What a NIGHT!

Well, our 7th annual wildlife art show, Wild Things, was a WILD SUCCESS! We had such fun on Sunday, February 10th. The show was bigger and better than ever. 20 artists from around the country came out to show works inspired by wildlife, and boy was the work STUNNING. Photography, pottery, sculpture, fine jewelry, mixed media, stone carving, metal work, weaving, and so much more! We even had live art performances including work by Anthony Burks and body painting by Becky Osborne- Phillips. 25% of show sales will be donated to RSCF in support of our wildlife conservation programs. We can't thank these generous artists enough! And special thanks to Gisela and Howald Pferdekamper for hosting the show on their property in Gisela's amazing converted barn/studio. A beautiful setting! Thanks also to special guest Tami Hoag (New York Times bestselling author and dressage competitor), Julie Pickens of International Polo Club and the Wanderers Club Wellington (for the DELICIOUS food!!!), and Cheryl Wise of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary for bringing beautiful creatures to mingle with our guests. 

 RSCF staff busted their butts for this show as well and we thank Rick Cohen (not only for being a great RSCF animal care giver, but also for playing acoustic guitar and mandolin all night!), Keith Briant, Angel Bucca, Genevieve Peterson, and Suzy Berkowitz. And, let's not forget our volunteers! Eva Sjodin, Amanda Burke (both former RSCF staff that we can't really let go...), Raquel Revuelta, Jeanette Hickman, and Tessa. Last but certainly not least, thanks so much to our participating artists--Anthony Burks, Mindy Colton, Mark Davis, EarthArt by Mary and Teri, Jill Elisofon, Norman Gitzen, Jackie Harris, Maria Hayden, Janet Heaton, Jean Hutchison, Sasha Lickle, Donatella Linari, Greg Matthews, Karen McGovern, Rollin McGrail, Melinda Moore, Becky Osborne-Phillips, Gisela Pferdekamper, and Jessie Williams.

Here is a link to photos from the night!

Parrot Monitoring on Palm Beach 2011

Yesterday RSCF staff members Dr. Paul Reillo, Dr. PJ Deitschel, Danielle Payne and Karen McGovern headed over to Palm Beach to check in on the ferel population of Green Cheek Amazons that live there.  The colony is doing extremely well, and RSCF has been checking in on six active nest cavities this season.  We weighed and examined eight chicks, banding four with colorful identification bands, then returned them safely to their nest cavities.  All the chicks we examined were healthy and robust!  We also filmed inside several nests, using a camera system designed by RSCF that uses a one-inch infa-red camera attached to the end of an extending 50-foot pole.  We got some great footage of adults with eggs and chicks.

It is wonderful to see so many active and healthy nests.  The flock is indeed doing well this year!

New Truck for the Bongo Surveillance Program!

This new field vehicle, made possible by a generous contribution to RSCF by Mr. Ken Coe, leveraged by the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust (and with special consideration by CMC Motors in Nairobi), is dedicated to the Bongo Surveillance Programme. It will be used to transport the BSP team into remote, mountainous terrain across the Aberdares, Mt. Kenya, Mau Mt. Eburru and surrounding areas to conduct bongo monitoring and surveillance, collect DNA samples, perform GPS/GIS surveys and maintain a vigilant presence to help protect the last wild mountain bongo populations. The one-owner vehicle is turbo-charged for high-altitude use, and is equipped with all-terrain suspension and tires, intake snorkel, and bull guards to protect the drive-train and occupants. This vehicle replaces the well-worn Toyota Hilux purchased by RSCF six years ago, which ferried RSCF Research Associate into the field during his Ph.D. research on mountain bongo, and subsequently became the BSP's first dedicated field transport.

New Mico Video!

Here is a funny little video of Mico discovering a hat in his enclosure...

Lab on Wheels Sent to Dominica!

Last week, RSCF sent an RV to the Caribbean island of Dominica for use as a mobile parrot lab.  The vehicle will be posted at the Parrot Research Centre in the Botanical Gardens and will be available for the Parrot Research Team.   RSCF will outfit the mobile lab with an incubator, brooder and basic lab equipment so the team can have an isolated, mobile space to work with the island's two endimc parrot species, the Imperial Amazon and the Red-Necked Amazon.   

RSCF would like to thank the Batchelor Foundation and Tropical Shipping for their continued support, we couldn't have done it without you!

Wild Things a WILD SUCCESS!

