Snakes… most people either love ‘em or hate ‘em, but no matter how you feel, they are a vital part of our ecosystems. Since starting OMG, our two young founders Olivia and Carter have been working very hard to help effect change in the world of Rattlesnake Roundups.

Well, it finally happened… after almost two years of  lobbying to try to save animals from being killed each year at local rattlesnake roundups,  the folks in Claxton GA have agreed to change their event from one that collected and killed snakes to an event, which now celebrates the species

The Claxton Chamber of Commerce and all their Board Members need to be commended for their recent decision to change their Rattlesnake Roundup to the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival. Committee President Bruce Purcell played a pivotal role in the committee’s decision to move forward with the change, which will inevitably save hundreds and even thousands of snakes from being caught and killed.

“One of our first bylaws stated that our organization was created in an effort to help preserve wildlife. As we looked into our past, we realized that the practice of the Roundups was actually contradicting our purpose” said committee President Bruce Purcell. “The biggest hurdle we faced was the fact that the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundups have been an important part of our history dating over 40-years; and the events are a major revenue source for the community which has helped our community thrive.”

One More Generation first began trying to effect change at these roundups back in 2010 when we first heard about the events from the folks at the Center for Biological Diversity. They introduced us to one of the world’s foremost experts on the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Dr. Bruce Means who heads up the Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy. He is also part of a local organization called P.A.L.S. (Protect All Living Species), which lobbies on behalf of all living species.

Since we just began our organization in Jan 2010, tackling the Rattlesnake Roundups was actually our first initiative. Carter and Olivia set out by seeking support from locals at every event we hosted or attended. We wanted to show the two communities who were still hosting the events in Georgia, Claxton and Whigham, that we were not alone in our desire to encourage them to change them to educational events where no animal/snake would be harmed.

The process was very slow and often very controversial. We found ourselves faced with many folks who actually disliked snakesand really did not care if they were saved or not. So we educated ourselves on the issue and learned from the folks at the Center of Biological Diversity and other specialists such as Dr. Means. They helped us understand why the roundups were bad not only for the snakes, but also for hundreds of other species who share the shelter of Gopher tortoise burrows. We learned that a common practice for snake hunters was to pour or spray gasoline into the burrows to drive out the snakes, thus risking countless other species including the tortoises, not to mention the harm this does to the environment.

Fortunately, Olivia and Carter had listened closely to the facts, so they were usually able to educate those who originally did not care. This resulted in support for their petition to help convert the roundups to festivals. Before we knew it, the kids had collected over 1,200 signatures! Armed with this success, Olivia and Carter set up several meetings with our local State Representative Matt Ramsey asking him to share our efforts with our Governor.

The next step was to further partner with like-minded organizations such as P.A.L.S the CBD and with members of Zoo Atlanta in an effort to request meetings with the organizers of the roundups in both Claxton GA and Whigham, along with key members at the GA DNR (Department of Natural Resources). At first, we got no response, but after months of persistence on everyone’s part, we started to have constructive dialogue with the DNR. This ultimately led to a meeting at the DNR HQ where we were given the opportunity to express our concerns.

Next we attempted to contact organizers of the roundups to see if they would agree to meet with us. Unfortunately those requests went unanswered. We decided to drive down to Whigham, GA and attend the Rattlesnake Roundup, so that if we someday had a chance to meet with the organizers, we could speak from firsthand experience.  You can read about our visit here.  OMG Visits Roundup.

After attending the event, we were all even more convinced that we needed to try and effect change at these events. After all, the folks at Fitzgerald, GA, voluntarily made the switch from a roundup to a festival years earlier, and they were now even more successful than before. We continued to contact both communities, but to no avail. Months passed, and still no response. Then back in late 2010, I got my first returned phone call from the current President of the Evans County Wildlife Club – Bruce Purcell. Bruce was a little standoffish at first, as I am sure he expected to be confronted by a group of close-minded individuals bent on imposing their way of thinking. As he learned that we were reasonable and that we had our two young founders involved, he relaxed and allowed us to start constructive dialogue.

