Life with Dylan

Category: conservation

  • How you can make a difference and have fun at the same time

    So often I hear people say that they don’t know how to help or they don’t have the time to do a big fundraiser.  They say the small amount they have to give wouldn’t make a difference, so why bother. Well, this is where I usually get on my soapbox and start talking about how one person can make a difference and that you don’t need to give thousands of dollars to help save endangered wildlife or the habitats they live in.

    My family is by no means wealthy. In fact, for many years we lived paycheck to paycheck – just barely getting by. However, I always managed to do something to make a difference, even if it was only recycling the cans and water bottles we used. It was better than them ending up in a landfill right? As I learned to stick to a budget, I was able to give more monetarily. Still not a lot, but something. It felt good to give and know that I was making a difference and helping to save an endangered animal. I taught these values to my son and as you may know, he has become quite the little philanthropist.

    Making a difference in the world can be fun too – Just get creative!

    Dylan currently has three different San Diego Zoo Global fundraisers going on and I was getting very confused with what money went where, so we grabbed some jars (re-purposed from our kitchen), some mailing labels and our Sharpie pens. Not only do the jars make it easier to keep the money separated, but they make us smile and look pretty darn cool on the counter!

    Cans for Critters is a recycling fundraiser that will help Dylan meet his conservation requirement for Cub Scouts. All the money he gets from recycling gets put in this jar for the critters.

    Animal Care Wish List is a monthly list of wishes from the keepers at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park for the animals. Sometimes it’s feeding the animals, buying special toys for animal enrichment, or helping the conservation projects around the world. This jar collects all of our spare change and pays for monthly items on the wish list.

    I Read for Wildlife is the latest and greatest fundraiser where Dylan has promised to read 1500 pages of fascinating animal facts in 100 days. Money from his sponsors or that he has raised gets put in this jar.

    Now that you see how easy (and fun) it can be to help endangered species, what will you do to make a difference? Will you start a fundraising jar?

    Remember, there is no time limit and no rule that says you need to raise thousands of dollars. Find something that you are passionate about and start saving your spare change. Coins add up quickly and many items on the Animal Care Wish List cost less than $10.

    EVERYONE can make a difference – YOU just need to pick a day to start – Why not TODAY?

  • Reading for Wildlife update – Saving animals one page at a time

    Well, tomorrow will be day 50 of Dylan’s adventure – The half way point to reaching his goal of reading 1500 pages in 100 days to raise money and awareness for wildlife.

    If you follow us on Instagram or on Facebook, then you have seen the pictures, video clips, and tidbits of his journey that we have documented.

    Dylan has finished two of his selected books and started his third book today. So far he has read a total of 750 pages – Right on schedule. He has been very good about reading at least 15 pages a day, or if he has a lot of homework, he makes up for days missed by reading more on the weekends.

    Dylan reads in bed …

    Dylan reads on the treadmill …
    So far Dylan has raised $290 from sponsors, but he still needs $210 to reach his goal of $500. 
    It only costs $5 to sponsor one day of reading – the price of a fancy cup of coffee. 
    If you can, and if you would like to help Dylan on his journey of Reading for Wildlife, please visit http://donate.sandiegozoo.org/goto/DylanFryer where you can sponsor him with your tax-deductible donation. 
    This is Dylan’s latest video from yesterday. You can see more video clips on the YouTube channel. 

  • Dylan’s essay on Conservation

    Dylan came home the other day with an essay that he wrote in class. The assignment was to write an essay on any topic and turn in the final draft on Friday. I was so proud when I read it and asked Dylan if I could post it on the blog. He asked if this meant he was published again – I said yes it does. I think that sealed the deal. This is Dylan’s essay.

    Conservation

    Conservation is very important. If nobody helped with conservation, then the world would end because people would hunt animals to extinction. The California condor went extinct in the wild in the 1900’s, but zoos worldwide bred all the California condors and released their babies into the wild. So now they’re back in the wild. That’s the power of conservation.

    Greater One-Horned Rhino – Photo by Dylan Fryer

    The tragedy in poaching history is poachers killing hundreds of rhinos for their horns. When they lose their horn, they bleed to death. That’s why conservationists cut part of the horn off so poachers won’t hunt them. For some rhinos it’s too late; like the Northern White rhino. There’s only 7 left in the world and they are too old to breed so they will go extinct, but for some rhinos it’s not too late. The most endangered rhino, except for the Northern White, is the Javan rhino. There are only 50 left in the wild. There are no Javan rhinos in captivity because they are so rare.

    Tigers are also very endangered. Poachers kill them for their fur bones, and teeth. Some people take tiger cubs from their mother to keep as pets. When people do that the tiger is traumatized. Usually the person goes in with the tiger and gets killed by the tiger. The only reason the person gets killed is because of the tiger’s instinct of hunting. They are wild animals. Many zoos have tigers and they breed them to keep the species going.

