Celebration

National Bird Day

On January 5th, we celebrate National Bird Day.

Did you know that one of the fastest growing group of discarded pets in this country is the exotic bird?

And while we hear a great deal about displaced dogs and cats and the protection and anti-cruelty laws that have been enacted for their protection,  birds are often ignored or short-changed when in comes to protection under anti-cruelty and pet shop laws.

In the 1990's, exotic birds became the fastest-growing pet of choice. Since 2000, there are well over 100 bird rescues or sanctuaries across the country, caring for hundreds of unwanted and abused birds in need of rescue and lifelong new homes. It is also believed that potentially untold thousands more exotic birds languish, ignored and most likely in a state of deprivation, in their cages.

Why has this happened to these magnificent birds?

Because in many cases the bird owner or, their family members, are rarely educated or understand the total commitment necessary for the care and special needs of the exotic bird. The bird may exhibit behaviors like biting, aggression or self-mutilation. The birds are prone to making loud noises and the area around the cage of one of these birds will always be a mess. It doesn't take long before the novelty of owning an exotic bird becomes a nuisance and the birds is then often left alone in a cage without adequate socialization, medical care, food, water or clean living conditions. Countless other birds will be physically abused, given away to another person who has no idea how to care for it, released outside to fend for itself, simply abandoned in an empty house or apartment, or they simply perish.

National Bird Day, is an opportunity to learn how to work to protect these magnificent creatures through public education. It is also the time to raise awareness about the enormous global influence and the devastating effects on wild parrot populations because of the impact of exotic bird trade. The parrot species, more than almost any other major group of birds, is now globally threatened and could well become extinct if actions to reverse the current trends are not taken.

If you are interested in learning more about the plight of exotic birds, you could begin with the resources listed below.

Resources:

The Avian Welfare Coalition is a working alliance of veterinarians, conservationists, avian welfare and animal protection organizations dedicated to the ethical treatment of exotic birds. For more information about the AWC please visit their website.

The Animal Protection Institute is a national non-profit animal advocacy organization with 85,000 members, working to protect animals from cruelty and exploitation through legislation, litigation, and public education. For more information about API’s exotic bird campaign, please visit their site.

Crayola Activities for Kids  Fun and educational projects for kids for National Bird Day.

National Bird Day Website

National Adoption Month - What We Can Do To Celebrate (Part 2)

As promised yesterday, today we'll look at a couple of more suggestions for actions we can take to help the foster care systems in our communities, with their adoption efforts.

The foster care system is usually the first step in the adoption process for many kids, and so many of them have been waiting to be adopted for a long time. National Adoption Month is an excellent time to think about some of the things that we can all do, no matter where we live, to ease the burden of the system and help make a difference to a child.

We've also published a growing list of adoption resources. Feel free to let us know if you have any additional adoption web sites you would like us to add to the list.

• The foster care system is always in need of families that can provide respite care to other foster families, or to do emergency foster care. Emergency placement can mean having a foster child in your home for a short period of time, anywhere from 24 hours to 30 days. Contact your local child and family services organization to learn how to obtain a foster care license.
• Become a Court-Appointed Special Advocate/CASA worker. CASA workers are volunteers that work with the court and the foster homes to see that the children are not lost in the system and that their needs and wants are heard. For more information check out the CASA website.
• If you are affiliated with a group or organization, why not pool your resources and buy Christmas presents for  children in the group homes in your area. Make the gifts personal for each child. Call the home and ask staff for specific recommendations for the kids.
• Some churches and religious groups, sponsor collection drives for various causes, both locally and abroad. Why not ask your religious leaders about ways to support foster care kids at various times throughout the year.
• Share what you have learned with others. Let them know that in the US alone, there are an estimated 523,000 children in foster care, and  more than 119,000 of them are waiting to be adopted.

As we celebrate with our families this holiday season, remember that there are thousands of children in foster homes awaiting adoption. If there is any one thing that each of us can do, then together we will begin to make a difference.

Remember, even the smallest action we make is better than no action at all.

National Adoption Month: Adoption Resources

There are many resources available to those considering adopting a child from foster care.

Listed here are just a few of them to help you get started. If you know of any additional resources that you would like to see listed here, please add them in the comment area, and we'll check them out.

1. North American Council for Adoptable Children - www.nacac.org
2. Children's Welfare League of America (CWLA) - www.cwla.org/programs/adoption
3. Adopt America Network - www.adoptamericanetwork.org
4. National Adoption Center - www.adopt.org
5. Adopt Us Kids - www.adoptuskids.org
6. Rainbow KidsChild - www.rainbowkids.com
7. Child Welfare Information Gateway - www.childwelfare.gov/
8. International Adoption - www.adoptassoc.com

National Adoption Month - What We Can Do To Celebrate

Believe it or not, we can all get behind the efforts of so many great agencies that are working very hard to get kids adopted. We can help to celebrate National Adoption Month, even if we, ourselves, are not in a position to adopt a child.