On Sunday, February 13, we held our fifth annual wildlife art show, called Wild Things. The show is hosted by Gisela and Howald Pferdekamper and brings artists together from around the country to show wildlife-inspired art in support of RSCF's conservation programs. This year we had several new artists, including mixed media artist Anthony Burkes and art photographer Melinda Moore. RSCF trustee Dr. Mark Davis screened a portion of his new film, Horns of Hope, about our efforts to save endangered black rhino in Zimbabwe. As you can see from the photos, we had a great time and the art was amazing! We partnered with Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, and the guests loved meeting the non-releasable rehab animals, including an alligator, crested cara cara, corn snake, and skunk!

For more information about the show, contact Karen McGovern.

 

Spring Cleaning!!

Yesterday, we cleaned out one of our 50 foot cages. It was unfortunately covered in weeds. It's important to clear them out to make sure there aren't any potential threats growing or hiding in the vegetation. For instance, there can be invasive plants, such as Brazilian pepper taking root inside the cage. Or there can be snakes, hornets or other pesky critters, that aren't welcomed. Here is a little slide show of some before and after pictures. Hauling out two large trash bags filled with weeds. And an unfortunate hornet stinging incident with one of our keepers. After all the work and slight injuries the cage was restored to it's cleaned out self, so it could be kept at a level where the pots could be monitored for not housing anymore unwelcomed friends. Unfortunately a lot of the plants/trees in the cage look like twigs, but that is because the birds love to land on them and rip them apart. They are the birds' natural play toys.

Bath Time!

When it gets hot, we all like to cool down with a nice shower, especially the Red-browed Amazon parrots. Here are some shots of bath time via shower by hose. The birds love this, and end up soaked to the skin. As you can see, they hang upside down, spread their wings and thoroughly enjoy themselves!

Pic of the Day!

We discovered new pygmy marmoset twins this morning. Mom gave birth late last night or before dawn today. Hard to photograph in the best of circumstances, so all I could get was a shot from the outside. Mom is VERY SHY. I'll try to get more over the next days and weeks when the babies are a bit bigger. These are fresh from the oven! Mom is great, nursing both at the same time. SO TINY!!

Adorable Pygmy Marmoset Photo of the Week!

One of our new babies...SO CUTE!!!

2010 Babies!!

We thought you would like to see some photos of this year's baby red-browed Amazon parrots. The "Fantastic Five" are now fully weaned and living most of the time in their new flight cage. We bring them inside during the hottest part of the late afternoon and overnight. Soon they will be completely acclimated to thier new enclosure and will stay out full time. When we bring them inside, they are usually hot and tired. So, you will see in the last few photos that they enjoy a good bath to cool off!

We will soon know the sex of each bird, we sent off some feathers for DNA sexing just last week. We'll keep you posted!

Pygmy Marmoset Munchies...

We have a new FlipShare video camera, and we're all having fun figuring out how to use this neat little device. Here is a short video of a couple of our pygmy marmosets enjoying mealworms and crickets for lunch. Forgive the shakey quality--we're learning! We promise, the videos will get better with practice!!

Summer and More!

Well, summer is finally here, and the farm is alive with activity. We've been so busy we haven't had time to post lately! Our parrot breeding season has been extremely successful, with five new baby redbrows almost weaned and ready to take flight in the new enclosure we just built for them. We have four baby bongo on the ground and running, and our pygmy marmoset colony has increased as well, with new babies everywhere. All are doing well, more photos to come soon!

We also have some new and returning staff members on our team. Neil Grossman, who was our summer intern last year, is back for the month of July. We're happy to have him and put him to work immediately!

We also have welcomed Tony Sheets, our new Director of Operations. He will be managing our 30 acre facility, which will be a BIG help. Tony is from Daytona Beach, and has been a volunteer with RSCF over the past few years, helping out with our overseas program on Dominica and lending a hand on the farm whenever he could. We are very happy to have him as a permanent addition to the staff! Tony will be residing on-site, so we welcome him to his new home!

Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to, many more to come!

Love Your Mother - Celebrate Earth Day with Us!!

Earth Day is this week! What better way to express your love of nature than through art? Art and Nature are linked, you can't have one without the other. This Friday, we plan to show you that link with our Celebration of Earth Day from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. The gallery will be filled with amazing art reflecting our natural world, and we have partnered with 1000 Friends of Florida, the Lake Worth Tree Board, and the Oceanside Green Market for the evening. We'll be giving way trees, wildflower seeds, and great information about how you can help preserve our natural world.

This evening is brought to you courtesy of Gallery artists Karen McGovern, Karen Windchild, Edith-Perla Smith and Tracy Rosof-Peterson.

Mico the Mighty Marmoset Takes Over the Web!!

Our resident, famous pygmy marmoset, Mico, has become quite popular these days. He's met hundreds of RSCF visitors and has quite a fan-base. In fact, he now has his own Facebook page! Please take a moment to visit his page and "friend" him. Our goal is to become the monkey with the most friends on Facebook! Be sure to read his profile to find out just how Mico came to be such a famous character.

