#causesandeffect

In yesterday’s blog, I wrote about my high school friend Danny Pearl. I’ve gotten to know his mom, Ruth over the last few years and have enjoyed spending time with her, whether for a friendly visit, chat on the phone, or when I sometimes helped out with one of the Daniel Pearl Foundation’s key initiatives, World Music Days.

I remember commenting to Ruth, during one of our phone conversations, that I couldn’t imagine how a parent deals with the tragic and senseless loss of a beloved child. She told me that what happened to Danny was not the worst thing that could happen to a parent, a statement that left me a bit stunned.

“What could be worse than what happened to Danny and what you’ve been through?” I asked her.

To which she replied: “Losing a child to suicide is the worst thing a parent could ever endure.”

Jan. 24, 2015

Once in a while, if we are lucky, a person comes into our life, whose character is so powerful that no matter how long they remain in our life, we know their influence will have lasting impact.

I met Ruta about 12 years ago when she hired my company to handle PR for an artist she managed. I think we hit it off immediately. It’s not always easy to be a woman in this business, harder still to be a woman managing rock bands. What struck me most about our working relationship then, was how she handled the situation when things didn’t go they way we would have liked.  Anyone who works in this business for any amount of time can tell you it can be a real challenge to secure media attention for a heretofore-unknown blues artist. If an outlet didn’t respond to our pitch or passed on coverage, Ruta, unlike many managers, who would have been quick to point the finger, took it in stride, never assigned blame. We’d just put our heads together and try a different approach.

We remained friends long after that and other projects were finished. She moved from Los Angeles to Nashville to be closer to family, and to pursue her real passion—writing.

She still managed artists, of course, while she worked on her first book.

I am a dedicated book junkie, and while my tastes range from the classics, history and non-fiction to historical fiction, biographies and chic lit, I am also a bit of a literary snob. The writing has to be to a certain standard, and the story compelling, in order to keep my attention. I won’t waste my eyes or my time on a book if go through a page wanting to edit rather than read it.

When Ruta offered to send me the galleys of her just-completed debut, about a year before publication, I couldn’t wait to read it. But I also felt terrified. What if I didn’t like it? What if the writing wasn’t up to snuff? How would I ever get through a conversation with my dear friend if she asked me what I thought and I hated it?  The book arrived, and sat on my desk for a week. I couldn’t pick it up, though it had a cover that would have caught my eye if it had been sitting on a bookstore shelf.

I took it to bed with me one night and read the first page, and then the next. I only put it down hours later, when I could no longer keep my eyes open to absorb the words on the page. When I finished the story, I knew this book, this amazing and harrowing tale, of survival and hope, immense courage and the vast capacity of the human spirit would leave a lasting impression in my mind and my heart.

Between Shades of Gray is historical fiction, based on the seldom told history of Stalin’s brutal treatment and mass deportations of Lithuanians (as well as Estonians and Latvians) to the frozen wasteland of Siberia during WWII.

It’s a tale close to Ruta’s heart. Her grandfather had been a high-ranking officer in the Lithuanian military and would have been a top candidate for deportation. With little warning, he escaped with his family including his young son, Ruta’s father, and spent nine years in refugee camps before arriving in the U.S., eventually settling in Detroit.

Ruta learned about her family’s history on a trip to visit relatives in her father’s homeland. When she asked to see photographs of other family members, contemporaries of her father and grandfather, the room went silent. Those pictures—evidence of her grandfather’s family connections--had been destroyed.

She spent considerable time in Lithuania, on subsequent trips, interviewing many survivors, whose stories are woven into the book.  

(Above: Deportees endured harsh conditions at Siberian labor camps above the Arctic Circle)

What is it in our character, in the human spirit that triggers our survival instincts? Where do ordinary people find the extraordinary strength to overcome adversity of such magnitude? 

Perhaps this fortitude is passed from one generation to the next, but manifests in different ways.

Ruta possesses a tremendous strength of character, a deep optimism and positive energy so infectious, that I’ve often hung up the phone after one of our marathon conversations thinking I could go out and climb Mt. Everest. Without supplemental oxygen. That kind of beautiful outlook and the ability to transfer it to others is a rare gift. I cherish our friendship and feel incredibly fortunate to have her in my life.

