Tuesday, December 28, 2010

EAT Wild Game Meat!

If the world's health experts formed a committee to seek out the perfect red meat, they would discover venison.

Free-range venison is some of the purest, most nutritious meat available. However, consumers are often unaware of the tremendous health benefits of free-range venison. The Axis deer and South Texas Antelope harvested by the Broken Arrow Ranch are naturally low in fat and calories – comparable to chicken breast. They are also excellent sources of protein and iron – comparable to beef.

Click here to visit their website!

Not all meat was created equal. 

There is a difference between Broken Arrow Ranch venison and other meat you can buy. 

Some distinctions Broken Arrow Ranch products offer you are:



  • Tastes great! 
  • Free-Range Not Farmed
  • Fully Government Inspected
  • Medication/Antibiotic Free
  • Humanely Harvested
  • Low Fat Content
  • Sustainable Resource
  • Full Money Back Guarantee
  • Broken Arrow Ranch venison is the only truly wild venison, which is harvested and processed under full inspection. These two factors - "truly wild" and "full inspection" - are differences we believe are important to you and worth more.
Free-Range Not Farmed

About 85% of the venison sold in America is imported from deer farms in New Zealand. Farmers there and elsewhere are raising red deer and fallow deer in huge numbers on intensively grazed pastures. Subsisting on a diet of almost exclusively grass, these deer produce venison which is of good quality but which chefs often describe as bland-tasting. The free-ranging deer and antelope harvested by Broken Arrow Ranch are truly wild and free-ranging, living on 1,000,000 combined acres in Texas. The wide variety of natural vegetation in their diet gives the meat a more complex flavor profile.

Chefs who should know tell us they can taste the difference. Chef Mark Miller, in his "Coyote Cafe Cookbook" says:

"Venison supplied by Broken Arrow Ranch does not have an unpleasant over-gamey flavor that many people associate with frozen venison or venison that has not been harvested properly. It has, instead, a satisfactory subtle flavor that includes tones of the wild herbs and bushes that the deer graze on in the open Southwest ranges."

We often describe the difference between our venison and farmed venison as the difference between free-range chickens and pen-raised chickens. We are not implying that farm raised venison is not a good product. We simply believe that our product is better. We think you will agree.

Medication Free

Our free ranging venison has another advantage that is important to today's consumer. Farmed deer are routinely given medication in the form of worming medicines and, when necessary, antibiotics to control disease problems associated with animal farming. Our free-ranging deer are able to maintain separation between small groups and avoid the potential spread of disease among their numbers. Medication is not needed and they have little, if any, exposure to medicated feed. This means the free-ranging venison you get from Broken Arrow Ranch is virtually free of any medicines and antibiotics.

Humanely Harvested

Reducing stress during slaughter is a major factor in controlling meat quality. An animal that senses a threat or unusual situation will react with an increased flow of adrenaline which in turn creates a rapid increase in lactic acid within the muscles. This acidic condition causes the meat to become tough, strongly flavored, and reduces the shelf life of the meat. Farmed deer are slaughtered by loading them into a trailer, taking them to a slaughter house, and running them through an apparatus where they are killed and processed. Even though these deer are domesticated and relatively tame, there is certainly some stress introduced during this process. Our field harvesting technique is to quietly search the ranch for deer and antelope and harvest the animal by a long-range, single shot to the head using a sound-suppressed rifle. The purpose of this unique technique is to ensure the animals are never under any stress and the resulting meat quality is the highest possible.

Extremely Low in Fat

The low fat content of venison is a major reason for consumer interest in venison. While all venison is relatively low in fat, it can vary based on the species, geographical location and season. Animals that evolved in colder climates (i.e. red deer, elk, fallow, and sika) develop a genetic tendency to acquire large quantities of fat to survive winter. Animals that evolved in tropical climates have no seasonal need to develop fat and remain extremely lean throughout the year. Broken Arrow Ranch harvests both cold and warm weather species. Located in Texas, however, we have the advantage of raising primarily tropical species and can harvest them throughout the year with almost no variance in fat content. Our venison from axis deer, blackbuck antelope, and South Texas antelope will almost always have less than 2% fat content. Compare that with other protein options available, especially other red meats. We believe this is a significant difference to nutrition-conscious consumers.

Sustainable Resource

We work with about 100 Texas ranches as an integral part of their animal population management programs. With few natural predators remaining, ranches can quickly become overpopulated with wild deer and antelope resulting in overgrazing and, eventually, starvation for the entire herd. Our field harvesting methods helps ranchers maintain naturally sustainable deer and antelope populations, which preserves the herd and land as a future resource.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

South Africa Rhino Poaching

  • South Africa: Bloody butchers - More rhino poached in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

    Conservation News

    Friday, 03 December 2010

    Rhino killers struck three times in the past week, twice in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and once in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. On Monday, field rangers found the de-horned carcases of two White Rhino in the iMfolozi section of the Park. They were lying close together and their horns had been brutally hacked off.

    This follows the discovery on Friday by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife field rangers of the de-horned carcase of a young adult male White Rhino in the southern area of the iSimangaliso Park Western Shores.

    A post-mortem examination established that the animal was probably shot about a week earlier. And in yet another incident, three suspected rhino poachers were confronted on Tuesday morning inside the Tembe Elephant Park near the Mozambique border.

    Challenged by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife field rangers, the suspects opened fire and one was wounded in the ensuing gun battle. He was given emergency medical treatment and taken to hospital in Kwangwanase (Manguzi). The two other suspects were arrested. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the SAPS Hawks and Organised Crime Units from Richards Bay and Pietermaritzburg are investigating the cases. The national rhino poaching figure is now 289 and the KZN figure is 27, with 25 rhino poaching suspects arrested in KZN to date.

