Alicia's love of elephants

Arguably my first love

I have always loved elephants. Always. When my sister liked Disney Princesses, I liked Dumbo. I watch the movie now and find it incredibly depressing, so I have to think it was  that lovable face and floppy ears that drew me in.  I know the story must have registered with me on some level, but there's a lot of "strange" happening in that movie.  And, well,  I've been known to fast forward through depressing moments. It's safe to say that Dumbo in Mom's trunk through the bars is probably the event that started that quirk.  I'm welling up just thinking about it.  Either way, it's clear that my developing brain was sucked in to all things elephant.  Whether I have Walt Disney to thank or the species itself, I was hooked from an early age.

The Hindu God, Ganesha

My favorite toy from childhood was a yellow stuffed elephant that played Brahm's Lullaby.  I have it to this day even if she's a little worse for wear.  I also have countless Dumbo figurines and stuffed animals. He was always by my side growing up, and one of the only things that stopped my epic tantrums.  I have earrings, necklaces and bracelets.  I have stationary and Christmas ornaments.  There's just something about them that I find amazing.

Whenever something speaks strongly to me, I'm always drawn to the symbolic meaning behind it. Perhaps it was being raised by a therapist or growing up with a sister fascinated by Greek Mythology,  Something rubbed off, and now I am fascinated by symbology and meaning.  According to what's-your-sign.com, the reason why I find elephants so attractive is very apropos.  The symbology "deals primarily with strength, honor, stability and patience." All attributes I have, or yearn for.  And then there's the Hindu god Ganesha.  He removes the obstacles that stand in your path, bestows luck and guarantees success and blessings.   Honestly, who wouldn't want to have this guy in your corner?

Nicholas at PAWS' ARK2000 Sanctuary

Every time I look into the eye of an elephant, I feel that they see the world differently than we do.  I was glued to the screen during the 60 Minutes segment about the extraordinary American scientist named Andrea Turkalo.  She has devoted her life to observing a group of wild African elephants.  Through her tireless devotion, she has begun to compile a list of their complex and subtle communications. She's turning these into the very first elephant dictionary. If you haven't seen this segment you have to watch it. I mean! Amazing! Click here to watch it.

The more I learn about these creatures, the more I see them as a giant allegory of our times. About removing the ways of the past without understanding the consequences. We're acting without thinking and not learning along the way.  Add to that the fact that elephants certainly look like creatures from another era. They look more like Wooly Mammoths than they do to any other living animal.  They are giant creatures that need companionship. Loving and supportive beings who have strong emotions like us. They raise their children like we do, mourn like we do and support each other like we do. There habitat is getting destroyed in the name of progress, and we're running out of time to stop it.  We have so much to learn from these animals, and I fear that we will lose them before we learn all there is to know.

So now, dear readers, I may have taken you to the murky place that Jessica calls ISD. This place makes me want to crawl under my covers and just cry and cry.  BUT that's not what we do here at What You Can Do.  We're here to give you simple one minute actions to help.  So, instead of burying your head, check this out.  One of our favorite organizations, Defenders of Wildlife, has a whole page that shows you what you can do to help elephants, and they're all easy 1 minute steps!

In honor of these beauties,  I'm unofficially dubbing this month - Alicia's obsession with Elephants month.  I don't think they'll pass it into law, but it seems natural as many of my activities will be focusing on these gentle giants.  Throughout May, I will contribute a few entries about various things I've learned and organizations we have worked with.

Mara at PAWS' ARK2000 Sanctuary

First of all - my very good friend Sam and I went to the PAWS Elephant Sanctuary in San Andreas this past weekend for their "Seeing the Elephant" weekend getaway.  It was amazing.  I learned so much about the conditions of circus elephants and how we need to educate people, so that they will stop using these animals as spectacle. Without getting on a soapbox, I'll write more about this wonderful sanctuary later.

Secondly, Sam and I are going to see Daphne Sheldrick speak at the American Museum of Natural History next Tuesday.  Dame Sheldrick founded the The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust with her husband, David, in Kenya.  This foudnation rehabilitates orphaned elephants with the goal of releasing them back in to the wild.  It's a team effort between man and elephant (the graduates come back to help for the last part of the journey).   This place is amazing, and I will fill you in on the information that I learn from Dame Sheldrick after her talk.

Speaking of, did anyone see Born to be Wild?  It features Daphne Sheldrick as well Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas who works with orphaned orangutans in Indonesia.   If you haven't seen it, YOU GOTTA!! It's narrated by Morgan Freeman, so you can't go wrong there.  And for a nature film, it's uplifting and hopeful. Don't get me wrong, I cried at several parts, but not because of horror. It was a "good cry" if you will.  So this gives me another topic to discuss as well.