There hasn’t been a single day when I’ve sat down to write this blog and not thought about and been inspired by Ruta. How she pursued her dream, committed herself to the task—she wrote Between Shades of Gray, while still working full time, and saw it through to completion. How many of us, I wonder, harbor dreams we have yet to pursue?

One of the reasons I took on this challenge was to see if I could find the discipline to write daily, and put thoughts to paper without allowing my own insecurities to stifle the process. It’s been an exercise for certain, but each day it becomes a little easier.

Today’s donation is made in honor of those who survived unimaginable brutality and hardships and in memory of the millions who perished at Stalin’s hand.

The Lithuanian Foundation, Inc. is a registered Illinois not-for-profit foundation dedicated to preserving and fostering Lithuanian culture and traditions in the United States, Lithuania and Lithuanian communities worldwide.

Since its inception in 1962, the Lithuanian Foundation has advanced its goals by awarding $16 million in grants and scholarships, along with a special, one-time capital fund disbursement of $1,354,462 to aid Lithuania’s educational and cultural institutions after the country declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.

Jan. 21, 2015

Today's recipient: The Lithuanian Foundation

Learn more about Between Shades of Gray

About this blog: Causes and Effect: My Year of Giving Daily, was started in 2013 by entertainment and culture journalist Melinda Newman, who made daily donations to a wide variety of non-profits and wrote about her experience. USA Today music writer, Brian Mansfield took on this monumental task in 2014. This year, 12 individuals will contribute, each taking over the blog for one month.   

When we said good-bye a couple years ago to our precious canine girls, Vandi and Violet, our hearts and our house felt empty.  The basenjis were great dogs and we loved them dearly, but they didn’t seem to enjoy some of the more typical doggie pass times such as fetch or cuddling. I remember trying to throw a ball for Violet and she’d just look at me as if to say, “YOU go get it, I’ll sit here.”

For years, Sarah longed for a dog she could play with. She had talked about perhaps getting a Border Collie, but it wasn’t something we could even think about while V & V were still with us.  When Vandi died, we were heartbroken and though I hated the empty feeling in my heart, I just wasn’t ready to think about another dog. We did visit some Border Collie breeders, and they are indeed wonderful dogs, but I wanted a small, easy dog, one that would be content to curl up at my feet while I worked, maybe play a little fetch in the yard and enjoy walks around the neighborhood. At the time, Sarah volunteered for the Shelter Hope Pet Shop, a storefront in our local mall that rescued dogs from a high-kill animal shelter and made them available for adoption. I went with her every week hoping we’d find the right pet for our own home, but it wasn’t meant to be.

I hadn’t been keen on a Border Collie, I knew from reading about the breed that they are highly intelligent and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. Sarah’s in school, Paul’s at work and since I work from home, I’d be the one taking care of the dog all day. This was not a job I wanted.

It took a couple of months, our hearts started to heal and like Paul and Sarah, I found myself really wanting another dog. Their constant badgering for a Border Collie finally started to wear me down and I reluctantly agreed to take a drive up to Porterville, a small farming community north of Bakersfield, a 3-hour trek from our house, to look at a litter Sarah had found online.

There were three pups, a boy and two girls, and we spent some time playing with them and watching them interact with each other. Eventually, Sarah picked the smaller girl, a tri-color who seemed content to sit alone in the corner of the dog run watching a crazy ram, head-butt his trough.

Despite my trepidation and worry, knowing it might be harder to find a rental that would accept a dog, I have to say, it was one of the best decisions we ever made. Daisy brought tremendous warmth and joy back into our house at a time we desperately it.

Daisy, like all Border Collies, is an active dog and though she’s a good girl, she’d get herself into mischief especially when left alone. I don’t think it was separation anxiety as much as it was plain old boredom. She had lots of toys but perhaps she needed a canine companion. Paul and Sarah had been to the Ventura Fairgrounds dog show a few weeks earlier and met a woman who breeds Mini Australian Shepherds.  Sarah the Internet queen, saw a posting for an open house at the breeder’s place in Buellton, a lovely 90-minute drive north.  Though I didn’t want the added responsibility of another very active breed, what could be the harm in taking a nice drive and just looking?

For me, I can tell you it was love at first sight. We had already spent an hour playing with pups from three litters, and asking lots of questions, when I noticed a few other puppies in another enclosure.  One look into those bright baby blues and I was absolutely smitten.

