Life with Dylan

Category: animals

  • 3 simple ways you can help save animals & raise awareness

    Over the years, I have spent hundreds of dollars making donations to various non-profit groups and organizations hoping to make some sort of difference. I went from making the minimum donation of $15 to several places, to now being more specific as to where I donate my money – but that’s another post. My point is that one person can make a difference and you don’t need to spend tons of money doing it.

    Awareness is one of the biggest hurdles faced in animal conservation. Today I am sharing three simple ways that you can raise awareness and help save animals for only a few dollars.

    Even though many of us pay our bills online, there are still times that we need to mail something the old-fashioned way. The next time you buy stamps, ask for the Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp. (cost is 55 cents)

    This is a first-class postage stamp and all proceeds over the current cost of a first-class stamp go directly to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support the Multinational Species Conservation Fund.

    For more information on what conservation funds are supported by this stamp visit the US Postal Service website.

    Do you love having a unique screen lock picture and wallpaper on your iPhone or iPad? Do you admire great animal photographers? If you said yes, then this next one is definitely for you.
    In November 2011, the San Diego Zoo released the officially licensed digital skins through the iTunes store. For only $1.99 you can purchase this app and have some beautiful wallpapers and images on your phone. The app also includes app frames and shelves.

    Here are some screen shots from my phone –

     

    This is a wonderful way to support the San Diego Zoo and show your love for animals – and I can promise the pictures will being a smile to your face too.

    Another great way to support animal conservation and raise awareness is to follow your favorite organization on Facebook and Twitter. By simply sharing a post or re-tweeting something you find interesting may catch the attention of someone and before you know it a domino effect is in place.

    A few of my favorites organizations that I personally support through membership or direct donations are listed in the right side column of the blog. Looking for some organizations to follow? Take a peek at the pages we support on Facebook or who we follow on twitter. Find your passion – whether it be wildlife, parks, or the oceans and start doing what you can to help.

  • It’s National Save the Frogs Day!

    Between habitat destruction, pesticides and pollution these little amphibians and fighting a tough battle. Frogs play an important role in the food chain and their numbers are declining at extremely rapid rates. Do your part to keep the waters clean and for heaven sake, do not support restaurants that serve frog legs!

    Find out more about what you can do to help at SavetheFrogs.com

    Photo taken at Aquarium of the Pacific.

  • San Diego Zoo Safari Park in pictures

    A few of my favorite pictures from our trip to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park earlier this month.

    I love the reflection in the water

    The view from Condor Ridge is breathtaking

    Just look at the wingspan!

    Staying cool in the shade

    Happiness is touching a gorillas hand

    Bats – Cute or creepy? I haven’t decided yet. 

    Under the watchful eye of Mom

    I think it’s nap time

    Sleeping cheetah

    This has got to be one of my favorite Dylan shots – Hamming it up for the camera.

    I must save the jeep so I can protect the animals!

    Sometimes pictures say more than words and these beautiful animals make wonderful subjects.
    The pictures may speak volumes, but the animals can’t speak and they need your help. Get involved with wildlife conservancy and help bring species back from the brink of extinction.

  • I planted a tree … My tree

    If you have children, then you probably know about the little seedling that comes home from school in 3rd grade in honor of Arbor Day. Well, 34 years ago I brought home one of those little seedlings and cared for it until it grew big enough to put in a real pot. Then my Dad transplanted it into a larger pot – a big wooden crate one if I remember correctly.  With a little water, sunlight, and love my tree continued to grow.

    My tree grew so big that when I was in the 8th grade it was time to transplant it again. This time we planted it in the earth – where it would grow and thrive.

    My tree has provided oxygen to the planet. A home for squirrels and birds. Shade for the plants growing beneath it. Even more than the wonderful things my tree did for the environment, my tree was something that I could watch grow year after year. My tree provided a great story for people who came to the house.

