New Beginnings

Bonnie and Clyde

Snow on May 1st, 2013

Wilma wasn't happy with the snow.

Spring is finally here just in time for summer! I guess that's Nebraska for you! Although this spring has been especially interesting, with unusually cold temperatures all the way into late April, with a few scorching hot days sprinkled all the way back in February. Not to mention the extraordinary May Day snowfall of an inch!

Surprised Ben with baby ducks!

They love him :)

Never the less, we have been tilling, composting, raking, shoveling, scooping and taking care of all the critters all spring long in preparation for this day: planting the garden! This year we have a nice plot in the backyard, a plot on campus, cucumbers all along a back fence and lettuce growing under the wooden playground. Not to mention our chickens and ducks! With all the clucking, quacking, weeding and planting you would never guess we live in the city! Of course I know I'm fooling myself, but until we make it to the country, I'm loving the illusion.

Pearl and Wilma

He has  been chosen :)

As almost (second year) first time gardeners, I plan on keeping a blog about various garden happenings, as part of my learning process. I've been checking but my thumb is not quite green yet, it's more like a pale pea color. But I'm working on it, and very excited about learning more and more!

So what follows will be an insight on the learning curve of a beginning urban gardener with far too much enthusiasm. My enthusiasm and happiness this year stems from many sources.

The completed coop and run!

One huge source of my happiness this year is the fact that in a little under five months (seriously that soon?!) I will be marrying the love of my life and best friend! Living with him, gardening and tending to our animals with him, and in general exploring all of life's amazing opportunities with him has made me into a woman overflowing with gratitude and happiness.

Another source of pure joy is my furry best friend with four legs and a crooked tail :) Kingston has been the best buddy anyone can ask for this spring, always putting a smile on my face, watching patiently over the little ducks and chickens, and even helping till the garden!

There have been a few bumps this spring in other areas of my life. Although these bumps have been set backs in my career path, I am still eager and excited to be on a path towards a career in the natural resources. I know with my tenacity and my amazing support system, I will make the best of the set backs and go after the next opportunity that presents itself. Until then there is a lot of gardening to do!

Tomatoes started back in early April.

The following dates will play catch up and what we have done so far:

May 6: Planted red lettuce, green lettuce, California spicy mix and watercress in a lettuce bed under the playground.

May 7: Planted large onion bulbs at our  garden plot on campus.

The love the lilacs!

"Snacking" on my shoes.

May 9: Planted two zucchini mounds, summer squash, pole beans, snap peas, peas in backyard garden plot. We also planted cucumbers along the back fence and strawberries in a pot.

First egg!

May 13: Big news!! After acting goofy all week, Wilma (our Barred Rock hen) laid her first egg! It was very small, I'm wondering if that's normal for a hen's first egg. Still exciting!

May 16: Wilma laid her second egg! Still pretty small, about the size of a golf ball (if a golf ball was oblong). I'm curious to know when the other chickens will start laying.

I painted a purple bird house to match the lilacs.

Future site of our first landscaping project, more to come later! 

Our Show!

West Virginia and Virginia have  been amazing to us so far, and we keep meeting amazingly kind people left and right. One fortunate meeting happened when we ran into a father and son while watching the Super Bowl in a small town in West Virginia. The son happened to be a film student at a college in Pennsylvania, and offered to film our presentation. We were so happy!! We have always said how it would be awesome for our family and friends to see our show for themselves.

So here is our presentation! It is in five parts, click the link below for each part. Of course there is a disclaimer, this was filmed a few weeks ago, and we both feel we have added and improved since then. Also, during this filming I was at the tail end of a cold, so I promise my voice sounds better today! Thanks so much to Gary who filmed it! We are still so amazed by the kindness of strangers :)

This particular show was filmed at an elementary school at a small town in West Virginia, and we taught about 400 excited and enthusiastic kids. Enjoy!

Part One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Cd6WR7_Pg&feature=channel

Part Two

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S4xq0D0c_s&feature=relmfu

Part Three

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68M499YSL_Y&feature=channel

Part Four

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajvRs26afsc&feature=channel

Part Five

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBK5dxyxjkA&feature=channel

Second Week

Our first animal is Pickles! He's saying hello to the kids.

 The second week came and went already, and with 13 shows it flew by so fast! Our routine is becoming better and better and I feel like our program we offer to the children is improving every day. 

The kids love Pickles, a lot of them say he's their favorite. 

We are becoming more and more comfortable and excited about being up there in front of sometimes 700 children and teachers. The best part is when people come up to us afterwards and tell us that they can tell we love what we do, because we bring so much enthusiasm  and passion to each show.

