SaveNatureDOTorg

AnimalPalooza! Sept. 24, 2011 @ Fort Mason

2011-08-03T12:07:00.001-07:00

A big warm and wild thank you to our fans who still visit our blog! Your loyalty and fandom is still the driving force in our good work.

SaveNature has been working hard for the past year and the rewards are just around the corner. I enthusiastically invite you to our exciting child-friendly, wild-friendly event, AnimalPalooza! on September 24th from 11am to 5pm in the Fleet Room at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco! Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children under age 18.

SaveNature.Org has collaborated with the finest and fiercest Bay Area conservation groups to reunite people with our fascinating and fun animal friends.

Don't miss your chance to get closer with nature! AnimalPalooza! is a fantastic opportunity to give city youth and the general public a unique hands-on experience with live animals of all kinds.

So, come down and befriend a bat, play with a porcupine, hug a python or join us in a number of different kid-friendly childlife activities to include wildlife origami, insect mask making, face painting, and owl pellet exploration!

This is an event where people of all ages can go wild! To purchase tickets online, please visit http://animalpalooza.eventbrite.com/ See you in September!

Recently featured Ad!!

2010-08-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

Check out our newest ad! Cool, colorful and creative!

SaveNature.Org & the SF Playhouse

2010-08-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends, Partners and Supporters,

The SF Playhouse has offered an exciting fundraising opportunity for SaveNature.Org and our fans! This one night exclusive fundraising offer is for the September 2, 2010, 8:00pm performance of The Fantasticks. For more information about the play, please follow the link:
http://www.sfplayhouse.org/season0910/fantasticks.php

To participate in this exciting fundraising opportunity and help SaveNature.Org, just follow these steps. Simply call the SF Playhouse box office at 415-677-9596, mention you are ordering tickets on behalf of SaveNature.Org and order your $40.00 ticket! The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1pm to 6pm. For each ticket sold under SaveNature.Org's name, we will receive $5 to contribute to our conservation efforts! You get to see a unique take on a classic musical, while helping save the most amazing places on the planet! Your help is always appreciated!

We hope you'll join us in this masterful collaboration of science and art!

What: The Fantasticks
When: Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Where: The SF Playhouse, 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco 94102
Cost: $40.00 - - - $5.00 of which is donated back to SaveNature.Org
How to order: Call the SF Playhouse box office, 415-677-9596, during open hours and mention SaveNature.Org to order your ticket

In Other SaveNature.Org News...

Outreach
The school year is fast approaching, and what better way to acquaint your kids with nature than through SaveNature.Org's interactive educational outreach programs!! Go on one of our Edible EdVentures and explore fun facts about food and how our eating choices can help protect the planet or let our amazing arthropod ambassadors from the Insect Discovery Lab help your kids discover the wonders of nature! We are available for classroom visits, birthday parties or tabling events! To make a reservation, call us at 415-648-3392 or go online to http://savenature.org/content/IDL/book

Upcoming Events
Terwilliger Environmental Award
Just a reminder that our director, Norm Gershenz, will be receiving the 2010 Terwilliger Environmental Award from WildCare on September 10th, from 4 to 6pm in San Rafael! We invite everyone to join in congratulating Norman for this astounding achievement! To RSVP, call 415-648-3392 with your name and number of attendees, or you can contact Norm directly. Please RSVP by September 1.

2010 Wildlife Conservation Expo
SaveNature.Org and our Insect Discovery Lab will be present at the 2010 Wildlife Conservation Expo, hosted by Wildlife Conservation Network on Sunday, October 3rd in San Francisco. Follow the link below for more information:
http://www.wildnet.org/events/expo2010.html

Thanks for supporting SaveNature.Org!!

2010 Terwilliger Environmental Award Winner

2010-07-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends, Partners, Sponsors and Supporters,

We are delighted to announce that our director, Norman Gershenz, has been named the 2010 Terwilliger Environmental Award winner!

Each fall, WildCare (http://www.wildcarebayarea.org) presents the Terwilliger Environmental Award to an individual who has made outstanding efforts to impact Bay Area children and adults through environmental education. Recipients are awarded for their determination and enthusiasm to unite the public with nature in innovative, compelling and exciting ways, while instilling a sense of commitment and responsibility for a more sustainable future.

The award ceremony will be held on the evening of September 10th at the WildCare Terwilliger Center in San Rafael, CA.

About the Award
The award is named for Elizabeth Terwilliger, a Bay Area pioneer in educating children about wildlife and nature. Mrs. Terwilliger believed that if children were given the opportunity to explore nature and make exciting first-hand discoveries, with just the right amount of gentle guidance, they would understand the importance of respecting and protecting the natural world. Mrs. Terwilliger loved to share her enthusiasm for nature, and with some friends, created a nature guide organization to lead groups on field trips through nature sites in Marin County. Her work and legacy live on through the Terwilliger Nature Education Foundation and the minds that she has inspired.

