I am currently researching.
Look for another year of monthly contests in 2010, where participants can play to win donations for their favorite wildlife/nature/conservation charities.
And now, for the answers: Read the rest of this entry »
About a year ago, I was inspired by Julie at Coffee and Conservation, to keep track of the coffee I purchased for a year. I purchase only shade-grown (no slashing forests), organic (no synthetic pesticides), and fair-trade (honest wage for honest work)- certified coffee beans from the fantastic roaster, Grounds for Change. For 2009, this is what we purchased:
| Coffee Beans | Pounds | Dollars |
| Ethiopia Yirgachefee | 5 | $47.00 |
| Espresso Blend | 5 | $42.00 |
| Sumatra Telong | 5 | $42.00 |
| Uganda Elgon AA | 1 | $12.00 |
| Uganda Elgon AA | 5 | $42.00 |
| New Guinea Yelia | 5 | $43.00 |
| Ethiopia Yirgachefee | 5 | $47.00 |
| Sumatra Telong | 5 | $47.00 |
| Columbia Anzeas | 5 | $47.00 |
| Ethiopia Yirgachefee | 5 | $47.00 |
| Nicaragua Segovia | 0.5 | $8.00 |
| Nicaragua Segovia | 5 | $47.00 |
| Honduras Congolon | 0.5 | $8.00 |
| Ethiopia Natural Sidamo | 5 | $47.00 |
| Starbucks Gazebo Blend | 1 | $14.00 |
| Annual Membership | 0 | $23.00 |
| Total | 58 | $563.00 |
| Cost per pound of beans | $9.71 |
I popped over to Julie’s post that has a nifty little worksheet that calculates our cost per 6 oz cup of coffee at $0.40/cup. Use filtered tap water, and you’ve got a great cup of coffee for a reasonable price, plus your purchase will help send a message that consumers demand coffee with a conscience!
This is, by far, the most unusual (and the coolest) bug I have seen so far. While I was sitting in the corner of my backyard, watching birds, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and witnessed this Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) climbing the nearby fence. It was hard to miss – easily 1.5″ long. This visitor to my backyard could have walked right off a science-fiction movie set! Read the rest of this entry »
I got a new fancy-schmancy camera backpack for my birthday and finally tried it out last weekend. I put it through its paces by loading it up, unpacking and packing it again to move around the meadow, and giving the built-in rain cover a good try. The bag is a Lowepro Vertex 200 AW, and it is a serious piece of luggage. The photos above are the product photos from B&H where I bought it online.
The bag was heavy even when empty, then I loaded two cameras, a 300mm lens, and several other items. I got my exercise, to say the least! But did I get any pictures? You bet I did. Read the rest of this entry »
I am very excited to announce that 100% of all proceeds from the sale of Birder’s Lounge items through the Online Store will go to the two Birder’s Lounge wildlife rehab non-profit groups. The truth is, I am usually the biggest customer, purchasing calendars for family and friends each year, and the occasional t-shirt or coffee mug. Outside of Christmas, I may get 1-2 orders a year.
So, we’re not talking about a huge amount of money, but I know that every little bit counts. It is also very rewarding to be able to use one of my hobbies (nature photography) to benefit organizations who are helping animals every day.
For those of you not familiar with Cafe Press, it is an online company that customizes a wide array of items with original artwork, etc. They charge a fee to keep a “shop,” charge “shopkeepers” a base fee for the products, then deduct a portion of whatever markup the shopkeeper designates on their items. After that, Cafe Press will hold onto any accumulated proceeds for 90 days, coinciding with their return policy.
So about 4 months from now, Birder’s Lounge should have a little extra to donate to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation and International Bird Rescue Research Center. Woohoo!
(Cross-posted at Nature Blog Network)
How can it be that “someone” has not already created a blog carnival for such a popular and important group of animals? I guess the blogosphere has been waiting on me!
Who am I? My name is Amber Coakley, blogging at Birder’s Lounge. Sure, I blog about birds, but I have a great love for all animals. I’m a Texas Master Naturalist, a budding conservationist, and an avid supporter of wildlife rescue and rehab efforts.
One day, late this past summer, I read a post at 10,000 Birds, and it struck me that I had never heard of a blog carnival dedicated to amphibians and reptiles (herps). I don’t recall the post, but I do remember that another blogger, Ted C. MacRae of Beetles in the Bush, commented as well. He had not heard of a herp carnival either, and tossed out a few catchy names. That little exchange stuck with me, and I searched all over the web for any sign of a herp carnival. No luck. And I decided that just wouldn’t do.
My next step was to look up all of the blogs listed in the Nature Blog Network (NBN), listed in the Amphibian and Reptile category. My plan was to send an email to all of the herp bloggers to see if they were interested in participating in a herp carnival, would they be willing to host on occasion, etc.
I found eight. Eight! I was shocked, given the hundreds and hundreds of blogs in the NBN. I went ahead and sent an email to seven of them (one was not English-speaking, and English is my only language). I heard back from one blogger, and he was supportive.
Over the next couple of months, Read the rest of this entry »
