Life with Dylan

Category: awareness

  • Endangered Species Monday – 5 ways you can help save them

    There was a time not to long ago when I asked myself “What can I do to help? How can one person help to save the endangered species?”

    The answer wasn’t difficult to find once I stopped looking at it as something that was impossible and started looking at it as something that could be accomplished.

    So rather than feature another endangered species this week, I decided to share some ways that you can help save endangered species. Little things you can do that will make a difference – things that will make an impact bigger than you ever imagined.

    1. Protect habitats. You can do this by following the rule of Leave No Trace when you go places. When you go for a walk, go to the beach, visit parks and nature preserves, heck any time you leave your home you should leave nothing but footprints. 
    2. Make room for urban wildlife. You can do this by building or buying a birdhouse for your yard or putting out a bird bath for the neighborhood birds. Plant a tree that will become shelter for an animal. 
    3. See the animals first hand. Visit zoos, parks, wildlife refuges, aquariums – anywhere you can see these animals and learn more about them. Learning about the animals and seeing what an important role each one plays is the first step to protecting them. 
    4. Get involved. Whether you join an organization and donate money or simply sign up to receive monthly newsletters and stay informed, getting involved with larger non-profit organizations will help and allow you to choose your level of involvement. 
    5. Talk about it. Yes, talk. Talk to your friends, family, coworkers – anyone who will listen to you. Tell them about the threatened or endangered species. Not just the sad stuff like the amount of rhinos and elephants being poached, but the good stuff too, like the success story of the California Condor. 
    What do you do to help protect and save endangered species?

  • Paper, plastic, or I have my own bag?

    For the longest time when you went to the grocery store your food was put in a brown paper bag. There was no other option. Then suddenly plastic bags became the hot new thing. They were lighter than paper and had handles that allowed you to carry four bags in each hand. Paper or plastic became the most asked question at many stores.

    I remember having some pretty heavy debates with friends and coworkers about the pros and cons of each. Paper killed trees, but was more easily biodegradable. Plastic stays around a lot longer and harms sea life, but doesn’t use as much fuel to produce as paper. (When looking at this scenario, you must also look at the emissions from the logging trucks and the size of the carbon footprint) Both have good points and bad points, but there is a better answer to the age-old question Paper or Plastic? Simply reply, “No thank you – I have my own bag.”
    This is what the inside of my trunk looks like. My motto is have bag will shop. 
    I have reusable bags of all sizes and if for some reason I forget to grab one out of the trunk I go without a bag. Smallest carbon footprint I can make when it comes to shopping.
    I recently asked the question paper, plastic or I have my own bag on twitter and Facebook and was quite surprised by the replies. More people than I thought answered that they bring their own bags, which I think is fabulous! However, the others almost all chose plastic. This disturbed me so asked them why. 
    I got answers like “I use them for gardening” or “We use them to take out the cat litter” … OK, reasonable answers. So then I asked have you ever thought of buying ecofriendly, biodegradable plastic bags for this instead? The answer opened up a whole new conversation. 
    Why would I buy plastic bags when the bags from the grocery store are already made from recycled plastic? 
    Well, being made from recycled plastic and being biodegradable are two different things. Just because something is made from recycled plastic does not necessarily mean that it will be recycled again. Remember the post about how the city recycles for you and you can just throw everything in the trash can? Believe me, it was an eye opener for me too when I read what was on my city’s website. 
    Bottom line is educate yourself and do what you can to reduce the pollution left behind from paper and plastic bags. You may not go completely green with your shopping bags like I have, but hopefully this post will get you thinking a little more about what you will say the next time you are asked paper or plastic? 

  • Endangered Species Monday – Northern White Rhino

    For some September means back-to-school and the hopes of a new fall wardrobe. For me, September means something a little different. It means a month filled with creating awareness and celebrating the beautiful rhino on World Rhino Day, September 22.

    This year marks the Third Annual World Rhino Day. In 2010 the WWF-South Africa announced World Rhino Day and the following year it became an international success with the joint effort of Lisa Jane Campbell of Chishawke Ranch in Zimbabwe and Rhishja Cota-Larson of Saving Rhinos is the United States. Encompassing both African and Asian rhino species, World Rhino Day both celebrates the beautiful rhino and educates people about the myths of rhino horn. Rhino horn is not medicine.

    Each Monday I will  be featuring a different endangered species and what better way to start this new weekly post series than with the rhino. Sadly, the Northern White Rhino is all but gone.