    Despite the latest onslaught, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife CEO Dr Bandile Mkhize is confident the war against poachers can be won. He announced that 18 more field rangers were being deployed to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park from 1 December and that additional anti-poaching equipment has been issued.

    'We will fight the war against poaching in this province until we win. No retreat. No surrender,' said Mkhize.

    http://www.zululandobserver.co.za/


  • Over the past few years there are has been an incredible increase of poaching rhino in southern Africa. I remember when I heard Dr. Ian Player speak about his work with saving the white rhino in Natal.  He spoke about how the numbers slowly increased through years of building awareness and work on the ground. He was a pioneer in conservation, one of my heros... It breaks my heart to see this happening to area that was a world-wide conservation success story. Please help. Please contact the WILD Foundation and tell them you want to give to their South African anti-poaching efforts. We NEED to stop this NOW!

    WILD's website: http://www.wild.org/

    WILD's Secure Donation: https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1274&AID=445

    Thank you, Britt Hosmer Peterson

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Nature Needs Half TM

New data demands a new global conservation vision

Protecting and interconnecting at least half of the planet’s land and water is necessary to sustain the health, function, and diversity of all life.

The escalating global ecological crisis – characterized by loss of natural habitat and ecosystem services, increasing species extinctions, and rapid warming of the planet – has demonstrated that conservation efforts to date have not been sufficient to sustain life on earth. While this has been happening, our ecological knowledge has also increased dramatically, especially concerning how much land and water we must protect to support life on Earth. Many assessments over the last 20 years have typically determined that nature needs at least half of a given eco-region to be protected, and needs to be interconnected with other such areas, in order to maintain its full range of life-supporting, ecological and evolutionary processes, the long term survival of the species that live there, and to ensure the system’s resilience in the face of environmental change. Some ecosystems will require more than half.

Until now, the conservation community has been cautious in setting such significant, science-based targets for protecting nature. This cautiousness has been due in part to uncertainty regarding how much of an ecosystem must be protected to ensure its viability (on which there is now much clearer science) and in part to the fact that the conservation community has sought to provide estimates that policy makers would find politically acceptable enough to act upon.
Composite Image of the Earth at Night, by NOAA and NASA (2005)
Composite Image of the Earth at Night, NOAA & NASA (2005)
The conservation community and policy makers should now fearlessly embrace a global goal of protecting at least half of the planet’s lands and waters, region by region, in interconnected protected areas. We have a duty to speak frankly about the clear implications of the science. Failure to do so would be the ultimate disservice to people and planet alike. There is a compelling need for a new vision for how much of the planet can and should be protected. Simply put, Nature Needs Half™, and it is time to say so.

Nature Needs Half™ is a vitally necessary target – and also one that is already proving highly inspirational. Region by region, through collaboration, creativity, and inspiring others we can – and urgently need to — protect at least half of the planet!


09 March 2010 : The WILD Foundation - 717 Poplar Ave. Boulder, CO USA 80304 - Tel: (+1) 303-442-8811 - info@wild.org

Friday, November 5, 2010

Nonprofit website launch!

Britt Hosmer Peterson, LEED AP has been working the past five months to create a professional platform for a brand new nonprofit based in Boise, Idaho, the Idaho Natural Resource Foundation (INRF).  And the INRF is picking up momentum!  On November 3, 2010, INRF launched their website and online donation service.  There are many nonprofit environment-focused foundation in Idaho, but INRF is working on creating a unique conservation platform.  INRF was founded by independently owned and operated outdoor companies. These are the people who have dedicate their lives to provide opportunities for people to experience Idaho’s wild backcountry.  This passion for the outdoors lead to the creation of INRF to preserve our natural resources so that there will always be wild places for us to enjoy and interact with.
Our Mission:
The Idaho Natural Resource Foundation works to conserve our wild land, rivers, and wildlife for future generations to enjoy and interact with.
Our Vision:
We are active stewards of Idaho’s natural resources, so that future generations will enjoy these wild gifts as we do today. We create public understanding of people’s need for open spaces, vibrant rivers, and wild creatures. This understanding is used to ensure there is always a sustainable way for people to interact with wild Idaho.
Please take the time to review the new website: www.idahonaturalresource.org and follow them on Twitter: @IdahoNRF. 



Saturday, October 30, 2010

Fundraising Guru!

Rock Environmental welcomes a fundraising expert to the team!

Jane B. Ford, M.Ed., uses practical skills to help non-profits achieve their missions. She bases her consulting work on over 30 years of experience working with community and faith based non-profits.  At Rock, she will be using her talents working with international conservation and wilderness foundations.

Jane is also a published author, her book, Get Grants Now, offers a helpful perspective on seeking foundation and corporate grants to support the mission of non-profits.  Her experience and conversational writing style combine to make this book both a useful tool and an enjoyable read!

At Rock, Jane helps non-profit clients develop creative marketing and fundraising plans, concentrated research and funder prospecting, and preparing corporate and foundation grant proposals.  The two words that clients consistently use to describe Jane are practical and inspirational! 

Foundation & Conservation Consulting. Rock Environmental. info@rockenvironmental.com

Monday, October 4, 2010

EAT WILD - BLACK WALNUTS

I’ve spent many hours walking or boating along the rivers of Texas in search of tasty, wild foods. Even on a leisurely tubing trip, I keep my eyes peeled for that next ripe dewberry, the ubiquitous wild onion or the just-fallen pecan. But one of the most exciting wild edible producers I’ve floated under is the towering black walnut tree. Though more common in East Texas, the gourmand-cherished black walnut (Juglans nigra) also grows right here in Austin. We are also blessed with two other native edible walnuts—the Arizona walnut (Juglans major) and the little walnut (Juglans microcarpa)—but the black walnut bears the largest nuts.