Bruce expressed his concerns. He advised us that the Evans County Wildlife Club is a non-profit, volunteer driven organization. The Club boasts 75 members led by a board of directors and slate of officers. Since it’s inception, the Wildlife Club has actively given to the Claxton-Evans County community through annual donations to local charities, schools, and other non-profit organizations. Each year the Club awards college scholarships to graduating high school seniors. An annual essay contest is sponsored through the school system. During Roundup Week, Club members give wildlife education presentations. Then each spring, the Club sponsors a fishing rodeo and Georgia Hunter Education programs.

Bruce reminded us that the roundups were a long-standing tradition in the community, which provide vital financial support to

Photo credits - Linda Blalock Photography

the community. Any suggestion to change the venue of the events would have to continue the revenue and interest from potential visitors far and wide. Bruce listened to our concerns and assured us that he would look into the matter and discuss it with the Claxton Chamber of Commerce and the Evens County Wildlife Club. This was the first time since we embarked on this venture that we seemed to have someone within these communities who was being open-minded about our concerns.

From then on, we continued to have open and productive conversations with Bruce on a weekly basis. Bruce told us his concerns and those of his club, and we all listened intently and attempted to address each one as we could. Bruce took our suggestions back to the club, and they too remained open-minded and looked for ways to help find common ground. Little by little the Wildlife Club started to offer potential changes to their roundups which would ultimately show their sincere desire to effect change for the good of the wildlife.

Then in early Dec, Bruce announced that the Wildlife Club had agreed to change the name of the event from the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundup, to the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival. He was still facing some opposition within the Club, but the majority of the members were starting to come around. He was working with several folks at the GA DNR who might be able to help him. He would let us know what they ultimately decided.

As we started off the New Year ready to get back in the swing of things, Bruce called to advise us that the Evans County Wildlife Club agreed to replace its rattlesnake roundup with a wildlife festival that does not involve the killing of snakes. The wildlife festival will continue to generate revenue for the local community without harming the imperiled eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.

This means gopher tortoise burrows will not be gassed and prodded, disturbing the many species that find shelter there. The declining rattlesnakes will not be captured and killed. The Claxton leaders are accepting support from many concerned citizens, and groups in transforming their festival to one that is life affirming and which celebrates the species. They will have many snakes on loan from licensed conservationists as well as many more varied educational exhibits.

Here is the official Press Release:

Rattlesnake Roundup in Georgia Switches to Humane Wildlife Festival

We all need to support Claxton with their upcoming event to ensure it is a huge success and also to serve as an example for Whigham. I would like to echo the Georgia DNR Chief, Non-game Conservation Section Wildlife Resources Division Georgia DNR, who writes:

I encourage you to contact Bruce Purcell and offer support for his work to change the event to the “Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival”.

Bruce Purcell 912-282-4052 – qkutdist@bellsouth.net
Evans County Wildlife Club
P.O. Box 292
Claxton, Georgia 30417

We also ask that you send emails to the Claxton Chamber of Commerce expressing your support and gratitude for their decision to do the right thing: info@claxtonevanschamber.com

The Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival, sponsored by the Evans County Wildlife Club is held annually on the second weekend of March. The Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival is a two-day festival, attracting 15,000 visitors. The event features snake educational programs, wildlife exhibits, turkey calling contest, over 100 arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, a grand parade, beauty queens, essay contest, 1 mile fun run, 5-K run, live entertainment, children’s games and activities and fun for all ages! Festival hours are 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to the festival is $5, free to age 5 and under.

Please also send out as many invitations to participate in the event so they can show other communities that making such a decision is the right thing to do.  And as our friends from the CBD recently wrote: We all urge the sponsors of the annual rattlesnake roundup in Whigham to stop incentivizing the capture and killing of imperiled snakes. Rattlesnake roundups are depleting populations of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes: Analysis of data from four roundups in the southeastern United States shows a steady decline in the weights of prize-winning eastern diamondbacks and the number collected. This once-common species is being pushed toward extinction not only by hunting pressure but also by habitat loss and road mortality. Scientific studies over the past decade have documented range-wide population declines and significant range contractions, which is why we filed a petition to protect the eastern diamondback rattlesnake under the Endangered Species Act.