    Nola resting at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park – May 2012

    With only seven left in the world, two (Nola and Angilfu) at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, one (Nabire) at the Dvůr Králové Zoo, and four (Sudan, Suni, Najin, and Fatu) living at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya where they are protected from poachers, this subspecies is tragically coming to an end.

    Javan Rhino – Sumatran Rhino – Greater One-Horned Rhino – Black Rhino – White Rhino
    5 Rhino Species Forever


    For more information about World Rhino Day events in your area visit WorldRhinoDay.org and to get the latest news, information, and educational content about rhinos visit SavingRhinos.org

    Photo credit: World Rhino Day poster image is courtesy of Saving Rhinos LLC

  • The power of one

    A few of the feelings that go through my head on a daily basis … Encouraged. Motivated. Empowered. Helpless. Disappointed. Sad. On top of the world. The world on my shoulders. Strong. Wise. Teaching. Learning. Making a difference.

    It’s a lot I know, especially for me –  A simple girl just trying to save the world. 

    Some days I feel like nobody is listening and feel like banging my head against the wall. Some days I sit crying wondering if I could have done more. Then there are the days when I get that one email, that one comment on the blog, that one retweet – Behold the power of one. Those are the days that keep me going. Keep me fighting the good fight.

    I have always loved animals and wanted to help endangered species, but the day I knew it was more than just a love of animals, the day I I knew I was a conservationist was the day I saw a Blue Whale swimming freely in the ocean. Blue Whales are the largest animals to ever live on the earth.

    They are beyond majestic and their size is incomprehensible even when you see them in the ocean. One Blue Whale can weigh as much as 30 African elephants – that’s huge! Despite their size, Blue Whales are still critically endangered.

    From that day forward, I knew that my purpose in life was to be an advocate for the animals. To save the animals. To save their habitats.

    I have been told by many that one person can make a difference and I have seen the positive results of what one person can do. However, the power of one can be a very lonely place.

    I was discussing this with a friend the other night and they had some very encouraging words. Yes, the power of one can be a lonely place. Yes, it can be depressing and overwhelming. But for some reason we keep on doing what we do. It’s deeper than we understand sometimes. Those last few words resonated deep within my soul and reminded me that not everything is fully understood.

    I do not understand why someone would want to kill a rhino for its horn, or kill an elephant for its tusk, or kill a tiger for its fur and bones, or eat shark fin soup and frog legs. These are living creatures that are massacred and left to die a sometimes slow and painful death. Some people may not understand why I am fighting for a cause that seems so unattainable. A cause that is of global reach – well, that is OK. Sometimes not understanding is how we learn.

    So I will continue to be an advocate for the animals that have no voice. I will continue to fight for their habitats. I will continue to spread awareness – and when I reach that one person, the one person who says Aha, I get it now…

    That is when I will smile and remind myself how great the power of one is.

  • Simple SEO helped me create more awareness

    People blog for various reasons and we all want to share what we write with others. I blog to share my passion about the environment, wildlife, and conservation. As I have said before, conservation begins with awareness. The more people who are aware, the more people who will make a difference. I don’t get paid to blog, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want hundreds of people to see my blog.

    Social media – I love it.
    Facebook – an old friend.
    Twitter – it’s fun.
    SEO – a foreign language.

    I will be honest with you, SEO scared the heck out of me for a long time. Why? Because I didn’t understand it. Then my friend told me about a great e-book from Stef Calvert at Hearts and Laserbeams. An easy to download e-book that could help me increase the traffic on my blog.

    Again, I’m not getting paid anything for my blog. Increasing traffic and page views on my blog serves one purpose – creating more awareness.

    If I can make one person aware about an endangered animal or one person aware about the impacts of recycling on the environment, then I have done what I set out to do. That one person may share a post on Facebook or Twitter, which makes one more person aware.

    Some of the things in Easy S.E.O. for Bloggers I was already doing and some I was only doing part of. As I read through it I thought, ah-ha I knew there was something I was missing. Sometimes it’s as simple as using a hyphen instead of a comma. Other times it’s utilizing an option of my settings that I just skipped over – simply because I didn’t know what the option did.

    Sure, adding SEO to a blog post takes me a little more time, but isn’t it worth it? Since using the tools and tips from Easy S.E.O. for Bloggers, I have increased the pages views and overall traffic to my blog. What does this mean? It means that more people are reading my blog – more people are learning about conservation – more people are aware.