A Twist on Mimicry Can Be Scary!

2010-06-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

Our Scientific Advisory Board Member, Dr. Dan Janzen, shares his remarkable research on caterpillars in Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica! Published in this week's NY Times! Click on the link below to read the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/science/15crea.html

Dr. Janzen's research is a testament to the fact that there are still innumerable things to be explored and investigated, and thus protected, within the rain forest!

2010-06-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Fans, Partners, Sponsors and Friends,

Summer is fast approaching, and while we're all anxious to indulge in some well-deserved relaxation, conservation work is never done. We want to share SaveNature.Org's latest accomplishments and what we have in store for the summer! We warmly thank each and every one of you for your alliance and continued support! To make a thoughtful contribution for our conservation efforts and to bring our educational outreach programs to underprivileged children and communities, go to http://savenature.org/content/donate/. Your donation helps SaveNature and protects the most dynamic biodiversity on our planet!

*Social Networking and Public Relations*
View from the Bay Appearance
Director, Norm Gershenz, appeared in a television segment on View from the Bay (aired on June 1st) entitled, "Insects and the World Under Your Feet" http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7472989 (click to view). Norm shared how to discover local arthropod biodiversity in Golden Gate Park.

Twitter, Facebook, Yelp!
Don't forget to show us your support by becoming one of our followers on Twitter (http://twitter.com/savenatureorg) or by becoming one of our fans on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/SaveNatureorg/5865449586)! Also, if you've seen our Insect Discovery Lab do a presentation or table at an event, do rate and review us on Yelp! (http://www.yelp.com/biz/insect-discovery-lab-san-francisco)! We would appreciate your input!

*Recent Events*
Kids Creek Fest at Fernandez Park, Pinole, CA - May 8, 2010
SaveNature.Org and its Insect Discovery Lab were invited to join the fun at Kids Creek Fest, a free environmental fair and family-friendly event set to entertain and educate children and their families about caring for the earth, wildlife, water and other precious resources.

Adopt An Acre® Deed Presentation - Alvarado Elementary School, San Francisco, CA - May 25, 2010
Director Norm Gershenz made a very special visit to Mrs. Hawkins's first grade class at Alvarado Elementary School in San Francisco. Students had a bake sale and raised $200.00, which they used to adopt 4 acres of habitat in Kunene Region Protected Area, Namibia! SaveNature.Org presented the students with their deed in an on-site ceremony to congratulate them for their successful fundraising and to honor them for being stewards for the environment. Great work, kids!

We would also like to commend a few other schools and students who too have been successful in raising funds for habitat protection:
2010 Third Grade Rainforest Unit at Holy Family School - Norwich, NY
Students used a collection of $227.50 to adopt 1 and 3/4 acres in Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica!
First Grade, Room 103 at Clarendon Elementary School - SF, CA
Students raised $475.00 to protect 3 3/5 acres of rainforest habitat in Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica!
First Grade Class of 2009-2010 at Beach Elementary School - Piedmont, CA
Students collected funds independently and were told they could do whatever they wanted to raise funds, as long as they earned the money. That said, they were able to generate a whopping $771.30 to protect 15 1/4 acres in Pantanal National Park, Brazil!
Mrs. Honda's 3rd Grade Class 2010, Manor School - Fairfax, CA
Third Graders at Manor School crafted a Native Bee quilt, sold raffle tickets and were able to adopt 2 acres in Pantanal National Park, Brazil! It's always inspiring to see young people working hard to save the planet!

*Insect Discovery Lab Appearances*
Celsius and Beyond Camp, SF - June 10 to August 26
The Insect Discovery Lab has been invited to be part of Celsius and Beyond's 2010 Summer Camp Session (http://www.celsiusandbeyond.com/camp_summer.html) and will be included in "The 5 Ecosystems of San Francisco" lesson plans. You can still register for camp by clicking on the link! Hope to see you there!

The Shops at Tanforan, San Bruno, June 30 1:00pm
What would make children crowd around and scream for joy in the middle of a mall? A video game? Free ice cream samples? No-- It's got to be The Insect Discovery Lab and our marvelous multi-legged creatures! Join us at the end of the month!

SaveNature.Org's Insect Discovery Lab conducted two outreach presentations at libraries in the Bay Area: Pinole Library on May 12th and Oceanview Branch Library in SF on May 20th. The Insect Lab is slated to appear at the following libraries through the summer:
Western Addition Branch - SF - June 11 @ 2pm
Ingleside Branch - SF - June 17 @ 3pm
Chinatown Branch - SF - June 23 @ 2:30pm
Ortega Branch - SF - July 2 @ 3pm
Potrero Branch - SF - July 10 @ 4pm
North Beach - SF - July 13 @ 11am
Main SF Library - July 24 @ 2pm

*Upcoming Events*
Old Firehouse School Summer Program, Mill Valley, June 4 to August 6
SaveNature.Org and its Insect Lab were invited to participate in the Old Firehouse Summer Program in Mill Valley, by teaching a 45-minute class each week through the summer session. Participating Pre-K students will take part in 9-weeks of Incredible Insect Lesson Plans, exploring, identifying and observing insects and other arthropods. SaveNature.Org is optimistic that this program will be a great success, and plans to develop a camp to offer regularly for summer and after-school sessions.