Besides Facebook, Mico also has his own on-line retail store hosted by Zazzle. Here you can find T-Shirts and sweatshirts, notecards, even a scateboard all with Mico's image! He even has his own postage stamp! RSCF recieves a portion of every sale, so please visit the store--you'll find great one-of-a-kind gifts and support RSCF's wildlife conservation programs while you shop!

Photo Op!

Thought you might enjoy some new photos from around the Farm. Spring is here, and all the critters are very happy to welcome the warmer weather. This past winter was the longest and coldest in many years. We are so glad to see longer, warmer days! We've been busy, planting trees and sprucing up the property. The aviary is especially active right now, with the Red-browed Amazon parrots beginning their breeding season. We check nest-boxes for eggs every morning--tricky business, because not only might there be eggs in the box, but also a very angry parrot! We then artificially incubate the eggs, and in 26 to 28 short days a chick hatches! We'll keep you posted....

We also have a new addition to our bongo herd. Last month a new baby was born with a very unusual stripe pattern near his rear. This squiggly line has earned him the name "Doodle". He's a very fiesty young bull and already running with the big boys.

We Have A Zazzle Store!

Now you can buy all things RSCF related at our brand new Zazzle store! A portion of every sale will be donated to RSCF, so please get your credit cards out and take a look! T-shirts, stickers, note cards, even a SCATEBOARD are available with images of Mico, or pygmy marmoset spokesman. More to come, bongo and parrots on the way, so check back often!

Create a personalized gift at Zazzle.

Name That Bongo!!

We'd like to introduce you to our newest baby bongo, born February 14th. He is adorable, and we discovered he has a very unusual stripe pattern on one side....One of the stripes sort of wanders.

So, we need to name this guy! Submit your suggestions to rscfstaff@gmail.com. We'll pick a winner and let you know!

The Perfect Gift!!

Seasons Greetings,

Are you looking for that last, perfect Holiday gift for someone special? Consider giving a truly meaningful gift--a donation in a loved one's name to the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation. Simply visit us online and click the "Donate Now" button. Your gift will help support crucial wildlife conservation programs. You can specify a program or species to support--just e-mail a note with the person's name and address to the donation form, along with any specifics you'd like. Support bongo for Billy or parrots for Pam! We will send a written acknowlegement to the person named in the donation, along with an image of a Bongo Antelope, Amazon Parrot, Pygmy Marmoset, or Golden-lion Tamarin (you choose). Simply include your choice in your email to info@rarespecies.org. This is a gift you will love to give, and love to recieve! Thanks in advance for your much-needed support.

P.S. Please pass this on to your friends and family!

Happy Holidays,

Rare Species Conservatory Foundation
www.rarespecies.org

Team BLOGSQUAD!

We thought you might like to meet the members of RSCF's BLOGSQUAD. All are animal care specialists with RSCF.

Lead Keeper, Rosemarie Willms. "Hello. Rosie, here. I started at RSCF in the spring of 2007 and immediately loved it. I've learned a great deal working here; from identifying and treating avian diseases and parasites to caring for and managing psittacines, ungulates, primates and everything in between. I have even learned a thing or two about ATV repairs, setting pipelines, and exhibit design and construction. Our responsibilities here include riding an ATV through the swamp to feed 1,000 lb. bongo antelope, fighting off mosquitos to feed in the aviary, observing all the animals and their diet/behaviors, cleaning dishes, chopping fruit, and doing whatever odds and ends on the property need to be done that day. I also keep track of ordering insects (for our primates), feed/supplies, and anything else we might need. Before working here I attended Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and not only with this job am I lucky to indulge my passion for nature, I also get to flex my artistic muscle by participating in RSCF's annual art show "Wild Things"."

Keeper I, Hollie Chiles. "Hello! I Graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. Followed by an Associates of Science degree in Zoo Animal Technology. I aspire to continue obtaining knowledge on various animals and have a specific interest in large cats. Outside of work I enjoy dancing, outdoor activities and dream of traveling the world. "

Keeper I, David Reyes. "Hi! I was born and raised in Queens, New York, and recently graduated from Santa Fe Teaching Zoo in Gainesville with an Associates Degree in Zoo Animal Technology. The animals I am most interested in are reptiles, especially monitor lizards and large birds such as birds of prey. I'm fascinated with wildlife, and would love to work with all types of animals. Some of my hobbies are reading (science fiction), being outdoors, playing basketball and football, and I enjoy video games. "

Keeper I, Patrick Morin. "Greetings! Currently I am a student at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Before starting with RSCF, I participated in an internship with the Department of Environmental Protection. I learned a lot about environmental policy and law enforcement, studied mangrove growth patterns, and marine ecosystems.