Lori Robinson's Blog, page 10

8 Inspirational Gifts for Nature Lovers

Here are eight of my favorite inspirational gifts for people on your list who love animals, nature, wildlife and wild places. 

 

For Wildlife Conservationists

Inspirational Book: Saving Wild

 

Fifty of the world’s leading conservationists – amazing men and women all over the world – who have devoted their lives to saving some of the most endangered species and the most threatened areas on earth, answer the question: How do you stay inspired?  And this book, Saving Wild, is the result.

 

 

Holiday Special: Donate $200 to Saving Wild and get a copy of Saving Wild.

For your free gift Donate to Saving Wild at bottom of this page.

 

 

 

For Writers

Inspirational Book: Writing Wild

 

 

The pages in my copy of Writing Wild are dog-eared, highlighted, and trimmed with skinny post-its. In my interview with author Tina Welling she says, “when we align our creative practices with natural principles, we find joy; healing both ourselves and the earth. I highly recommend Writing Wild for writers, artists and anyone longing for a deeper connection to nature and wild-ness.

 

 

 

 

For Animal Lovers

Inspirational Products from Your True Nature

 

Your True Nature promotes connection, protection and education of nature’s beauty through frameable bookmarks, posters, postcards and journals featuring inspirational sayings as advice from nature. Dolphins advising us to have a playful spirit and glide through our day with ease, Giraffes advising us to stand tall and reach for new heights, I can not get enough of these wonderful gifts.

 

Holiday Special: Donate $50 to Saving Wild and get an Advice from a Rainforest bookmark. 

 

For your free gift Donate to Saving Wild at the bottom of this page.

 

For Weekend Hikers

Single water carrying pack.

I can not tell you how many people have asked me where I got my pack which holds one water bottle, my cell phone and my keys. It is perfect and light and wraps around my waist for a carefree feeling on any day hike.

 

 

 

For Backyard Birders

Book: What the Robin Knows

 

 

For anyone who feeds and or watches birds this is a great gift. The author emphasizes finding our own ‘sit spot’ – a place in nature we return to over and over in order to get to know our surroundings more intimately. After reading this book I am now more aware of how often the birds are ‘talking’ to each other and I am able to tell when there is danger (a cat or hawk) approaching just by listening and paying better attention to the bird’s messages.

 

 

 

 

For People Who Spend a lot of Time Outside

Gift Idea: Tilley Hats

There are many styles and colors of Tilley hats and all of them great.  Tilley’s feature built in sunblock, and guarantees! They’re made of organic cotton, and they even float. I could go on and on, but why don’t you go to the link and see for yourself.

 

 

Just for Fun

Inspirational Gift: Adult Coloring Books

 

I am addicted to coloring. I have books for coloring animals, flowers, frogs and mandalas. This book has some of each (not the frogs though). It is a great way to relax. Give this inspirational gift with a set of colored pencils and then get one for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

Fun gift for men: Colorful socks with a difference 

 

 

The socks are eco-friendly, they are made from bamboo, and proceeds from each sale goes to the Diane Fossey Fund for their gorilla conservation work in Africa.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donate to Saving Wild here:

Note: Donations are processed through our non-profit umbrella, The Key Biscayne Foundation, and are fully tax deductible.

 

 

 

Great news!

Buy any of these inspirational gifts (or anything at all) using the links provides and a small % of the cost of your purchase will go to protecting wildlife all over the world. It costs you nothing extra.

 

 

The post 8 Inspirational Gifts for Nature Lovers appeared first on Saving Wild.

Extraordinary Opportunity

Thrust. The word means to be suddenly pushed into a specified direction.

 

Imagine being physically pushed. In response many of us may think we have only three options: we fall down (give up), we move in the opposite direction (give in), or we push back against the force.

 

But there is another way.

 

What about using the momentum of the push to our advantage? How? We can view this as an opportunity, a chance to use the resulting extra energy (anger, compassion, determination) to move us to a new position.

 

For days I’ve been on a grueling soul searching journey – does anyone care about saving wildlife and wild places, am I making a difference, does anything even matter?

 

This internal inspection has led me to a place (Thank You Universe) of more strength and conviction then ever before. I have arrived at one unfaltering question: How can I, now more than ever, do the best work possible to protect wildlife and wild places? 

 

My answer: Get more laser focused with what works, up the ante of what I am already doing, and turn up the volume of my message.

 

How specifically am I doing this?

 

Below are some of the ways. I hope they will help you think about what you want to do with this extraordinary opportunity that we have been thrust into.

 

–Commit on a deeper level than ever before.

Make a commitment to yourself and others to spend more time and energy expressing your values and passions.

 

–Get clearer about your message.

Focus more on what works rather then waste energy on something that isn’t really hitting it out of the park in effectiveness.

 

–Expand your voice.

If you comment on social media, start writing more in-depth comments. If you write about issues, start talking about them more. If you talk about your passions, start attending legislative meetings to express your beliefs.

 

–Expand your reach.

If you are on social media, then start a blog or website. If you already have a blog, then write a book. If you have a book, set your sites on radio, or television. See how it works?

 

–Connect more fully and more often to your tribe.

Search out more people and groups that share your passion. Once you find them, be a fully present participant.

 

 

Did Ghandi say, “This is too overwhelming”, did John Muir say, “this is impossible”, does Jane Goodall ever say, “I give up”?

 

No.

 

And neither should you.

 

We are all Ghandi, Goodall and Muir. We are all capable of extraordinary things. We just have to commit and act.

 

Thrust yourself foreword amazing one.

 

 

**Featured Photo: Storm Approaching Trout Lake @ LeAnn Yeates 

 

 

The post Extraordinary Opportunity appeared first on Saving Wild.