Career and Technical Education Fair, City College of San Francisco, June 8
This event will be held at City College's Ocean Campus (50 Phelan Ave, SF 94112) and is open to the public. Come see us tabling with our insect friends and let us help you spark an interest in an environmental science career!

Noe Valley Midsummer Celebration at 3950 24th St. SF, June 19
Our partners at Whole Foods Noe Valley invited us to table and join the fun! Special features of the event include live music, hay rides, a petting zoo, face painting and so much more! We are really looking forward to it! Come join in the celebration and show us your support! And remember, SaveNature.Org was chosen as a recipient for Nickels for Non-Profits for the 2nd quarter, so bring your reusable totes and donate to save nature.

**Special Thanks**
We would like to thank a few of our zoo partners who have accomplished great work in spreading our message to save the environment!
Roosevelt Park Zoo in North Dakota has consistently distributed our Adopt An Acre® and Adopt A Reef® brochures to their attendees, helping our message thrive in unexpected places!
El Paso Zoo garnered a sum of $1000.00 from their Conservation Parking Meter in April. These funds will go toward protecting their chosen conservation site of Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala!
Denver Zoo's Conservation Parking Meter collected an impressive $5000.00 to go toward protecting coral reef habitat in Komodo National Park, Indonesia and rainforest habitat in Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica!
Tautphaus Park Zoo in Idaho is our newest partner to have a Conservation Parking Meter on-site! We look forward to promising results from the meter's placement! Thanks for helping us save nature!

You too can help us Save Nature by making a donation today! Go to http://savenature.org/content/donate/.

Appearance on View from the Bay!

2010-06-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Recently, our knowledgeable Director, Norm Gershenz, took View from the Bay on a stroll through Golden Gate Park to seek out some natural wonders crawling right under our feet! Click below to watch the video:

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7472989

More updates soon to come...

SaveNature.Org Updates!

2010-04-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Fans, Partners and Sponsors,

Earth Day reminds us all that the smallest actions can largely impact the planet, for good or for worse. SaveNature.Org is working hard to do its part to advocate protection for the planet and its threatened ecosystems... and we are making some serious headway! Here you will learn about our newest efforts for global conservation and the success of SaveNature.Org. We deeply thank you for your interest, alliance and support! To make a friendly donation in support of our conservation efforts and to bring our educational programs to underserved children and communities go to http://www.savenature.org/. Your donation helps SaveNature and protects the most awe-inspiring animals, plants and ecosystems on Earth!

*Recent Events*
16th Annual Bowl-the-Planet Pledge Event & Silent Auction - March 13, 2010
Our annual fundraiser was a smashing success! We managed to raise more than $20,000 and created promising partnerships with IPath (http://web.ipath.com/), Kohl's A-Team Volunteers (http://www.kohlscorporation.com/communityrelations/Community04.htm), and phenomenal artist, Lucy Arnold (http://www.lucyarnold.com/).
Special thanks to all of our sponsors, donors and attendees! A special thanks also goes to board member Jim Owen, who coordinated a Satellite Bowl-the-Planet event in Colorado!

*Recent Tabling Events*
National Science Teachers Association Convention - Philadelphia, PA - March 18-20, 2010
San Francisco Green Festival - Insect Discovery Lab @ the Green Kids Zone - April 10, 2010
West County Earth Day - Richmond, CA - April 17, 2010
Bug Day - Randall Museum, SF - April 17, 2010
Disney's OCEANS, Advanced Screening - SF Metreon - April 20, 2010

*Donation Opportunities*
Cole Hardware Community Partnership Program
A little name-dropping goes a long way! Simply mention that you are a friend of SaveNature.Org when checking out at any Cole Hardware store and a friendly donation transaction is posted to our account! At the end of the year, we will receive a gift card in the amount of 10% of all purchases posted to the SaveNature.Org account, so let all of your handy-man and handy-lady fix-it friends know how that they can help, too. Donating has never been easier! http://www.colehardware.com/comm.htm

Whole Foods Market, Noe Valley - Nickels for Non-Profits April-June 2010
This quarter, SaveNature.Org has been chosen as a recipient for Nickels for Non-Profits. Bring your reusable grocery bag to shop at Whole Foods Market on 24th Street in Noe Valley (3950 24th Street, between Sanchez St. & Noe St.) and donate your bag credit to SaveNature.Org! We are also listed on their community giving page. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/noevalley/community-giving.php

*Social Networking and Public Relations*
Twitter http://twitter.com/SaveNatureOrg
Follow us on Twitter & get the latest SaveNature.Org updates!
1% For the Planet http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/en/search/nonprofits_profile_page.php?id=1729
From the 1%FTP website: Since 2002, 1% for the Planet has inspired members of the business community to contribute 1% of sales to environmental groups around the world. In return, this growing alliance of companies is given the opportunity not only to see their self-worth rise, but their net worth climb as well.
Edutopia http://www.edutopia.org/go-green/saving-nature-action-plan
The George Lucas Educational Foundation - Go Green Database
National Lab Day http://my.nationallabday.org/SaveNatureOrg
Nationwide initiative to build local communities of support that will foster ongoing collaborations among volunteers, students and educators.