A large, deciduous tree, the black walnut tends to have a straight and tall single trunk. Its leaves look a lot like pecan leaves—pinnately compound, which means several long, narrow leaflets extending off each side of a shared green midrib. The black walnut fruit is usually the size of a golf ball or larger, and is yellowish-green with black spots when ripe. 

Black walnuts typically ripen during September through November, and fall from the tree when they’re ready to eat, making them easy to gather when scattered on the ground. Once the nuts are collected, the real work begins. First, remove the green husks by stomping on them or smashing them with a board on a solid surface (be sure to wear gloves because the juices can stain). Once the green husks are removed, the walnut is revealed. Crack open the shell with a hammer to retrieve the nutmeat. Allowing the nuts to dry or “cure” for a few weeks before cracking may improve the flavor and will make it easier to pry the nutmeat from the shell. Once the nuts are cracked, pick out the nutmeat and eat it raw, roast it or use it like any other nut. In addition to containing high amounts of antioxidants and beneficial fats, the black walnut has more protein than any other nut.

The black walnut’s unique sharp and sour-sweet flavor can demand top dollar. It tastes nothing like the common English walnut; it’s much more aromatic and tastes like an expensive perfume. (Strange, yes, but the taste is hard to describe—author Samuel Thayer once likened it to really good paint.) Whether used in baking or sprinkled on ice cream, black walnuts are a free and plentiful delicacy for the adventurous forager. And for those less inclined to forage for wild food, there are several places to buy wild-harvested and commercially shelled black walnuts online or in retail stores.


Written by Amy Crowell



Black Walnut Cookies

Description

Remember, black walnuts don’t taste like English walnuts at all. These cookies are rich, buttery and full of the perfume-y black walnut flavor.

Ingredients

At a glance
Course/Dish
Cookies / Brownies / Bars
1 c. butter, softened
½ c. brown sugar
1/3 c. sugar
½ t. vanilla
1 egg
¾ t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
¾ t. baking soda
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. flour
1 c. chopped black
walnuts

Methods/steps

Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and egg together. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the wet, then mix until combined. Drop a heaping tablespoon full of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 10 minutes.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Thailand Death from Rhino Horn - HOAX


I had been hearing rumors about the man dying in Thailand after consuming poisoned rhino horn.  I looked around on the internet for an article.  Nothing seemed legit, but I did come across this article I've copied/pasted below.  I feel pretty amped up over this one... what is your opinion?  Feel free to leave a comment.  Thanks, Britt Hosmer Peterson

Tuesday, 24 August 2010 19:46
JOHANNESBURG - It’s a hoax; nobody has died after consuming poisoned rhino horn.
Endangered Wildlife Trust Rhino Security Network’s Faan Coetzee yesterday put to rest rumours suggesting that a Bangkok man had died after purchasing “purposely contaminated” rhino horn on the black market.
Coetzee He said the malicious information probably likely originated in South Africalocally, adding it is “unprofessional” to spread such untruths it.
“Such false information has the potential to harm South Africa’s reputation and the fight against poaching. We are dealing with highly organised criminals who won’t fall for this, let’s be honest,” Coetzee told The Citizen.
He said he had liaised with a contact in Thailand who confirmed the report was untrue adding Thai authorities were not on high alert for possible further poisonings.
Reports on the supposed incident suggest the contaminated horn to be from a private game farm in the North West province.
Ed Hern, owner of the Rhino and Lion Reserve in Krugersdorp made international world headlines recently with for his plan to lace his rhinos’ horns with cyanide.
Hern confirmed he had heard rumours there had been a of the death in Bangkok.
Hern added that following on legal advice, he had been persuaded not to use poison but to rather attempt to use a substance that would act as an irritant to the consumer.
“An irritant is now being tested, the substance will make the consumer ill rather than killing them,” he said.
Zulu Wildlife Forum’s Tim Condon commented on the rumour saying despite the ethical furore the poisoning of rhino horn could trigger, it was a “positive way to fight back to help save the rhino, no matter how illegal – after all, the poachers and the ‘rhino mafia’ and corrupt politicians or officials’ acts are also very much illegal.”
However, Coetzee said poisoning horn to tackle poaching was a highly illegal approach.
“It will be murder if you purposely poison horn and someone dies as a result. We don’t need to be criminals to solve this problem,” he said.
www.citizen.co.za 

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Wildlife and Land Management Services

Rock’s expertise saves clients time and money by helping to reduce land taxes and avoiding expensive encounters with the Appraisal Review Board. Rock’s biologists and ranch property and real estate investor specialists help guide clients through the process.  Rock is based in the Texas Hill Country, but are working with clients throughout the Americas and Africa.



Deer-tpwd.jpg

Services include:
• Personalized on-site visit
• Wildlife Management Plan - which includes...
   • Research of taxing entities requirements of tax status on property
   • Comprehensive, tailor-made five year land steward plan
   • Maps: aerial photographs, property boundaries, and soil surveys
   • Supporting documentation, copies of submitted Central Appraisal District forms, and reference material of the property’s management strategies.
   • Representation of client’s interests in ability to receive and maintain tax incentive
• South African educated biologist - specializing in what is considered "African exotics" here in the U.S.
• Over eight years of commercial and ranch property investment real estate brokerage and consultation

Also, Rock can easily updated an existing Wildlife Management Plan if the property acreage or legal ownership changes. 


