The book has now reached Amazon #1 best seller in books for 2 to 6 year olds in several categories: environmental books, word games, cultural studies, sociology and reference books.  I am very happy about the designation and hope that parents, care givers, teachers and other related adults will enjoy its simple little story and games, teachable moments and pages of information.

I have enjoyed using it to teach at schools, Sunday schools and related childhood functions.  All  the books in the collection have games and activities for children to enjoy as well as pages of parental notes to work with.  Shown below are photos from one of the earth birthday parties that I have hosted.  So much fun with a lasting earth garden to keep!

If you have read the book, thank you for helping to make it an Amazon #1 best seller; if not I invite you to join Lae Lae and her friends as they celebrate A Birthday Party for Mother Earth!

I am not someone who sends a lot of petitions but I am passionate about our world and its future -  our water, our land, our air...and our animals, both wild and domestic.  So many problems exist when we take animals out of their native world...whether for trophies, food, "medicine", whatever.  It upsets our natural balance and brings in diseases if we consume the products of wild animal markets.

I understand the need for well run and managed zoos particularly to protect animals that re endangered in the wild. I am, however; more in  favor of and would rather have wildlife sanctuaries where the animals can live in their own natural or near natural habitats if possible.

One of the most trafficked animals in the world is the pangolin.  They are going extinct because of our abuse, misuse and slaughter of them for human consumption.  It is not well known but they, like many other wild animals, carry viruses that are not dangerous to them but are very dangerous to us when we consume them.  The pangolins are shy and innocent little creatures and they should be left in their own world.

I am glad to know that there are those in our government who are taking positive steps to end wildlife trafficking and wildlife consumption.  Being basically a vegetarian (sometimes consuming eggs, yogurt and wild salmon), I know that there are diets that you can adhere to that are very healthy and that don't have to endanger our wildlife or ourselves.  I would like to encourage those for a safe and healthy world 

I am a huge wild animal (and bird) lover but I love them in their own habitat - not mine.  For the sake of all (ourselves and the wild animals)  we need to leave the animals (birds included) in the wild, but we must protect that wild. So many problems are created because we destroy their habitat and poach what we can for our own use. COVID-19, like SARS, MERS, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and many other zoonotic epidemics before, initially emerged from wildlife, then made the jump to people through close proximity or human consumption.

• Today, on World Animal Day, we need to make a pledge to do several things:
•      •  Shut down commercial wildlife markets and the cruel trade that fuels them.
•      •  End the import, export, and sale of wildlife for food and exotic "medicine"
•      •  Phase-out demand for wildlife as a food source by encouraging alternative
•         forms of food production.

The impact of the current pandemic in terms of loss of human life, physical and mental health, the economy, and public life has been completely devastating to the entire world and cannot be underestimated. Global and national action to curb the wildlife trade is one of the most effective strategies to prevent future pandemics and is necessary to reduce animal suffering and protect biodiversity.

We ultimately need to see an end to the wildlife trade for all purposes, not just human consumption to avoid another global health crisis but also to prevent millions of animals from being cruelly bred in captivity or poached from the wild.

One of the most wonderful trips into the wild that I have been on was a photographic birding expedition down through central Mexico to Veracruz to see the River of Raptors and to float through the mangroves to photograph the amazing diversity of birdlife and wildlife.  I went as still photographer on the team and loved "mucking" through the wildlife preserve to photograph the birds that we saw.  We stayed in primitive but clean cabins.  The photograph above was taken of a hawk that followed us as we traveled down the river and the gull to the right was on the river itself.  

I am no birding expert but we did take an expert with us who told us what we were seeing.  We fell in love with the local people as we traveled and their hospitality couldn't have been warmer.  In the huge wildlife reserve, it was exciting to see the efforts that the Mexican people are making to save their bird and animal wildlife.  

We all need to do our part if only to contribute monetarily to the many wonderful wildlife organizations throughout the world that work so hard to help produce a better world for us all. Today I made a little contribution to try to do my small part.
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