The article was sent to us by a prairie dog PAL. It is “We Were Made For These Times” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It is a good read in these troubling times. Kind Words
Animal Protection Lobby Day 2017
Passing stronger laws for animals takes ongoing dedication, planning, persistence, and plenty of voices from constituents like YOU! Join us for Animal Protection Lobby Day, and help make humane the new normal in 2017.
Our 2017 legislative priorities include banning traps and poisons on public lands and ending wildlife killing contests. We will continue to be vigilant in fighting against bills that are bad for animals, and supporting other pro-animal legislation.
This is a free event! Lunch and Refreshments provided!
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
9:00 AM- Registration & Refreshments (PERA Building)
10:00 AM- Citizen Lobbyist Training (PERA Building, Apodaca Hall)
11:30 AM- Lunch and Breakouts / Letter Writing Campaign (PERA Building)
1:00 PM- Group Photo on steps of PERA Building
1:30 PM- Deliver Letters to Your Legislators (Roundhouse)
2:30 PM- Press Conference / Guest Speakers (Roundhouse / Rotunda)
4:00 PM- Reception at APNM Santa Fe Office, 1111 Paseo de Peralta
Help us cover the cost of lunch for you or a community member. Suggested donation $15.00
Read more at: Lobby Day
Event Location
PERA Building1120 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Directions
We will begin our day at the P.E.R.A building, then make our way to the Roundhouse, finishing with a reception at the APV Santa Fe office.
A rescued prairie dog set The Wildlife Geek on a new path
The kindergarteners filed into the media center at Welcome Elementary School, then at their teacher’s direction they scooted and shuffled and sat on a floor rug all the while peeking at the assortment of Rubbermaid boxes, containers and small cages covered in blankets and towels, hiding the main focus of the event just out of view.
Standing at the front, wearing a khaki wide-brimmed hat and sporting a goatee with flecks of gray and brown hair that would flop over his eyes, Chuck Alberding greeted the students and explained the rules – they’d watch a short film (he’d shot, narrated and edited himself) then get on to the main attraction, the various creatures hiding from sight.
“Cool?” Alberding said with two thumbs up.
The video, purposely corny and featuring a high-pitched talking panda doll, introduced the students to a three-horned chameleon.
Then Alberding brought out Karma, his own three-horned chameleon. Bright green and six-inches long, the chameleon sat on a branch as Alberding placed a food morsel within striking distance. The children gathered in close to watch and “thwap” out came his tongue, long and lean, and grabbed the snack 8 inches away.
The students howled with laughter and asked for a repeat performance.
Alberding took the opportunity to talk about the chameleon’s characteristics – what they eat, where they live, how big they get – then he repeated demonstrations with his stock of reptiles, lizards and critters.
He showed off a water dragon named Moss, a veiled chameleon named Bob, a fire bellied toad named Demetri, a Pacman frog named Jabba and for his penultimate demonstration he brought out his personal favorites, prairie dogs named Amelia and Frederick.
Read more at: Geek
2014 Board and General Meetings
The board and general membership meetings were conducted on February 2, 2014. The meeting was well attended and the group discussed issues like site stewardship, needing new volunteers, fundraising, and other pressing issues.
To read the minutes, click on Minutes.
Identify a Prairie Dog!
We need to raise $2500 to purchase microchips for the 2014 season; Just $50 buys 10 microchips!
Read more: Emma
Prairie Dogs Can Describe Your Clothes (and Other Fun Facts)
If we abandon the old paradigm that we are intrinsically different and superior to all other life forms, it’s possible to look at animals with greater respect and, like Denise Herzing, start working towards decoding their language. — Con Slobodchikoff
Check it out: Slobodchikoff
Cuddling Prairie Dogs Remind Us That Sharing A Bed Has Its Downsides
If you’ve ever shared a bed with another person, you know that as nice as it to have someone to cuddle with, it can also interfere with your sleep. Especially when you’re dealing with the dreaded bed hog.
Read more at: Mates
Hunting Isn’t the Answer to Animal ‘Pests’
Wildlife conflicts are a real problem in some communities, but hunting is not the solution. Whether the problem is deer eating tulips or colliding with cars, Lyme disease, or bears getting into garbage, there is always an effective, nonlethal way to handle it.