*Upcoming Events*
SaveNature.Org's Insect Discovery Lab will be presenting at the following libraries throughout the 2010 summer. Space is limited so reserve your spot at the following libraries now! Call us @ 415/648-3392 for more information!

Pinole Library - May 12 @ 7pm
Oceanview Branch Library - SF- May 20 @ 4pm
Western Addition Branch - SF - June 11 @ 2pm
Ingleside Branch - SF - June 17 @ 3pm
Chinatown Branch - SF - June 23 @ 2:30pm
Ortega Branch - SF - July 2 @ 3pm
Potrero Branch - SF - July 10 @ 4pm
North Beach - SF - July 13 @ 11am
Main SF Library - July 24 @ 2pm

New News about SaveNature.Org!

2010-04-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

We recently launched our newly revamped website http://www.savenature.org/ and invite you to check out all of our brand new site features!

In addition, feel free to follow us on our brand new Twitter account http://twitter.com/SaveNatureOrg and on our Facebook Fan page http://www.facebook.com/pages/SaveNatureorg/5865449586?v=info!

If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, we would really appreciate your support in this quarter's Nickels for Non-Profits program through the Whole Foods Market on 24th Street in Noe Valley! Bring a reusable grocery bag to do your shopping and donate your 5-cent bag credit to SaveNature.Org! Your help means the wild world to us! Thanks for your help!

More updates soon to come...!

The Future of Antibiotics is All in the Past

2009-06-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

Bacteria "killer" found in horseshoe crab protein

For centuries these prehistoric looking creatures have been roaming around the oceans of the world. Their body design has been a faithful one that has been found in similar ancient species that existed 400 million years ago. The reasons for their success are varied, but one might have to do with a microscopic creature's assist. Sinagpore scientists have discovered a unique bacteria in the proteins of horseshoe crabs that can be used as an efficient antibiotic. This antibiotic protein found in the blue blood of the horseshoe crab can kill at an astounding rate of 100 billion bacteria in 15 minutes. Besides the amazing advantage of feeling better in less time the fact that it kills so quickly decreases the chances of antibiotic resistant bacteria! But before we get ahead of ourselves, scientists are still researching to find out if this protein will be viable for human use.
Recently horseshoe crabs were added to the near threatened list, meaning that their numbers are significantly dwindling. You can help save their habitat though. The "Bee Inspired" t-shirts offered by SaveNature.Org for $17.00 goes towards the protection of habitat in many coral reefs around the world. If you'd like to order one just email sharyl@savenature.org or call at 1 (877) 284-6564.

The Charitable Search Engine

2009-06-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Make donating a part of every internet search by using www.GoodSearch.com

GoodSearch is the same as google, yahoo or any other search engine, except every time you search using their browser a penny is donated to a charity of your choice (including SaveNature.Org!) So set this search engine up as your default and start making charitable donations everyday! Maybe even every minute...

Justify your all day online searches by using GoodSearch and donating to SaveNature.Org!

SaveNature News!

2009-05-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of exciting new updates in the past month.

SaveNature.Org has now joined the gamer ranks of many other non-profits with its very own application, Save the Reef! For all of you FaceBook users, go look up our new game created by Earth Guard and have fun playing to save your very own reef. You can decorate with cute fish, coral and other marine creatures or stop further damage from occuring to your or your friends' reefs. You can also make donations towards SaveNature.Org's Adopt A Reef program, which will go to Palau Micronesia's protected area.

Another bit of news is that our lab now has a healthy population of Thai Sticks! With a purchase of a new environmental chamber and lots of TLC our Thai Stick eggs have finally emerged from a long dormancy of SEVERAL YEARS. We have slowly been brining a few out as a part of our Insect Discovery Lab as a new edition and they are quickly stealing the spotlight.

Eco-Kid Spotlight

2009-04-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Jacob wearing a t-shirt of his own eco-hero, Steve Irwin.