Misty Blue and Daisy quickly became best pals. And those two bring so much love and happiness into our house I can’t imagine life without them. They love long walks and playing fetch. Say “ball” or “Frisbee” and the ears perk up and tails wag. That’s not to say they are not high maintenance. Remember how I wanted a lap dog? Well I got one.  Daisy likes nothing more than to nudge at my arm while I’m working on the computer—to the point where I have to stop and roll my chair back—so she can jump her 32 pounds into my lap for some doggy TLC. They shed like crazy and love dirt. Dirt mixed with water? Even better.   I’m convinced I will never again have a clean floor. And you know what? I’m okay with that.

January 13, 2015

Today’s recipient: Australian Shepherd Border Collie Rescue

About this blog: Causes and Effect: My Year of Giving Daily, was started in 2013 by entertainment and culture journalist Melinda Newman, who made daily donations to a wide variety of non-profits and wrote about her experience. USA Today music writer, Brian Mansfield took on this monumental task in 2014. This year, 12 individuals will contribute, each taking over the blog for one month.   

My friend Barry Solomon suffered a heart attack and passed away suddenly on Friday.  When I first saw the news on Facebook, I couldn’t believe it. I kept thinking it must be someone else, another artist manager with the same name. Barry’s too young! 

I went immediately to his FB page, hoping this awful news would be untrue. But it wasn’t.  He was 51.

Barry and I worked together years ago, he in the management office of one of my artists, The Young Dubliners, while I handled the band’s PR for the record label. One of the remembrances on his FB page referred to him as a mensch, and that he was, in spades. I hadn’t seen him for many years, but we kept up on FB and chatted by phone a few months ago. He was married with a very young son, working hard, and very happy.

My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, son, family and friends who knew and loved him. RIP.

January 12, 2015

Today’s recipient:  The American Heart Association

About this blog: Causes and Effect: My Year of Giving Daily, was started in 2013 by entertainment and culture journalist Melinda Newman, who made daily donations to a wide variety of non-profits and wrote about her experience. USA Today music writer, Brian Mansfield took on this monumental task in 2014. This year, 12 individuals will contribute, each taking over the blog for one month.   

I’ve always been a winter person. I live in Southern California though, so I readily concede that winter here is an entirely different kind of experience than it is in other places. I’ve never had to shovel snow off my car or driveway, or had to bundle up just to take out the trash.

There is something quite magical to me about gently falling snow, cold air on my cheeks, or cozy-ing up in front of a blazing fire, with a hot drink, and a good book. I don’t remember exactly the first time I saw snow but I couldn’t have been more than five or six. My mother used to take my younger sister and me skiing at Lake Tahoe or Mammoth, where she had skied in the late ‘50s, not long after the resort opened with just a single rope tow in place to move skiers up the hill.

Mammoth Mountain, in the magnificent Eastern Sierra, is like a second home to me. All through my school years, and college and well into my 20s, I LIVED for the winter months, when I’d hit the slopes, at Mammoth, strap those crazy long boards onto my feet and whoosh and schuss down the mountain, from Cornice or Dave's to the Main Lodge, carving long, even GS turns down the fall line. It’s hard to beat that rush.

These days the skis are a lot shorter and I keep mostly to the easy runs, content to follow behind Sarah, quietly beaming as she masters her snowplow turns. This past holiday we took her cross-country skiing for the first time and she hit the trail like a pro. I enjoyed watching her glide along, until she was so far ahead of me, I could no longer even see her!

We’ve had so many great adventures at Mammoth, whether hiking or fishing, horseback riding, skiing or eating. Paul and I even spent our honeymoon there at the historic Tamarack Lodge overlooking Twin Lakes. The first time Paul and I checked in at the Lodge, years before we got married, I recognized the gal behind the desk. One of those “small world” situations--Courtney and I had worked together briefly at a clothing store in Sherman Oaks. Now she lived in Mammoth. We remained friendly over the years and I so enjoy keeping up with her via Facebook. She’s got an amazing outlook on life, is a fantastic writer, great mom, music junkie and one of those women I envy for having had such a close and beautiful relationship with their mom.

I’m enjoying this blog so much that some days I find myself getting really caught up in it. I could easily spend hours each day exploring worthy non-profits and writing these stories. Because work is super busy right now, (feeling very grateful for that!), I wanted to find a way to cut down on the time it’s been taking each day to meet my daily posting deadline, (I have a new found respect for journalists who must research, write and file stories every day!), so I went to FB to ask for some suggestions.

Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is one of the organizations that Courtney recommended. And it really resonated with me.

Their mission is simple:

We believe the freedom and exhilaration of outdoor challenges changes lives. No one should be left behind simply because of a disability!

Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is a volunteer-based nonprofit dedicated to changing the lives of children and adults with disabilities and their families by:

    -offering year-round outdoor sports and activities

    -creating inspiring challenges

    -providing expert instruction and adaptive equipment

    -rallying the community to comfortably accommodate people with disabilities.

DSES has adaptive equipment to fulfill everyone’s winter and summer dreams: gliding down a snow-covered mountainside, cruising on a cycle or skimming over a placid lake.

Activities are customized to each individual; one-on-one or in a group. Our goal is for everyone to be active year round!

DSES makes the outdoors accessible and affordable!!

January 10, 2015

Today’s recipient: Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra

About this blog: Causes and Effect: My Year of Giving Daily, was started in 2013 by entertainment and culture journalist Melinda Newman, who made daily donations to a wide variety of non-profits and wrote about her experience. USA Today music writer, Brian Mansfield took on this monumental task in 2014. This year, 12 individuals will contribute, each taking over the blog for one month.   

When we sold our house in March of 2013 and moved to a nearby rental, I felt like I had finally turned the last page of a gut-wrenching book that took way too long to read. There would still be a short epilogue to get through but for the most part, I looked forward to starting a new, brighter chapter in our own evolving story.

During our most challenging financial times, when even a small donation to a worthy cause would have been a stretch, I still tried to contribute in other ways. I volunteered my time on various boards and wound up getting involved with a local non-profit called Shred Kids’ Cancer. I learned about SKC through Deb, one of my dearest friends. As I mentioned in a previous post—the silver lining of having less work—meant that I had more time on my hands and the ability to establish relationships with some of the amazing women I’ve met in my neighborhood, or through Sarah’s activities. Well Deb is one of those friends—part of a very cool group of eight—that I hope I’ll be able to write about more before the month is up.

While doing some outreach for SKC, I had occasion to chat with one of my music PR colleagues about a couple of her artists. We had a nice catch-up chat as well. A few days later, she recommended me for a project to which she thought I would be well suited.

That project, (ironically a book!) signified, in many ways, an extraordinary new beginning for me. It was, quite simply a fantastic project—exactly the kind of meaty, challenging endeavor I had been longing to take on. The book, 108 Rock Star Guitars, by photographer and author Lisa S. Johnson, is a stunning achievement.

I’ve loved music all of my life, so following a career path in this industry should have come as a surprise to no one who knew me as a child, when I used to dance around our furniture-free living room to the Beatles or the Beach Boys. Back in the ‘70s, when electronic organs were all the rage, my parents bought one and I spent hours on it learning songs from all my favorite Rogers and Hammerstein musicals. I later graduated to a “real” keyboard, a gorgeous upright Steinway. I found solace in music growing up and that piano sometimes felt like a lifeline. When my mother sold it, without telling me—she needed the money to put up plantation shutters in her condo living room—I didn’t speak to her for a year.

Inspired by my rock star clients, and feeling the need to play an instrument again, I bought my first guitar in 2001 and taught myself the basics. I worked with singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb for many years, and for one of the episodes of her Food Network show, we took a trip to the Taylor Guitars factory in El Cajon. That's where I fell in love with the guitar as a work of art. They had several gorgeous, one-of-a-kind instruments lining the halls of the offices, each one more beautiful than the next. I remember quite distinctly thinking about how absolutely beautiful these pieces were, even with no sound coming out of them.

So when I first had email dialogue with Lisa and she told me about the book, the inspiration behind it, that she viewed guitars as art and her images showcased them as such, I felt an instant connection.

Working with Lisa has been a tremendous blessing. She’s creative and driven, smart, savvy about what it takes to run a successful marketing campaign and, well, she’s an awful lot of fun to be around. She is a rocker at heart, throws a killer party and has a diverse and amazingly interesting circle of friends. Working on this project, not only helped us get back on our feet financially, but it made me realize that I’m happiest and most gratified professionally when I have work that has depth, is challenging, and where I can work on overall communications, branding and marketing strategies, in addition to traditional PR, pitching stories and soliciting media coverage.