Read More: Opinion
Weems 2013
Weems 2013 was a great success! The volunteers talked to many people on the merits of prairie dogs and we made over $1100 in sales and donations. Many thanks to all those who volunteered or who helped the prairie dogs by donating or purchasing merchandise. Remember Christmas is coming and time to stock up on prairie dog swag! Woo Hoo
TrapFree New Mexico needs YOUR help!
Dear Supporters of a TrapFree New Mexico,
You may have seen this article on the front page of the Albuquerque Journal yesterday http://www.abqjournal.com/299377/news/dog-caught-in-trap-for-coyotes.html about a hiker’s dog being caught in a leghold trap on a popular trail in the Sandia foothills. It is true, fur trapping season started on November 1 and won’t end until March 15. That is 4.5 months that these devices will be out on our public lands placing all of us and our canine companions at risk. Coyotes can be trapped all year long.
I’m writing to ask you not to just get angry but to take action! Please send a letter to the editor of the ABQ Journal and voice your protest that these traps can be set on public land. Many people are not even aware that leaving a steel jawed leghold trap un-marked and unattended where others can be harmed is even legal. If the paper gets a large number of letters, it is more likely they will print some keeping the issue at the forefront and hopefully letting other people know.
It should be short, 100-150 words is best, and can be sent online here: http://www.abqjournal.com/letters/new
Please use your own words, but here are some talking points:
· The presence of traps can have a chilling effect on the ability of outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy their favorite places.
· A trapped dog can become dangerous so people trying to help can be bitten. Traps can be difficult to remove even if you know how they work.
· When dogs are caught, we can see the cruelty, pain and suffering that traps inflict which wildlife must also endure only to be brutally killed when the trapper arrives. Killing a helplessly trapped animal is usually done by gunshot, strangulation, or bludgeoning. It is violence at close range.
· Resident trappers only pay $20 to trap an unlimited number of bobcats, foxes, and other animals that have fur which they then sell for profit. They are privatizing the public’s wildlife for a pittance.
· Traps cannot choose on whose leg they slam shut. Besides our dogs, victims can include birds, squirrels, deer and other protected species and even endangered ones; wildlife that would be illegal to otherwise harm.
You can also visit http://trapfreenm.org/ for more
Thank you for taking action and speaking out.
Sincerely,
Mary Katherine Ray
For TrapFree NM
PS. Please let us know if you are a trap victim. We are collecting your stories here: http://trapfreenm.org/learn-more-stories-comments.php
We invite you to also join our community on Facebook with a ‘like’. https://www.facebook.com/trapfreenm
Weems Teams Ready for Action
Jim, Becky and C Rex set up for the Weem’s International Artfest today! The fun begins tomorrow at 10 AM! You can see from the picture below that all is ready to go. Please consider visiting the artfest, and dropping by Prairie Dog Pals booth to pick up some holiday gifts and help the prairie dogs!
Weem’s Artfest: November 15, 16 & 17
What began as a local small arts and crafts fair 30 years ago has blossomed in to New Mexico’s most prestigious and exciting international event featuring over 279 artisans.
Weems Artfest has become a nationally recognized juried art event for the knowledgeable art collector. The art novice who has a thirst and desire to begin their art collection will also find Artfest a haven because of its wide range of prices and variety, as well as an emphasis on high quality. The festival’s commitment is to exhibit new talent along with showcasing the country’s finest in a very relaxed and non-intimidating arena. Artfest offers educational activities for children and adults through Children’s ArtSMart, artist’s demonstrations, Student Art Booths, and the inclusion of Albuquerque museums and various state and city philanthropic organizations. Weems Artfest is truly a New Mexico Tradition.
We’ll be tabling for the 3 days and would appreciate you visiting, saying hello, buying, or volunteering.
Read more at: Weems Artfest
Prairie Dog Coalition Honors Con Slobodchikoff, Ph. D.
The Prairie Dog Coalition, a program of The Humane Society of the United States, will honor those who have helped protect prairie dogs at the 9th annual “Living on Burrowed Time IX” gala on Oct. 26. This year’s event will celebrate and honor special guest Con Slobodchikoff, Ph. D. as Prairie Dog Protector of the Year.
Slobodchikoff, Ph. D., professor emeritus at Northern Arizona University, director of the Animal Language Institute, and president and CEO of Animal Communications, Ltd. Slobodchikoff is a world-renowned animal behaviorist who has been studying prairie dog communication for more than 30 years. Last year, he was featured on BBC and NPR for his research on animal communication and published Chasing Dr. Doolittle: Learning the Language of Animals.
