October 2009
Two Week Extravaganza: BE Halloween in NYC and Wesleyan University Homecoming (0) 10/26/09
It’s been a hectic few weeks at Birthright Earth, but the fun is about to begin. We are gearing up for two straight weekends of events and wanted to let everyone know where we’ll be and how you can get involved:
Saturday Oct. 31st - Birthright Earth Presents: The Amazon Monsters’ Ball
What: Open Bar featuring live music and catering provided by Touche de Finesse
Where: Gallery Bar on New York City’s Lower East Side: 120 Orchard street.
When: Halloween, 7-11 pm, open bar from 8:30 – 10:30 pm
Donate: $20 cover, $35 open bar
Are you going? Because I know….
Saturday Nov. 7th - Birthright Earth Tailgate at Wesleyan University Homecoming
What: BBQ and drinks provided by Birthright Earth to all students, parents, and alums on campus for homecoming festivities
Where: Andrus Field, to the left of the Football field just outside the Usdan Campus Center
When: Saturday, Nov. 7th from 12 to 4 pm
Donate: In addition to food and drinks, Birthright Earth merchandise will be available for purchase and we will have an informational booth next to the tailgate.
We hope you can make it out to these events!
See It, Save It
– tim
Join Birthright Earth for the Amazon Monsters’ Ball in New York City this Halloween (0) 10/25/09
Birthright Earth is celebrating Halloween at Gallery Bar in NYC.
Wesleyan Argus Catches Up with Birthright Earth (0) 10/16/09
Wesleyan Argus Catches Up with Birthright Earth,
Wesleyan University’s campus newspaper The Argus checks in with BE co-founders Eli Bronner and Tim Devane on the progress of Birthright Earth.
Birthright Earth Documentary Grant Explained (0) 10/07/09
Over the last week, we’ve been fervently promoting a Birthright Earth grant proposal in a voting competition called ‘Project Fund’ sponsored by the organization Brighter Planet. If that’s too many prepositional phrases for you, here’s a little more explanation.
Brighter Planet is a website and online environmental network. The org’s main purpose centers on the individual Carbon Footprint. Once you are registered and become a member of the site, you can calculate your carbon footprint, learn about different ways to reduce it, track your progress in reducing, and share your reducing experiences with others in the network (thank you Brighter Planet homepage).
An additional effort by the organization is ‘Project Fund’ which is a grant-giving branch of the site that decides where to give funds based upon their members’ votes over a two week voting period. Brighter Planet does this every month and this particular month, Birthright Earth has submitted a project in league with a production team from the nonprofit organization SeeChange headed up by Mike Trainer and Adam Barton. The project is titled ‘Climate Change: A Personal Journey of Understanding and Action’ and is linked here.
Although the title doesn’t include the name Birthright Earth, our organization will feature heavily in this wonderful proposal that approaches the ‘beyond any of us’ issue of global climate change from an individual perspective. The first half of the proposed documentary will center around the ’50 people, 1 question’ model and consist of street interviews in Brooklyn, NY about climate change. The second half of the documentary will focus on Birthright Earth and our growth from a simple idea to an environmental movement.
To win this competition and be able to produce this documentary would be a progressive achievement for Birthright Earth – our message would reach far and beyond where it has to this point and we would move much closer to attaining our organizational goals.
Voting runs through noon on October 15th – so PLEASE, PLEASE take a moment to vote. Once you register with Brighter Planet by leaving your email address and creating a username (don’t worry Brighter Planet does NOT blast emails and newsletters!), you are given 3 total votes for Project Fund and you can use ALL 3 on our project!
Take a moment, register and vote for Birthright Earth and encourage your friends and family to as well!
See It, Save It
- tim
September 2009
Birthright Earth Earns National Nonprofit Award (0) 9/30/09
Press_Release_Grassroots_Member_of_Month_September_30_2009
Birthright Earth chosen as Member of the Month by Grassroots.org.
Video: Barack Obama Speaks on Climate Change at UN (0) 9/25/09
President Obama waxes poetic about the entire environmental crisis and sums it all up very nicely. To hear it at the United Nations this week was wonderful and hopefully it builds towards some concrete policies when the Copenhagen Conference comes in two months.