We again wish to thank Bruce Purcell and the entire Evans County Wildlife Club for making the change to their longstanding event. We know it was a difficult decision but it just proves that with the right amount of education, and ample support from like-minded individuals and organizations, “Anything Is Possible“.

On behalf of everyone at OMG (especially Olivia and Carter), and all the other great folks we had the opportunity to work with who helped make this happen, we say THANKS!!!

Here is an article that ran in their local paper about the change of venue: Roundup ends in Claxton – Focus of festival now on wildlife

and here is a local TV segment:

Olivia and Carter were invited to speak at the recent Salvation Army “Re-Effect” Conference in Atlanta GA.  The invitation was extended to OMG by KooDooZ founder and Youthologist Lee Fox who conducted several workshops on “Changing The World Through Environmental Stewardship“.

Also invited was Tyler and Laura Page who are the founders of Kids Helping Kids Leadership Academy, Inc. which is a unique organization that evolved with Tyler’s simple idea and big heart to raise $240 in order to keep one Ghanaian child out of trafficking into a fundraising and leadership movement for global transformation.

In February of 2007, ten year-old Tyler Page got inspired while watching an episode of Oprah where he learned that children, just like himself, were being sold by their own parents into labor. Picturing himself in their shoes is all it took for him to leap into action.  It doesn’t take much; for 1 child, it costs $20/mo x 12 mo’s = $240 yr. His goal was to raise enough money to save the life of one child for an entire year. The first fundraiser (a car wash) was so fun and successful that he decided to set his goal higher, to save the lives of 200 children for an entire year.

Lee asked OMG to tell their story and to share with everyone how their passion for trying to save Cheetah’s has spread to them being involved with helping during the Gulf oil spill, to having a complete environmental and educational program geared towards reducing plastic pollution, and to their latest humanitarian initiative which they recently completed in South Africa:

* The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre in South Africa
* Animal Rescue Supplies Delivered
* OMG Founders Deliver Christmas Cheer in South Africa with the Help From Our Friends at CLAW and IFAW

Here is a little more about Lee Fox. Striving to create a virtual world that is also virtuous, Lee developed KooDooZ.  As the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer for KooDooZ, Inc., Lee’s mission is to spread the word about KDZ (“kids”) programs which are designed to teach youth how to innovate goals to help further a cause in partnership with for-profit and non-profit organizations.

The Salvation Army invited Lee to come and conduct several workshops which would better equip their leaders and help them prepare for the immense opportunities todays youths have before them, an online forum where each user interaction forwards the development of humanitarian values and promotes philanthropic efforts.

A passionate entrepreneur and humanitarian, Lee has enjoyed walking the tightrope of innovation at the intersections of technology, new media and entertainment where she has taken title of CEO (internet/mobile), VP of Marketing (professional services), Content Creator (brand management) and Writer (consumer TV). Lee actively sits on for-profit and non-profit boards and currently chairs the American Technology Association’s Los Angeles council. She also sits on council for the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club and continues to volunteer, coach and mentor youth-led initiatives alongside her husband and three children.

So what is the Salvation Army’s Re-Effect?

THE RE EFFECT DEFINED

The Salvation Army in the southern territory is looking for new ways to create and implement mission opportunities for both soldiers and officers. If we are to stay true to our calling as a movement, we need to take responsibility for the last, the lost, and the least within our communities. This responsibility extends to our soldiers as well as our officers and needs to carry on beyond an event, through relationships, dialogue, and living as a church without walls.

The Salvation Army’s mission statement for the southern territory is for Salvationists to love, serve, and disciple. In keeping with this vision, the (re) effect equips Salvationists for mission through a (re)newed love for others, a (re)invigorated commitment to service, and a (re)kindled passion for discipling and training future leaders of The Salvation Army.