Jacob Danko

The Outdoors has never been a stranger to Jacob Danko. This 9 year-old kid spends his free-time taking nature classes through the local State Parks, volunteering at creek clean-ups and going to the zoo. At a very early age Jacob's parents noticed his love for wildlife and encouraged him not only to appreciate it, but also to participate in saving it. At the age of 7 Jacob began fundraising with Wildlife Warriors based out of Australia, for Steve Irwin Day. He collected donations through family and friends as well as with a lemonade stand, but most impressively he held his own raffle with donated items gathered from local businesses. Jacob ended up the sixth top individual fundraiser for the Wildlife Warriors WORLDWIDE and will be continuing his extraordinary fundraising efforts this year through the "Hero Page" web site, www.everydayhero.com, where you can go online and support him. When asked what his future plans are, Jacob's response is simply "MORE!" which is how we at SaveNature.Org found out about Jacob. He has noticed the increase in development and loss of natural habitat, and was inquiring with SaveNature.Org about how he can raise more funds for groups, participate more in conservation activities and spread the word about the importance of wilderness and wildlife. Watch out John Muir, it looks like Jacob Danko will be the next great naturalist.

If you would like to be featured as SaveNature.Org’s Eco-Kid Spotlight for May 2009 contact sharyl@savenature.org.

White Eyed Lubbers

2009-02-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

Here at the Lab we have been having some unusual occurrences with our Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers Romalea guttata. For those of you who are new or did not know, we breed our Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers right here at the lab. To give you a point of reference here is the basic life cycle of a lubber:

The common life cycle of a Lubber (even in captivity) is an emergence of nymphs as early as February to March. These black nymphs go through five molts (each stage is called an instar) and each instar stage lasts about 15-20 days. After their last instar stage the juveniles are adults and that is when the lubbers get their colorful exoskeleton and beautiful patterning. Adults will live another few months and females will lay up to three egg masses in the soil and by the next spring their life cycle begins again.

Our strange happenings began in December when an unusually early emergence of juvenile lubbers were born (and we still have more baby lubbers emerging!)

Then we have noticed three of our lubbers have white eyes! We are not totally sure why, but most likely it is similar to Drosophila melanogaster's white eye mutation. These lubbers are also white when they molt after each juvenile instar stage (usually they are red). We are anxious to see what they will look like as adults, but mostly I just wanted to share with the world that we have some cool WHITE EYED LUBBERS!

Eco-Kid Spotlight

2009-02-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Madi Jules

Overfishing, water pollution, coral reef damage, are not the typical concerns of a middle school girl, but for Madi Jules this is what drives her. At the age of twelve, this young conservationist already has an impressive resume. While her passion for all things aquatic began at an earlier age, it was last year when her activism really began. When her teacher assigned a speech project Madi immediately knew what she wanted to speak about, her beloved and endangered marine ecosystem. Pollution in our Seas and Oceans is a wonderfully brilliant speech of all the components that cause pollution in the world's waters and how her peers can make a difference. Madi has also collected donations for coral reef conservation, passed out Sea Food Watch Cards (informational booklets about sustainable seafood eating options), and most importantly has spread awareness of oceanic issues. Her future will be bright and she already has many plans and projects. One already set in motion is a fundraiser for her school where each student donates $2.00 to SaveNature.Org's Adopt A Reef program and together make a difference. She is also working on an informative website about coral reefs and oceans; and for next year her speech will be about overfishing and how it endangers sharks and all sea life.

If you would like a Sea Food Watch Card or would like to be featured as SaveNature.Org’s Eco-Kid Spotlight for March 2009 contact sharyl@savenature.org.

Rare Venomous Shrew

2009-01-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

Hispaniolan solenodon found during an expedition in 2008 to the Dominican Republic (image from BBC)

The Hispaniolan solenodon, a large venomous shrew, was recently sited and filmed by researchers on a month-long expedition to the Dominican Republic. These rare and unique creatures are only found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti and are frequently the victims of deforestation, hunting and non-native species. Very little is known about the animal's ecology, behavior and population status. Conservationists are working relentlessly to learn more about the Hispaniolan solenodon and create a conservation plan for this species before it is too late.

To see footage click here!

Eco-Kid Spotlight

2008-12-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

Arjay McCandless

To a 7 year-old, birthdays take a “google-times-infinity” to come and when they finally do, your typical 7 year-old will ask for a mountain of gifts that reaches the sky, or that one toy they have been dreaming about every night. But Arjay McCandless is no typical 7 year-old. Like most young boys he relishes in playing outside searching for long-legged spiders, cool snakes and basking lizards, but what makes Arjay special is his fervent altruism for the safety of his beloved creatures. When Arjay’s long awaited seventh birthday finally came he asked his friends and family not to bring gifts to his party, but instead donations for SaveNature.Org’s Adopt An Acre® program in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. His very generous party guests donated a total of $175 and Arjay as well as his 9 year-old sister each put in $10 of their hard earned money. An ecstatic Arjay was able to save one and a half acres of rainforest in Costa Rica and ultimately all of the endearing animals that he cares for so much.

If you would like to be featured as SaveNature.Org’s Eco-Kid Spotlight for February 2009 send your environmental story to sharyl@savenature.org.