Check out other Rock Environmental consulting services...

Friday, July 30, 2010

Alpine Ibex Project

$100,000 USD Financial Investment for 2006-2010



In August 2004, an epidemic of sarcopatic scabies, combined with a very cold and snowy winter, hit the Marmolada National Park Area, causing the alpine ibex population to decrease from about 500 to less than 150.

The goal of this project, which began in 2006 and is entirely financed by the Italian Chapter, is to protect and save the alpine ibex population in the Marmolada area. The project will study for the first time the genetic evolution and resistance to the disease, testing the theories of Guberti/Zamboni and Leung/Grenfell. The approximately $100,000 supplied by the chapter funds work performed by the provincia di Belluno, Corpo Forestale dello Stato, regione Friuli Venezia Giulia, Department of Animal Production, Epidemiology and Ecology of Torino University, and Department of Animal Science of Padova University. 

The researchers will get important indications on the seasonal migration and area occupation of the restocked ibex population. To save the population from disappearing, some ibex have been captured in Tarvisio National Park. They have been treated with anti-parasite medication, marked with ear tags, equipped with radio transmitter collars, and transported to Marmolada National Park, where they were released to restock the existing population.

This new, genetically recombined population will be studied by a scientific team on weekly basis for five years, concluding in 2010. In case of future homing/dispersion of some of the released ibex specimens, the same number will be captured again in Tarvisio National Park and again released in Marmolada National Park.

The regional game department will provide the ibex specimens, and the forestry department will dart the ibexes and transport them by helicopter from Tarvisio to Marmolada and will, under the supervision of Torino University, dart the same ibexes and their descendants annually to allow testing. The university will analyze the darted ibexes to study the evolution of the disease. Padova University researchers will radio-collar the released ibexes and will register weekly their movements and behaviors. At the end of the five-year project, the two universities will publish a scientific paper, in addition to their annual report, that will be exclusive property of the SCI Italian Chapter.

For their excellence in conservation achievement, the Italian Chapter received the 2007 SCIF Diamond Conservation Chapter Award. 


Thank you for your help and support!  Cheers, Britt Hosmer Peterson, LEED AP

Who is SCIF?

Since 2000, SCI Foundation (SCIF) has provided $47 million to conservation, wildlife education, and humanitarian programs around the world. Growth of SCIF has continued to gain momentum through charitable donations from SCI members and direct grants from local chapters and the SCI organization. A recent effort that just completed its fund-raising drive is the Hunter Legacy Fund which is a dedicated funding source for wildlife conservation . This endowment was created by one hundred individuals and corporations, dedicating a pledge of $100,000 to create a $10 million endowment to ensure conservation programs of SCIF will continue long into the future. A similar effort kicked off in 2008 to create an endowment for conservation education.
With recent expenditures exceeding $5 million annually, SCI Foundation has continued to promote science–based conservation through wildlife research, capacity building in governments, youth and teacher education, and humanitarian programs which show the importance of the hunting community in society. A project nearing completion, called the “White Book”, will showcase nearly 150 conservation projects where SCIF has made major contributions to the world of wildlife management.

This year, the Conservation Department facilitated nine African nations to sit down together and discuss conservation of the African lion, including the issue of human-lion conflict. SCIF continues to strengthen our emphasis on North American conservation, with major support for two predator-prey projects and involvement in several projects throughout the continent. Our Eurasian efforts feature a ground breaking field study of snow leopards in Siberia as well as significant contributions to the management of several species across that continent.
Nestled in the beautiful Bridger-Teton National Forest near Jackson, Wyoming, SCIF’s American Wildnerness Leadership School (AWLS) provides the perfect atmosphere for the accredited educational programs. Established in 1976 with the vision of providing educators with a useful hands-on experience that they can use in the classroom, AWLS has provided a credited wildlife management program more than 5,000 teachers who reach more than a million students annually, and fun, challenging experiences for 1273 high school students. The AWLS program has expanded to provide conservation education opportunities in 4 other locations in the United States. SCIF has also provided scholarships to nearly 100 college students who have enrolled in natural resource management or conservation education fields.
SCIF Humanitarian Services programs have also experienced significant growth in recent years. In the last 5 years, SCIF Sportsmen Against Hunger Program donated 1 million pounds of venison to those in need. SCI members delivered 500 full Safari Care Bags to needy villages and orphanages around the worldMore than 300 disabled hunters were given an assisted hunting experience through SCIF programs.
The International Wildlife Museum is dedicated to increasing knowledge of, and appreciation for, the diverse wildlife300of the world as well as explaining the role of wildlife management in conservation. Founded in 1988, the museum has over 400 kinds of insects, mammals and birds from all over the globe, provides visitors the opportunity to see animals up close, and to gain a better understanding of their size and adaptive characteristics. At the museum, visitors are also exposed to the role of hunting in wildlife management and the role SCI and SCIF play in promoting wildlife management. In 2008, nearly 70,000 visitors from all over the world (almost 40% of them children) experienced the exhibits and were exposed to SCI’s message.

These are just a few of the accomplishments of Safari Club International and Safari Club International Foundation Throughout the world, our approximately 190 chapters contribute time, talent and financial support to local, national, and international conservation projects. While economic times may be trying, the passion for conservation remains strong with SCI Foundation. Please join us in membership or partnership as we continue to ensure that wildlife remains abundant for future generations. SCI and SCIF have earned the coveted Charity Navigator 4-star rating, your contribution will be used in an effective manner.