KooDooZ was invited to help the Salvation Army team members learn and better understand the power and passion today’s youth have and help them find ways to harness and embrace their passion for wanting to effect change.  Lee taught several workshops including:

I. Mashing Up Philanthropy

With 1-in-4 Americans under the age of 18, youth is our country’s largest population group. Though kids of all ages want to help others, most aren’t given the opportunity to tackle world challenges. Youthologist Lee Fox will share examples of how non-profits can empower youth.

II. Changing The World Through Environmental Stewardship

Sustainability has crept up America’s cause-agenda, now higher than ever before. According to a recent CONE study, 70% of Americans pay attention to what companies are doing with regards to the environment. “Green” has likewise become the new face of youth activism. Learn what inspired tween siblings (Carter and Olivia) to start their own non-profit.  Since starting their organization One More Generation (OMG), these two powerhouses have launched their very successful “Plastic Awareness Coalition” (which boasts over 50 supporting organizations) and their “Plastic Awareness Week” curriculum which teaches students about plastic pollution and provides them ways they too can make a difference in their homes, their schools and their communities.

III. Changing The World Through Passionate Leadership & Responsible Social Media

At their finger-tips, youth activists have the same tools as adults to “activate” themselves as agents of change. However, the risk of putting personal information “online” is formidable, and young agents of change need to understand how to protect themselves in an ever-evolving digital world.

Olivia and Carter were asked to share with the audience how they got inspired to start their own nonprofit and how they went from trying to save endangered species to an organization which now also has a very strong environmental education program and has even provided humanitarian support in South Africa.

As OMG progresses, we continually look for opportunities to get involved with being the solution to various issues.  Our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program has been adapted to allow schools nationwide the opportunity to feature cutting edge environmental education which offers immediate solutions to how we can all reduce our plastic pollution output.  The Plastic Awareness Coalition continues to attract support from organizations both on a national level, as well as on a global level.  We feel confident that with the strength of the coalition members, we will be able to start affecting change in numerous communities during 2012 and beyond.

Olivia and Carter’s sincere commitment to everything they do was again apparent during the Salvation Army’s Re-Effect conference and we feel confident that our programs are something which will benefit each of the communities the Salvation Army serves.  We look forward to partnering closely with them and have also invited them to be part of our Plastic Awareness Coalition.

We wish to thank Lee Fox and all the members of the Salvation Army Conference Team for their support and for allowing us to share our passion and vision.  Together, we can truly make a difference for at least One More Generation… and beyond.

As we started planning for our trip to South Africa over 9-months ago, we reached out to the folks from IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) in an effort to find ways we could work together with them to help raise awareness to the issues facing endangered species.  As we built our relationship with their US office, they then introduced us to their South African office located in Cape Town and to their amazing liaison Lisa.

As we learned more about their mission in South Africa, we found out that IFAW strongly supported an incredible organization called CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare) which began ten years ago with Cora Bailey’s one-woman crusade to personally provide basic veterinary services to one South African township.  Now CLAW works to bring free and low-cost spay/neuter services, veterinary treatment, and animal education to the poorest communities in the world.

Since its inception in 1999, CLAW’s mobile teams of veterinarians and community volunteers have treated, vaccinated, and sterilized thousands of pets. CLAW also provides other mobile services such as flea dipping, de-worming, emergency care, adoption services, humane euthanasia, pet education, and community awareness events.

The welfare of these animals is intimately linked to the welfare of the communities in which they live. CLAW programs are culturally sensitive and network with other community-based organizations to help provide an improved quality of life for the people and communities in which they work.  Many human-aid charity groups have recognized CLAW’s holistic non-exclusive approach, and CLAW’s extended network is improving the lives of thousands.

But it doesn’t stop there.  We also learned that (in their spare time) CLAW distributes food parcels, facilitates a home-based care program to teach people how to care for the sick and dying, runs food gardens, supports child-headed households and helps communities access health and hospice care, not to mention hosting annual Christmas events for hundreds of needy and impoverished children and their families.

