Life with Dylan

Author: Michelle

  • Endangered Species Monday – Orangutan

    When I see an orangutan I can’t help but smile. These animals are so animated and they definitely have individual personalities. 

    Orangutans are also very much like humans – from their mannerisms to their emotional expressions. In fact, orangutans are closer to humans than you may think. They share 96.4% of our genetic makeup, which makes orangutans genetically closer to humans than any other animal. The female orangutan is considered to be one of the most caring and gentle mothers in the animal kingdom. 


    Some young orangutans will stay with their mother up to eight years; nursing for the first three years and then learning how to fend for themselves. 

    Although orangutans live a mostly solitary life, they create bonds that last a lifetime. It has been said that these bonds are renewed during forest encounters later in life. Aside from the nurturing and bonding, orangutans are highly intelligent animals that learn many things from copying. On several occasions, I have watched the orangutans at the San Diego Zoo cover up with large leaves or a burlap sack when it is raining. That is a pretty smart orangutan!



    Orangutans once lived all over Southeast Asia, but now only inhabit the warm tropical jungles of Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are the largest tree-dwelling mammal and are 100% dependent on the rainforest for survival. This being said, you can see why habitat conservation is so important. 


    From 1980-1990 heavy logging and land development reduced the orangutan population by 50%. Large forest fires destroyed more habitats in 1997. Today, the harvesting of palm fruit for the palm oil is one of the main causes of habitat loss for the orangutan. Palm oil is in everything from cookies, chocolate and cosmetics to biodiesel and unfortunately is not always labeled as palm oil. 


    A sign at the San Diego Zoo educates people about palm oil

    Recently there has been a lot of talk about the health benefits of palm oil and people are now actively looking for products with palm oil. This is not good for the survival of orangutans. If you must buy palm oil, then please support the companies who are members of the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) You can find a printable shopping guide here. 


    Educating people and making them aware that our actions have a direct impact on the rainforest is imperative to saving endangered species. To save the orangutan we must first save their home. All attempts that we make to save the orangutans will ultimately fail unless we can assure that their quickly disappearing rainforest home will be there for many years to come.

    For more inofrmation on the palm oil crisis and what you can do to help visit the Cheyenne Mountian Zoo website.

  • Sunset Sunday – Catalina Island

    One thing I love about the Santa Ana winds is they blow away all the smog. On a clear day like this, Catalina Island appears to be close enough that you can reach out and touch it.

    Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me, but I did have my iPhone.

    Have a fantastic week and don’t forget to take time to watch the sunsets.

  • Wait, don’t throw that away – Recycle it with TerraCycle!

    When you think of recycling, what comes to mind? Probably cans, water bottles, and newspapers. Some of you may also take it a step further and recycle/reuse your glass jars or sort your plastic and aluminum food packaging for recycling. If so, wonderful – you are proficient at kitchen recycling.

    However, what about the other room in your home that is filled with tubes, jars, and various bottles?

    Yes, I am talking about the bathroom. For years my bathroom trash can was home to empty moisturizer jars and dried up tubes of mascara. I never thought about recycling these containers because I didn’t know that I could. (I call this my pre-TerraCycle period.) I recently sent a box filled with all sorts of personal care and cosmetic product packaging to TerraCycle that included compacts, lipstick tubes, shampoo bottles, foundation tubes, hair pomade jars, and so much more. Yes, all of these containers can be recycled.

    You can recycle packaging like this too by simply joining the TerraCycle Personal Care and Beauty Brigade. Participating in TerraCycle brigades is free and is another great way that you can help keep waste out of the landfills. For a full listing of the personal care and beauty product accepted waste visit the TerraCycle website.

    While you are there, be sure to look at the other brigades available to join. I am sure you will be just as surprised as I was to learn how many types of product packaging can be recycled.

    Points earned from sending in qualified shipments can be redeemed for TerraCycle product bundles, charitable gifts or cash donations made to a charity of your choice. It’s like getting two for one – you keep waste out of the landfills and you are rewarded with making a charitable gift.

    So the next time you think about throwing something in the trash can, stop. Don’t throw it away because you can probably recycle it.

  • The mind of a child wonders … Why?

    The other day my son began asking me questions. Questions that I could not answer.
    Good questions. In fact, amazing questions!

    WHY do people have to kill rhinos for their horns?

    WHY do people have to kill tigers for their fur?

    WHY do people have to harvest palm oil fruit from the rain forest?

    WHY do people have to kill elephants for their tusks?

    WHY do people have to be cruel to the animals?

    WHY do people have to litter at the zoo?

    WHY don’t more people recycle?

    WHY do people not take conservation seriously?

    WHY do people have to cut down the rain forest?

    WHY don’t people care about these things like I do?

    I decided to use his questions for a blog post because I began to wonder …


    WHY does a 9-year-old child question these global issues, when so many adults do not?

    Photo courtesy of Dylan Fryer.

