Heart of Green

Wild Conservation Expo

My favorite wild animal act is coming to town – and no, it is not a circus act. It is the annual Wildlife Conservation Expo featuring the top big animal trainers (read: conservationists) from all over the globe. 

 

What is your favorite endangered species – tigers, cheetahs, elephants, okapi, antelopes, snow leopards?  They are all here at the Wildlife Conservation Network Expo this weekend at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco on Saturday October 4 and then at the always-rocking Garden Party on Sunday at founder Charlie Knowles’ private home in the Los Altos Hills complete with live music and even livelier wild cat ambassadors.  www.wildlifeconservationnetwork.org

Swim Away Home

This weekend at Moss Beach in Northern California, 4 rehabilitated baby harbor seals and 2 young sea lions made their way back into the ocean, after being nursed back to health by the Marine Mammal Center.

The cage doors opened and the sea lion pups made a direct line for the waves. Poof, they were gone!  The baby harbor seals, on the other hand, were far more timid. “Where are we?” they seemed to wonder.  “What do we do now?”  The bewildered look on their faces upon re-entering the ocean was priceless. They continued to swim, play, and dive around Moss Beach for hours.  Luckily, there is an established harbor seal colony nearby that will teach these wide-eyed creatures the ropes.

The four seal beauties had satellite tags on their heads, which explained their funny-looking hats. Scientists will be able to track where the harbor seals travel for one year and make sure that they are ok.

I highly recommend a visit to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve near Half Moon Bay at low tide for some spectacular tide pooling.

Based on the vibrant health of this outgoing class, the Marine Mammal Center clearly does a wonderful job rehabilitating lost and injured seals, sea lions, and an occasional dolphin.  The staff feeds the rescued animals in a special way that does not domesticate them, thereby enabling them to rejoin wild ocean life. Based in the Marin Headlands in Sausalito with a new center, the organization has rescued and treated over 12,000 animals since 1975 and reached over 100,000 school children with their marine science education programs. I hope you will get to experience the magic of seeing a newly-healthy baby harbor seal swim away home to the sea.

Going Big for Species

It is time to go big for our local endangered species. Go Big Year to be exact, or go extinct. It turns out that the San Francisco Bay Area's Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is home to more endangered species than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Park combined. That is a lot of life that needs protecting!

Enter the GGNRA Endangered Species Big Year Competition launched this weekend by my friend Brent Plater, a biodiversity crusader in a suit. See all 33 endangered species in 2008 and win a big prize. There are 11 plants, 6 birds, 3 butterflies, 6 fish, 4 mammals, one frog, one snake and one crustacean (a shrimp).

The Brown Pelican is on the list, one of my favorite birds on the planet. So graceful, powerful, and mysterious. The Steller Sea Lion is pretty stellar, the Northern Spotted Owl is wisely cool, and the Mission Blue Butterfly is a beauty. See the full list of 33 species and help them recover.

Check off creatures on your list during one of the free group exploration trips or venture out on your own. Not content to be a species counter and voyeur? Take action too. There are 33 conservation actions available, one for every species, including habitat restoration, walking more in lieu of driving, switching to green cleaning products, and the always-fun weed pulling.

Want to go big for our local threatened plants and animals?  You can sign up for the contest here and also make a donation via Nature In The City in the name of Big Year. The rain has stopped for now. The California Red-Legged Frog is my first target. I'll race you to the trail.  www.ggnrabigyear.org

Wildlife Conservation Expo Weekend

Get ready for a wild weekend benefiting endangered species. The Wildlife Conservation Expo is coming to San Francisco October 5 - 7, 2007.

The Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) Presents:
Wildlife Conservation Expo Weekend

Gala Reception and Dinner
Friday, October 5
6:30 to 9:30 pm
Palace Hotel

An elegant and inspiring evening shared with all of the WCN-supported conservationists. Under the skylights of the Garden Court, you will dine with conservation heroes and special guests. Enjoy gourmet food inspired by the cultures of the world and an exciting evening of unique entertainment. You will be seated at a table for eight with one seat filled by a famous conservationist.