After learning of all that they do, we could only say “OMG” and ask how we might be of assistance with their efforts.  Lisa put us in touch with Cora and collectively we started to plan our strategy.  As you know, OMG is all about raising awareness to the plight of endangered species and trying to educate students and communities about plastic pollution.  Our focus has never changed from the beginning, but we are also open minded enough to see how things are connected and why you have to be flexible in your approach.

Cora told us that when they go to villages and townships seeking to help all of their neglected animals, it is very difficult to get families to listen to them talk about the need to provide their dogs and cats with clean drinking water and sufficient shelter when the families themselves often go without any of these basic needs.

She said she learned this lesson early on which has forced CLAW to broaden their approach and also find ways to help the people as well.  She told us that every Saturday, they would visit a different township and try to deliver humanitarian supplies to the folks as they continued to help the animals as well.

While on one of our conference calls with Lisa and Cora, we learned that the children in these townships usually were the ones hardest hit by the circumstances they lived in.  We also learned that the kids loved playing soccer.  After hearing this Carter (who plays on a soccer league) decided to reach out to the president of his soccer league (AFC Lightning) and ask if he could help us collect soccer balls and used soccer clothing etc for us to possibly donate to CLAW for when they visit these villages.  Carter also reached out to his goal keeper coach (Glen Fox) who runs the The Southern Crescent Goalkeeping Academy asking if he too could help us out.  Our goal was to collect enough supplies so that we could bring a little cheer to all the kids of the township during our visit.

Olivia then also sprang to action by clearing out her closet and toy chests with tons of stuffed toys, clothing and assorted toys which she wanted to give to these kids during our visit.  She also mentioned to her pottery teacher about the impending trip and her teacher spent days making over 50 handmade clay Heart 2 Heart necklaces for Olivia to bring along.  Then, to our surprise, the president at the AFC Lightning Soccer League called us up to announce they were delivering 51 – brand new (deflated) soccer balls for our trip.  We also started getting calls from families involved with Carter’s soccer league and teammates from his goal keeping camp that they too had used soccer items for our trip.  Before long, we had collected over 8-large military style duffle bags full of donations for our trip.

The next step was to see if we could get assistance from one of the airlines on taking all these items over with us without it being cost prohibitive.  Unfortunately, time was not on our side and we were unable to get the needed waivers so we had to unpack almost all of our personal belongings to make room for the donations.  We were each allowed two pieces of checked luggage (which was the eight fully loaded duffle bags of donations) and two small carry on bags per person (which now contained our limited change of clothing).

Then the day finally came when we were headed for South Africa.  When we arrived, Cora was kind enough to meet us at the Johannesburg Airport and helped load all the donations in her truck and then lead us to the guesthouse we were staying at.  BTW, if you’re ever in the need for comfortable, safe and reasonable accommodations in the outskirts of “Jo’burg”, we highly recommend staying at the Soofah Guest House which is run by the Soloman family who definitely cares for their guests.  You can reach them at info@sooffah.com and make sure you ask for Fatima and don’t forget to tell them that OMG sent you.

After a day of Olivia and Carter visiting their adopted cheetah’s, we were ready to meet up with Cora and her team to head out to one of the townships to deliver the donations we brought along.  Cora met us in the morning and we headed over to her clinic where we met many of their staff and volunteers.  In total, Cora’s team filled four vehicles along with lots of donations from CLAW, IFAW and OMG.  We drove for just under two hours to the remote township where we arrived unannounced.  A few of the local volunteers who work with Cora went into the village to let them know why we were there and asked that they help round up the children.  Within minutes, kids started coming out of their meager dwellings to see what all the commotion was all about.

Carter and Olivia were among the first to greet the kids and to help them feel comfortable with us being there.  The folks at CLAW have obviously done this hundreds of times because they knew exactly what needed to be done and in what order to ensure we were not mobbed by the sudden influx of curious kids.

Everywhere you looked, kids were coming out of their dwellings as the word spread that we had arrived.  The CLAW team quickly announced why we had arrived and also gave clear instructions to the villagers as they lined up to meet us.