For now, I wanna know what you think?  Do you agree with me? Are elephants intoxicating?  What's your favorite animal?  And If you wanna get involved and help protect these animals right away, consider symbolically adopting one through Defenders of Wildlife.  It only takes a minute. Watch the video below to find out how.

love and elephants,
Alicia

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Day 26 of 31 - A Last minute gift of pet lovers

Day 26 of 31 - Happy Kwanzaa
Still looking for a last minute gift? What about a gift for pet lovers?

Day 15 of 31 - Help Fight Animal Cruelty

For animal lovers and pet owners, it can be hard imagining life without them, let alone the cruel conditions animals sometimes face. If you’ve got even a minute, there’s something you can do to help.

I'm Crazy about Manatees!

So, as I mentioned in my blog Adopting an Animal - a dilemma, I'm a big fan of helping endangered species. I don't think that any creature on this earth should go extinct because of the selfishness of humans.

Growing up my favorite animal was the elephant. I was infatuated with them. To this day I still find them incredibly fascinating. For instance, did you know that the only known predator for a healthy adult elephant is humans?

Did anyone see that 60 Minutes episode focusing on American scientist, Angela Turkalo's research into a Secret Language of Elephants? If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend clicking the link right now. Ms. Turkalo has been studying a group of wild African elephants for twenty years. While observing their behavior, she has learned about how they communicate, and is beginning to compile a "dictionary of sounds." No joke - check it out. These animals are just INCREDIBLE.

My love of wildlife continued with age. As I got older, I became more and more fascinated with our oceans and the rich life living there. One animal really stood out to me - the Manatee. From the moment I saw these strange looking creatures, I was fascinated. I fell in love. Would it surprise you to learn that they're related to elephants? No, cause they're awesome. My love has a focus!

My family has been going to Sarasota, Florida for over twenty years. While we were down there, my parents learned about the Parker Manatee Aquarium, home to Snooty the Manatee. You can help support Snooty and visit this fascinating animal. Can't make it down to Florida? Check out the Snooty Live Cam. This is definitely a time sucker. I'm obsessed.

Last year, we teamed up with Save the Manatee Club. Through this organization, you can Adopt a Manatee and help protect manatees and their habitat. This program allows you to choose between a bunch of manatees that you want to symbolically adopt. You can read a little bit about them and see which one calls out to you. They have manatees from a number of different places one of which is Homosassa Springs State Park in Florida. And like Snooty, if you're near Homosassa Springs - you can visit the very manatee that you adopted.

So join me and adopt a manatee today. I'm choosing Brutus cause he reminds me of Atticus (my pooch is the biggest poodle I have ever seen). (***This photo isn't actually of Brutus. His photo was too small, but I thought this one was too cute!)

A symbolic adoption is a great addition to an Easter Basket. Who wouldn't want a manatee with their chocolate bunnies?

Help save these amazing creatures! Let's get them off the endangered list. Let's show them What We Can Do.

Alicia

Help Your Favorite Animal Shelter!

For today's challenge, I'm opting to vote for an animal shelter through The Animal Rescue Site.

The Animal Rescue Site and Petfinder.com have teamed up for this $300,000 challenge. After your "daily click" follow the link to vote now. Then you follow the instructions to vote for your favorite Petfinder.com shelter.

Each week they select a winner to receive a $1,000 grant to help animals!

Please take a minute to help your local shelter! The animals will thank you:)

Thanks!

Alicia

Show Shelter Animals some Love

We're an office full of dog lovers. Through the years, we have produced videos on dog grooming, dog training and city living with your dog. Both Julie and Melissa have adopted rescue animals and we find ourselves talking about our pets for at least part of every day. It was no surprise that we wanted to do videos highlighting issues surrounding animal cruelty.

Needless to say, we were so happy to partner with The Petfinder.com Foundation. They help homeless pets through adoptions, helping shelters prepare for and recover from disaster and work to make shelters across the country more sustainable. If you're interested in adopting a new pet, they are a great resource.

We produced several videos with them - and you should check them out. But I took on this challenge to do one-minute-a-day, so I had to pick one of their programs. Today, I'm going to contribute to their Vaccination Fund. You can contribute money to vaccinate a dog from Kennel Cough or a cat from FVRCP. I wanted to choose this program because every year 6 to 8 million dogs and cats will enter U.S. shelters. Vaccinations are critical to help these animals fend off highly contagious diseases prevalent in crowded shelters. Because keeping shelter animals healthy greatly increases their chances of being adopted, vaccination programs help reduce the number of shelter animals euthanized for lack of a home. Not bad for a minute's work.