Check them out: http://www.safariclubfoundation.org/ 

Monday, July 26, 2010

Joe Hosmer in Tajikistan

My Dad - Joe Hosmer - updates us on his travels to Tajikistan.  Working with the Tajik Academy of Science, biologists, translators, etc. to do a population survey of the Marco Polo (wild) Sheep in the mountains... enjoy the adventures!  This expedition has been funded by Safari Club International Foundation - "First for Wildlife". More to come!  Below is an e-mail from Dad...

Marco Polo Sheep


Greetings from Asia!
Left San Antonio Saturday afternoon and arrived today, Monday morning.  Long haul, directly surrounded by crying babies (all the way) which had a "bouquet" like they all ate some really bad Mexican food...
I will have Internet today and for awhile tomorrow while in beautiful downtown Dushanbe, then off to the Pamirs - AKA: The Roof Of The World.
The team is gathering as I write, although several important bags remain somewhere in Istanbul.
Right now, we will have 3 Toyota Land Cruisers loaded down with supplies and people to travel many hours into the mountains.  Once in the mountains we will probably break-up into smaller groups and head off in different directions.  The mode in the mountains will include Russian built Jeeps, by foot, and on horseback.  Our over simplified goal is to locate groups of Marco Polo ewes and lambs.  Record our observations and establish population counts for the Government.  We will be working and living between 13,500 ft up to 17,500 ft.  Of course this is subject to constant change.
Bill Moritz, Andrey Subottin, Raul Valdez, and I will probably represent SCIF on each of the Field teams.  SCI Video camera will accompany each team at one point or another.  Let's hope for the best!
I expect to share our unofficial insights with all of you at our Jackson Hole Conservation Committee meeting and Board meeting.
More later!
Joe Hosmer

Friday, July 16, 2010

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away, NOW!

The Atlantic Philanthropies, a well-known and much respected foundation, had its beginnings in the early 1980s when it was established with a gift from an anonymous donor. Eventually, it was discovered that the donor behind this foundation, which has made grants totaling more than $5 billion, is Chuck Feeney and that he gave virtually all of his money to the foundation. In fact, Mr. Feeney is so committed to his charitable pursuits that he owns neither a home nor a car!

More recently, the foundation has made an even bolder move. It plans to spend its entire endowment and close shop by 2020. Why this dramatic course of action? Because Mr. Feeney and the foundation believe in Giving While Living – the concept that major problems can be solved sooner and more easily if we make investments in solutions now.

But the foundation doesn’t want to stop there. They hope to inspire others to embrace this philosophy. To assist with that effort, they’ve published a report, Turning Passion Into Action: Giving While Living, that discusses the impact of giving in this way as well as tips for donors who are interested in putting this concept into practice. It even includes a slide show of several donors who embrace this philosophy.

What do you think? Is “Giving While Living” a good idea for the sector? Do you practice this concept?

Posted by Sandra Miniutti

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Fundraising with PayPal



Many people are aware of PayPal from its popular use as a payment system for eBay auctions. PayPal is a universally recognized Internet payment merchant with a solid reputation of being secure and easy to use. It is by far the largest of its kind, and is available in 103 countries/regions and used by more 100 million accountholders worldwide. But PayPal can be so much more.

Along with being a payment option for eBay online auction users, PayPal also offers a feature called PayPal Donations. PayPal Donations is a simple solution enabling nonprofit organizations to collect donations from their own Web sites or a link in their email newsletters. It is an ideal solution for nonprofits that don't have a full-time technology staff or sophisticated online fund-raising software. PayPal Donations is an easy to implement donation system that involves no upfront costs, and maintains detailed transaction records for your accounting.

The most common method of collecting PayPal donations is by setting up a donation button on your website. Include a paragraph with the button explaining this method and encourage visitors to click on the button to donate. Or you can create an entire page on your website discussing your organizations needs and encouraging visitors to donate via PayPal.

You can create several types of buttons to match your message. You can also create a series of buttons in incremental dollar amounts that your supporters can choose from. You can even set up ongoing monthly donations, called subscriptions, so your supporters can give a little each month, month after month.

PayPal takes all the headaches out of making sure your supporters enjoy a safe and secure donation experience. All contact and credit card information is entered on PayPal's secure website to eliminate any potential problems. After the donation is complete your supporters can be returned to a thank you page on your website if you choose. It's a quick, convenient and comfortable process.

Supporters can donate using a credit card from VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. Supporters need not have a PayPal account to donate but if they do they can also donate from their PayPal account or transfer from their bank account.

When you receive a donation, PayPal will send an e-mail letting you know the amount and who sent it. Your supporter will also receive an e-mail receipt which can act as proof of their donation for tax purposes. This is a fool-proof method of tracking donations. And PayPal maintains detailed transaction records on their website that you can access 24/7.

I'm betting you are waiting for the other shoe to drop. That shoe named Fees. Well, those aren't so bad either compared to a regular merchant account.

No application fees.
No setup fees.
No monthly fees.
No gateway fees.
No transaction fees.
No expensive card machines to buy.
No expensive software to buy.
Ok, so what do they charge? PayPal doesn't charge anything until you get a donation, then they charge per transaction based on your total monthly donations:

0.00 - $3,000.00 = 2.9% + $0.30
$3,000.01 - $10,000.00 = 2.5% + $0.30
$10,000.01 - $100,000.00 = 2.2% + $0.30
over $100,000.00 = 1.9% + $0.30
(all funds are in U.S dollars for business accounts with donations being made and accepted in the United States)
For example: If you received a donation of $100 then PayPal would retain $3.20 before crediting $96.80 to your account. Meanwhile, the donor would realize the full $100 for tax purposes.
($100 x .029%= $2.90 + $0.30= $3.20)

It's easy to get your money too. PayPal will transfer your funds to your bank account whenever you want for free.