Lisa is very spiritual. She’s a longtime yogi and is strongly influenced by the principles and life skills that yoga embodies. In many Eastern traditions, the number 108 is a sacred and cosmic number (just Google “108 meaning” to learn more!)  Though I’m no yoga aficionado—the closest I’ve ever come to doing yoga was practicing a few easy poses on Sarah’s Wii Sports—I’ve always been fascinated by numerology and the meanings of numbers and number combinations, and I do strongly believe in numerical power.

One of the many significant aspects of 108 is the sum of 1+0+8. 9. In numerology, the number nine symbolizes both endings and beginnings—transformation. Working with Lisa on 108 Rock Star Guitars has most certainly been transformative for me. Taking on the project marked the end a few difficult years, and the beginning of a period of change. I embraced the opportunity to expand my professional horizons and I gained back confidence and strength that I think had gotten buried under a hefty stack of life’s little challenges. I believe in personal growth and made a conscious decision years ago to never stop trying to be a better person. It isn’t always easy but I know I’ve experienced a substantial personal and professional transformation these past couple years and it feels great.

Today’s donation (on 1/08) is in gratitude to Lisa.

UpRising Yoga brings the practice of yoga and yoga life skills to empower and heal incarcerated youth and underserved communities. The organization works directly with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, Mental Health Facilities, group homes, social work agencies, the family and juvenile court systems and communities. UpRising Yoga also offers a curriculum that trains service professionals and yogis to safely introduce the ancient practice of yoga and mindfulness to youth facing real-life struggles and giving them the tools to create a sense of true home in their own bodies, minds and communities.

January 8, 2015 (1/08)

Today’s recipient: UpRising Yoga

About this blog: Causes and Effect: My Year of Giving Daily, was started in 2013 by entertainment and culture journalist Melinda Newman, who made daily donations to a wide variety of non-profits and wrote about her experience. USA Today music writer, Brian Mansfield took on this monumental task in 2014. This year, 12 individuals will contribute, each taking over the blog for one month.   

When I was 13, I celebrated my Bat Mitzvah. The Torah portion I read aloud in Hebrew that day was the story of Joseph, and how his 11 brothers were so filled with hate and jealousy of their father Jacob’s favorite son, they sold him into slavery. Later during the ceremony, I gave a speech about the passage I had just read. I don’t remember the speech really, except for one thing: I promised that I would try to live my life free from the hate and jealously that compelled Joseph’s brothers to commit such a horrific act.

I know I've succeed there, but I think it would be unnatural not to feel a little envy every now and then. Who among us hasn’t caught themselves, at one time or another, wanting what someone else has? A nicer house, better clothes, a newer car, those shoes? I know I’ve had those moments!

But the one thing that I truly envy the most, are my friends who have or had amazing relationships with their moms. I didn’t. 

My mom was not an inherently good person. It's not easy to write that, but it’s true. She did some good things that I remember: She was very creative, artistic, and a great cook. When she hosted family get togethers, she’d set a magnificent table—something that I still like to do myself when I have time. We moved to France, when I was 11 and my mom, who taught grade school for many years, made the history of the places we visited come alive. She’d read up on whatever region, town, castle or museum we were at and then relay the stories to my younger sister and me. I’m sure my love of history started during that time.

She had some good qualities, my mom, but she was also judgmental, controlling and self-absorbed. I had lousy self-esteem growing up and a steamer trunk full of defense mechanisms. My mom used to tell me I was mean and selfish—and I’m sure I was. (It wasn’t until MUCH later that I realized I had a great role model in that department). Socially, I had a hard time fitting in. Let’s just say I never had to worry about being voted most popular.

I met Laurie in 10th grade. Now, Laurie is one of those people who I would call a friend magnet: Once you’re friends, she will stick with you like a magnet. I’m sure most of us have had great friends through different stages our life—from grade school to high school, college, work, neighbors, etc. It doesn’t always mean forever friends. Except if you’re friends with Laurie. Somehow she manages to keep and nurture friendships from EVERY stage of her life. She’s genuine, kind and deeply caring. She's also got a silly side, a knife-sharp wit and can write a rhyme like nobody's business.

I loved hanging out at Laurie’s house. And I utterly adored her mom.  I loved spending the night, especially when her mom would treat us to aebleskivers for breakfast, a Danish puff pancake made in a cast iron pan and served with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. Even now, I can almost taste them.