Here are a few suggestions to help us take some action:

• Volunteer at a local home for children. These homes are usually one of the first stops on the foster care journey for many kids. Staff at these group homes are usually over-whelmed and desperately looking for volunteers to spend some quality time with specific children, to help individualize them from the group setting. They are also in need of volunteers to do many other duties:
  • Sorting through donations
  • Reading to the children
  • Playing games
• Join the community's Big Brother/Big Sister program. Just a few hours a week could not only be a time to have some fun, but could also make a very big difference in the life of a child.
• Like to drive? Well many foster care agencies need folks to take children and staff to a variety of appointments such as to the doctor's or the dentist's office. Basically anywhere the kids need to go both within and outside of the community, they usually could use a ride.
• Donate some items of good quality and repair to the children's homes or local foster care agency. Did you know that many children go from home to home with their belongings in trash bags? The bottom line is that most of these kids have very little to their name. Some suggestions for donations are:
  • Suitcases or backpacks
  • Shoes and clothes
  • Outer wear, boots, hats, mittens or gloves
  • Toys
  • School supplies
  • Personal care items
  • Christmas presents

These are just a few suggestions for things we can all do in our communities to help celebrate National Adoption Month. But I know that if we think about it, we could probably think of more.

RainbowKids.com is a monthly on-line International Adoption magazine. They are the largest, and oldest, online website helping people to adopt from multiple countries. They are also the largest photolisting website for waiting children. They are not an adoption agency, nor do they directly place children into adoptive families. They are a voice of advocacy for the children waiting for families. They offer, free of charge, guides on special needs adoption, "How To Adopt," "Getting Started," "After You Adopt" and much more. They have an enormous and constantly updated database of adoption articles, as well as an extensive resource area.

Tomorrow we'll look at a couple of more suggestions for actions we can take to help the system in their adoption efforts, and I'll post a list of adoption resources.

Remember, even the smallest action we make is better than no action at all.

November Is National Adoption Month

Are you aware that in the mist of all the preparations for the Thanksgiving holiday celebrations that National Adoption Month is being celebrated during the month of November?

Well it is, and in fact, National Adoption Day was celebrated November 18th. But we're not too late.

Back in 1976, the governor of the great state of Massachusetts, Governor Michael Dukakis, announced an Adoption Week for his state. Then, later that same year, President Gerald Ford proclaimed that Adoption Week would be celebrated nationally.

As more and more states started to participate in Adoption Week it became clear that more time was needed for holding events and in 1990 National Adoption Week became National Adoption Month. The month-long celebration includes National Adoption Day which is when the courthouses throughout the country participate, and hundreds of adoptions are finalized simultaneously.

It has become a time for the various states, communities, and agencies to hold events throughout the month, with the goal of bringing forward into the public view, the need for adoptive families .

National Adoption Month is a time to celebrate family and to bring about awareness that there are hundreds of thousands of children in foster homes awaiting adoption.

If you have ever considered the possibility of opening your home and adopting a child, then why not start your research, and learn more about the children living in foster care, who are waiting to be adopted.

• Since 1987, the number of children in foster care has nearly doubled, and the average time a child remains in foster care has lengthened to nearly three years. Each year, approximately 20,000 children in foster care will age out of the system without ever being placed with a permanent family.
• In September 2003, of the 523,000 children in foster care, 35% were Black Non-Hispanic, 39% were White Non-Hispanic, 17% were Hispanic, 2% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 1% Asian Non-Hispanic, 3% two or more Races Non-Hispanic and 3% unable to determine.
• A national survey showed that four in 10 Americans have considered adoption. That translates into over 80 million Americans. If only one out of 500 Americans adopted from the foster care system, these children would have homes. (Source: National Adoption Attitudes Survey 2002; Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption; www.davethomasfoundation.org)

To begin your research or maybe even to become more familiar with the process of adopting a child in the United States, please check out:

• National Adoption Day
• The Dave Thomas Foundation
• Call 1-800-TO-ADOPT

There are an estimated 523,000 children in foster care in the United States, and  more than 119,000 of them are waiting to be adopted.

Maybe by this time next year, some of these children will have a real reason to celebrate the holidays.

(Unless otherwise indicated, statistics are provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children; Interim Estimates for FY 2003.)

History of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 , in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles , France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918 , is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday - - a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Today is Hug-A-Bear-Day: Embrace the Polar Bear

Polar Bear (Ursrs maritimus)

The entire Arctic region is polar bear habitat. Polar bears are equally comfortable in the water and on land and can be found on ice packs, coastal islands, coastlines, and even out in Arctic waters. They are exceptional swimmers and have been observed in the sea more than 100 miles from the nearest land or pack ice.

Polar bears are the most nomadic of all bear species. They travel an average of 5,500 miles a year, or about 15 miles a day. In the United States, polar bears are located in two Alaskan populations: the Chukchi/Bering Seas of western Alaska and the Beaufort Sea off northern Alaska.

These bears, contrary to what most people think, do not have white fur. Although the polar bear's coat appears white, each individual hair is actually a clear hollow tube that channels the sun's energy directly to the bear's skin and helps it stay warm. The polar bear's entire body is covered in this way, even the bottom of its paws. This helps to prevent the bears from slipping on the ice.