    So many people poach animals. From small rabbits to giant elephants, but the worst part about poaching is that if something tries to protect the animal, then it dies too. Sometimes people take the baby and keep as a pet. Orangutans and other apes are kept as pets. Sadly, poachers will never stop. That’s why conservationists protect them.

    Cinta our favorite Orangutan – Photo by Dylan Fryer

    Everyone, no matter how old or young you are you, can always be a conservationists. So please help conservation. You can give money to help. Help stop poaching.

    -Dylan Fryer

    These are all Dylan’s words. He wrote the essay at school, brought it home for proof reading, and then typed it on the computer for his final draft. I may be biased, in fact I know I am, but this is a pretty darn good essay. Especially for a 4th grader.

    Knowing that he could write about anything he wanted and chose to write about conservation shows just how much he cares about saving these animals and the habitats they live in. When Dylan reads his essay in class he will be creating awareness and spreading the word about conservation to all of his classmates.

    That’s called Making A Difference!

    You can read Dylan’s other published work over on our friend Rebecca’s blog – Remember Wildlife – where he wrote about the Giant Pandas.

  • Endangered Species Monday – Making a Difference with Social Media

    When most people think of social media, the first things that come to mind are Facebook and Twitter. However, there is another platform that is quickly creating a stir within social media circles – Google Plus

    I will be the first to admit that when Google Plus first came about I was skeptical. What was wrong with Facebook? All my friends were on Facebook so why switch to something new where I didn’t know anyone … makes sense right? Well, I created my profile and then really didn’t do much.

    Recently I have become very, how do I say this – bored? frustrated? over it? with Facebook.
    Sure I like seeing pictures of my friends kids, but Facebook seems to have become one big advertisement or sponsored post.

    I want to be informed. I want to interact with people that have the same interests as me. People from all over the world who have the same aspirations and concerns as I do about conservation. The answer – Google Plus communities. I can’t say enough about how wonderful these communities are. The interaction between people is so much more than what I have experienced on Facebook and the people seem genuinely concerned about the topics.

    My favorite community was started by +Rick Schwartz and it is all about conservation, endangered species, making a difference, and more. The community is called Conservation: It’s about Making A Difference and I can tell you that it is doing just that.

    Social media is so much more than a tweet of 140 characters or a status update on Facebook. Thanks to Google Plus I have found a new means of creating awareness and making a difference. I still love getting news through my twitter account and sharing stories there – I mean the power of a re-tweet is undeniable in making a difference for endangered animals.

    I’m not ready to leave Facebook completely, but I am definitely spending less time there and more time on Google Plus.

    If you’re on Google Plus you can find my profile here. Circle me and let’s connect.

  • Reading for Wildlife to help save endangered animals

    So last summer when my son was raising money for the tigers he did just about everything he could to raise money. He recycled, he helped clean out his grandparents garage, he washed cars, and of course gave up birthday presents in lieu of donations.

    So in November when he was asked by the San Diego Zoo to be a tester for a new program that would launched later this year he was more than happy to help. (Basically, he’s a human guinea pig to test the new program and help make improvements before it goes live.) He jumped at the chance -Anything for wildlife!

    Either way, he was so excited to be a part of this and personally,  I was honored that the San Diego Zoo asked him to be one of the 8 team members.

    The new program is I ______ for Wildlife. The idea is that you can pick any activity you want and raise money for endangered wildlife through donations made on your personal fundraising page.
    Since Dylan loves to read and learn everything he possibly can about animals, he will be reading for wildlife.

    Dylan has pledged to read 1500 pages of fascinating animal facts in 100 days.

    I have created an album on the Life with Dylan Facebook page to document his progress and will be posting some video clips there as well. Dylan has a goal of raising $500 and so far he has raised $175 – If you would like to help Dylan reach his goal, please visit his personal fundraising page http://donate.sandiegozoo.org/goto/DylanFryer Any size donation is appreciated and all donations are tax deductible.

    What wouldn’t this kid do for wildlife?
    He is truly an inspiration and his passion shines through in everything he does. Go Dylan go!

  • Endangered Species Monday – Let’s Save the Rhinos in 2013

    I could never choose just one animal. I mean really, let’s face it, if I could save all the endangered species I would. To say that one is more important than another is not right because they are all equally important and needed on this planet. However, sometimes one animal stands out among the rest. For me that animal was a rhino. A special connection was made the moment that I touched and fed the rhino brothers at the San Diego Zoo. I had looked into the eye of an endangered species and I would never be the same.

    In December I made a decision to make 2013 the year that I personally made a difference for the rhinos. After reading recent news articles, I have never been more sure of a decision.