PayPal eliminates the need for your nonprofit to spend thousands of dollars on technical things like secure Web certificates, credit card merchant accounts, online processing software, and credit card machines. Nor does PayPal charge any upfront fees or monthly fees. And it is extremely easy to implement with a simple and competitive fee schedule.

If your organization doesn't already have an established way to accept cash donations PayPal is my recommended method. Once you set things up you can receive money 24 hours a day from anyone with an email address. Don’t miss this opportunity to make fundraising for your cause easier with this turn-key donation solution.

Article Source:www.fundraising-newsletters.com

Start accepting donations now with a PayPal business account. ...shoot me an e-mail for info! Britt Hosmer Peterson - britt @ rockenvironmental .com

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Interview with Britt Hosmer Friedkin Conservation Fund US Representative

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Britt, How did you get involved in conservation work?

I grew up on the southern coast of Maine and started my work in South Africa in 2000 for a small, family owned and operated safari company. As my passion grew, my path in Africa took me from the tourism industry; wildlife capture, relocation, and monitoring assignments; nationally qualifying and registering as a certified Field Guide; working with communities on small business development projects in rural areas; and eventually to working as an international conservation and sustainability consultant for various non-profit foundations and corporations.

But more simply put, my love of wilderness set me on a path of experiences. I've also been so blessed to have wonderful mentors in the conservation field, from my family, Dr. Ian Player, Vance Martin, and others.

Tell us about the Friedkin Conservation fund and the goals.

The Friedkin Conservation Fund (FCF) is a registered (US and Tanzanian) non-profit, non-governmental organization incorporated in 1994 (Certificate of Registration SO.NO.9807). Their role is to assist the Tanzanian Government with the conservation and preservation of more than nine million acres of Tanzania's protected areas. They achieve this through our internationally recognized anti-poaching initiative, their innovative community development program and their field research projects. Based out of Arusha, northern Tanzania, they operate in five Game Reserves, two Open Areas, three Forest Reserves and one Game Controlled Area.

Our mission is to:

Provide proactive assistance to the Government and the people of Tanzania with their efforts to conserve and preserve their Protected Area network
Engage rural communities in the conservation of their natural heritage and empower them to alleviate some of the conditions in their lives that contribute to poverty
Monitor, research and facilitate developments in sustainable utilization of natural resources.

What are the successes of the organization?
Focusing on the anti-poaching arm of FCF...

During 2005 and 2006 our teams were responsible for the arrests of some 3,884 poachers. Their seizures included 209 illegal firearms, 15 elephant tusks and nearly 16,000 planks of illegally logged hardwood. 2007 ended on a very high note. The anti-poaching teams finished the year with a total of 2,131 arrests and 91 confiscated firearms.

FCF was recognized as the APHA's ‘Ox of the Okavango' for 2007 - an award presented to the conservation organization of the year as decided upon by the members and board of the APHA.

FCF's training and work in the field has been filmed and broadcast by ESPN and the Animal Planet Channel.

How many poachers were arrested before FCF came about?
Zero

What is the current poaching situation in Tanzania?

Poaching levels in Tanzania are significant. Bushmeat, hard wood timber and ivory poaching are very predominate. Organized and subsistence poaching affect all nine million acres of FCF concession areas. CITES decision to not downgrade the elephant's status in Tanzania is a key indicator of the level of severity of poaching levels in Tanzania and how seriously everyone needs to continue the anti-poaching initiatives! In the areas which FCF is responsible for, in excess of 2,000 arrests are made per year. How much more can be done with additional resources?

Every year FCF needs to replace tents, sleeping bags, and other supplies used by our staff in the field. Vehicle expenses are always high, considering the rough country FCF patrols and works in on a daily basis. Microlights operational costs take up a large portion of our budget. Thankfully, FCF has just received a major commitment from Safari Club International to help purchase a new mircolight and aid in the maintenance cost for five years! FCF is committed to providing higher salaries to their rangers and continuous additional training that encourages field personnel to perform to a higher standard.

I also want to note, something very rare in the non-profit world, that 100% of donations goes to the projects on the ground. All overhead and salaries are covered separately from a private donor.

Here is an example of the costs associated with one team (15-20 people) of FCF's private rangers for one year.

Expense One Year, One Team
Salaries $7,500.00
Rations $5,925.00
Uniforms $700.00
Game Scouts $2,030.00
Advancement Training $1,500.00
Performance Bonus $1,540.00
Contingency $2,000.00
Vehicle Fuel & Maintenance $22,000.00
TOTAL $43,195.00

I understand that FCF is more then just an Anti-Poaching Crusade, Tell us a little bit about the community development work that is also going on in Tanzania?

For FCF, it is not enough to conserve only wildlife. Conservation must include entire ecosystems and the human communities that live in and around these ecosystems. The Community Development Sector has been established to meet FCF's mission to practice inclusive, people-oriented conservation.

Vision:

For communities in and around our concessions to attain and appreciate benefits through sustainable use of their natural resources.


FCF projects, designed in close collaboration with villages, district officials and the Wildlife Division emphasize the importance of conservation achieved simultaneously with sustainable development. Two field officers, together with anti-poaching team commanders and concession managers, work on the ground with representatives of eleven districts and over one hundred villages. This daily, personal interaction provides groundwork for solidly designed community-owned projects that improve the quality of living around Tanzania's protected areas and highlight the benefits of conservation. I understand FCF has had various equipment sponsors and funding from private sources as well as SCI, Can you tell us a little bit about these sponsors?