    My parents recently decided to sell their home. No reason to have a huge 5 bedroom house when all the kids have moved out, so they are downsizing. Aside from the memories of my childhood home, I can’t help but wonder, what will happen to my tree? Will the new owners keep the tree or will they, it hurts to even say it, cut it down? It’s way to big now to transplant.

    I cannot control what happens to my tree anymore, but I can start a new tree with the seedling my son brought home a few weeks ago. I can start making new memories. Start nurturing a new home for animals.

    If your child didn’t bring home a tree, that’s all right. Go to your local nursery or nature center and buy a seedling of your own. Nurture it, water it, and love it. Plant your seedling and watch it grow.

    Who knows, maybe one day your tree will grow to be as big as my tree – or maybe even bigger.

    This picture was taken from the street to show the size of the tree in comparison to the 2-story house.

    Tomorrow is Earth Day and I urge you to plant a tree.

  • Inspire. Support. Love.

    As a parent, I believe it is my job to help my son be the best he can be. To inspire him to follow his passions. To support him in his choices. To love him for having the drive and aspiration to learn more about the world around us.

    Meeting Zookeeper Rick – April 12, 2012

    We just spent three days in San Diego on a mini-vacation for Spring Break and aside from being exhausted from all the walking, I came to a realization. Not really a big surprise, but one that I know now I must support.

    My son has a deep love and compassion for animals. He thrives on learning more about them and sharing his knowledge with others.

    He respects the animals and their environments. Sometimes, to my embarrassment, he actually corrects tourists at the zoo.

    The other day there was a group of kids screaming inside the panda exhibit and he said, “Mom, can’t they read the signs? It says to be quiet in here.”

    He started to get really upset and proceeded to tell the kids to be quiet. During another instance, some people referred to the meerkats as prairie dogs – big mistake. Yep, he corrected them … while I looked the other way.

    This got me thinking. When did his love for animals start?

    (more…)

  • Wordless Wednesday – Zookeeper Ron

    The highlight of Dylan’s day at San Diego Zoo Safari Park was the 20 minute conversation he had with Zookeeper Ron about the condors and what it takes to become a zookeeper.

    His love of animals was so apparent yesterday and I truly believe he will do something amazing with animals when he grows up.

  • Halloween #Zootacular at the OC Zoo

    Did you know that animals like jack-o-lanterns as much as people do? Maybe even more since the animals’ pumpkins are filled with special treats.

    Wondering what I am talking about? Well, the Orange County Zoo is hosting the annual Halloween Zoo-tacular this Saturday, Oct. 29th.
    Dylan and I recently had the opportunity to preview Zoo-tacular and you can find out all the details in the article I wrote for OC Moms.

    Will you be attending Halloween Zoo-tacular this year?

  • Good-bye Summer, Until We Meet Again …

    I can’t believe summer is over and my little boy will be starting 3rd grade in just two days. Where did the time go?
    It seems like the older I get, the faster the years go by … and the more I wish I could freeze time. My cuddly little boy is growing up so fast.

    As I look at school pictures from the past 3 years, my mind is flooded with memories and my heart is filled with love. Through pictures like these, I can freeze time … at least in my mind.

    (more…)

  • Summer Vacation – Day 1 at @SanDiegoZoo

    A few weeks ago Dylan and I packed our bags for a fun-filled vacation in San Diego. The goal was to leave all computers and work at home and just have fun! Three parks in three days – World Famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World San Diego, and Legoland California – can we do it? Of course we can, we have annual passes to all three! Nothing was going to stand in our way.

    We left home early on a Tuesday morning and drove straight to the San Diego Zoo. Yes, we were just there last month, but this time we were on a mission … to see the baby tiger cubs!

    We walked right to the Lost Forest, but sadly, the tiger cubs were not out on exhibit this morning. However, there is always something to learn when you are at the San Diego Zoo!

    Did you know that you can find parts of the Rain Forest in your Cupboard? All of the products in this display come from some sort of plant found in the Amazon Rain Forest.

    From Tiger Trail, we headed to Hippo Trail and we got to watch the Momma and Baby Hippo play for about 20 minutes!