    A record 668 rhinos were killed in South Africa in 2012 – that is a 50% increase over 2011. This figure astounds me. I shed a tear for each one of the rhinos lost when I read articles about the killings. We must put a stop to poaching and educate people about what rhino horn really is – keratin – the same thing as out hair and fingernails. Rhino horn is not medicine!

    Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I saw this headline on twitter the other day Poachers hack baby rhino with axe … Wait, was I reading this right? This couldn’t possibly be true. What good is killing a baby rhino? There is no horn to take from a 2 month old baby rhino – this is uncalled for and made me so angry. So angry and so sad that all I could do was cry. This poor defenseless rhino was being attacked because she got in the way of the poachers who were cutting off her mother’s horn.

    2013 is not getting off to a very good start for the rhinos. As of January 11th, the death toll is already up to eight and if this baby doesn’t survive it will be nine. I have no time to spare. The number one way for me to help the rhinos is to create awareness. I will also share stories, photographs and raise as much money as I possibly can. So far I have two ways of raising money for the rhinos …

    San Diego Zoo Safari Park Half Marathon – I will not be able to run the half marathon because I am volunteering to help with the race and with Cinco de Rhino that evening. However, I can still virtually run the race and raise money for the greater one-horned rhinos. Your tax-deductible donation on my fundraising page will help make a difference. $5 or $10 or $25 it doesn’t matter – every little bit helps.

    I have also written a letter addressed to President Zuma as part of the One More Generation letter writing campaign. (Our letters are #557 and #558 – letters are listed alphabetically so scroll down to Fryer) These letters are a way of creating worldwide awareness and bringing our pleas to stop the poaching to President Zuma himself. I would love it if you would write a letter too!

    Something has to change. This needs to be the year that wildlife poachers are stopped before it’s too late. There is not much left that we can do for the Northern White Rhinos and the Javan and Sumatran rhinos are not far behind. If the numbers keep climbing at 50% increases, then we will be that much closer to another animal facing extinction.

  • I ignited a spark and now I want more

    After almost a year of talking about conservation and writing about how we can all make a difference, I finally saw that spark in someone’s eye. You know, that spark you see when something you said or did made another person think hey, I can do this too.

    The best part about this story – the spark I saw was in a child’s eye.

    A few weeks before Christmas a friend of mine told me that her son Riley (5 yrs old) saw a World Wildlife Commercial about saving the tigers and that he wanted to help save them, but he didn’t want to have to touch them. When I heard this I knew what I had to do.

    I would adopt Riley a tiger from the San Diego Zoo and give it to him as a Christmas gift. This way he could help save the tigers.

    Riley was so excited when we gave him his tiger. We told him that his name was Christopher from the San Diego Zoo and by adopting Christopher he was helping to save the tigers.

    Now Riley has a very special friend named Bear. Bear has been with Riley since the day he was born. Bear goes everywhere with Riley and there was a day not too long ago that Riley thought he had lost Bear. His Dad captured this beautiful image filled with emotion and a child’s love for an animal. So you are probably thinking what does Bear have to do with the tiger? Well, I had to let you know just how special Bear was for you to understand how special it was when I found out that Christopher (tiger) was traveling alongside Bear.

    Not only was Christopher hanging out with Riley and Bear, but Riley was telling people about his Mommy’s friend who adopted the tiger for him so that he could help save the tigers. A 5 year old boy creating awareness about the plight of the tigers as a result of something I did … you bet I’m on cloud nine!

    Oh, and he sleeps with Riley too.

    I’ve said before that educating children will change the world and when a child starts telling his friends and family about saving the tigers, well that just makes me more confident that I am doing something right. Riley brought Christopher to school today for share day. This, this is what it’s all about.

    iPhone pictures from today

    When I shared the news about Riley and his newly adopted tiger with a friend of mine he said, “Be careful … That feeling, the one you got when you saw that spark ignite because of you, it’s addictive.”

    Man was he right – I love it and want more! Every time Riley’s parents post a new picture and I see Christopher right there with him I get that feeling all over again. Riley is making a difference for the tigers by telling his friends about his adopted tiger and I am so proud of him.

    This is what I want from life – I want to make a difference and inspire others to do the same.

    Thank you Desi and Tammy for providing the pictures.

  • Endangered Species Monday – Saving rhinos one letter at a time

    I am a firm believer that the fate of our planet is in the hands of our children. My generation is trying to right the wrongs of my parents generation, but there isn’t enough time to do it all. Today’s children have the power and the desire to save this world and change things for the better. The more issues about conservation, wildlife poaching, and global warming that make the news and social media outlets, the more children become aware of what must be done.