    So whatever your cause may be, I am sure you want more people to be aware of what your cause is. If you are not already using SEO, or even if you are and want to learn some simple ways to make it better, I recommend buying this e-book from Hearts and Laserbeams. You won’t be sorry.

  • It’s Global Tiger Day!

    Celebrate the beauty of the tiger, the strength of the tiger, and the innocence of the tiger.

    Take a moment to learn about the challenges tigers face and the conservation efforts being made to save them. Today is the day to spread the word and create awareness. 

    In honor of Global Tiger Day, I have a challenge for you. I will personally donate $1 for every new “like” Life with Dylan gets on Facebook today, with a maximum of a $250 donation, to the Tiger Trail Challenge at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.


    Are you up for my challenge? 

    It’s quite simple … Just “like” Life with Dylan on Facebook, share the challenge with your friends, and the tigers could get $250 toward their new home.

  • 6 Ways you can support Global Tiger Day

    This Sunday is Global Tiger Day – a day of celebration for one of the world’s most beautiful cats.
    A day created to raise awareness for the tigers and for people around the world to support the conservation efforts being made to save the tigers.

    Christopher, a Malayan tiger at the San Diego Zoo

    As I have said before, one person can make a difference. Here are a few ways that you can help support Global Tiger Day and raise awareness for the tigers.

    Most importantly, spread the word and create awareness!


    Share what you will doing to celebrate and support Global Tiger Day in the comments below. 



  • Why conservation is important to me

    Everyone has something they hold close to their heart. Something they are passionate about and that somehow connects with them on a personal level. As you have probably figured out, I am passionate about conservation and preserving what the earth has to offer for our future generations. 

    We recently lost an animal known as Lonesome George. He was the last of his species and now my family will never get to see this La Pinta Island giant tortoise. When my son and I read about this loss, we cried. Some may think crying over an animal you’ve never met is ridiculous. Others may think there are hundreds of other Galapagos tortoises – you see them at the zoo. These are the people that don’t get it. They don’t get the big picture and I would say that only a third of them ever will.

    I will probably live longer than the Northern White Rhino species. My sons children will probably never get a chance to see a Northern White Rhino. Why? Because these animals are hunted and killed … Just as the tigers and elephants are hunted and killed. When I read stories about this in the news, like the one I read today, it makes me sad and angry. I sit here racking my brain trying to figure out how I can help. These animals can’t talk. They can’t ask for help. So it is up to people like me, people who call themselves conservationist, to bring awareness to others about the plight of these animals and the importance of keeping them alive. Not just for our children and grandchildren to see, but for the survival of the animal world.

    When I see a picture of an endangered animal or one at the zoo or read a sign at the zoo that says only 39 left in the wild, I literally stop and catch my breath. These animals are so beautiful and I fear that too many people take them for granted.

    Don’t assume that because you can see an animal at a zoo today it will still be there in 20 years. Zoos educate us about the animals and let us see them up close, but the best way to ensure a species survival is for the species to thrive in the wild.

    Once you come face to face with an endangered animal, you will do whatever it takes to save them. I am proud to call myself a conservationist. I will continue to be an advocate for the environment and wildlife because one person can and does make a difference.

    Con·ser·va·tion·ist
    Noun: A person who advocates or acts for the protection and preservation of the environment and wildlife.

  • Why Yes, You Can Recycle That!

    Nothing gets under my skin more than people who don’t, or should I say won’t recycle. For one reason or another they say it is too much work. Now I will admit that I make more of an effort to recycle than the average person does, but once you start recycling it just becomes second nature.

    Common excuses I hear are:

    1. I don’t have time
    2. I don’t know what to recycle
    3. The city recycles for me

    Number 3 has got to be my favorite – let someone else do it.  

    Although you can buy a variety of containers for your recycling, they really are not necessary to do the job. Making your own bins to separate paper, plastic, cardboard, cans, bottles, newspapers, etc is quite simple. Rather than use plastic bags, that will just be thrown away, to collect your aluminum cans and plastic bottles try a reusable shopping bag. The handles make it easy to carry them down to your car and to the recycling center.

    I personally do not use paper or plastic bags, but when Dylan’s school stuff came home in a brown paper bag I reused it. The paper bag makes the perfect collecting spot for plastic containers, soup cans, and egg cartons that can be recycled. It only takes a few seconds to rinse out the containers and tear off the can labels.

    Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, cardboard boxes from food – just stack them up – no container needed.

    My recycling wall. 