Spending Christmas day with Laurie’s family was always one of the highlights of my year. I’d arrive usually around midday, the detritus from every opened gift strewn across the living room floor. The house smelled of evergreen.  I spent nearly every Christmas day there for years, long after Laurie and I graduated high school, and then college, until her parents sold the the place and moved to San Marcos, near San Diego.

I always felt love and loved in that house.

When I was pregnant with Sarah, I had a difficult time, but toward the end, the excitement of bringing this child into the world far outweighed the discomfort, exhaustion, and other pregnancy-related problems I experienced.  And I was really looking forward to planning the baby shower.  I had a good idea of the kind of gathering I wanted—a simple but elegant tea, with a few close friends and immediate family.

I loved planning parties and couldn’t wait to share the idea with my mom and figured we’d have a good time planning it together. But I should have known better. As usual, mom had other ideas.

I shared my disappointment and frustration with Laurie. She was always a good listener, just like her mom. And she had an idea.

My mom, threw her shower—back room of the local deli, with family, a couple of her friends, my grandmother and several of her friends, some of whom I didn’t know, but they had invited my grandmother to their family baby showers, so it was important to reciprocate. It wasn’t the baby shower I dreamed of, but appreciated that everyone there had taken the time to celebrate this happy occasion in my life.

The next week, Laurie hosted another shower, at my house, just for the girlfriends. I remember everything about it, like it was yesterday. She, with help, guidance and recipes, from her beautiful mom, made a simple and elegant tea—exactly what I had envisioned, only better, every detail perfect, every delicious tea sandwich made with the special love that bonds mothers and daughters—even if the “daughter” isn’t biological.

The only thing missing from the day, was Laurie’s mom. She was battling breast cancer and too sick to make the trip up from San Diego.   

She passed away a few months later. When Laurie and Lisa were going through their mother’s things, they found the thank note I’d written to her in a basket she kept on her nightstand. They told me it was for her most cherished things.

There is rarely a day that goes by that I don’t have occasion to think about my “second mom.” I can never really explain how much she meant to me. She made me feel good about myself during those challenging teenage years and long after. I miss her more than words could ever say, and I’m grateful that Laurie and Lisa don’t mind sharing her with me.

January 6, 2015

Today’s recipient: National Breast Cancer Foundation

About this blog: Causes and Effect: My Year of Giving Daily, was started in 2013 by entertainment and culture journalist Melinda Newman, who made daily donations to a wide variety of non-profits and wrote about her experience. USA Today music writer, Brian Mansfield took on this monumental task in 2014. This year, 12 individuals will contribute, each taking over the blog for one month.   

I’ve always loved polar bears. I’m not sure why this particular animal resonates so much with me. Perhaps it’s their mostly lone existence, in the white-washed freeze of the great north. Perhaps it’s their sheer size.  I really don’t know, and to be honest, I never really gave it much thought. But they are magnificent creatures.  Seeing polar bears in their natural habitat is definitely on my bucket list and I hope it’s something I can experience some day.

But there’s a problem. While some polar bear populations are increasing a little, many of the identified 19 sub-populations are seeing their numbers diminish—some drastically—caused in large part by the loss of sea ice in the Arctic, primarily in Canada, Greenland and the U.S. (Alaska) from global warming. Of course the sea ice is critical to polar bears for hunting and breeding.

I don’t know if this happened to Melinda or Brian when they were writing this blog, but I’ve become a bit obsessed. I find myself thinking about it constantly—what causes do I support? Where can I give? How am I going to find 31 different non-profits and write about them all?  These thoughts come to me while I’m driving, in the shower, watching TV, eating dinner, running errands—even while I’m sleeping!

The cool thing about this blog, is that with so many opportunities to give, I can give to non-profits that might not otherwise make my list.  And I’m enjoying the search for just the right organizations. I didn’t know about Polar Bears International previously, but found the site when I started looking for polar bear non-profits.  I wound up spending a lot of time on the site—it provides a wealth of information, some stunning images, education and research, plus the polar bear migration cam and the polar bear tracker.

If I’m going to get my chance to see a polar bear roaming the tundra someday, then we need to make sure we do what we can to protect their diminishing habitat.

January 5, 2015

Today’s recipient: Polar Bears International