Ellie the Coatimundi

I thought I would formally introduce everyone to each animal ambassador we have with us, and tell you all the awesome facts that we love to tell the kids, as well as try and explain each animals' individual personalities.

Ellie loves to be on our shoulders.

The first animal on the list is Ellie the Coatimundi, although in the program she is the second to last one to come out. Ellie is special in many different ways. One minute she is stirring up trouble in every way possible, and the next minute she is cuddling sweetly with us as if it never happened.

Here comes trouble!

First I'm going to tell you all of our awesome coatimundi facts that the kids hear every day.

• They live in South, Central and parts of North America.
• They are a cousin of the raccoon, you can see this by their ringed tail and bandit face.
• They are omnivores, but spend most of their time grubbing around on the rainforest floor in search of insects.
• Their long pointy nose actually has a bone in the end of it, making it possible for them to move their nose independently.
• Their long tail is not prehensile (meaning it acts as a fifth limb and they can hang from it), but they do use it when they are in groups by sticking it up in the air so everyone can see each other in long grass.
• The females are dominant and run in social groups together, while the larger males only visit for two weeks out of the year during mating season.



Ellie showing off for the kids.

• When people first discovered them, they thought the males were a different species than the females because they were so much bigger and solitary. They called the females "coatis" and the males "coatimundis" meaning "lone coatis".
• When climbing down from trees they prefer climbing down head first, so to help out with this they can actually turn their back ankles 180 degrees around and climb down that way.
• Females socially groom each other.
• They walk plantigrade just like humans, which means on the bottom of their foot, instead of on their toes.
• Their darker camoflauge helps them remain hidden on the forest floor.

As cool as all those facts are, I feel like they don't even begin to describe Ellie's individual personality. To sum it all up, we came up with a list of rules that Ellie seems to live by. 

She loves to bat at your hands like a cat.

The World through Ellie's Eyes

1. If it's yours, it's MINE.
2. If it's mine, it's MINE.
3. Fruitloops!?!?!?!
4. Oh I like your hair....it's mine!
5. My nose turns corners before I do.
6. Before it's ok to officially stay in any hotel room, I must first inspect every corner of the room.
7. It is also my duty and right to inspect every corner and pocket of both Jess and Amber's suitcases, without notice.
8.  Fruitloops!??!!!?!?
9. Don't even think about giving me my biscuits without a full dish of water, because I need to dip and wash each biscuit until they are the perfect texture.

10. 

    Love chomps!

    10. I bite because I care.
11. Your nose, eyes and ears are all really interesting and a great place to stick my nose. Just stay calm and no one will get bit.
12. Fruitloops?!?!?!?!!
13. 
    When traveling in the van I like to stick my paws out and hold your hand, just so I know you're still there.
14. I chirp until I get my way, I bite until I get my way. So....I'm going to get my way.
15. Chaos is my friend.
0021
16. If I let out all my energy, a cozy cuddle and  belly rub is the perfect way to end my night.

She loves to jump up on anything. Even stuff hanging up is not safe with her around.

Chicago

We got to stay the weekend in Chicago, so after all the animals were fed, cleaned, watered and exercised, we decided to take advantage of it! Taking the metro was a first in the U.S. for both of us, but we managed it. It was about a 35 minute ride to the central of downtown. We got off and walked up onto the street and were greeted by an amazing view of the tall buildings and city lights. 

"Cloud Gate" sculpture in Millenium park, nicknamed "The Bean"

There were so many people and cars, honking, talking, and yelling. There were so many sights, sounds and smells it was a little overwhelming. We headed East to Millenium Park. I was determined to see "The Bean", because I've heard so much about it. It was amazing!

Jess hugging the bean.

The night skyline of Chicago reflected perfectly in the 110 ton stainless steel sculpture. We had some strange urges to just hug this giant thing...so we did. Going under it was crazy too, there were so many reflections of us big and small.

It was huge!