Will you join me?
Thanks - Alicia

Help Protect Our Fishies

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Choose Wisely, our oceans are threatened by overfishing. Preventing overfishing has long been a passion of mine. When swordfish was on the threatened list - I used to pitch a fit to anyone who would try to order it around me. My passion for our oceans began at a young age, which gets me thinking...

Last year, we visited kids at a school in Brooklyn on Earth Day to talk to them about ideas for going green. Almost all of them said to shut off the lights and recycle. This lingo has become so ingrained in our kids, it's now the new "wash your hands" and "brush your teeth." Which leads me to believe that if we can get kids to start paying attention to the world's problems at a young age, there's no telling what they can do with our planet.

The Ocean Conservancy has a great program called Go Fish. It's an online game that teaches people about the state of fish in our oceans. Though it's not great for really little kids (it includes some pretty advanced concepts), it would be great for anyone age 10+. And there are incentives to play: if you answer all five questions, $1 will be donated to help the Ocean Conservancy's efforts to make overfishing a thing of the past.

Even though it's a game, it's not just for kids. I urge you to join me today and play this game to see what you know and don't know about the state of our oceans. The more people we get to play, the more $1 donations will be made. Oh and don't feel bad about your score - I got 2 right the first time I played.

If you have a little one at home, play the game with him/her. Instill your kids with the love of our oceans. This love will grow with them and there's no telling what the outcome will be. I hope that these problems won't face our grandkids, but it starts today. And it starts with you.

Will you join me?
Thanks - Alicia

Save the Honey Bees!

I have something to declare - my sister, Jessica Arinella, is a champion for Honey Bees! I'm not sure when it started. Maybe she saw a late night documentary while suffering from insomnia. Or maybe it was when she first read the quote that Einstein may or not have said - “If honey bees become extinct, human society will follow in four years.”

Now if you have met my sister, or read any of her blogs, you know that statements like this will kick off her ISD (impending sense of doom). Basically, if she hears something about the extinction of the human race, her face contorts to panic and she goes fetal. However, now that she has What You Can Do, she tells everyone about the issue, and starts making a difference.

So Jess started talking, and I started Freaking Out! Regardless if whether the greatest mind in the 20th century declared this statement or not, that's a pretty freaky statement. And these bees do some great work. Bees pollinate plants and not just our flowers. If you're eating something, it started with a bee. But it spreads much further. Chances are, if you're taking vitamins or minerals to help your skin, boost your immune system or helping to fight your cholesterol, it was probably fertilized by a bee.

And what about honey? I'm a big champion of it's delicious stickiness. I suffer from terrible headaches and once allergy season kicks in, I know I'm gonna be down for the count for at least a month. But by eating honey, you help your body deal with it's allergies by ingesting a small amount of the pollen. (The honey has to be local to your area, so you're getting the right plant pollens). They're not even that scary. A very dear friend of ours has a bee colony. She says it's a lot of fun, not intimidating, and we reap the tasty rewards. Those boys do some great work.

So what can you do? Well, if you're like me, and planning on planting a flower and/or vegetable garden this year, make sure to avoid pesticides. Research plants that bloom in the spring, summer, and fall, so that you're providing bees with pollen in all seasons. Plant large sections of flowers close together and plant at least ten different varieties of flowers, as bees like diversity.

Let me know what you decide to plant or if you work with Honey Bees.
Thanks for reading - My sister thanks you and so do I!
Alicia

Adopting an Animal - a dilemma

When we were naming one minute ideas for What You Can Do, one of the first that came to my mind was Defender's of Wildlife's Adopt an Animal Program. Through Defenders, you can symbolically adopt a wild animal in order to help fund protection for that specific species. We joked around a bit over here about what we would do if they allowed us to adopt an animal for real. Would I keep my seal in my bathtub? That might prove unpleasant to house guests (and the seal). Lucky for me and the animal, the animal gets to stay in his or her own house (or habitat).

I have given these adoptions as presents to many people. Depending on your gift level, your adoption comes with a certificate and a stuffed animal, making the gift ideal for a kid you know that loves animals.

During my one-month, one-minute challenge, I knew that I wanted to adopt an animal, but which one? I've long been interested in endangered species. In fact, growing up, my bedroom door featured a giant poster of many of the world's endangered species. As I went into my room, I'd pass their faces and get outraged that the wolf, the elephant and the manatee were looking back at me.

So now comes the dilemma. As part of my challenge, today I'm going to adopt an animal, but I can only adopt one. Which one? Normally I'd go elephant, or wolf but I just saw the Animal Planet's program - Polar Bears, Spy on the Ice, and I was once again blown away by these creatures and devastated by their loss of habitat.

Being the chicken that I am, I brought it up for vote in the office, and we decided to adopt a Polar Bear. I shall name him Peepers.

