Check out ¡Viva Vaquita! and the Oceanographic Environmental Research Society’s new coloring/activity book, Anita the Vaquita! It is obviously not directed towards the older audience, but it is great for little kids! It mixes fun activities and coloring with accurate yet simple information. Even though you’re probably an adult, I recommend at least looking at it and giving it to a kid you know. If you are serious about getting an actual copy, comment with your email address and we’ll work from there. Thanks!
Tag Archives: Vivavaquita
Mariachi Sol de Mexico
José Hernàndez (whom Diane Glim commented about on a previous post) from Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Save the Whales, and ¡Viva Vaquita! teamed up to do a public service announcement about the Vaquita being broadcasted on radio stations in the Monterey, California area. You can listen to it here: http://www.savethewhales.org/vaquita_psa.html.
¡Viva Vaquita! Facebook
Please like ¡Viva Vaquita! on Facebook! They frequently post updates and other good stuff there. Please also tell your FB Friends about ¡Viva Vaquita!
Signature goal Quiz
The ¡Viva Vaquita! petition on Change.org has a signature goal of
A) 500 signatures.
B) 1000 signatures.
C) 2000 signatures.
D) 5000 signatures.
La Tienda
Check out the ¡Viva Vaquita! La Tienda at http://www.printfection.com/vivavaquita! This great store features a wide range of tops, mugs, mousepads, ornaments, hats, bags, and bottles with various ¡Viva Vaquita! logos and illustrations. Besides the wonderful quality of the products, all of the profits go to the Monterey Bay Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, a non-profit organization. This is the best way to donate, and the best way to buy Vaquita items. Happy shopping!
Orca Network’s Ways of Whales
Viva Vaquita will have a presence this Saturday at the Ways of Whales Workshop on Whidbey Island, Washington. The event is sponsored by Orca Network. If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by!
How to help
According to Viva Vaquita, some ways YOU can help the Vaquita are:
Tell all your friends and family about the Vaquita.
Support conservation measures and vote for politicians with a good environmental record.
Support the Mexican economy by traveling to Mexico.
Do not buy shrimp or fish caught with gillnets.
Write your elected officials and tell them to help the Vaquita.
Write a letter to the President of Mexico and tell him to save the Vaquita. Felipe.Calderon@presidencia.gob.mx
Send Vaquita drawings to the United Nations, asking them to support Vaquita conservation efforts by Mexico.
ExecutiveOffice@unep.org
Send a message to the Mexican government to show your support for the Vaquita! Below are the most relevant agencies and links to their online suggestion boxes:
SEMARNAT (Ministry of Natural Resources)
http://www.semarnat.gob.mx/Pages/buzonciudadano.aspx
CONANP (Commission of Natural Protected Areas)
http://www.conanp.gob.mx/buzon.php
Donate to the Vaquita Recovery Fund!
http://www.vivavaquita.org/donations.htm
Whalefest
Join ¡Viva Vaquita! at Whalefest on Saturday, January 21 from 9 am-5 pm at Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, California! They will be giving a special lecture about the Vaquita and showing the documentary “Vaquita: Last Chance for the Desert Porpoise”. Be sure to stop by the ¡Viva Vaquita!/American Cetacean Society Monterey Bay Chapter and Save The Whales booths to learn even more about the Vaquita! More information can be found at the link below. Even though I can’t attend (ahhh, the cost of traveling), anyone near or in Cali should head over for a great experience!
http://museumofmonterey.org/PDFs/Whalefestflyer.12.22.11.pdf
2 petitions
It is really important that you sign two petitions: the Vivavaquita petition, http://www.change.org/petitions/prevent-the-extinction-of-the-vaquita-porpoise-the-worlds-most-endangered-marine-mammal, and the Save the Whales petition, http://www.change.org/petitions/save-the-vaquita-porpoise-the-worlds-most-endangered-marine-mammal, on Change.org. To sign these petitions, you must simply click the link, fill out your information, and press the sign button. If you are already a Change.org member, just log in and sign. Both petitions only need a couple hundred more signatures, so PLEASE sign them and tell all your friends. If these petitions reach their goals, the Vaquita can be saved!
Adolescence
Second in a 4-part series: Adolescence
A few months now have already passed,
The calf’s older, he’s not a tot, at last!
He’s finally stopped cowering under his mom.
Now he’s swimming around with aplomb.
He learned to catch fish all on his own,
He learned how to squeak, whistle, and moan.
He can log, spyhop, breathe, and breach,
Echo-locate things his eyes can’t reach.
His days of being cared for are fading away.
He will join his mother’s pod any day.
The clock is ticking fast, and in essence,
These are his last days of adolescence.