We love interacting with the audience, we ask a lot of questions and they learn a lot!

Here are some details of our second week on the road:

We taught in three states: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania

We put on thirteen different shows in nine different schools.

We reached 3,500 kids and hundreds of teachers.

Some of the kids are chosen as volunteers to hold the  Madagascar Hissing cockroaches. 

We had some interesting things happen this week also. One private Lutheran school actually had us do our program as a recruitment for coming to their school. Another school we went to had used our program as an incentive for great behavior, so out of 450 children out of that elementary, 50 weren't able to go because of bad behavior. At that school two reporters showed up and took pictures and facts down to write articles in their newspapers.

Ellie showing off for the kids. 

One of the most fulfilling shows we did was at a public school in Cleveland, Ohio. This school was in the center of a very impoverished area, and most of the children came from economically disadvantaged homes. Yet despite all the odds, the school holds very high expectations of character and grades over the students, which builds personal responsibility and confidence in the students. Before, during and after the show, this confidence and good  behavior showed tremendously in the students. 

She loves to jump up on Jess and I during the show. 

These students turned out to be one of our most attentive and interested audiences, and afterwards as they were all walking out one by one, several of the little girls ran up to Jess and I and gave us hugs. It warmed our hearts to see the joy and gratitude on their faces.  Also, a teacher came up to us after the show and told us she had a phobia of spiders, but wanted to hold Carl our tarantula to face her fears. That was so awesome to hear, and we eased her into holding Carl on her hand, and letting him walk up her arm a little. She stood their shaking as Carl eased up on to her hand, but afterwards was so happy about facing something that scary to her. We were really proud!

Little Maki is our last animal of the program. He usually clings to his otter, but has been jumping more for the kids. 

One of the most moving moments we had last week was at the end of one of our shows. Towards the end I like to say my favorite quote:

"In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught."

-Baba Dioum

After I say this, I explain that this is why Jess and I do what we do. No we are not in the rain forest directly trying to stop deforestation and habitat destruction, but we are right here right now in front of all you kids hoping to get you excited enough about these animals so that one day one of you might want to visit the rain forest or even try and save it. Then I hand the microphone to Jess to finish up our conclusion. She explains how these animals will never be able to live outside in the wild again, and then she asks if everyone can do us and the animals a favor. Of course everyone usually enthusiastically says "Yeah!". Then she asks everyone to get outside as much as they can, because when you are outside in nature you start to love it and appreciate it more, and we tend to protect the things we love.

After we concluded with this, a little girl came up to Jess as we were putting things away. She pointed to our banner which has a picture of a beautiful rain forest, right next to a picture of a completely decimated area of stumps and dead shrubbery after people clear cutted parts of a rain forest. 

At current rates of deforestation, over 55% of the Amazon Rain Forest will be completely gone by 2030. 

Jess wrote the following about what happened next:

When the little girl came up to me she looked very bothered and I could tell her mind was racing. She pointed to the pictures on our banner and said, "How can people take something that is so beautiful and turn it in to something so ugly." She looked sad and said how much she loved all of the animals she had seen during our program. For some reason this question really caught me off guard. Although simply put by a little girl it proved to be a very hard question to answer.

So in a fast simple way as she was getting ready to leave with her class I did my best to answer her question. I told her that sometimes people take things without thinking about the effects they will have later, and sometimes people also take too much, and consume much more than they have to. I then explained to her that the more we get outside and see what nature has to offer us the more we will love it and feel connected to it, and as humans we tend to protect the things we love. I ended by just telling her to always try to give more than you take in every situation in life, even when talking about the earth that supports us and all other living things. I hope she got something out of my answer, but most of all I hope she goes home with something from our program because education is really the key.

`

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.

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/

Life Lessons I've Learned From My Dog

A year ago tomorrow, my best buddy Kingston was born. And since then he has made my life richer and happier in so many ways. This past year has been filled with memories, adventures, travels and of course many games of fetch. These are the lessons Kingston has taught me along the way.

Happy birthday buddy, I love you.

Whenever you see your loved ones wag your tail

Dogs don't battle their pride every day before they let us know how they feel. I admire that so much. Whether it's been 5 days or 5 minutes since Kingston has last seen me, his whole body wiggles and wags with excitement, which is a prelude to a lot of puppy kisses. It warms my heart and teaches me how important it is to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us. When is the last time I showed that much excitement just to see someone I loved?

Be grateful for all the treats in life

Whether it’s a chew bone, a  belly rub or a walk around the block, Kingston never takes a thing for granted, and is quick to show me how thankful and happy he is. How often in life do I expect something instead of show gratitude for it? It's so easy to take the tiniest things for granted, I'm so glad I have Kingston here to teach me to enjoy the simple things in life.