What would you adopt?
Take care - Alicia

Share Your Coupons

One of the ideas that we were given this year, was a very simple one that we had never thought of before. A friend of Julie's said that while she was teaching, she would have the students clip coupons for animal related products, and send them to a shelter in her neighborhood. Brilliant. A lot of people clip coupons anyway, so why not search ask you clip to see if there are any coupons that others might need. Make sure to check with your local shelter first, to verify that they accept coupons. If they do, send away!

And you don't have to just click coupons from the paper. If you're one with the digital age, and read all of your news online, do a search for manufacture's coupons and the type of coupon you're looking for. You will probably find a few that you can print out and send.

This week, I'm looking for anything for an animal shelter as well as baby products for a women's shelter.

Let me know if you guys have any tips!
Thanks - Alicia

A Lenten Proposition - The Click Sites

A Lenten Quest - Day 2: Click it!


We here at What You Can Do are big fans of the GreaterGood Network's click sites. In terms of the one-minute movement, there really isn't a better way to make a profound difference in a short amount of time.


We have produced videos on all of the click sites: The Hunger Site, The Breast Cancer Site, The Animal Rescue Site, The Child Health Site, The Literacy Site, and The Rainforest Site. In addition to these click sites, they also feature apps for iphones that allow you to Touch to Give.


We're also planning on producing a video for The Veterans' Site, the GreaterGood's newest click site that helps get meals into the hands of homeless and hungry veterans.

Writing this blog took longer than logging on to any one of these sites and clicking. In fact, clicking one site takes about five seconds (depending on your internet connection), so over here, we're in the habit of clicking all seven sites - and we can do it in under 60 seconds!

Just think, in sixty seconds, you can "give the value of 1.1 cups of food to the hungry," "help another woman in need get a free mammogram," "give the value of 0.6 bowls of food to a rescued animal," "help a homeless and hungry veteran get a free meal," "provide a child with livesaving health care," "help give a child in need a book to read and treasure," and "help protect 11.4 square feet of rainforest habitat for widlife."


Just think, if you can do some much in one minute, why wouldn't you start every day by clicking? Make it a habit - set your web page to load to one of these sites and click today!


Thanks guys - Alicia

Help a Person Living with a Disability

Think you can help a person with a disability in 1 minute? Watch this

Starring - Alicia Arinella
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: Canine Partners for Life, www.k94Life.org

Special Thanks: Moira Owens, Darlene Sullivan and everyone at Canine Partners for Life, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Learn How a Service Dog Can Help

Learn How a Service Dog Can Help

Starring - Canine Partners for Life
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Edited by - Julie Tortorici
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information Provided by: Canine Partners for Life, www.k94life.org

Special Thanks: Moira Owens, Darlene Sullivan and everyone at Canine Partners for Life

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

A Gift for Pet Lovers

Think you can't support a Shelter Animal in 1 Minute? Watch this.

Starring - Damion Fitz
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited, and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information Provided by: Petfinder.com Foundation, www.petfinderfoundation.com

Special Thanks: Lisa Robinson and everyone at the Petfinder.com Foundation, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Learn about Canine Partners for Life

Learn about Canine Partner's For Life

Starring - Canine Partners for Life
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Edited by - Julie Tortorici
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information Provided by: Canine Partners for Life, www.k94life.org

Special Thanks: Moira Owens, Darlene Sullivan and everyone at Canine Partners for Life

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

What You Can Do Kids' - Protect Wild Animals

Think there's nothing you can do to Protect Wild Animals in 1 Minute? Listen to the What You Can Do Kids!

Starring -The What You Can Do Kits
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Ilana Levine, Diana Marsh, Jack Halaby, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Help an Animal After a Disaster

Think there's nothing you can do to Help an animal after a Disaster in 1 Minute?

Starring - Iliana Inocencio
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: The Petfinder Foundation, www.petfinderfoundation.com

Special Thanks: Lisa Robinson and everyone at The Petfinder Foundation, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Gifts That Give More to Animals

Think there's nothing you can do to Help An Animal in 1 Minute?

Starring - Ashleigh Awusie
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: The GreaterGood Network, www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Special Thanks: Rosemary Jones and everyone at The GreaterGood Network, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Support African Wildlife

Think there's nothing you can do to Help African Wildlife in 1 Minute?

Starring - Wilton Yeung
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: The African Wildlife Foundation, www.awf.org

Special Thanks: Kurt Redenbo and everyone at The African Wildlife Foundation, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Vaccinate a Shelter Animal

Think there's nothing you can do to Help Vaccinate a Shelter Animal in 1 Minute?

Starring - Maria Christina Perry
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: Pet Finder Foundation, www.petfinderfoundation.com

Special Thanks: Lisa Robinson and everyone at The Petfinder Foundation, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com