    We even managed to get his cute video of the Momma Hippo teaching the Baby a thing or two.

    Dylan loves the area by the Hippo exhibit. He always wants to climb in the tree and pose for pictures on the bronze hippo sculpture. I think I have about 20 pictures on this hippo (spanning over 6 years) Yes, I guess you can say we go to the zoo often … but it’s always worth it to see the look on Dylan’s face when he is near animals.

    Now off to the Discovery Outpost Children’s Zoo to see all sorts of cute and furry animals.

    Black Marmoset

    Playful Meerkats
    Scarlet Macaw Parrot
    Now as much as Dylan loves our next stop, I normally choose to wait outside … but he begged me to come inside the Insect House. The least I could do was take some pictures for him.
    And if this wasn’t enough to show how much I love my child, we headed over to the Reptile House next! However, this time I stayed on the outer edge and handed the camera over to Dylan. These are a few of the pictures he took.

    There was one little guy that I thought was kinda cool though … well, maybe not so little.

    Green Tree Frog

    Feeling a little hungry after the long drive and walking around the zoo for 3 hours we stopped at the Safari Kitchen for lunch. They have the best burgers! Not to mention some brightly colored neighbors.

    Dylan was so excited about staying in a hotel (it’s the little things you know) that we decided to drive over to the hotel and check-in, give our feet a rest, and maybe hit Sea World for some night time fireworks!

    But that’s for another post …

  • The Zoo … Again?

    What, you want to go to the San Diego Zoo again?

    But we were just there. Oh wait, that was 6 weeks ago.

    Yes, it must be time for another visit. Besides, this time was different because our friend Paul was coming down from Big Bear and going with us. Boy, if I had only known what I was in for with these two goofballs!

    Anything and everything from insulting Mom, to water-spitting fights, to jumping out and scary each other, to attempting to ‘read’ the map and get us around the zoo with the least amount of back tracking, while still seeing everything!

    So much for a relaxing day at the zoo … geesh!

    As usual, we started at the reptiles and insects. Only this time Dylan got to have a first hand look at a stick bug. Thankfully it was only a stick bug and not one of the many other creatures they could have pulled out like the Hissing Madagascar Cockroach or the giant Bird-eating Tarantula!

    Well, now that we’ve seen the creepy crawlies it’s time for a trek to see all the other animals. 

    Time to stop for some lunch at Dylan’s favorite spot high above the trees and monkeys. This is where the two decided to plan out our route … scary. Little did I know this was going to be a full 8 hour day walk through the zoo!

    Although Dylan doesn’t remember, these bronze gorilla sculptures were another one of his favorite places to stop and play when he was a toddler. This is where his love of animals all started.

    Now on to some other primates. Paul and Dylan seemed to enjoy these furry friends the most.

    Getting up close and personal. Male bonding at its best …

    This orangutan was hilarious. At the bottom of the glass was a piece of black rubber, like a piece of weather stripping or something. A small piece was missing and this big guy proceeded to pick up a leaf of some sort and start digging away.

    His hands and fingers were so human-like. Especially the way he used his fingernails (if that’s what you call them) to pick the piece of rubber out and break it off. After all this work, he put the rubber strip in his mouth and decided it didn’t taste too good.

    And what would a trip to the zoo be without Rhinos and Giraffes?

    My personal favorite … the reason I go to the San Diego Zoo … Koalas!

    Now, the last few times Dylan and I have gone to the zoo he has begged me to let him go on the bungee bounce contraptions they have recently added. Just another way to get you to spend money right? This area use to be a nice grass resting spot where Dylan would run around and play, but now it is where he wants to bungee … and this trip I let him! Thankfully Paul was there to help get him going higher and higher.

    Just as I stopped recording, Dylan actually did a back flip. The look on his face was priceless. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. I think it surprised him as much as it surprised us!

    We had a great day and made more memories of Dylan’s favorite place to spend the day. His home away from home with all of the animals that he loves so much … and his ‘rock’