Equipment Sponsorship- FCF has been fortunate to receive donations from organizations such as SureFire, ColdSteel, Leopold optics, etc. High quality equipment is very difficult to obtain in Tanzania and these generous donations go a long way in increasing FCF's effectiveness on the ground. It is a good two-way relationship as these companies get to have their products thoroughly tested in the extreme field conditions that anti-poaching operations provide and FCF gets the top quality equipment for their rangers.

Financial Sponsorship- this continues to be an important component for FCF allowing them to go that extra mile on the ground. Most of these sponsorships are targeted at the community development and include student school sponsorships tree nursery initiatives, renewable energy services in clinics, water well construction, etc. These donations come from private individuals as well as from generous organizations such as the Mzuri Wildlife Foundation, Safari Club International and Dallas Safari Club.

FCF is so grateful for the continued assistance from these various sources - it all makes a huge difference! Asante sana - thank you very much! FCF is also eager to collaborate with other organizations on conservation-related issues. Please contact us if you feel our organizations can benefit from each other on such matters!

U.S. Contact Information
Britt Hosmer - FCF US Representative
britt@rockenvironmental.com

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON

Visit the Hunting Life Blog - http://www.huntinglife.com/blog/detail/interview-with-britt-hosmer-friedkin-conservation-fund-us-representative

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

At the Ranch - Kessler Canyon Newsletter

Recycle Man...Where are you?

As the days get longer and flowers start to bloom here at the ranch, a chance to get things cleaned up presents a wonderful opportunity for us all to re-use and recycle some of the items that have been stored away for the winter.
Up at the Jeep Barns it seems as if we have a surplus of old Car Batteries, Solar Batteries, Tires and Motor Oil.
What to do, what to do, what to do? These things can seri-ously hurt the environment!!
I’m thinking that the only person at the ranch that can
handle such a problem like this is…..
RECYCLE MAN!!!!!
With hands strong enough to crush a used car and vision that can spot a candy wrapper from outer space, Recycle Man as come to our rescue!.
With just a bit of research from his massive computer bank located deep beneath the Grand Mesa, Recycle Man has found some local venders that will help out the ranch.
To better serve our neighbors and townsman that might want to recycle there items as well,

Recycle Man has giving us all this list of places to go in Grand Junction to save the environment.

Recycle Man...Where are you?
Cont. from front page..
Rising up early in the morning Lamar, tiller in tow ,shows up at the Growing Place ready for a long, hot day. Having already re-moved the sod weeks before, the ground was begging for a final till-ing and rows hoed.
Setting out Rodeo style, Lenny and Lamar and Annie worked in the dirt and dust and muck till our hands where blistered and our
necks where sun burnt red. Nothing seems more rewarding than pouring a pile of dirt out of your shoes at the end of a long day.
Life here at The Grow-ing Place is wonderful. All signs are pointing to a great season with lots of fresh vegetables for our guests.
We’ll be looking for weed pullers and porch sitters to help watch the garden grow. If interested...give us call.


Tires:
TDS Tires
410 North Ave
Grand Junction, CO
970-242-3021
Cost you pay for tire drop-off is $3.00 a tire.
Batteries:
Hensley Battery
and Electronics
459 28 1/2 Road
Grand Junction, CO
970-243-6323
Cost is free for drop-off, plus you get a core credit for future battery purchase.
Motor Oil:
Safety-Kleen
368 Bonny St.
Grand Junction, CO
970-241-1343
Depending on how much used oil you have, they will come to your shop and pump it out for free. A small charge might be billed if only a few gallons are pumped or taken.


Row-Row-Row the Garden.

Sunday the 9th was a very big day for all the Mothers in our life, In-cluding….
“Mother Nature”.
For on this Mothers Day we here at Kessler Can-yon have planted the first seeds of the year.
Potato Seeds and Rad-ishes to be exact. Rising up early in the morning Lamar, tiller in tow ,shows up at the Growing Place ready for a long, hot day. Having already re-moved the sod weeks before, the ground was begging for a final till-ing and rows hoed.
Setting out Rodeo style, Lenny and Lamar and Annie worked in the dirt and dust and muck till our hands where blistered and our
necks where sun burnt red. Nothing seems more rewarding than pouring a pile of dirt out of your shoes at the end of a long day.
Life here at The Grow-ing Place is wonderful. All signs are pointing to a great season with lots of fresh vegetables for our guests.
We’ll be looking for weed pullers and porch sitters to help watch the garden grow. If interested...give us call.

…... and BEARS!!! Oh, MY!!!

Around Six O'clock PM on Monday May, 3rd the Cook was heading out to the Pavilion and Smoker to check on things and make sure them there ta-bles where well covered.
Coming ‘round back of the smoker to see how much wood was there he looked across Brush Creek to see the largest Bear he’d EVER seen.
Dark Brown in color this Bear was most likely a Black Bear but the size of it was more towards the Grizzly type.
Gianormous!!!
Perhaps no other animals have so excited the human imagination as bears. References to bears are found in ancient and mod-ern literature, folk songs, legends, my-thology, children stories, and car-toons.
Bears are among the first animals that children learn to recognize. Bear folklore is confus-ing because it is based on carica-tures, with Teddy Bears and the kindly Smoky on one hand and
ferocious magazine cover drawings on the other.
Dominant themes of our folklore are fear of the unknown and man against nature, and bears have tra-ditionally been por-trayed as the vil-lains to support those themes, un-fairly demonizing them to the public.
A problem for black bears is that litera-ture about bears often does not separate black bears from grizzly bears.