Cool Camouflage Creatures

2008-12-10T11:11:00.001-08:00

Dead leaf katydid from Costa Rica (conservationreport.com)

Have you heard of the leaf mimicking katydids that live in Costa Rica? Their entire body is shaped like a leaf and some are so well adapted that they even have rough edges on their wings and spots resembling a decaying leaf. Check out some awesome pictures of camouflaged animals from around the world.

Shopping for a Cause and Greening Your Holiday

2008-12-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays, everyone!!

Yes, folks! It's that time of year again.. time to spread some holiday cheer. :) We have some very special gifts for you to send to your loved ones. This holiday season, give them something meaningful. SaveNature.org's holiday gifts show that you care about them as well as protecting endangered wild lands. Choose between coral reef in Palau, Micronesia, or rainforest in Costa Rica, and add it to one of these great gift sets:

Holiday gifts to save endangered habitats in rainforests and coral reefs!

♦ Tips to green your holiday ♦

You can also help save nature while shopping at the stores you normally visit such as Amazon, iTunes, eBay, Old Navy, Macy's, and many more. With every purchase you make, a percentage will go to SaveNature.org to continue our mission of saving endangered rainforests and coral reefs.. and it won't cost you anything extra! Just click on Giveness and you'll be on your way to shopping for a cause!

BYOB. Bring Your Own Bags to the mall. Re-using bags or using canvas bags to shop isn't just for grocery shopping. We've seen some pretty chic bags out there, start a fashion trend for the planet.

Re-gifting. In today's penny-pinching economy, re-gifting may not seem like a bad idea. Instead of wasting your money on gas to shop for new gifts, look around your house to see what you could possibly give away to a loved one. Include a handwritten note that says, "I know you have always loved this vase, and I want you to have it." Oh, and what about those three coffee grinders you received for your wedding?.....

Gift Wrapping. Try using one of these earth-friendly gift wrappers: A beautiful scarf or handkerchief that doubles as a bonus gift or using compostable materials such as re-used paper and raffia. A colorful page from the comic section or perhaps the end page of the New York Times magazine - wow, smart and thoughtful.

Delicious Holiday Recipe! Jumping Jubilee

2008-11-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Make something original this holiday season and impress your family and friends with your worldly tastes.

Jumping Jubilee

Edible crickets can be purchased from great places like at Fluker's Farm or Bassett's Cricket Ranch.

1 cup cleaned crickets
2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sage
2 dashes pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. onion finely chopped

Place ingredients in a medium sized saucepan.
Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.
Set aside.

Then combine in a large bowl :

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large red onion (thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp. dill
1/4 tsp. salt

Add in:

1 1/4 cup of cricket mix
1 can shrimp

And enjoy!

this recipe is from SaveNature.Org

Eating insects isn't as unusual as you might think. Grub, grasshoppers and more are enjoyed around the world by various cultures.
Here's a few facts you might not have known:

In Australia a famous aboriginal edible insect is the witchetty grub, which is a cossid moth's larva commonly found in the roots of a witchetty bush.

The Tenryu River of Japan is where the most delicious Zaza-mushi, aquatic caddis flies larvae, can be found and is worth $40 a pound

Remember that worm in your tequila? Maguey worms, Giant skipper moth larva, feed on agave plants (what tequila is made of) and the worm's body can only be preserved at 140 proof or more, so that worm is proof of a really good bottle of tequila.

Masinya, palm worms, are a delicacy of Uganda and can only be found on the Ssese Islands where the mirche palm, its host, is abundant

In the United States a candy company called, HotLix, is slowly mainstreaming insects into the American diet with popular items such as Cricket Lick-It lollipops and InsectNsides chocolate covered scorpians.

Resource:
Menzel, Peter and D'Aluisio, Faith. Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects. A Material World Book. Ed. Charles C. Mann. Berkeley, California. 1998

Help Save Nature While You Shop!

2008-11-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

Do you do any of your holiday shopping online? If so, you can help us save nature while you shop! Through the wonderful folks at Giveness, you can protect endangered ecosystems by shopping at sites like iTunes, Amazon.com, Ebay, the Body Shop, Fandango, Hotels.com, and many more!

The best part is that all you have to do is buy items you would be buying anyway, and we receive a donation at no extra cost to you! Just go to http://www.giveness.com/savenature , follow the links to your favorite stores, and shop for everyone on your gift list.

(Also, you can spread the word by telling your friends and family about us - you can even add our Giveness icon to your own blog or webpage.)

Happy shopping, and an extra special thanks from all the endangered plants and animals in the rainforests and coral reefs!