    Since my son decided to raise money for the tigers, in lieu of his birthday a few months ago, I have become more aware of other children making a difference too. Children are fearless and believe that they can take on anyone – even the President.

    I came across an article today while reading Mother Nature Network that touched me and I was shocked that I hadn’t heard about this before. After doing some further reading, I realized that the campaign started shortly after my son was raising money for the tigers. Maybe I was so caught up in tigers at the time that I didn’t notice the work Carter and Olivia Ries of One More Generation (OMG) were doing for the rhinos.

    This brother and sister duo have teamed up with SPOTS (Strategic Protection of Threatened Species) and set a goal to collect 1,000 letters and or drawings addressed to South African President Jacob Zuma. How inspirational is that? And what a great way to get people of all ages from all over the world involved in saving the rhinos from extinction. Carter and Olivia plan on personally delivering the letters to President Zuma when they visit South Africa in 2013. The idea is to show him and his staff how much we in America (and all over the world) care for these animals.

    Your letter can be as long or as short as you like. Maybe you want to draw a picture or send a photograph showing how beautiful rhinos are. If you can’t think of what to say, you can use one of the form letters on the One More Generation website.
    Instructions on where to send your letters are detailed in the post Dear President Zuma, or you can even email your letter to info@onemoregeneration.org

    Dylan and I will be writing two letters this week to help Carter and Olivia reach their goal of 1,000 letters and I ask you to do the same.

    Make it a Christmas gift to the rhinos – the gift of your time to write a letter could save hundreds if not thousands of rhinos. Everyone can make a difference.

  • Clouded Leopard cubs are the “purrfect” addition to the San Diego Zoo

    The San Diego Zoo received a special delivery this week all the way from the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere – two adorable 14-week-old clouded leopard cubs! The cubs made their debut in the Children’s Zoo Neonatal Assisted Care Unit and can be seen here daily for the next 30 days while in quarantine. The clouded leopard brothers are part of a very successful breeding program, which is helping to increase the population of this critically endangered animal.

    Clouded leopard cub Riki-san
    Photo taken on December 6, 2012, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo, ZSSD 2012 ©

    According to San Diego Zoo zookeepers, Thirteen-pound Riki-san is the larger of the two cats but also the more timed one. His coat pattern is darker and his rosettes are more pronounced.
    Haui-san weighs 11.5 pounds, is feisty and quite playful, enticing is bigger brother to wrestle and play a game of chase.

    Clouded leopard cub Haui-san
    Photo taken on December 6, 2012, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo, ZSSD 2012 ©

    Although we have not seen the clouded leopard cubs yet, I can guarantee that our first stop next week will be at the Children’s Zoo Neonatal Assisted Care Unit to welcome Riki-san and Haui-san. To find out more about the critically endangered clouded leopard, visit the zoos website.

    After the quarantine period, the two cubs will join the San Diego Zoo’s Backstage Pass animal ambassador program, but until then you can see them in the nursery. As you will see in this video provided by the San Diego Zoo, Riki-san and Haui-san seem very happy in their new home.

    Watch as they pounce, climb, and play with each other in the nursery. If this video doesn’t make you smile, then I don’t know what will.

    The San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy is dedicated to bringing endangered species back from the brink of extinction. The work of the Conservancy includes onsite wildlife conservation efforts at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, and international field programs in more than 35 countries. 

  • Endangered Species Monday – There is always hope

    Sometimes reading about endangered species can be difficult. Doing research to write about them is even more difficult. Oh, who am I kidding, it can be down right depressing. The word endangered “seriously at risk of extinction” alone breaks my heart. However, part of making a difference in this world is creating awareness; so I keep reading, I keep researching, and I keep writing.

    Every now and then I come across a success story or read about how a species, like the mountain gorilla is showing an upward climb in population. This my friends makes all the difference. Then there are the stories that bring me so much joy and hope that I can’t help but smile for hours.

    This is one of those stories.

    According to the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo, the rhino was born at Florida’s White Oak Conservation Center on October 30 and weighed 132 pounds. Born on an unusually cold night, the calf struggled – he was slow to start nursing and did not establish a strong bond with his mother. When White Oak staff saw he wasn’t thriving, they decided to hand rear him. BioPark animal care staff traveled with the rhino from Florida and moved the now 169-pound baby into a behind-the-scenes area at the Zoo on the evening of Nov. 14.

    The Southern White Rhino almost went extinct in the early 1900’s with numbers dwindling down to 100, but thanks to conservation efforts, captive breeding programs at accredited zoos and conservation centers, and reserves, the Southern White Rhino population has climbed to over 20,000 individuals today.

    The fight to end rhino poaching isn’t over and there are still five other rhino species who need saving (seven if you count the Borneo and Northern White), but seeing this little guy walk out of a crate reminds me that there is always hope when dealing with endangered species.