Read more at: PDC honors C. Slobodchikoff
Prairie Dog Pals at Blessing of the Animals
Prairie Dog Pals participated in an outreach event at the Albuquerque Center for Spiritual Living. It was their blessing of the animals event and we got to meet with the congregation and talk to the choir, so to speak, about prairie dogs. The services were great, most of the congregation had brought their pets along for the blessing and it was a moving service. The Center donated the proceeds from lunch to the various groups participating, plus there were cash and in-kind donations. A very special outreach!
2013 Board and General Meetings
The board and general membership meetings were conducted on 2.2.13, Prairie Dog Day! The meeting was well attended and there was much discussion about our ability to continue to sustain colonies where the natural vegetation is not adequate to support the resident populations. Thinning will continue however volunteers to provide supplemental feeding are needed. There are a number of outreach events upcoming as well, check out our calendar. The day was highlighted by the sighting of the first prairie dog of 2013 by Margaret at the Lomas Police Substation. Oh well, winter is over and it is time to get to work.
To read the minutes, click on Minutes.
Bosque Del Apache Festival of the Cranes
Snow geese flying in and roosting in one of the cornfields.
The Bosque del Apache is a refuge for all seasons, but winter is the time to see the greatest number of birds, from early November to mid-February. Each fall, thousands of birds flying south stop by, where they can be viewed, photographed, and witnessed en masse. The annual Festival of Cranes takes place each November, with the star attraction being the sandhill cranes.
The festival takes place both outdoors and indoors. At the auto loop, visitors can drive around the refuge. Observation decks around the loop make perfect stopping places to take photographs, use viewing scopes and learn from the volunteers stationed there. Indoors, there are over 100 lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities, all related to the annual bird migration. Outdoors, hikes and tours will take place, such as special photography tours.
PDP was invited to lead a class on Prairie Dogs in Peril this year.
A synopsis of the lecture, presented by Jim T, follows:
The prairie dog (PD) is a keystone species integral to the life and well being of over 150 species of birds, animals, insects and plants. Their feeding and burrowing aerates the soil, stimulates optimal growth in prairie grasslands and provides habitat for burrowing owls plus other species. Once numbered in the billions, prairie dogs have been reduced to less than 2% of their original numbers and are scattered in small groups throughout their diminished territory. This catastrophic decline in numbers has resulted from human urban sprawl, annual poisoning by the thousands and target contests or “sport” shooting by thoughtless individuals. Today, only five of eleven species still exist. Jim’s talk describes how the prairie dog and the prairies have declined and what we can do about it.
Weems 2012
What began as small, local arts and crafts fair 30 years ago has blossomed in to New Mexico’s most prestigious and exciting international event featuring over 279 artisans.
In addition to the wide range of artistic offerings the Artfest provides educational activities for children and adults through Children’s ArtSMart, artists’ demonstrations, Student Art Booths, and the inclusion of Albuquerque museums and various state and city philanthropic organizations.
PDP was honored to be among the animal welfare and rescue charities invited to attend. The event not only provides and outlet for outreach but an opportunity for us to raise funds for rescue through the sale of prairie dog oriented items. Our volunteers manned the tables for the three-day event reporting great interest by the public and distributing considerable hand out material, including hundreds of pictures to interested children. Our sales were good and we made over $400.00.
Education
Dr. Con Slobodchikoff details his research on the language of prairie dogs to over 150 people at Prairie Dog Pal-ooza.
Prairie Dog Pals has three programs, Rescue, which includes rescuing prairie dogs and relocating them to safer locations, Stewardship, which includes advocating for and protecting their environment and the prairie dogs themselves, and Education.
Providing information to the public about prairie dogs and their plight is one of Prairie Dog Pals’ three programs. Our outreach volunteers are always ready to meet with any group to inform them about prairie dogs and/or answer questions.
Lynn Diehl addresses a packed house at an Oasis presentation featuring prairie dogs.
Perhaps our best outreach opportunities are those not pictured. These occur when our volunteers interface with interested, sympathetic, and sometimes-hostile passers by. It is very difficult to dispel rumor, fear, legend and years of accumulated bias; however, an open mind is a fertile place and our volunteers do their best to dispel fantasy with fact and reason.