When making friends, judge them not on their appearance but their character

Being an only dog, Kingston loves making friends! Whether we're at the dog park, a lake or traveling, Kingston will get so excited at the sight of another dog, or in his eyes, another potential playmate. He doesn't distinguish the dog's size, color or appearance before deciding to engage in a game of chase.

You are alive! Be excited about that!

Kingston's enthusiasm for life is contagious, and when I see him so energetic and happy, I can't help but let it warm my heart. How often have I been upset or sad over the little petty things in life? Compared to people all around the world with real problems, I have it great. My reminder for this comes in a little black and furry package with a smile on his face every day :)

Always cuddle and kiss good mornings, good nights, hellos and goodbyes

Besides sticks, bones, squirrels and leaves, Kingston's favorite thing in the world would  probably be cuddles. I don't think there is a better medicine in the world than a sweet gentle puppy cuddling up to you. I am so grateful for that.

Be a loyal friend

Kingston is my best friend. He knows when I'm happy and shares my excitement for every day. He knows when I'm sad and I need a kiss or a laugh at his silly antics. We go everywhere together, step by step,  and we try to make the best out of everything. He is the best side kick I've ever had, and such a loyal companion.  My life is so much richer for having him in it.

It's ok to make mistakes

Don't get me wrong, Kingston is far from perfect. As a puppy and now an almost grown Lab-German Shepard mix, his energy and mischievousness know no bounds. He loves to sneak behind my back in the kitchen to see what tasty treats are in the garbage. And he would sooner jump up to reach your level then sit calmly for you when you get home. But he has learned a lot in the past year, one of which is it isn't the end of the world if you make a mess or forget a rule. We all make mistakes, its what we learn from them that counts.

Forgive easily, and love unconditionally

It's astounding how easily dogs will forgive you. Whether you had to scold them, or you had to leave them in the kennel all day, the minute they see you again they have already forgiven, forgotten and are ready to love you unconditionally. How long do I hold grudges? Are they worth it?

Turn every day into an adventure

Kingston came into the perfect family for this atitude. We love going on adventures, and now with this crazy dog in our life, our adventures are so much more fun.  No matter where you are, there is always something to be discovered. You just have to sniff every tree, run through all the bushes and toss a few rocks :)

Take time to play outside

I've always been an outdoors woman, but having Kingston has enriched that so much. It's a thrill to watch him pounce through a meadow in search of the next smell, little animal or leaf that is around the corner. His excitement just to be outside is contagious, and he takes in everything through all his senses. He's the best side kick an outdoors person can have.

Don't bite off more than you can chew

Kingston, like most dogs, has an affinity for sticks. But sometimes he gets a little cocky and chooses logs, or even "sticks" that are still attached to trees. I usually have to inform him that that is not yet a stick, but a branch. He's still working on this one.

Don't take yourself too seriously

If you want a cure to being uptight, rigid and serious all the time, get a dog. They teach you to let loose and have some fun once in awhile, (or in Kingston's case, most of the time).  Kingston could probably never be bored, he is always coming up with games to entertain himself. For example, one morning I was awakened by him jumping in the bed and tossing around in the covers. He kept pouncing on something and tossing it in the air, then diving in the covers and finding it again. I was annoyed that I was woken up so early on my day off, and was about to get angry with him. I looked to see what was so exciting that he couldn't wait to show me until I woke up: It was a dry kidney bean.  I broke down in laughter, and with such a funny and quirky start had an amazing day :) What if we all laughed a little more and argued a little less? What kind of world would that be?

Take time to listen to people

It warms my heart how much Kingston really tries to understand us when we talk to him. He cocks his head from one side to another in an effort to decode the garbled English language, even though he doesn't understand. How hard to I try to listen to people that I actually understand? 

Don't let being different hold you back

Kingston was the runt of nine puppies, and was born with a broken tail. We later discovered that he had some type of neurological condition that wouldn't let him separate his two front legs when he trots or runs, so instead he hops. We thought that he would grow out of it, but yet here he is one year old and still hopping like a machine. Yet he doesn't let this disability hold him back at all, in fact I've never seen a dog run faster than him at the dog park. Differences are only abnormal in a perception. Kingston gets along great, even though he does a lot of things differently. I was afraid of him drowning if he couldn't separate his legs to swim. But not only does he still swim with his disability, swimming is his favorite thing! He doesn't let anything keep him from enjoying his life, and has more character because of this. This is why we love him.