CLAW frequently visits these remote townships and they are always cautious to ensure they look at helping out in anyway possible.  Addressing the needs of the children and families in these villages is just as important as helping the dogs and cats.

Before we knew it, we had over 50 kids around us and the numbers were still growing.  The staff from CLAW quickly went to work emptying the vehicles with the donations and started setting up areas where we would be handing out the items to the children.

The children were all very curious and excited at the same time.  Word had spread that we had arrived with gifts for the children and they were all anxious to see what we had brought.  Olivia and Carter were both a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of kids and to the conditions they lived in.  Cora was quick to see their expressions and quickly stepped in to assure them that they needed to focus on the good our visit was bringing to these children, as opposed to the sight of their living conditions.

As they handed out more and more of the items CLAW had brought along, Olivia and Carter became less concerned with the conditions of thetownship and they sincerely started to enjoy the smiles and laughter of the kids as they received the items we brought along.

Each child was able to express their gratefulness and excitement, even with the language barrier.  Their expressions said it all despite the fact though they did not have much on their own, the gifts CLAW brought along helped them forget any issues they had, even if it was just for the afternoon.

After a while of handing out some of the gifts, Carter said to me that he noticed that these kids were no different than any other kids he had met in different parts of the world.  They all loved to get gifts and they especially liked to play with toys.

I think the best part for Olivia was when all the kids started to sing and dance in unison as a way of expressing their gratitude for everything the entire CLAW team was doing for them.  She said to me that she liked the songs and was impressed that the girls all seemed to gravitate to her.

One of my favorite moments during our visit to the village was watching the expressions on the children’s faces as we started handing out some of Olivia’s stuffed toys.  It was as if many of these kids had never seen stuffed toys before.  Their eyes were wide open as they clutched the toys hard against their faces and giggled wildly.

Most of the CLAW staff had apparently seen these looks before but it was obvious that they were each moved in their own way by the effects of their actions.  It was such a pleasure for us to be part of this amazing experience.

Here you can see what we saw in the eyes of these kids as they accepted the donations.  The looks are something we will never forget and one I hope everyone has an opportunity to witness in their lifetime.

As we started the task of handing out the donations, the folks at CLAW had strategically laid out what items were to be given out first, second, etc.  At first it was not clear to me that they had a definitive game plan but as the afternoon went on, it became clear they really knew what they were doing.  This became apparent as they then started to lineup all the donated soccer balls we brought along with some of the soccer balls they received from the famed Manchester United Soccer Team.

The soccer balls seemed to be the favorite gift for kids of all ages.  As we started handing them out, we noticed that the size of the group surrounding us had doubled.  Now there were more than 100 kids and each one clambering to see if they were getting a soccer ball.  This is where the experience of the CLAW team was so important.  They really had control of every situation and made sure that everyone was taken care of.

Cora, who was the obvious leader amongst the entire event was amazing to watch.  She has so much sincere passion for what she does and clearly cares for every single child and family member in the township.  Her dedication and drive was unlike anything we had seen prior and definitely something we can only hope that we might be able to emulate someday.

The entire team from CLAW was so impressive.  Each one worked at full-steam from the moment they arrived and they never let up.  It was such an exhilarating experience for us to be part of this event and I am so grateful that they allowed us to be part of what they do on a regular basis.

Even though everyone kept smiles on their faces throughout the visit to the village, the toll on your emotions was noticeable (if you knew where to look).  I can’t imagine what it must be like for these brave souls on a regular basis when faced with such adversity.

After we had handed out enough donations and the crowd started to disperse, Olivia and Carter were invited to tour the township so they could get a better feel of what life is like for the children.  As we walked through the the dirt roads amongst the shacks, you couldn’t help notice that virtually every family living in this village had a large number of occupants living in these cramped and meager conditions.

As we walked through the streets, we were summoned over to meet with one of the village elders.  The lady who told us she was in her eighties was sitting under a shade tree preparing the vegetables for their daily porridge (as they referred to it).  We were impressed by her obvious good health considering her age and the conditions they were forced to live in and especially when you consider that the average life expectancy of someone living in South Africa (in these conditions) is only 37.  Aids, alcoholism, violence and even the occasional Xenophobic attacks, which still plague the region, all contributing to the short life expectancy.

