Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Cindy Hoffman, Vice President of Communications

©Nathan Ferdinandt

This is the time of year when everyone is making New Year’s resolutions. Mine? To save energy, wildlife and the environment!

And thanks to Solar City, I can check this one off the list: DONE. They made it so easy! After hearing a pitch from one of their representatives at Defenders a few months ago, I was intrigued. So I contacted them to see if my house was a good candidate for solar energy. They did a quick Google Maps search for my house and said it was a great candidate. Next, they sent their staff out to take a closer look and sure enough, my entire roof could be covered in solar panels. Not only that, but for just a little bit of money up front, I get to lock in the price I pay for my solar energy for the next 20 years. So while local utility bills go up at about 6-10% a year depending on where you live, I have locked in at a rate that won’t increase. Solar City is very flexible, so don’t let costs dissuade you from contacting them. They even have a deal for no money down that is worth learning more about.

The process was super easy. My husband and I signed the contract and Solar City did the rest, including dealing with all of the permitting with the city and coordinating with my local utility company. Within a month (although they say it can take up to 4 months for the installation) they scheduled an appointment to set the panels. It took two days to get the panels up; they scheduled the inspection with the city within the week, and once the paperwork goes through with my local utility company, I will be running on clean, green, solar energy! It’s also good for wildlife. Using my rooftop for renewable energy reduces the need to build large solar installations in or around areas important for wildlife habitat.

I created a video of the installation so you can see what the panels and other equipment looks like. Check it out below and, if you are interested, contact Solar City for a personal consultation. The whole process was quick and easy. And as an added bonus, if you mention Defenders of Wildlife, Solar City will donate $400 to help advance our mission to conserve and protect wildlife.

Make a New Year’s resolution that you can keep this year. Visit Solar City today and tell them Defenders of Wildlife sent you.

The real purpose of leap day may be to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons, but here at Defenders of Wildlife, we’d like to believe the day is designed to honor our favorite leapers. To celebrate, we’ve put together some fun facts about frog leaping.

• Not all frogs can leap, or even hop. The desert rain frog (Breviceps macrops) has legs that are too short to hop. Instead, it walks.
• Male frogs of the genus Pipa are known to defend their territory by jumping at and then wrestling other males.
• The New Guinea bush frog (Asterophrys turpicola) takes jump attacks one step further: before it jumps at a strange frog, it inflates itself and shows off its blue tongue.
• Stumpffia tridactyla are normally slow-moving critters, but when they’re startled they can abruptly jump up to 8 inches. That doesn’t sound very far, but these little guys are less than half an inch long!
• The Fuji tree frog (Platymantis vitiensis) may be the leaping stuntman of the frog world. Each time it leaps, it twists in the air—sometimes even 180 degrees—to throw predators off its trail.
• The Larut torrent frog (Amolops larutensis) gets its name from a nifty leaping trick: it can jump into a fast-moving stream and back to its usual perch, the underside of a rock, without being affected by the current.
• Similarly, the parachuting red-eyed leaf frog (Agalychnis saltator) gets its name because it speeds to mating opportunities by jumping from trees with finger-and toe-webbing spread wide.
• The record for longest jump by an American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) recorded in a scientific paper is a little over 4 feet. But scientists who went to the Calaveras County Fair, which Mark Twain’s short story made famous for frog jumping, found that more than half the competitors bested that record—and one jumped more than 7 feet in one leap!
• The Guinness Book of World Records doesn’t include any frogs for their leaping ability. But it does track human performance in frog jumping (jumping while holding one’s toes). There are records listed for the longest frog jump and the fastest frog jumping over 10 and 100 meters.

Get your frog fix this leap day by checking out this  frogtastic video and song written by Alex Culbreth (produced by  Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project)

I know you are inspired by young people making a difference for wildlife as much as I am.  So when I heard from Jada Den Herder of KPMG about the Junior Achievement Academy Company, Pin.Co, I had to share their story. Recently, these students from several Boston area high schools launched a campaign to raise awareness for endangered wildlife. They decided to design and market buttons to high school students with the proceeds going to Defenders of Wildlife.

“The design process for the pins started when we discussed which charity we would like to support,” said pin designer Skyeler Rauch-Delva of Prospect Hill Academy. “We chose Defenders of Wildlife because of its strong efforts to protect endangered species and to educate the public about animal extinction.  Essentially, we wanted [the pins] to show a message of love and care… and what would be better than the beloved polar bear & the adorable sea otter?”

Their efforts were a great success, raising $200 for Defenders of Wildlife. Thanks to all of you at the Junior Achievement Academy and Pin.Co!  You are making a difference for wildlife.

One of the neat things about working at Defenders of Wildlife is being on the receiving end of some wonderful letters from young supporters. Recently I received a letter from 9-year-old activist Chloe, asking us if she could do a speech at an event for us about “how you are so nice to animals.”  She ended the letter with a P.S.: “I promise to make a difference.”

Well, how could we turn down a request like that?  I suggested that, instead of an event, maybe she could video tape a speech and send it to us?  And she did just that.