See It, Save It
- tim
Direct Exposure: Amazon Video Clips from Tropical Nature Volunteer (0) 9/23/09
Watch these two videos and imagine being there, drifting by large caimen in a dugout boat or trekking through the rain forest with the pulse of the jungle and exotic noises surrounding you.
Guido Hakkenberg volunteered at the Pantanal Wildlife Center and Jaguar Research Center this summer, two of Tropical Nature’s most popular eco-lodge destinations. Check out a photo album from his entire trip on the Birthright Earth facebook fan page.
Caimen on the Pantanal:
Jungle Hike in Ilhabela:
Guido’s volunteer experience is available for all Birthright Earth participants to pursue during summer breaks or for full-year periods!
Thanks for the video Guido.
See It, Save It
– tim
Trevor Adams on The Bio-trip from Cuzco to Manu (0) 9/13/09
Hello,
This is Trevor Adams writing again from the Manu Wildlife Center. I thought that in this blog I would share the trip that took Jeff and I from the city of Cuzco, Peru to the jungle of Manu, Peru.
Jeff and I had to be up early in the morning to get onto a bus, that would be taking us along with a group of tourists on a three days, two nights overland trip to the MWC. The people that the two of us were joining on this trip were a family from Southern California with one teenage son and a family from Zurich, Switzerland with a young son and daughter. There were also two bus drivers, which is required by Peruvian law, the guide, Jose Antonio, and a man who worked at the MWC.
As we were leaving Cuzco, Jose Antonio began explaining the culture and history of the city, as well as what our itinerary would consist of. Soon after leaving Cuzco city proper, we stopped at a small town where Jose Antonio bought a few loaves of a special bread of that area called Panchuta. It was a round loaf of bread that was very sweet but not completely soft like a sweet roll usually is. Jose Antonio then explained that during a certain festival there is a competition among the many bakers of Panchuta in this small town to see who can make the most elaborate design in the middle of the bread, such as animal designs. The prize that was won from this competition was solely pride in being the best baker of Panchuta that year.
Soon after this small town we made our first real stop of the trip at a large lake about forty-five minutes outside of Cuzco. The lake was very marshy in some places and was a location that was often frequented by certain birds of that area. We saw a few different species of birds here, including certain types of ducks.
We then continued on our trip, which would take us from the valleys around Cuzco up to the heights of the Andes. We traveled through small cities that dotted the mountainside along the long and winding road. The bus ride was one of the most beautiful rides that I believe I will ever take in my life. While we were climbing the Andes mountains we not only saw wildlife along the way, but we were also able to see great views from the road of the different mountains, valleys, and even of terraces that had been built by the Incans. For lunch, our group stopped on the side of the road where we were able to find a flat space literally on the edge of a cliff, right outside of a region of Peru called the Cloud Forest. It was both a beautiful scene as well as a delicious lunch. During lunch, we learned that the Cloud Forest derived its name from its high altitude, which allows for dense clouds to creep down the mountainside enveloping all that is in its path. It is in this region of the Peruvian rainforest that certain animals and plants can only be found, including the Wooly Monkey.
The first night we were staying at the Cock of the Rock Lodge, which was located along this road. The trip from Cuzco to the lodge took us about twelve hours, which Jose Antonio explained was slightly longer than usual since we made so many stops for wildlife and problems in the road. The Cock of the Rock Lodge is named for the national bird of Peru, Cock of the Rock, which we would be seeing the next day from a blind located five to ten minutes walking time from the lodge. It was dark when we arrived at the lodge, but it consisted of a pathway that stretched from the road through the bungalows to the lodge at the other end. There was no electricity and only candlelight and there was a propane-gas system for hot water in the showers. We all had a great meal, after which Jeff and I slept our first night in the jungle.
The next morning we woke up early so that we could arrive at the blind before the Cock of the Rock would. The blind was located in a section of the forest off of the road where the Cock of the Rock has a sizeable lek. It is actually quite amazing that the birds are not in anyway bothered by the noise of passing cars on the road no more than twenty feet away. The sight we were treated to when the cock of the rock arrived was really tremendous. The Cock of the Rock is a bright red bird with a blackish body that pushes its feathers forward on its head to create a crest. We witnessed about six males performing their mating ritual, while two or three females watched the displays.