Beauty Products That Are More Than Skin Deep

2008-11-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

SaveNature.Org and Mod.Skin Labs have partnered together to support endangered species and conservation. Mod.Skin Labs is an innovative environmentally friendly beauty product line that donates 10% of every purchase to several different projects such as protecting leather back turtle nesting sites in Costa Rica, restoring the coral reef and fisheries of Palau and supporting the habitat acquisition and monitoring of the neotropical bird migration in Costa Rica. These projects will not only provide sanctuaries for the animals, but also education the public on how to live sustainably with these creatures and give research opportunities to learn more about some elusive life cycles. You can find your nearest store location or purchase products at www.modskinlabs.com. Mod.Skin Labs are beauty products with a green heart.

Insect Discovery Lab

2008-11-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Get a chance to see, touch and hold amazing insects from around the world. Plus learn about conservation and what YOU can do to help protect these amazing creature's habitats. This is an open FREE event at the Hillview Br. Library!
1600 Hopkins Drive
San Jose, CA 95122
from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Saturday November 22nd

Longest Walking Stick Found!

2008-10-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

WOAH!

The Longest walking stick in the world was found in Boreno, Malaysia! Leave it to NPR to run the story on the Phobaeticus chani, meaning "Chan's megastick" named for its finder Datuk Chan Chun Lun. The stick took over the previously named longest stick Phobaeticus kirbyi by a whole inch. Chan's megastick measures to 22 inches all together with it's legs. The body is 14 inches alone!

*pictures made available by Britain's Natural History Museum

Help an Oakland School bring the Insect Discovery Lab to their classroom

2008-10-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

An amazing teacher in Oakland had the insects come last year and needs help this year for funding! She posted a proposal on DonorsChoose.org and needs everyone's help to bring biodiversity back to her classroom. Please help her and her 6th grade students out!

Donate NOW to help the Elmhurst Community Prep Middle School sixth graders

every little bit counts! you can make a difference in these kids lives and how they view biodiversity in our natural world!

Time to update

2008-10-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

HI! So since my last post about Festival of Sails (sorry it's been a while) we've been doing A LOT!

We had a Slow Food Nation dinner with the Millennium Restaurant which was a phenomenal success. They hosted us for 4 full nights and we made the most money of ANY Slow Dinner around the city. Come on, that's a big deal. With the proceeds from their prix fix menue, our own silent auction and personal donations - we came in big. The bugs were there too to shock and awe guests. It was really fun to show the insects to adults and get their reaction. Sometimes it's much more exciting for the adults who have never seen a Giant Thorny Walking Stick or really NEVER imagined letting all 200 legs of a Giant African Millipede walk over their hands after dinner.

I think we inspired a lot of people to take notice of the biodiversity of our planet. And i think we became even more inspired ourselves!

Soon enough we'll be thinking of our holiday package and getting ready for the new year. Think of us for the holidays because... Saving Rainforests + organic coffee + See's chocolate = LOVE

We like Tall Ships too

2008-07-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Hi All!

This weekend July 25- 27th SaveNature.org will be at the Festival of Sail
http://www.festivalofsail.org/ all day everyday. We'll have experts on insects and all the ways and places that we save nature! The festival is full of eco-friendly vendors with lots of free give-a-ways and samples!

I was there earlier today and it was fantastic! So many great organizations.

Please Please Please come see us! The bugs will be there everyday form 12pm to 4pm for all to touch and hold!

Hope to see you there! Come by and ask for Emily!

Forget green, what about brown?

2008-07-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

I really like the green movement, don't get me wrong it's progressive and necessary. But, a lot of people are suffering from "Green Wash" - which is basically like hearing your favorite song on the radio 15 times a day and you hear it so much you can barely listen to it anymore (Hootie and the Blowfish?), but for environmentalists. A recent self-interview by Mike Rowe, the host of the Discovery Channel series "Dirty Jobs" brought a new color into the mix. Brown.

On his show, Mike, profiles dirty jobs in America including: artificially inseminating cows, sewer maintenance, and - my favorite - breeding bugs. The jobs being profiled are in essence "green" themed without having a blatant environmental agenda. Men and women who are doing down and dirty work that benefits the planet we live on. In his interview with himself, Mike points out that he believes brown should be the new green. Underneath all the green grass and trees, blue oceans and yellow sky.. there is brown.

I have never heard anyone in the green movement really pay attention to the dirt. The dirt that grows all our green is the most important source of them all. I then got to thinking about how much kids pay attention to dirt. Somehow almost every child I've ever been with outside will find the biggest pile of dirt, sit in it, and play. This wears off as image and the opposite sex become more interesting than what can be found beneath their toes. However, there is a great way to make the substance we all take for granted a star again.