  • The day we explored Home Depot

    I am now convinced that Home Depot is the guys equivalent to Target for girls. He wanted to walk up and down every aisle at Home Depot just to see what they had. No intention of buying anything – just wandering. Exploring the power tools, hammers, rugs, plants, paint … nothing was left unseen. It was a wonderful way to spend an hour with my son.

    How do you spend time with your child?

  • Endangered Species Monday – Cans for Critters

    One of the great things about helping save endangered species is that everyone can do something – even children. In fact, I believe children can and will create more awareness about the problems facing endangered species than most adults will. When I offered to be in charge of the conservation service project for my son’s Cub Scout den, I was thrilled to suggest we take part in San Diego Zoo Global’s Cans for Critters.



    Cans for Critters is one of the many programs available for the general public to do their part and help protect wildlife all over the world. By recycling cans and bottles, and then donating the money, both individuals and groups can help save endangered species.




    There are three levels for individuals (starting at $20) and three levels for groups (starting at $100). We chose the group level of Cheetah, which has a goal of raising $200 for wildlife. Each boy collects cans and bottles and I take them to the recycling center each month. All the money we get goes into a jar so the boys can see how much money they have raised. Even though we started a month late, I am confident that boys will reach their goal by the end of the recycling drive. Cans for Critters officially began on Septemeber 12, 2012 and will end on May 17, 2013 – the day before Endangered Species Awareness Day.




    Everyone who registers for Cans for Critters and meets their goal will have an opportunity to receive a special certificate, animal photo, conservation patch, and choice of zoo tickets or eco gifts. There will also be an official Cans for Critters Appreciation Day on June 1, 2013.



    The boys are so excited to be part of this conservation project and I am honored to have the opportunity to teach them more about how they can help save endangered species. 


    So what do you think? Would you like to help save endangered species by registering for Cans for Critters? It’s quite simple and a wonderful way for people of all ages to help protect wildlife while keeping the planet clean. 

    Reduce – Reuse – Recycle



  • Sunset Sunday – Going Home

    Sometimes it is good to look down instead of up when watching a sunset.

    As the sun sets on another beautiful day in Orange County, a family of ducks swims home to the banks of the bay for the night. 
    Have a fantastic week and don’t forget to take time to watch the sunsets.

  • School fundraiser does more harm than good

    Anyone who has children is familiar with the annual school fundraisers. Almost all schools have at least one fundraiser and I understand the reasoning. Budget cuts and minimal funding for programs like art and music have forced the schools to be creative in how they ask parents for money.



    Over the years my son has brought home packets with everything from cookie dough, wrapping paper, See’s candy, and the infamous magazine subscriptions. So you can imagine how happy I was to see that this year’s fundraiser was for reusable shopping bags and totes that were made from recycled products. Wonderful!


    I was ready to buy all my Christmas gifts and share the fundraiser with my coworkers, but then the little voice in my head told me to look deeper. I went to the company’s website and searched for the about page.




    I was shocked when I began to read what it said. – Shocked at the ignorance more than anything else.



    Made from woven polypropylene – one of the most popular plastics for making food containers like yogurt cups. 10-40% of the polypropylene used in our bags is recycled from post consumer use. Most of our bags hold up to 50 lbs, which is due to the plastic fibers woven into the bags. Made in China.

    Wait, was I reading this correctly? Made in China?





    Why on earth would I or anyone buy a product that is supposed to be eco-friendly from a California company that has the product made in China? The thousands of miles on diesel burning cargo ships and the trees that are destroyed to make the shipping crates are not eco-friendly. The size of the carbon footprint left to have a recycled product made in China, only to be sold in the United States is enormous in comparison to making the recycled product here. We strive to cut carbon emissions on our local streets, but pretend that the emissions made on the ocean don’t exist.



    My son’s school fundraiser ends today and I sent the envelope back as instructed. Not with an order form or payment, but rather a note to the school.



    Please consider another fundraiser next year. Although the bags are nice, there is no point in buying a recycled product that is manufactured in China. The pollution and environmental impact of transporting goods from overseas defeats the purpose of making and buying eco-friendly products. Thank you.





    So I’m curious, do you ever look to see where the eco-friendly products you buy are made?




  • Giraffe lashes are the best

    The best Halloween costumes are those with false lashes, but this girl doesn’t need any.

    Who needs false lashes when you are born with these?

  • Halloween has come full circle in our house

    Reminiscing of Halloweens gone by … from cute and cuddly to the dark side. Wow, have things changed. When he was little his world revolved around animals and all he wanted to be for Halloween was something cute and furry. The giraffe was my all time favorite.

    Then he started to grow up and wanted to carry a weapon of some sort. I really disliked this phase because I was the one who ended up carrying the weapon while he collected the candy. Next it was the Star Wars phase … ah yes, I remember it well.
    This year he is going back to his first love and has decided to be a San Diego Zoo zookeeper. No longer does he want to be the animal, now he wants to take care of the animals. I may not be able to turn back time, but at least I have the pictures to make me smile.