    Now the city I live in does provide recycling trash cans, so this is where I put my stack of newspapers and other paper products. Cans, bottles, and plastic I take to the recycling center once a month. 

    OK, for those of you who answer with number 3 from above – the city recycles for me. Well, so does my city. However, if you read your cities web page you will probably find something along the lines of what my city’s web page says.

    In compliance with the State-mandated recycling goals, the City contracts with CR&R to transport all City-collected solid waste to a materials recovery facility (MRF) where the waste is sorted. The MRF is uniquely designed to separate and recover recyclable materials from unsorted (commingled) household waste. This process eliminates the need for additional containers and separate collection pick up normally associated with residential recycling programs. Even though residents are not required to separate their recyclable, you are encouraged to seal wet refuse in bags to prevent contamination of newsprint. (from the City of Newport Beach web page)

    As you can see, only the recyclable goods that have not been contaminated can actually be recycled. To save the newspaper, you are asked to seal your wet trash in a plastic bag. 
    Doesn’t using a plastic bag defeat the purpose of recycling?

    Now that I have you thinking about recycling, let’s go one step further. 
    Have you heard of TerraCycle? If not, you have now. TerraCycle is the answer to all things you didn’t think could be recycled. Personal care and beauty product packaging previously just thrown in a landfill can now be recycled through a TerraCycle brigade. So my shampoo bottles, lotion tubes, and makeup containers go in a bin instead of the trash can. Once I have enough to fill a box, I will send them to TerraCycle (free with their prepaid shipping label) and I can have the money donated to a charity of my choice or I can redeem points for products made from the recycled packaging. It’s a win-win situation. The same applies to my bin of GoGo squeeZ applesauce packages. 
    My recycling area is next to my trash can so it doesn’t take any extra effort. I go to the same area with trash and my recycling. The best thing is that I only take out my trash once every two weeks because 90% of what I use can be recycled. 
    Now that you now how easy it is to recycle, that recycling doesn’t cost you any money, and that YES, you can recycle that … I’m giving you a challenge.
    I challenge you to start recycling one new thing during the month of July. If it’s cans and plastic bottles great, but think outside the box and start recycling something that you don’t get money for. After all, the point of recycling isn’t just to get money … we recycle to reduce the impact of landfills on the environment. 
    Are you up for the challenge? What will you start recycling this month?

  • If I can make one person aware, then I have accomplished my goal

    When someone tells me I can’t do something, that what I am doing doesn’t matter in the big picture – well, that just makes me do it even more.

    People told me I was crazy to change my blog and stop doing the “blogger” thing. That nobody wanted to read about animals, conservation, the environment, or my beliefs toward these issues. I have been told that I am alienating my “friends”. Well, if these so called friends respected me and my beliefs, then they wouldn’t feel this way. Rather, they would support me.

    A little over a week ago, I tweeted this picture of Nola and Angalifu from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with the caption “This picture shows 1/4 of the world’s Northern White Rhino population. Warning it may shock you”

    Yes, you did the math correctly. There are only 7 Northern White Rhinos left living in the world. These animals are critically endangered and will be disappear in your lifetime if something is not done to stop the poachers.

    Between my tweet, the re-tweets, my posting on Facebook, and the Facebook shares – over 20,000 people saw this picture. In fact, someone just re-tweeted this yesterday so that number has increased.

    That my friends is called creating awareness and making a difference. 

    I entered a contest and created a board on Pinterest called Pin It For Tigers to show how beautiful these animals are and bring attention to the drastically declining numbers in the wild. I became an advocate for the tigers. Once my board was named as one of the finalist, I had 20 new followers of that board and several re-pins.

    That my friends is called creating awareness and making a difference.

    When my 8-year old son decided to raise money for the tigers at San Diego Zoo Safari Park in lieu of birthday presents and a party, his friends began asking him how they could help. Third graders wanted to know about the plight of the tigers – and you know that they went home and told their parents about what Dylan said in his class.

    That my friends is called creating awareness and making a difference.

    When I share pictures of new babies born at zoos and aquariums, they make people smile. Who doesn’t melt when they see a picture like this? These people will then want to visit the zoos and aquariums, which are mostly non-profit organizations, in turn helping to support the animals and the conservation efforts made for them.

    Photo courtesy of Terri Haines, Aquarium of the Pacific



    That my friends is called creating awareness and making a difference.

    No matter what your passion is …

    No matter what your cause is …

    Regardless of your age …

    Never.

    Ever.

    Underestimate the power you have to create awareness and make a difference in the world.