After about an hour at the lek, our group returned back to the lodge where right outside the back of the dinning room in the garden we saw a family of Brown Capuchin Monkeys climbing in the trees. The Capuchins were the first monkeys that we saw on our trip and they were very close to the lodge so it created an amazing scene. In the garden, we also saw an Agouti, a variety of hummingbirds, and a Bolivian squirrel.
We then returned to the bus after breakfast for a six hour drive to a town on the Upper Madre De Deos River called Atalaya. From here we would be taking a fifteen-minute boat ride to the Amazonia Lodge. The lodge was a converted ranch, which meant much of the forest in the immediate area was secondary. Amazonia Lodge is very beautifully made and even has the convenience of electricity. There was a waterfall nearby, which the lodge used to power the lights and water in the lodge. It is a very good location for viewing a variety of birds.
In the morning we left Amazonia for a seven-hour boat ride to our final destination the Manu Wildlife Center. Unfortunately, we left during a cold front, which made the boat ride very cold and mostly devoid of wildlife. However, ever since arriving here at MWC our experience and wildlife viewing has only gotten better. Thank you for reading.
See it, Save it
Trevor
China: Economically OK, Environmentally NOT (0) 9/11/09
“Over the past year, the world economy has experienced the most severe challenge since the Great Depression,” said Wen Jiabao at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions. China has bounced back however, and rather quickly. The financial hierarchy has regulated its banks well over the years, kept the currency steady, and allocated the stimulus money well. Companies are reporting earnings again and stocks are up by more than 70 percent this year. The real issue at hand is not the economy, but the environment.
One of the largest complaints voiced by the Chinese people, is the contamination of fresh water sources from industrial pollution, as well as lousy treatment of sewage systems throughout the country. There is much pollution in China’s lakes, and algae outbreaks, causing an environmental alarm, are happening more often than not. This can be caused by nearby agriculture materials leaking into the various bodies of water; hundreds of millions of dollars have been dedicated to cleaning China’s lakes. Lakes, and water in general possessing these levels of toxins can kill much of the surrounding wildlife, and can be accidentally served as deadly drinking water to the local population.
The violent riots: Polluted air and dirty water lead to severe health hazards, and when your fellow comrades are dying due to the overwhelming pollution in the area, chances are you will speak up, roaringly. The latest riots, in a series across the country, resulted in hostages and a couple thousand riot police officers. A chemical plant and a tannery were at the epicenter of the rumble. The cancer rate is the highest its been in the surrounding area and the smell from the industrial production is appalling. Economic development, in a sense has “lapped” environmental regulations in China, and they need to get back on pace with each other.
(water samples collected from various rivers and lakes around China)
The fresh water problem is (a huge) part of a larger environmental issue, no doubt. However, it is important to understand all facets of our environmental crisis whether it be in the Amazon, Oklahoma, Antarctica, or China, because no matter where we may be in the world, we are heavily affected by these environmental complications.
See It, Save It
-Eli
The Rainforest Alliance with Birthright Earth (0) 9/10/09
PR_Rainforest_alliance_with_Birthright_Earth_September_11_2009
Birthright Earth announces its alliance with the Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit organization with over 20 years experience working to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods.
Birthright Earth names Barton Seaver to Board of Advisors (0) 9/10/09
PR_Barton_Seaver_September_11_2009
Widely acclaimed for his culinary talents, Seaver’s passions extend far beyond the dinner table and delighting the palette with inspiring seafood cuisine, to include socio-economic and cultural issues.
Going Green like the Incredible Hulk, Hilarious Video from Current TV (0) 9/05/09
Current TV’s animated sketch comedy show ‘Supernews’ excerpt about a guy that takes going green quite literally, environment be damned. Enjoy!
BE's Jeff Strittmatter on working with the Machiguenga Tribe (0) 9/02/09
Thanks to Birthright Earth and its affiliates, Trevor Adams and myself, Jeff Strittmatter, were given the opportunity to volunteer at the Manu Wildlife Center, an eco-tourist lodge in the Peruvian Amazon.
Our first of three months has already passed and we have thoroughly enjoyed each and every minute of our stay here. Our daily routine allows us to gain phenomenal insight into the people, animals and lowland jungle of Peru.