And boy was it impressive.  She declares her own commitment to wildlife, talks about their plight and provides some great suggestions for what we can all do to help wildlife.

With supporters like Chloe out there inspiring all of us to make a difference, I know we can do great things for wildlife.

I hope that sharing Chloe’s speech will inspire you to do something good for wildlife.  At this time of year, you could even share the gift of wildlife with friends and family by adopting.  

It’s always inspiring to hear from our young activists. A few months back, I met Eden Roth, a 13-year-old from Pennsylvania who launched Pillows 4 Pups to raise money to support the recovery of wolves. We introduced Eden and her project to you through our blog and Facebook. Well, the response to her efforts was overwhelming.

She had set a goal for herself to raise $300 for wolves by making and selling pillows. Well, she has been a busy girl. Since our blog story, she has raised $500 for wolf conservation!

Her mom said, “She sewed her little fingers off!”

We are so grateful to Eden for her commitment to wolves. Eden is a true “Defender” of wildlife!  With heroes like Eden stepping up and making a difference, I know our wildlife will be in good hands! Thanks Eden.

Read more about Eden Roth.

Meet more Defenders heroes.

Eden Roth is a true Defender of Wildlife. This 13-year-old from Springfield, Pennsylvania loves wolves and is putting her talents to work to conserve them. She launched Pillows 4 Pups to raise money to donate to Defenders of Wildlife for our efforts to conserve wolves in the wild. Eden says, “The goal for this project is to raise money (by selling pillows) and donating the money to help wolves. The money will be used to buy radio collars to track the wolves and make sure they are in no danger. Or, the money can pay for a day rancher who will watch over sheep herds and make sure no wolves come near or get harmed. There are many things that the money can go toward that will benefit the wolves’ protection.”

We caught up with Eden to learn more about her unique project to help wolves.

Eden, how long have you had an interest in wolves? What triggered it?

I have always had an interest in wolves, but when my mom showed me a video of the wolves being shot down on Defenders of Wildlife website, I was really upset that this was happening. So I was thinking about them for a while, and in the meantime me and my mom were sending in little donations here and there, so at least we were doing something. And I have been asking my friends for donations instead of birthday presents for many years, which I then send to Defenders. Then I got to go to a wolf sanctuary last summer in Pennsylvania, where I saw about 40 wolves. I really got to see what amazing animals they are, and how they are a lot like my dogs.

Have you ever seen a wolf in the wild? What was that like?

I haven’t seen a wolf in the wild, although I would really love to get a chance to see one in its natural habitat.

Why do you think wolves are important?

They are very important to the circle of life, ecology and the food chain. They are amazing predators and help weed out weak and sick animals. Besides that, they are smart, beautiful animals with a complicated family structure. I am fascinated at how the hierarchy works within a pack, like how there are aunts and uncles and babysitters for the pups.

What gave you the idea to start making and selling pillows for pups?

Well I made pillows here and there for other people before and just for fun. Lots of people liked them, so I said to myself  “Why don’t you make pillows and sell them—giving all proceeds to Defenders of Wildlife, toward the wolves?” I put my hobby and talent to good use.

How did you learn about Defenders of Wildlife?

I learned about Defenders of Wildlife from my mom. My whole family loves and cares about animals and the environment.

What is the goal of your pillows for pups project?

My goal was to raise about $300, so I could feel like I really did put in a lot of effort to try and save the wolves.

Do you have help from your friends and family in making and selling the pillows?

My mom helped me sell pillows at her work, although I made all the pillows and kept track of the sales. My family and friends are being really supportive, and they love that I am trying to help the wolves.

How many pillows have you sold?

I have sold about 35 pillows. That seems like a small number but when you have to make them all, it is not a small number!

How long are you going to sell the pillows?

I was planning to sell the pillows until August 18th, but I will continue to take orders if I hear from people after that.

Would you like us to tell our friends on Facebook how to purchase pillows?

Yes, it would be great. I want to raise as much money as I can, to help the wolves. They can go to my Pillows4Pups Facebook page for more details.  Of course, my mom says I have to put a limit on the number of pillows I commit to, since school is starting! I will post on my Facebook page when I am not able to take any more orders.”

What grade are you in?

I am 13 and am going into 8th grade this year at E.T.Richardson Middle School in Springfield, Pennsylvania.

What other interests do you have?

I play viola and piano. I play in a regional youth orchestra. I also sing. I love to read, spend time with my two dogs, Dobo and Drizzle, and hang out with my friends. I watch a lot of shows on Animal Planet. I am also a vegetarian.

Do you want to go into wildlife or conservation when you get older?

Yes, that is a definite possibility for me. I am thinking about becoming a zoologist, or working at an animal sanctuary.

Thanks for all you are doing for wolves,  Eden!  We are glad there are people out there like you who really want to make a difference!

You can support Eden’s efforts to help wolves and get a gorgeous and colorful pillow for your home.  Visit Eden’s Facebook page:  Pillows 4 Pups.