What's Your Resolution?

This New Year, my resolution is to increase awareness of the plight of elephants around the world.

What's yours?

Go make a difference!

(And happy new year!)

Oh, Baby!

Did you know that a cow (female elephant) is pregnant for 22 months, longer than any other land animal?

When born, the calf weighs over 220 pounds, and will suck it's trunk, just like we humans would suck our thumbs when young.

(Yes, that is a picture of me with my mom at the top when I was a baby!  Summer 2000 in Vermont!)  

Go make a difference!

Did You Know?

A woolly mammoth

A cave painting from Les Combarelles, France

A 12,000 year old spear thrower

Did you know that Asian elephants are more closely related to the extinct woolly mammoth than the African elephant? 

The woolly mammoth became extinct because of climate change and hunting by humans scientists believe.  

Sound familiar? 

Do we want what happened to the woolly mammoth to happen to our elephants?

Go make a difference!

Did You Know?

Did you know that elephants only sleep between 2 to 3 hours a day?  This is because they need to spend more time eating, due to their huge size. They can eat up to 330 pounds of vegetation a day!

This might put your holiday indulging in perspective!

Go make a difference!

Picture Of The Day

“Travel brings power and love back into your life.”

~Rumi

This amazing picture, taken by George Steinmetz of National Geographic, was captured in Kenya's Amboseli National Park.  

Looking back on 2012, where have you been?

Looking ahead to 2013, where are you headed?

Go make a difference!

Elephant Habitats

While you're in your cozy home this holiday season, it's important to remember that wild animals rely on us to protect their habitats, which are their homes.  

Did you know that elephant habitats look quite different?  Here are four examples:

Asian elephant

African bush elephant

African forest elephant

Indian elephant

Go make a difference!

"For A Living Planet"

This Christmas, my Aunt adopted an African elephant in my name!  Also, knowing how much I love elephants, my friends Nicole and Coco got me elephant pajamas!

When my Aunt donated to WWF, the money went to safeguarding land where elephants live.  WWF is the leading organization in wildlife conservation and endangered species around the world. It is an international, non-governmental organization, and they work in more than 100 countries.  

Thank you to my Aunt Allie and Merry Christmas to all!

Go make a difference!

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the Earth, to touch their harps of gold: "Peace on the Earth, good will to all!"

Go make a difference!

What's Your Wish?

"I would change the world so no one would need to steal stuff from stores.  I would change the world so that there are no more bullies in school and no one to kill Elephants for their tusks."

~My great friend, Emme 

2nd grade

This Christmas, what are you wishing for?

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Picture of the Day

"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine. "

~Thomas Jefferson 

This amazing photograph was taken by Chris Johns in Zambezi, Africa.

Go make a difference!

Picture Of The Day

"Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing." 


~John Donne

This spectacular picture was taken during a dust bath in Ithumba, Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, by Mia Collis in National Geographic.

Go make a difference!

Elephant Trunk Anatomy 101

An elephant's trunk serves many purposes.  Elephants use their trunks to unlock things, paint, pick things up, eat, drink, defend themselves, bathe, spray others, and much more!

Wouldn't we want to protect and save the earth's only animal with this magnificent long trunk?

Go make a difference! 

I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. ~WB Yeats

DId you know that elephants have five toes?  However, not every toe has a nail.  An African forest elephant and the Asian elephant both have five toenails on their front feet and four on their back feet.  African bush elephants have four or five toenails on their front feet and three on their back feet.

Did you know that an X-ray of an elephant's foot shows that it's bones are standing on tip-toe?  Their feet are flat because they have a large pad of gristle under each heel as a shock absorber, which helps them walk quietly. 

Did you know that elephants sleep standing up?  Elephants sleep while standing, so their legs are much straighter and support their weight better.  Also, walking is one of an elephant's daily activities, so their feet have adapted to make sure they can do that easily.  Most elephants in zoos have foot problems because they don't have an opportunity to walk a lot.  

Go make a difference!

One Shot Does A Lot

In the wrong hands, guns can do major harm in the most violent ways. Innocent children and defenseless endangered animals should be protected from harm, including gun violence.  Are we doing enough to protect them?

In the New York Times, Jeffrey Gettleman reported on September 3, 2012 that 11 Garamba National Park Rangers have been killed since 2008 and some of the rangers’ children have even been kidnapped over the issue of ivory.   Poachers are armed with "PKMs, AKs, G-3s, and FNs."

Go make a difference!