Wildlife Conservation Expo Day
Saturday, October 6
10 am to 6 pm
Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF
1675 Owens Street
San Francisco near AT&T Park

Featuring: A keynote address by Dr. Jane Goodall.
A fun public event with exciting presentations from 17 featured conservationists from all corners of the globe. Learn about cheetahs, elephants, orangutans, snow leopards, lions and more. This Expo normally takes place in Los Altos. Don't miss this opportunity to experience it in San Francisco!

Garden Party and Jam Session
Sunday, October 7
Noon to 9pm
Private home in Los Altos Hills

A casual yet exclusive afternoon filled with lively international music, colorful art, gourmet food and great conversation, all in a beautiful garden setting.

RSVP:
All proceeds benefit the charity Wildlife Conservation Network.
650-949-3533 or click here to RSVP

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NETWORK:
WCN is one of my favorite wild animal charities because of their unique diversified portfolio approach. Much like a venture capital fund, WCN supports a wide range of incredible conservationists around the world who are saving endangered species and preserving their natural habitats.
http://www.wildnet.org

WCN PARTNERS:
Cheetah Conservation Fund, Andean Cat Alliance, Cheetah Conservation Botswana, Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program, Painted Dog Conservation, Congo Biodiversity Initiative, Okapi Conservation Project, Proyecto Titi, Saiga Conservation Alliance, Snow Leopard Conservancy, Save The Elephants
Meet the conservationists and their animals
Meet the famous alumni of WCN

I have learned so much about saving animals in the corners of the world by attending WCN’s events – and have even had many up-close meetings with cheetahs and snow leopards thanks to WCN. I hope you can join us at the inspiring, fascinating, and fun Wildlife Conservation Expo Weekend this year.

p.s. Please also check out Amara Conservation in Africa, which helps the local people in Kenya become stewards of the environment through education, animal sanctuaries, anti-poaching patrols, and orphaned lion and leopard rehabilitation. What they say is true, almost all wildlife conservation is local!

Big Cats at Shambala

Where can you find 60 big cats blissed out in the desert?  The Shambala animal sanctuary founded and run by the vivacious Tippi Hedren, the famous star of the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds.

Since 1972, this unique 80-acre preserve on the edge of the Mojave Desert northeast of Los Angeles has provided a safe haven for endangered exotic big cats.

This week I was fortunate to visit this magical place and come face to face with Siberian and Bengal tigers, African lions and lionesses, mountain lions, leopards, bobcats, lynxes, and more.

The largest and most unusual cat was a liger named Patrick with a big personality and even bigger paws to match. Ligers are the offspring of a lion father and a tiger mother, and they speak both lion and tiger. Roar-fuff. An adorable and very hairy lion named Zeus greeted us, and even Boo the mysterious black leopard gave us a peekaboo nod.

The cats rescued by Tippi come from circuses, closed zoos, abusive owners, and drug lords. Each cat has an incredible story, heart-breaking in origin and heart-warming in the end. Most were born in captivity, bred by breeders for sale to unsuspecting owners who thought "wouldn’t it be fun to have a Bengal tiger kitten?" Fun that is until the kitten starts growing, and you suddenly have a wild tiger in your kitchen. Tippi even has the two cats rescued from Michael Jackson's compound. Tippi has authored legislation to attack these breeding problems at the source, and more is in the works.

Shambala provides a dignified life for these wild animals. I have to say that in my years of touring animal facilities, I have never seen big cats so happy and healthy. They were purring, rubbing up against Tippi, rolling over on their backs, and playing in the water and with each other. This is a testament to the care and love these animals receive from Tippi and the entire Shambala staff.

The Shambala Preserve relies on donations to the Roar Foundation to maintain its sanctuary. You can adopt your favorite big cat and then visit Shambala for an overnight stay in their high-end cabins. You can also attend one of their festive garden party celebrations - or go on safari to Kenya with Tippi for the ultimate wild-chic experience.  www.shambala.org

EVENT SF: World of Wildlife

You are invited to be wowed at the upcoming World of Wildlife (WOW) event hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Network, one of my favorite organizations that helps to save endangered animals around the globe.