The two main focuses of this solitary creature's life are to conserve energy and to hunt. The polar bear is classified as a marine mammal. Its feet are partially webbed for swimming, and its coat is water-repellent. A formidable predator, it has extremely sharp claws. Males are 8 to 11 feet long and weigh 500 to 1,100 pounds but can reach as much as 1,500 pounds. Females are smaller, measuring 6 to 8 feet long, and weigh from 350 to 600 pounds, occasionally reaching 700 pounds. Polar bears can live up to 25 years. 

Females are able to breed at the age of five years. They often give birth to al least two cubs and they closely guard and nurture their cubs for at least two years.

Only pregnant females dig dens and hibernate in the traditional sense for extended periods. The other Polar bears, may enter into what is referred to as "walking hibernation" where they remain active and continue to hunt and feed, even though some of their metabolic processes may slow down (decreased heart rates, respiration, lowered temperatures, etc.)

Polar bears are strictly carnivores and feed or scavenge only meat. Their primary prey is the ringed seal though they also take bearded, harp and hooded seals and the occasional young walrus.  They will also scavenge walrus and whale carcasses. They depend mostly on their sense of smell to determine the location of prey, while their white coats make for great camouflage when hunting.   

Worldwide there are thought to be 22,000-27,000 polar bears in 19 separate populations. They can be found in the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland and on the Arctic islands of Norway. There are estimated to be about 3,000 to 5,000 polar bears in Alaska.

The primary threat facing polar bears today may be global warming. Scientists have already documented measurable effects in the body sizes and reproductive success of bears at Hudson's Bay. This southern-most population of polar bears has adapted to an ice-free summer by moving onshore at Churchill, Manitoba, and fasting through the short summer season until freeze-up occurs, and the bears can return to the ice.

Global warming has resulted in prolonged ice-free periods, and the polar bears are left stranded onshore for longer and longer periods. Break-up in the spring occurs an average of 10-14 days earlier than 20 years ago and was four weeks earlier in 1999. Scientists estimate that for every week of delay in freeze-up, polar bears lose at least 22 pounds of critical fat reserves. Pregnant females are losing so much weight that they fail to produce enough milk for their cubs, which then suffer increased mortality. Once females fail to attain a minimum weight they won't give birth at all, and scientists can already document a 15 percent drop in birth rates.

The Polar bear is an integral part of the eco-system of that part of the planet. If their populations begin to diminish in great quantities, not only will the Polar bear itself become endangered, but the entire eco-system will experience enormous repercussions.

Today is Hug-A-Bear-Day: Embrace the Giant Panda

On many calendars, November 7 is marked as "Hug-A-Bear-Day.

This vague annotation on the calendar may not appear to many to be much cause for celebration. If anything, some may see it as just another meaningless day in the countdown to Thanksgiving.

But, this is a great opportunity to learn about some of the bears that currently inhabit this planet, but are in danger of extinction. Like so many other wild animals, our constant use and abuse of the earth's resources have left some species of bears in a perilous position for the future of their survival.

It is said that if only one person a day makes a difference in the survival of our planet, then collectively we will all make a difference. So let's take today and deviate from our Thanksgiving preparations to learn about a couple of bear species that need our help to survive.

Giant Panda (Ailuopoda melanoleuca)

Pandas are famous for their black and white markings. The legs, shoulders, ears and oval patches around the eyes are black, and the rest of the coat is white. Pandas weigh an average of 200 to 300 pounds and reach six feet in length. Good tree climbers, pandas can also swim to escape predators. Pandas use an enlarged wrist bone that looks like a thumb to grasp objects like bamboo.

Today, only 1,000 pandas exist in the wild and 60 more, in zoos. Their lifespan in the wild is unknown but in captivity it averages more than 20 years.

It is interesting to note here, that many in the scientific community still disagree about whether the giant panda is closely related to bears or raccoons or is separate from both.

After a gestation period of 125 to 150 days, a mother panda gives birth to one or two young, but only one survives. Their eyes open at six to eight weeks, and the cub starts to move around at three months. Weaned at six months, the cub becomes independent after a year.

These solitary animals spend most of their days feeding. Although they live in cold forests, pandas do not hibernate. They move to lower elevations during winter to keep warm and to higher elevations in summer to stay cool. They do not have permanent homes but sleep at the bottom of trees and under stumps and rock ledges.

Pandas feed mostly on bamboo, a tall woody plant full of fiber. The panda's digestive system does not absorb the fiber, so it must eat a lot. Pandas also eat flowers, vines, tufted grasses, green corn, honey and rodents.

The panda lives in thick bamboo and coniferous forests (evergreens with seed cones) at 8,500 to 11,500 feet elevation. The shrinking range of the panda is limited to parts of Szechuan, Shensi and Kansu provinces in central and western China. Their habitat loss is due to the increasing human populations, poaching and, the periodic loss of entire areas of the bamboo.

Today, the status of the Giant Panda is classified as endangered.

To learn more about the Giant Panda, and ways you can participate in the survival of this magnificent animal, you might want to visit this National Geographic site, to start.

Later on today, we will talk about another species of bear that is in serious trouble.