Trevor and I spend the majority of the day with our coworker, Santos. Santos comes from a local indigenous tribe, the Machiguengas. He is one of the 20 or so workers who live across the river on an island (their request for reasons of privacy) whose jobs are to navigate the riverboats for tourists and maintain the trails in the surrounding area. Approximately 90 percent of these workers have roots in the Machiguenga tribe. Hiring the members of this local tribe is important for several reasons. It prevents them from pursuing jobs that are harmful to the environment, such as poaching and logging. The exportation and sale of exotic birds is now illegal in Peru. Poaching of this type in the past has had long lasting diminishing effects on the population of these animals (due a high demand in the US for these birds at pets) and will continue to effect their populations if alternative forms of employment are not available. By providing these families with sufficient income to feed and educate their children properly, it deters them from resorting to these other types of employment that are harmful to the environment and the surrounding ecosystem.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to get to know these people very well. They are all great workers and extremely friendly. They are even gracious enough to allow me to participate in their weekly Sunday afternoon soccer game. Every morning when I arrive to their island I’m sure to be met with a gigantic smile and a firm handshake from any of the workers I encounter. In the future I’d like to continue seeing smiles on their faces while at the same time keeping them out of the jungle hunting or logging.
See it, Save it
- Jeff
August 2009
- Follow us on Twitter and tweet your new name ideas for Tropical Nature Travel to twitter.com/birthrightearth
- Every tweeted submission will be considered by Tropical Nature Travel and Birthright Earth to be the new name for the largest Eco-Tourism company in South America. How Cool!
- The winning name will be announced at Katra Lounge on August 15th at 10:00 pm, the person who submitted will need to be there to collect their winnings.
From Manu Peru (0) 8/29/09
Hello folks,
My name is Trevor Adams. I am currently working as a volunteer at the Manu Wildlife Center in the Peruvian rainforest with my friend Jeff Strittmatter. Jeff and I graduated from Wesleyan University in 2009 with Tim Devane. We are good friends with Tim as well as other members of the Birthright Earth team, which we are also a part of. Thanks to the incredibly helpful affiliate companies of Birthright Earth, especially Tropical Nature and InkaNatura, Jeff and I were able to pursue our current course of work in the jungle of Manu, Peru. In order to attempt to return the favor to Birthright Earth and the affiliate companies, Jeff and I have happily agreed to post a blog about our work and experiences at the Manu Wildlife Center (MWC).
First, I think it is important to explain exactly what volunteering at the MWC entails. Our primary job is to teach the manager of the lodge, Claudia, English. It is important for Claudia to be able to speak English because whenever a new group of tourists arrives at the lodge, she gives a briefing that describes the rules and services of the lodge. At the moment, Claudia gives the briefing in Spanish and has a guide translate to the tourists. It would be more expedient for Claudia to give the briefing in English, as well as be able to directly answer any questions that the tourists may have. Also, it is important for her to learn English to enable her to be able to understand and respond to problems that the tourists may have during their stay at the lodge, especially for emergencies. Our other main job is to run a shop at the MWC, which contains t-shirts and various Peruvian souvenirs, including hand-stitched items made by a native woman. The proceeds of the shop all go towards the non-profit organization NatureCrafts, which then uses the money to fund various conservation projects.
In future posts Jeff and I will be describing the interesting animals, people, and events that we have seen so far and will see in the future. I hope you all enjoy the blog and that we can help you share in our great Peruvian experience.
See it, Save it
Trevor
Rosenthal Explores Payment for Rainforest Preservation (0) 8/23/09
Yesterday, Elisabeth Rosenthal’s second major article on deforestation and climate change ran on the front page of the New York Times. The piece was the sixth in a series about ‘stopgap measures that could limit climate change’ according to the Times.
The article outlines a program gaining support from South American governments and foreign political leaders alike: paying local farmers a fee per acre to conserve and monitor the rainforest land they own. Ideally, this program would change local cattle ranchers and soy bean farmers into Brazilian conservationists – a term that has historically been a laughable oxymoron in the country.
Rosenthal notes the simplicity of the program, which may be its most serviceable aspect. The farmers do much less work to preserve the rainforest than they do farming it. Yet, it is what they don’t do that helps limit CO2 emissions on three distinct fronts: First, by not cutting down trees, they negate the emission from actual deforestation. Second, they don’t destroy the natural carbon sinks that are the Earth’s CO2 regulators. Third, there is no emission from raising and processing cattle and soy beans.