Newsletter made with love by: Lenny McNab

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Rock trip to Colorado

May 3-7, 2010

Great trip to Colorado. Spent the day at the WILD Foundation office in Boulder, CO. Wonderful discussions with Vance Martin and Harvey Locke. Collaborating with them about the what and how Rock can be involved with current and future projects. They are currently developing several projects for their global mission of "Nature Need Half". ...stay tuned for more to come!



For more information of the WILD Foundation please visit their website - www.wild.org

Nature Needs HalfTM

Protecting and interconnecting at least half of the planet’s land and water is necessary to sustain the health, function, and diversity of all life.

New data demands a new global conservation vision.

The escalating global ecological crisis – characterized by loss of natural habitat and ecosystem services, increasing species extinctions, and rapid warming of the planet – has demonstrated that conservation efforts to date have not been sufficient to sustain life on earth. While this has been happening, our ecological knowledge has also increased dramatically, especially concerning how much land and water we must protect to support life on Earth. Many assessments over the last 20 years have typically determined that nature needs at least half of a given eco-region to be protected, and needs to be interconnected with other such areas, in order to maintain its full range of life-supporting, ecological and evolutionary processes, the long term survival of the species that live there, and to ensure the system’s resilience in the face of environmental change. Some ecosystems will require more than half.i

Until now, the conservation community has been cautious in setting such significant, science-based targets for protecting nature. This cautiousness has been due in part to uncertainty regarding how much of an ecosystem must be protected to ensure its viability (on which there is now much clearer science) and in part to the fact that the conservation community has sought to provide estimates that policy makers would find politically acceptable enough to act upon.
The conservation community and policy makers should now fearlessly embrace a global goal of protecting at least half of the planet’s lands and waters, region by region, in interconnected protected areas. We have a duty to speak frankly about the clear implications of the science. Failure to do so would be the ultimate disservice to people and planet alike. There is a compelling need for a new vision for how much of the planet can and should be protected. Simply put, Nature Needs Half, and it is time to say so.

Why now?

The magnitude of the global ecological crisis we face today – and the availability of better and more accurate ecological information -- demands that conservationists provide a clear and accurate global conservation target that will realistically keep our planet viable.
Advancing the idea that Nature Needs Half is particularly timely as 2010 has been declared the International Year of Biodiversity, and because the global conservation community will gather in Nagoya, Japan this fall to set new global conservation targets under the auspices of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. This idea is already affecting IUCN’s deliberations for that process.
What do we mean by protect and how much is already protected?
We use the term “protected areas” as defined by IUCN WCPA’s 2008 guidelines which means areas formally dedicated to the protection of nature.ii Connectivity between protected areas can be provided by a variety of conservation mechanisms that will vary according to local conditions and the needs of particular species. The idea is to ensure that entire systems function properly.

The UN reports that only about 14% of the planet’s terrestrial area is currently protected (though it is also true that many existing protected areas lack sufficient funding to be adequately managed) . But this statistic does not include Antarctica (10% of the planet’s land) which is very wild, nor does it include large areas under indigenous conservation management, and many privately protected areas. As a result, the current percentage of the earth under formal protection is likely significantly higher than 14% though the amount protected is clearly less than is necessary.

The good news is that the amount of the planet protected is not the same as the amount that is still largely intact, which is substantially greater. A 2003 study by Conservation International indicated that 39-44% of the planet remained mostly wild, with very low human population densities. The challenge is to formally protect these areas and to restore others.
How do we achieve the goal?

Reaching an at least half goal is ambitious but achievable. The short term milestone for the progress of this vision is to move urgently to protect at least half of the planet’s remaining large, mostly intact wilderness areas (for example Boreal Forests, the Amazon Basin, and formally protecting Antarctica), while achieving incremental gains by quickly protecting surviving remnants in fragmented areas of very high biological importance – for example in the Biodiversity Hotspots, Key Biodiversity Areas and Alliance for Zero Extinction sites. This rapid action is essential to respond to the global warming and extinction crises. The goal of achieving the target in every region will be more aspirational, requiring long term strategies with restoration efforts, and with many national/regional milestones along the way.

The goal has already been largely achieved in many parts of the world. Boulder County, Colorado, USA, the home of The WILD Foundation, is 67% protected. The Canadian Boreal Framework (signed onto by many varied interests) calls for the protection of at least half of Canada’s Boreal Forest in an interconnected manner, and both Quebec and Ontario have made public commitments towards at least half of their vast northern regions. Over half of British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Islands (Canada) have been protected through the combined action of governments and the Haida people. Countries such as Bhutan and Venezuela have set ambitious conservation targets; 51% of Bhutan is currently protected and 46% of Venezuela is currently protected. The Dominican Republic, a very small nation with a dense and growing population and one of the lowest per capita incomes in the western hemisphere has 67 protected areas covering 32% of the county’s land.

Nature Needs Half

Nature Needs Half is a vitally necessary target – and also one that is already proving highly inspirational. Region by region, through collaboration, creativity, and inspiring others we can - and urgently need to -- protect at least half of the planet!

i
Schmiegelow, F.K.A, S.G. Cumming, S. Harrison, S. Leroux, K. Lugo, R. Noss and B. Olson, 2006 “Conservation
Beyond Crisis Management: A Conservation Matrix Model” Beacons Discussion Paper No. 1, University of Alberta,
Edmonton (ed—one example of the numerous, existing papers)

ii
Protected areas are specific areas under any effective governance mechanism (government, tribal, community, corporate or individually owned, etc.) which are dedicated to nature protection as the overriding management objective and are protected for the long-term (see IUCN, 2008, Guidelines for Protected Areas)