We also went to the 94th floor of the John Hancock building. The view was incredible, you could see lights for miles and miles. After finding our way back down, we stopped into a busy brewery for some hand crafted ales. We ended the night on a fun and safe note by actually finding our way back to the metro and jumping on the one that took us to our vehicle.

Chicago skyline seen from the John Hancock building.

Overall it was a blast! We were really surprised by how friendly everyone was. We were told about this, that although Chicago was a huge city, it was also still a Midwestern city, with Midwestern values. Anyone we casually asked for directions was overly helpful and went out of their way to show us the way. The friendly people, the exciting atmosphere and the beautiful sights made for an amazing night!

First Week!

Ellie the coatimundi, when she's being sweet.

Well we survived our first week! We ended up teaching 11 shows at 10 different schools in 3 different states (Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois), and reaching 2,610 different children, all in one week! We did a lot of driving, and a lot of loading and unloading the animals every morning and night and for each show. It got tiring and traffic was frustrating at times, but each time we got into a school, and got up there in front of all those smiling little faces, our buckets were completely filled again.

Maki loves peaches!

Here are some of my favorite things the teachers said:

• "This was incredible, I saw some children smiling today that I haven't seen smile in a long, long time."
• "Kids did you hear they went to college for this? You can go to college for anything, not just to be a doctor or a teacher. But you have to do really good in school and you might  get to do something as cool as what these girls are doing."
• "What do we say every day before class? Learn something new, be kind to one another, and have a great day. I think we all learned something new and awesome enough for a month!"
• "Thank you so much for telling the kids to get outside as much as possible, most of these kids never get outside, and they really needed to hear that."
• "I want everyone to thank these two young women for getting out there following their dreams and doing their part to save the planet."

Irwin the Blue-Tongued Skink

Here are some of my favorite things the kids said:

•  When told to "Get outside as much as you possibly can, because it's so good for you" One kindergartner said "Ya, especially if there's a fire in the house!!"
• One girl came up and asked "What was the first snake in the world?"
• When they started getting really loud, we said "We have to have you guys quiet down, because you might scare Pickles", everyone said "We're sorry Pickles!!"
• When asked what's something they think of when we say rain forest one little boy said "Soggy trees!"
  
  
  

  

  Pickles the Gold and Blue Macaw

  Overall it's been an amazing first week. We noticed some pretty apparent trends too. For example, the more urban the area was where we were teaching, the more frightened and skittish the children were by most of the animals, especially the "scary, creepy" ones like Carl the tarantula, Herbie the red tail boa and the Madagascar hissing cockroaches. In fact a few girls even said "gross get it away" when we brought cute little Maki (baby ring tail lemur) near them. This was interesting to us to see how little experience they've had with animals and nature in general, and how disconnected they seemed to be. Those are the schools we really love to go to, to show kids what nature has to offer. I really hope out of all the children we reached, we made a small difference in even a couple of their lives.
  
  

  

  Ellie loves a good belly rub.

First Show!

My sister Bailey got to meet "Maki" the lemur before saying goodbye. 

Our first show was in a little town called Russelville, Arkansas. We spoke to a crowd of 200 children. For our first run through, it went really well! We took turns handling and speaking about each animal. We also spoke at the beginning and end about what a rainforest is and all the awesome things we get from it. The excitement on the kids faces as we brought out one amazing animal after another was contagious. An hour breezed by without us even realizing it because we were having so much fun sharing with the kids. It is hard to  believe this is actually a job, because it already feels like I get more out of it than I give.

Our crazy gypsy van!

After a two hour drive to the next town, a good break down conversation of what we can improve on, and an awkward encounter with a flirtatious semi-truck driver, we arrived in Huntsville, Arkansas for our next show. 

A beautiful hi-way in Arkansas.