Simple is an attractive and yet misleading word in conservation. Simplicity is a necessity to motivate generations of Brazilians who’ve been encouraged by their government to develop the rainforest. People resist change and are wholly unresponsive when it requires serious additional work. In this respect, the program is incredibly promising as it takes less work than the actual ranching does.
But simple can easily be manipulated. One of the central issues with the payment program is ensuring that land is actually preserved. A culture of self-interest combines with vast acreage to make it very easy for farmers to take payments and still develop the land. There needs to be a system of checks that provides transparency and enforcement.
This is where the Amazon Protection System – SIPAM would come in handy. A Brazilian governmental organization and a feature of certain Birthright Earth trips, SIPAM has been in operation since 1990 and monitors the health of the rainforest as well as illegal logging and poaching with infrared satellites. This is an ideal tool for ensuring that the deals made with farmers are adhered to. Before Brazil starts handing out money without any kind of check, the state should realize the advanced monitoring program they have at their disposal.
If it can be enforced and the money is enough to compensate the farmers’ normal incomes, this program could be incredibly successful. Without being able to turn all interested parties into environmentalists, money will be key in conserving the rainforest.
See it, Save it
- tim
Birthright Earth Event in NYC Tomorrow Night! (0) 8/14/09
Come celebrate the end to a great summer at Katra Lounge in the Lower East Side tomorrow night! We are hosting an event there from nine until closing and expect to see one of the biggest turnouts so far! There will be drink specials at the beginning of the night so we recommend coming early.
Also, a reminder about an easy way to win $100! Our sister organization, Tropical Nature Travel needs renaming and wants your suggestions. Tweet us (@BirthrightEarth) your ideas and the one we like best will win $100 at 1o PM at Katra tomorrow night.
For more event information, check out our Facebook invite here.
Your continued support means the world to us, everyone is very excited for Saturday night and we hope to see many of you there!
See It, Save It,
-Daphne
Twitter Name Competition – Win $100.00 (0) 8/07/09
So our sister organization is Tropical Nature Travel, the largest eco-tourism company in South America. Tropical Nature Travel has operated for more than 15 years and conserves over 10 million acres of Amazon rainforest. All the lodge descriptions on our site are TN’s wonderful lodges.
So What? Well, Tropical Nature Travel is looking to reinvigorate and sexify their operations and how better to do that than with a New Name? Are you down?
If so, here’s the deal. Birthright Earth is hosting a Naming Competition through our Twitter page starting this morning and running through next Saturday Aug.15, when we host an event at Katra Lounge in New York City.
Guidelines:
SO: Get your creative juices flowing, tweet us your ideas, show up at Katra for a great time, and maybe you win $100!
* Think about it, the dude who came up with the Nike Swoosh only got 50 bucks for his efforts *
Mother Nature Network reports on Birthright Earth (0) 8/01/09
July 2009
Prince's Rainforests Project Campaign (0) 7/30/09
Prince Charles’ Rainforest project is one of the most impressive organizations in the world today that is doing work to stop deforestation and preserve the Amazon. Birthright Earth hopes to work with this project in the near future to help save the environments, cultures, and biodiversity that is being destroyed in South America.
This promotional video says it all:
Birthright Earth @ Garrett's in D.C. Tomorrow! (0) 7/29/09
If you’re looking to do something tomorrow night, don’t want to spend a lot of money, and do want to support a good cause, come to Garrett’s at 3003 M street in Georgetown. We’re having our second event of the summer there tomorrow night with Happy Hour prices from 9-10 pm and $1 off all drinks from 10 pm to close. A Birthright Earth Representative will be at the front door of Garrett’s to collect a recommended $10.00 donation and talk about the program. We will be in the Club Room, which is upstairs to the left.
Here’s a link to the facebook invite.
Look out for a Birthright Earth Crew walking around Georgetown today posting fliers and another crew marching on M street and Wisconsin Ave tomorrow evening before the event with a 8 ft Birthright Earth banner encouraging people to come.
It’s gonna be a great night, so come show your support.
See It, Save It
- Tim