A experiment that can be modified and performed for all age levels is the Berlese Funnel. Insects that live in the soil prefer dark, moist, cool areas. By placing a lamp above a collection of dirt inside a funnel, avoidance tactics act to push all organisms into a small bit of water in the bottom of a container. The Funnel with a light above and just a small hole below, forces everything to migrate towards cooler dirt, thus into water and onto observation. Once the organisms are in the water students can use magnifying glasses (for younger students) and microscopes (for older students) to see what is in the dirt. Several different types of arthropods, nemotodes, arachnids and more can be discovered upon close inspection of their body parts. Students can learn on any level that dirt is ALIVE and very important to all the green that is around them. I think a great way to do the experiment or lab would be to collect soil specimens from various places with different soil. Around a body of water, leaf litter with dirt, under a tree.. any place you or your students can get a couple hands dirty.Finally, another wonderful book that is sure to get kids excited about dirt is this one, aptly named "I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature" by Jennifer Ward, illustrator Susie Ghahremani and forward by Richard Louv. The book helps young children get in touch with nature through simple, easy to remember projects that can be taken along in memory or in the easy to travel with book, anytime you find yourselves in the great wide open.

So go ahead. Get your hands dirty. Then tell us what you found!

"Can I dip my crickets in honey?"

2008-06-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

The title of today's blog is a question from one our students at the Chinese American International School. After talking about how people of different cultures eat insects, we had a "Bug Feast" at the end of our 12 week all bug after-school program. Cricket pizza, mealworm chocolate chip cookies and organic honey tasting were the major highlights. But, one student, Nicholas, just couldn't get enough of the crickets - even taking them off other students pizza (after asking nicely of course) and exclaiming "Eat just the heads! They're really crunchy!!" Now, I think we have him hooked for insect eating for the long run. Although, others might be harder to convince, even from experts.

Dr. David Glaser, recently interviewed by Discover magazine and featured on The Colbert Report, believes insects should be included in American's diet to lessen the cost of food production. The act of eating bugs or entomophagy, could be a small step (or hop) in the right direction. As stated in the Discover article, "854 million people around the world went hungry in 2003" this could be another way to look at how we feed our ever-growing population.

Here at SaveNature.org, as much as we love bugs, we know their eating potential. Our director has been noted as a fantastic gourmet insect chef, being featured in the book Man Eating Bugs by Peter Menzel. The father of insect eating is Gene R. DeFoliart, Ph.D, who has been compiling his bug eating findings on his website, a newsletter and is writing a book out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Another founder to the bug eating world is Ronald Taylor who brought us Butterflies in my Stomach Or: Insects in Human Nutrition (1975) and Entertaining with Insects co-written by Barbara J. Carter. The latter is still available for sale on at the link given. A more recent cookbook is the Eat-a-bug Cookbook by David George Gordon, which is a nice compilation of Dr. DeFoliart's, Taylor's, Menzel's and ours! These resources show there are lots of insects that are easy to cook for classrooms or parties to give your taste buds a new idea on eating (or just freak them out)!

Now it's time to dive into the appetizing edible world of YOU eating bugs. And if you're in the Bay Area and decide you REALLY love eating bugs, check out the B.A.B.E.S. here!

Hi! let me show you around

2008-06-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!
Welcome to the SaveNatureDOTorg blog. We are a pretty interesting environmental non-profit, including 4 signature programs. Adopt An Acre® brings people around the world together for rainforest conservation. Adopt A Reef® allows ocean lovers to save previous coral reefs. To educate the public about these programs and biodiversity protection, our Insect Discovery Lab® serves schools, churches, temples, business, fairs and green theme events by bringing live exotic insects around the Bay Area. Finally our longest running program the Conservation Parking Meter® has over 125 partners and they have been spinning for global conservation, by collecting quarters, nickels and dimes since the 80's!

The programs have also been featured on Big Ideas for a Small Planet on the Sundance Channel, View From the Bay and Bay Area Backroads, in the past 2 years alone. We currently have a t-shirt with TONICgen.com that has raised enough money to save 15.5 acres of coral reef thus far. A feature with our director on Jack Hannah inspired a 5 year old to install a Conservation Parking Meter in her hometown of Nye Beach, Oregon and eventually the Oregon Zoo. A FIVE YEAR OLD!?! Were you thinking about conservation at 5!! I sure wasn’t, but children now are, and should be!

Our eclectic staff of just 10 features teachers, musicians, artists, photographers, breeders, conservationists and just plain insect LOVERS. It’s true. Every one of us really does LOVE bugs and if you keep reading I guarantee you’ll hear about some cool ones. Whether it’s one of ours in the lab, a staff member’s personal collection or their experiences with others.

Not only that, we’ll share great ideas on how to get your friends, family, school and community involved with world changing conservation work. We encourage all to post comments, concerns, stories and questions about how you have or plan to work with us to SAVE THIS PLANET! Sharing ideas and giving inspiration is the best way, we believe, to generate change. Don't forget to visit our website, and 2 myspaces, one for SaveNature.org and another for the Insect Discovery Lab (add us!!) for so much more information on everything we do.

Welcome all, to the SaveNatureDOTorg blog. Read, learn, react, interact, go out and make a difference! See you soon. You can start reading about bugs right now with this recent Newsweek article praising, of all things, the Dung Beetle. Enjoy!