Beyond Words by Carl Safina

In his newest book, Beyond Words, Carl Safina says, “Science usually asks ‘it’ questions about animals. Where does it live, what does it eat, what does it do when danger threatens. But, always forbidden is the one question that might open the door: Who?”

 

Beyond Words is Safina’s quest to explore ‘Who are you?’ The NY Times Bestseller focuses on three species: elephant, wolf and whale.

 

Why these three?

 

“Many animals have intricate social lives that make them a ‘who’ not an ‘it.’ There are a few examples of these kinds of creatures where individuals have been known long enough by researchers. I chose the flagship herbivore, carnivore, and marine creature, highly social species for whom a lot is known and whose relationship with humans is rocky as well. Apes and ravens were on the short list.  Though there are three focal species, there are actually dozens of species mentioned in the book,” explains Safina.

 

While Jane Goodall’s discovery of tool use by chimpanzees forced humans to redefine what it means to be human, Safina highlights emotions, cooperation, understanding, and humor in animals forcing us again to re-evaluate the separation we assume between  humans and animals.

 

A wild elephant communicating with a whale, dolphins sensing death, playing tricks on trainers, and calling each other by name, killer whales who find us entertaining, and who rescue dogs, wolves playing a game of pretend or dying on their own terms; there are many such stories in Beyond Words.

 

As Safina shows us “Living diversity is astonishing, but as you peel layers of difference, you encounter similarities more stunning.” And, it seems that non-humans understand this concept better than we do. “Their displays of compassion, forgiveness, and contact are especially humbling after all they have suffered at the hands of us humans.”

 

BUY IT NOW:

 

Interview by Lori Robinson with Carl Safina about Beyond Words

 

Lori: It sounds like you had many wonderful experiences with all three species while researching and writing this book. What was your most profound experience and how did it change you and your perception of animals?

 

Safina: Elephants. They are so wonderful and peaceful and so easy to watch for hours. I could not imagine being without them ever again. But seeing them poached, and the orphans…it broke my heart. The wolves were also extremely interesting and deeply moving. The orcas are almost too incredible for words, but a lot of their life happens out of sight.

 

Lori: Are you optimistic about the future of elephants, wolves and whales?

 

Safina: Optimistic? Generally, yes. But elephants face gigantic problems from poaching and just too many people crowding them out. Wolves face ingrained lethal hatred. The whales are having problems with toxics and food shortages where I mainly studied them but they are doing much better elsewhere.

 

Lori: What needs to happen for humans to stop the current rate of extinction we are causing?

 

Safina: Human population growth must stop. Then it must decline. If you look at countries where it’s declining, it’s where women have gained full citizenship in the last 50 years. Where women can go to school, vote, and own businesses and property, they start saving the world without even thinking about it. It solves the biggest problem in the world and the biggest injustice within humankind.

 

Lori: Is there one message you would like readers to take away from reading Beyond Words?

 

Safina: All life is family.

 

                                                   

                                                       

                                                   ***

In Beyond Words Safina writes, “We are so similar under the skin. Four limbs, the same bones, the same organs, the same origins, and lots of shared history. And between first breath and final gasp, we endeavor toward a common quest: to live, to raise our young, to find space enough for our lives, to survive the confronting dangers, to do what it takes, to the best of our abilities, to live out the mystery and opportunity of finding ourselves somehow in existence.

 

                                                       ***

 

Safina tells me he is proud that Beyond Words “landed the message I wanted it to land.” Many people have told Safina the book gives them permission to believe what they’ve always felt about other animals. “It is helping a lot of people see other animals more for who they really are, who we are here with on Earth.”

 

Beyond Words is a wonderful gift for anyone who cares about animals. I have added it to the other books on  ‘my favorite books’ list for wildlife enthusiasts.

 

Remember every time you use Saving Wild’s Amazon link to buy Beyond Words (or any products) from Amazon a percentage of your purchase will automatically go to the top NGO’s saving wildlife across the globe.

The post Beyond Words by Carl Safina appeared first on Saving Wild.

Saving Wildlife Really Can Be This Easy!

This is an easy, extremely effective, and much appreciated action for saving wildlife around the world.

And it won’t cost you a cent!

 

IT’S THIS SIMPLE:

Use the SavingWild Amazon Link  (this is different than the smile program) every time you shop on Amazon and a small percentage of the cost of your purchases will go to SavingWild.com to be distributed to our favorite NGO’s saving wildlife around the world. 

 

THE BEST PART:

1) There are no added costs to you.

2) You will still be using YOUR personal Amazon page that you always shop from.

3) Once you save the link to your book marks or desktop there is nothing extra you need to do.  Just use SavingWild’s Link to Amazon and Amazon will know you want to give back to SavingWild.

4) I will not be able to see what you have purchased and won’t even know who is using this method. Your shopping is completely confidential. 

5) Each year I personally match the amount of money received from the Amazon program and then the funds go to the best organizations working to save wildlife all over the world.

6) You can feel great knowing that you contributed to those donations through your shopping. This year SavingWild is on track to give away $3,000. 

 

HERE’S HOW:

Try it now to see for yourself how easy it is:  use our Link and THEN SAVE THE LINK WHERE YOU CAN EASILY FIND IT EACH TIME YOU SHOP ON AMAZON.

That’s it. Make your shopping count for something wonderful!

Please share this with anyone you know who shops on Amazon and is interested in Saving Wildlife. 

 

Thanks so much,

with Love and appreciation to all of you for all you do towards saving wildlife.

Lori

The post Saving Wildlife Really Can Be This Easy! appeared first on Saving Wild.