World of Wildlife WOW Event

WHEN:
Thursday, May 3, 2007
6:30 pm Cocktail Reception
7:00 pm Wild Cat Ambassadors including a cheetah - you don’t want to miss this!
Followed by Remarks by Founder Charles Knowles

WHERE:
Dr. Richard Patel’s Historic Farmhouse
Bernal Heights, San Francisco
Directions to the event will be sent upon rsvp

RSVP Required:
To Eve Schaeffer
650-949-3533
Space is extremely limited

Wildlife Conservation Network:
WCN uses a highly effective venture capital type model to provide critical assistance to field-based wildlife conservation entrepreneurs. Among the endangered animals being helped by WCN are elephants, cheetahs, Andean cats, African wild dogs, Ethiopian wolves, saiga antelopes, cotton-top tamarins, and snow leopards. All magnificent creatures, all in need of the world’s attention to survive, all in the WCN portfolio of passionate conservationists. WCN is based in the Los Altos Hills:  www.wildnet.org

Wild Cat Ambassadors provided by the local Leopards Etc.

Where The Wild Cats Are

There is nothing like coming face to face with an exotic cat, especially one that doesn’t want to eat you. That’s the incredible experience Rob and Barbara Dicely of Leopards Etc. deliver every time.

I attended the annual Leopards Etc. Big Cat Party in Los Altos benefiting their nonprofit Wild Cat Education & Conservation Fund. I ended up adopting Mischa, the Siberian Lynx. Who could resist a Russian exotic cat named after the world’s greatest ballet dancer? Not me.

If you want to wow your company, school, or party guests, call on Leopards Etc. to bring their wild cat ambassadors and inspire the crowd. Leopards, cheetahs, and other magnificent friendly creatures from the animal kingdom.

Wild cat conservation is one of my great loves. Tigers, leopards, cheetahs, and more. I worry about these felines as their numbers dwindle. The good news is that there are star organizations dedicated to saving these magnificent beasts.

In cheetah and snow leopard country, protecting the locals’ livestock from a prowling cat is very important. A new livestock enclosure or a trained dog can do wonders. In tiger country, it is essential both to prosecute illegal poachers/dealers and to decrease demand for tiger parts in China. How about some viagra instead? That should work better.

Here are some of my favorite wild cat organizations. I can’t catch a poacher myself (although I’d sure like to try), but I can support these remarkable conservationists:

Leopards Etc: They increase public awareness of the plight of vanishing wildlife species on our planet. And they have some gorgeous cats.

Cheetah Conservation Fund led by Laurie Marker

Cheetah Conservation Botswana run by Rebecca Klein

Snow Leopard Conservancy led by Dr. Rodney Jackson

WildAid: They focus on eliminating the illegal wildlife trade and leveraging celebrities to quell exotic animal demand in Asia.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Pandas, tigers, and no wrestlers in sight

A shout out to my friend Sarah Granger at www.sairy.com who attended the party with me. She has 4 (or is it 5?) cats at home.

Cheetahs Gone Wild

When was the last time you came face to face with a live Cheetah?  Or a rare Snow Leopard? 

Me too, until this past weekend when I saw the Leopards Etc. conservation team and their magnificent wild cats. All mouths were hanging open in the room. I highly recommend trying to catch their next appearance in the San Francisco Bay Area for something fun, safe, and unique. Meow. I mean, roar.

There are Wild Cat Adventure programs coming up in Los Altos Hills and Sebastopol. Please check www.leopardsetc.om for the exotic schedule.

And the cost is only $10 per adult and $5 per child. Seriously, they could charge $100 per person. It is amazing and umm...slightly cheaper than a safari in Africa. I'll see you there in the front row.

During a recent visit to Leopards Etc. Ranch, I fell hard for their rare King Cheetah named Kgosi. I don't know who was purring louder, the cheetah or me. His cousin Kamau was cute too. Rob & Barbara Dicely dedicate their lives to taking care of the wild cats. It is a labor of love with the goal of helping to save endangered cheetahs and leopards worldwide. Those are some lucky cats!

Aid to the Wild

A shout out to my extraordinary friend Stephan Bogner who is now the executive director of the nonprofit Maddox Jolie Pitt Project in Cambodia. MJP was founded by Angelina Jolie to save the valuable environment of Samlaut. Stephan just landed on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle for his new sister relationship between Sequoia National Park and Cambodia’s 148,260-acre Samlaut park, home to endangered elephants, bears and wild cats.

I got to know Stephan when we hosted the WildAid Launch Party in San Francisco. Some WildAid party pictures here. The mission of WildAid is to decimate the illegal wildlife trade within our lifetimes!