Life with Dylan

Month: January 2014

  • Lorikeet Landing just got a little more colorful

    Lorikeets are bright and cheerful. They love nectar and have a fairly loud chatter; especially when they are inches from your ear. However, being surrounded by these little birds and experiencing them up close is worth some high-pitched chirping. Last week Dylan and I went to say hello to a few of the newest members to call Lorikeet Landing home.

    Recently thirty more birds have joined the existing population at the Lorikeet Landing aviary, nearly doubling the population from 43 to 73 lorikeets. The new birds came from an already-established flock and keepers say the new birds are very social and integrating well with the existing flock.

    Lorikeets are very social birds that flit around the trees looking for flowers and nectar. While lorikeets are interesting to watch, they also serve an important role as pollinators. Yes, these birds are pollinators! The lorikeets feed on nectar from various plants and that feeding helps transfer pollen. They have a very unique tongue, with its brush-like texture, to drink the nectar.

    When not flitting around the tree tops, lorikeets will spend time grooming each other.


    The next time you visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park be sure to stop by the Lorikeet Landing aviary and purchase a cup of nectar to feed them. The aviary is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. daily and is located in the Nairobi Village at the Park.  


    There are a few hidden gems at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park that don’t always get the attention I think they deserve. Lorikeet Landing is one of them … and next week I will share the other hidden gem with you.


    Have you been to Lorikeet Landing? 






  • Smooches from Tatqiq

    Tatqiq blowing kisses to her adoring fans.

    Tatqiq is a 13 year old polar bear who lives at the San Diego Zoo. She is one of my favorites because she has such a wonderful personality. Tatqiq and her brother Kalluk were orphaned at a very young age when their mother was killed by a hunter in Alaska. After being rescued, the cubs were brought to the San Diego Zoo where they continue to thrive, entertain guests, and educate us about the plight of the polar bear.

  • Animal Conservation and Philanthropy – It’s in the Family Crest

    If you ever had doubts concerning how much my family cares about animal conservation, what you are about to read will chase those doubts away. I am sure you have figured out that conservation is pretty much what makes the world go around for Dylan, but this … well this is something that even I didn’t see coming.

    Dylan had a homework assignment that he was to complete over the winter break. He had to create his own family coat of arms using symbols, animals, and colors from a sheet his teacher gave him. Each item gave a description or a meaning of what it stood for. Here is what Dylan created as our family coat of arms.

    Bear 
           Protectiveness






    Flaming Heart 
           Passion



    Blue 
           Loyalty






    Green 
           Hope and Joy






    Pelican 
           Devotion



    The words I understood. They seemed like wonderful words to describe our family and I was proud of what he chose. Being that he is so passionate about animal conservation, I was not surprised that he chose animals for two of his sections. It wasn’t until I read his explanation on the back of the poster board that I realized he had just created the perfect coat of arms for our family.

    “My coat of arms shows my families love for philanthropy. My blue and green checkerboard shows that my family keeps all of our promises to conservation; and our hope and joy for conservation. The bear shows our families protectiveness of all animals we come across. My pelican shows my families devotion to save animals near and far. My flaming heart shows our passion for anything wildlife related.”

    Like I said, you can remove all those doubts from your mind. Dylan has now put it in writing and created a family coat of arms that I am proud to display.

    We are a family that believes in conservation.

    We take pride in our philanthropy projects.

    We value our belief that through animal conservation and education we can help save endangered animals all around the world.

    Yes, this is the perfect coat of arms for our family. Excellent job Dylan!

  • Hopes and Wishes are so much better than Resolutions

    It’s that time again. Time to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one. Some people have a hard time with the transition and dwell on all the things that did not get accomplished. I used to be one of those people until I made a simple change. So simple in fact, that I was just changing the words. Two years ago I started making New Year Wishes instead of New Year Resolutions. Wishes remind me of a birthday cake and blowing out candles … Resolutions just sound like work.  So far, the majority of my wishes have come true.

    Jungle Bells - San Diego Zoo

    The first year (2012) I was able to make 4 out of 5 wishes come true. I call that a job well done. So imagine my surprise today when I went back to read my New Year Wishes for 2013 and realized that I had made all 5 wishes come true …

    Hello. Amazing! I can’t think of a better way to start 2014.

    I definitely took a step back last year and spent lots of time looking within myself. There were lots of changes and learning experiences for both me and Dylan. However, one thing that remained the same was our passion for creating awareness about endangered species and doing all we could to make a difference.

    Here are my New Year Wishes for 2014 …

    1. Start drawing again. In high school I loved to sketch and paint. This will be the year I rekindle that creative side I once loved so much.
    2. Teach more kids about endangered animals and conservation by expanding Dylan’s Animal Adventure Camp into more than just a summer camp. 
    3. Make time to write about what inspires me. I have a folder filled with notes and ideas for posts, but never found the time to actually write them. 
    4. Stay current on my photography and share more of my images. No more falling a year behind on editing and posting pictures. 
    5. Continue to read more, explore more, and keep learning more. 
    Yes, I know that #5 is a repeat from last year, but it is just such a good wish to have. 
    Dylan and I were very blessed with some unforgettable experiences and wonderful supporters of his fundraising projects last year. We are both excited to see what the new year has in store for us and what new doors may open leading us to new adventures.