Happy end of the year!

Congratulations to all the graduates at CSUF (and everywhere) as well as those finishing off another year of college!

Thanks to everyone who participated in PSA events as well as those who donated their spare change (and bills!) or recycled a cell phone. We collected almost $250 to be donated to Health in Harmony and got about 15 cell phones for the Orangutan Conservancy. We will be having both fundraisers next semester as well as an inkjet recycling program. More news to come!

News: Two PSA members, Janice Boston and Julie Cash, each received a $300 conservation award from the CSUF Anthropology department for proposals for future conservation related projects! Congratulations!

This blog will be updated sporadically with news stories over the summer so feel free to check back every once in a while!

Hope everyone has an amazing summer! See you next “year”!

Health In Harmony – Questionnaire from Kinari Webb

I just saw this posted on the Health In Harmony website. This is the foundation that we are donating the funds to that we collected from our change box drive this year.

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/omagazine/200904-omag-green-role-models/3

Kinari Webb, MD, 37
Founder, Health in Harmony, Oakland, California, and its counterpart, Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI), West Kalimantan, Indonesia

How She Started: I was studying orangutans in 1993 in Gunung Palung National Park in Borneo—a beautiful but threatened place. In the past two decades, 38 percent of the park has been damaged by illegal logging, one of the few sources of income for the local citizens. They’re now feeling the consequences: Floods are frequent, and infection from mosquito-borne illness is high. I went to Yale School of Medicine with the goal of returning to Indonesia to improve local health conditions and preserve the environment.

How It Works: We established a medical clinic in Sukadana, a large village in southwest Borneo, in July 2007, and we’ve seen more than 6,000 patients. We started a healthcare rewards program that provides discounted ambulance service and monthly mobile clinic visits to communities that stop the destruction of Gunung Palung. Also, anyone who cannot afford the clinic fees can work instead at our organic farm and seedling nursery, which is growing trees to be used in reforestation efforts.

Biggest Success: The day the head of a village—in a center of illegal logging—said he had personally hiked around to ensure that there was no more illegal logging.

Just One Thing You Can Do: Avoid palm oil. [Clearing land for palm plantations] is one of the major causes of rainforest destruction in Indonesia.

Meeting tomorrow 5/14

PSA will be having our last meeting of the semester tomorrow in MH428. We are trying to meet at 6:00 p.m. this time to go over our change box results and watch a fun video. Hope to see everyone there

Protecting Mountain Gorillas

http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/05/12/standing-up-for-congo’s-rare-mountain-gorillas/

This was an interesting and touching article about Innocent Mburanumwe, the ranger in charge of gorilla monitoring for the Congolese Wildlife Authority. Not only does he deal with the risks of rebels attacking him, his family or his home but poachers have also led attacks. Innocents passion to conserve nature and gorillas keeps him going. There is also a bit at the end on what not to do if you run into a mountain gorilla in the forest.

Photos: Breakfast With The Gibbons

Here are some photos from Breakfast with the Gibbons yesterday. It was a hot day but PSA members had a great time at the fundraising event which included a vegan breakfast and a tour of the center. If you couldn’t make it yesterday the event is biannual and will be held again in October!

Breakfast With The Gibbons 5/9/09

    All Photos by: Stephen Taylor

Baby aye-aye born!

Photo credits: Dave Parsons, The Denver Zoo

A new aye-aye baby was born April 18th at the Denver Zoo. This is only the second one to be born in North America. While not publicized as many other primates and great apes are, (or as “cute”) aye-ayes are endangered.

The new aye-aye, who has yet to be named, is currently in a nest in the zoo’s Emerald Forest building inside the Primate Panorama exhibit.

Aye-ayes are the world’s largest nocturnal primate, weighing up to 6 pounds. The species is so unique, it has its own family classification called Daubentoniidae.

“Aye-ayes look like no other animals living today. Their monkey-like body, squirrel-like tail, large eyes and elongated middle fingers make them easily distinguishable from any other primate,” according to the zoo release.

Read the news article here. http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_12317643

Reminder: breakfast with the gibbons! Tomorrow!

Breakfast with the Gibbons Fundraiser
Saturday, May 9, 2009, 9 am to 1 pm
Raising funds for our move.
Please join us for a special event at the Gibbon Conservation Center that will include guided tours with founder Alan Mootnick of the largest group of gibbons (small apes) in the Americas, including infants; a vegan breakfast; huge gift boutique; and special children’s activities. We’ll hear the gibbons “sing” their spectacular territorial call – a truly remarkable and unforgettable experience! Click here for more info and to purchase admission.
Pre-Paid Donation:
$35 adults age 20-64
$30 seniors age 65 & up
$15 teens age 13-19
$10 kids age 6-12
free for kids under 5
$80 Families (2 adults; 2 kids, any ages)
Groups of 10 or more (advanced purchase only) 15% off
$5 more at the gate if not pre-paid
GCC members get $5 off admission
(but sorry, not 10% off merchandise)
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT GIBBONS AND ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE
(AS PROVIDED BY LAW).
If you can’t come, please consider donating for the gibbons anyway. Thank you.
We appreciate your help!