Roaring Success

My present-free Christmas is off to a great start.

As I mentioned in the last two blog entries, I did not ask for presents this year. I simply requested that my family members make contributions to environmental/animal groups.

My sister took the idea and ran with it. She asked me if I had heard of Erin Henderson, a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings whose Sacks for Cats initiative is part of National Geographic's Cause an Uproar campaign. Cause an Uproar raises funds for efforts to protect the world's big cats, and Henderson donates to the campaign each time he gets a sack. My sister wanted to know if Cause an Uproar worked as a charity, and I thought it sounded great. Check out the video about Sacks for Cats below:



This morning, I received an e-mail from my sister confirming her donation. It was really exciting and fulfilling to see my idea springing to life.

Peeks at Beaks

If you're on your computer and looking for a quick way to connect with nature, try visiting a "nature cam" Web site.

Nature cams are situated to give you glimpses into the lives of animals. Many of these cameras look into bird nests and let you follow the progress of the avian families that inhabit them.

Two such nest cams are the Eagle Cam at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in Virginia and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Great Horned Owl Nestcam, which is located in Minnesota.

It's cool to check in with these birds on occasion, especially if you're needing to visit nature but can't get outside right away.