100 African Penguin Juveniles and counting!
Previously I’ve blogged on the De Hoop Nature Reserve. This is how it’s going so far.
Watch “African Penguins released at the De Hoop Nature Reserve” on YouTube
Glow in the Park Penguins?…
Recently we traveled to the Palm Springs area in California on a mission to assist Executive Photographer (and Co Owner of Surrounded By Penguins), Scarlett, with her Birb Biologist job. I love when this opportunity comes up because I feel like I’m a helpful assistant to wildlife caring people. We also are directly helping with research as we are collecting generic samples of the birds we catch. A few choice penguins and I are always happy to tag along and help with these endeavors.
As usual, I tagged on other ventures for Surrounded By Penguins while up there. In the interest of wanting to provide excursions and tours to surrounding wildlife conservation areas to include zoo’s, aquariums, and the like we decided to include attending a special event at the Palm Desert Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Garden. We obtained 3 genetic samples of wild birds that have established territories at the zoo. It’s pretty amazing that this zoo provides sanctuary knowingly and passively to endangered wildlife. The habitat maintained at many zoo’s actually provide the surrounding wildlife with a sanctuary. You’ll see deer at the Safari Park in San Diego for example along with both local and migratory birds and other wildlife. What animals have you seen in zoo’s that cohabitate with the zoo animals?
Since we were collecting genetic samples we got to visit the Living Desert Zoo before opening. During the day we got to see these amazing lanterns already set up for the Glow in the Park event. We could only imagine what they looked like at night.
We wouldn’t get our chance to see the lanterns lit until the the events closing night. The unobstructed colorful views during the day became much more appreciated as we found ourselves shoulder to shoulder much of the time at night. But wow wow wow were the lanterns amazing. Day or night the creative detailed figures were impressive. We were blown away by the correctly coordinated colors, fabric designs, accurate proportions to scale, and many of the lantern animals moved! Not one person in the collective mob was unimpressed and many people were still interested in seeing the actual animals that were not lanterns too. To give respect to the animals, the lights were strategically placed and some areas were off limits.
Maybe some animals that are nocturnal were visible? These naked mole rats are blind so do they know when it’s day or night? Without the ability to see, how else can we gauge if it’s day time or night time?
Although it was difficult, I took many many many pictures and will share some below.
During the event, Afie, Syd and I decided that from now on only one of them would be on my shoulder while in public. Both of them at the same time proved to be way too much to worry about. The ippies (Mippy, Sippy and Zippy) are definitely the most readily and photogenic of the ambassadors. Syd and Afie seem to enjoy seeing the ongoings from our shoulders and agree to being in selfies occasionally. Most times they are like the family pictures with the one kid that looks hilariously awkward on purpose.
As usual, we all still had a great time. Enjoy!
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They’re almost here!
On June 22nd, 2021, I placed my first sample order with CustomCat. I believe I designed and ordered 2 male sized shirts, 1 plus size feminine cut shirt, and 1 onesie. I was attempting to get a variety that would give me an idea of what type of printing I might like as well as show me how the graphics look on fabric. I am hoping no editing is required but seeing how I’ve never done this before, I figure that I might need to re-edit some designs. I am not sure if some of the small embellishments in my edits that I started to over think regarding the little blue penguin will show and need to be corrected. In my head, thinking of these things and remembering all the little details and learning lessons regarding editing photos, it might be easier to make the images more cartoonish. I see for most prints on shirts that is what is being done. A lot of picture manipulation to get the image to be more of just a umm, what do they call that? A graphic image vs the real life photo? It does seem that these days color graphics are more popular than actually photos, maybe?…. I plan on having a wide variety of styles to offer, with still using the photos we took. That part is so crucial for so many reasons (see the About page if you’re interested in knowing why).
I might receive my package as early as later today! I’m excited and nervous. Cost and time being a factor, I really do hope I can roll out the designs as is, but I don’t want to push out poor quality either.
I still need to do certain things revolving around taxes before I can even open up shop, mainly formally letting the county I live in know that they can now take their cut from my sales for taxes. I hope I’ve done the rest. *thinking* 🤔 Nooope… I still have to do a few additional things. I keep telling myself, “It’ll all get done, sooner or later. Take it easy and go at your own pace. This isn’t a race.” It’s not like I have to get to the breeding grounds pronto to find a mate. 😂 Talk about pressure. Suddenly I’m wondering if a penguin could beat the world record holder for the fastest eater of hotdogs in the same set time, of course in fish instead of hotdogs.
I also need to find some way to automatically donate a portion of the profits of the sales. I would like for a percentage of the sale to automatically go to an organization, but it seems that might be impossible right now without creating a campaign. So far it seems like the best method might be to keep track and donate a lump sum every month or so. I suppose that because I’m in the negative monetarily, it might be best to do the book keeping to know how much I could consider profit. That’s probably wise for not just the start of the business but maybe throughout the existence of it. But at the same time, automatically not seeing that money forces me to work with what I got. The attitude of, “I won’t miss it if I never had it.” I also want to make sure that some of each sale does make it to a more than worthy and needy organization.
If anyone knows of a way that can automatically make a percentage or dollar amount of a sale go to certain organizations, please share. If possible, I would also like an option that allows people to round up their total or donate extra to the cause at check out.
As of right now, Surrounded By Penguins is looking into joining the Dollar Donation Club. They are on an amazing quest to remove 1,000,000 pounds of ocean plastic! Specifically aiming to remove ghost nets by tagging them so that sailors and islanders can pick up the nets for proper disposal. These nets are extremely harmful to ocean life. I remember hearing specifically about the uncuttable blue ropes people kept finding on ocean wildlife. I thought about how impossible it would be for anything to free itself from that type of rope in any condition or environment. I don’t mean to be depressing but I feel that I need to do some good in the mist of all the harm I contribute to our world. Too often it may seem as if the little we can do makes no impact, but at the Dollar Donation Club reminds us, $1 can eliminate 30 credit cards worth of plastic removal from the oceans! That is about 150 grams (over 5 ounces) of plastic in weight and over a flat area that covers 5,457 millimeters (almost 215 inches)! That’s actually a lot if you think about it.
Check out the Dollar Donation Club at www.dollardonationclub.com
Thank you all! Please wish us luck!
In Gratitude and Squawk’s,
Executive Penguins