The path to Huntsville was on a winding, steep hi-way that passed through thick forests and beautiful open valleys dotted with log cabins and livestock. We were both pleasantly surprised that Arkansas was such a beautiful place. Our program in Huntsville was for 450 children from kindergarten through 2nd grade.  Everyone there was so helpful and kind. Jess and I both smiled when we heard our first "ya'll". The second show went just as smooth and we were more confident. Of course Ellie the coatimundi decided to knock the bucket of fruit loops onto the floor, but the kids got a good laugh out of that.

Maki making a friend in the mirror.

 We headed to Westphalia, MO to find a hotel for our show tomorrow. And after getting all the animals watered, fed and clean cages, we are finally relaxing.  Of course our definition of relaxing is probably a little different than a week ago. We're watching a movie as Pickles the macaw sits on his perch, Maki  the lemur chirps at us and Ellie the coatimundi grooms our hair. I think I can get used to this :)

Ellie the coatimundi helping me style my hair. 

The Ultimate Adventure Begins

All it was was a phone call. And then everything changed. I checked my voicemail and it was from my old professor at UNL. He said that Wildlife Encounters is looking for a traveling environmental educator and he thought of me. I knew Wildlife Encounters, I've worked with them before bringing them to our Wildlife Club for meetings and even our big banquet. They are a non profit organization that owns exotic animals used for educational purposes. I called Stacie from Wildlife Encounters to inquire about the position, almost to entertain myself. I have a job right now that lasts until December, and I didn't want to think about all the complications of applying for a different one.

However Stacie was thrilled to hear from me. The person who had this position had a family sickness and had to leave abruptly with short notice, so she was desperately trying to fill someone. She said that she has known me for years, she knows I would be amazing at this, and if I wanted the job it would be mine. I couldn't believe it! So I asked her details about where, when and how long the position would be for. She said it starts in two weeks, and it lasts until the end of May/beginning of June. Oh and about the "where" and the "what"? Here it is: Me, a lemur, a parrot, a  burmese python and a coatimundi all together in a van traveling up and down the east coast doing different educational programs at schools all along the way.

I was in shock, and told her that sounded amazing and I needed to get back to her with my answer. Of course I called me boss, who was amazing and told me he wants whats best for me, it sounded perfect for me, and when I come back in June I can continue working for him. I called my mom and dad and tried to keep my cool as I explained the opportunity. I felt like I had just won the lottery, like I finally caught my lucky break. Everything I'm passionate about just signed itself up as job that placed itself in my lap; environmental education, animals, traveling. I called Stacie back quickly and accepted the offer. My first program is in Arkansas and I leave Sunday January 22.

Here is an exerpt from the Wildlife Encounters website of the program I will be offering to children all over the east coast:

Wonders of the Rainforest

"See the Rainforest spring to life as our national touring Wild Encounters wildlife show presents “Wonders of the Rainforest.” 

Explore rainforest habitats and the plants, animals, and people that live in these ecosystems.  Learn what products come from the rainforest, why rainforests are considered the lifeblood of the planet and the factors that threaten their survival and what people can do to protect the rainforests around the world.  Discuss the relationship of rainforests to climate control and global warming.  Identify ways to use rainforest products without destroying the habitat.

Wild Encounters will showcase live animals and products from the rainforests around the world and talk about their survival, natural history, geography, natural behaviors, and conservation education."

And now meet my new travel buddies for the next four months!

A lemur, which live in Madagascar

An albino burmese python

A coatimundi

A macaw

So...that's my big news! I can finally fulfill my childhood  dream of being a traveling gypsy accompanied with exotic animals! I can't describe how excited I am. Yes, yes, I will miss Ben and Kingston and my family back home. But I will see them again before we all know it. Until then I will be heading east with a van full of creatures from the rain forest and a mission to educate today's youth about the wonders of the natural world. 

I will be updating my blog at least weekly. I'm sure I will have a lot of funny stories about trying to keep a lemur from jumping on the hotel beds and all the other excitement that will entail. I can't wait!

Wildlife Encounters website:

http://www.wildlifeencounters.org/