As we walked on through the Township, we were pleased to see kids happily playing with the soccer balls we had brought.  They obviously were a big hit.  On more than one occasion we saw kids running barefoot through the stone filled streets kicking the balls around looking for a chance of getting a game started.

As we continued, we repeatedly saw families sitting on the floors of their open shacks because they had no furniture.  We saw homes about the size of an average kitchen with 10 to 15 people living in it.  We saw what looked like a pile of rubble where your first thought was that the village was stacking excess materials to maybe build another shack, only to see several kids emerging as we walked by and then learned that the pile of rubble was actually their home.

But one thing we did notice amongst all this overwhelming poverty as we continued through the end of our tour, and that was the smiles on the children’s faces as they saw us pass by.  Virtually every child we passed stopped to wave to us as if they were saying thanks for our visit and for the gifts were we able to bring along.

As we left the township, someone had contacted Cora about a family consisting of eight kids being brought up by their Grandmother.  Apparently their mother had passed on and their dad was nowhere to be found.  The Grandmother was struggling to keep the kids clothed, etc.  After hearing this, Cora quickly diverted the team to head for the families home.  Once we arrived, we were greeted by the grandmother and all the kids living in their small quarters.

Olivia was quick to make sure each of the girls in this household received one of the special clay necklaces that her pottery teacher personally hand made for our trip.  The girls were all so surprised at the gifts and each one proudly placed the necklace over their heads and ran to look at their reflection in the car windows.

After we left the families home, we started heading on the long trip back to the CLAW clinic.  Once everything was unpacked and returned to the clinic, we were invited to Cora’s house so Carter and Olivia could finally meet the 21-dogs, over a dozen cats and two birds which she and her tolerating family care for.

The kids loved all the animals and hearing the heartbreaking stories behind each of these rescued animals made it even more interesting.  They also loved hearing the unique names they had given these animals.  Cora had told the kids about a special little pug dog which they recently found.  Both Carter and Olivia immediately fell in love with the cute little puppy.  If the puppy was a little older and was allowed to travel, I am sure we would have been coming back to the USA with another special pet.

As we returned to the guesthouse where we were staying we noticed that Olivia and Carter were surprisingly happy and alert.  We did not know what to expect from them after seeing the hardship the other children endured.  We were a little concerned that the images might be too harsh for them at this age, but to my amazement they both were moved by the experience but moved in a positive way.  They both asked us when we might have an opportunity to do it again.  It seems they thoroughly enjoyed the day’s events and if anything, they are more motivated to help now, than they may have been in the past.

All of us at OMG were deeply moved by Cora and her entire team’s dedication.  We were moved by how sincere she is in wanting to make a difference, not only for animals, but also for everyone she meets who needs help.  I hope you will vist the website of CLAW and that you will consider showing Cora and her staff your support.  Words and even the pictures we took can not fully express the immense passion Cora has for everything she does.  Even though Cora and her organization is halfway around the world, we are convinced that the world is a better place because of all she does.

We wish to thank everyone at CLAW and the folks at IFAW for allowing us to be part of their world and we excitedly look forward to the next veture we can experience with both organizations.

Best regards from the entire OMG Team

As you all know by now, One More Generation was started after our founders Olivia and Carter had been adopting Cheetah’s in South Africa for years.  As they got older. they realized that unless people got involved via animal adoptions and or donations to organizations who are working hard to save a species, there may not be any of these animals for the next generation.

Since starting One More Generation, Olivia and Carter have been working hard to try and raise awareness to the plight of many species who desperately need help and to show everyone that “Anybody Can Make A Difference“.  Adopting an animal is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways that even kids can get involved.  Since starting OMG, Olivia and Carter have added a whale shark from our local aquarium (this adoption was a gift to the kids.  We personally disagree with the practice of confining these majestic creatures),  they added two beautiful fruit bats from the Lubee Bat Conservancy, and after their visit to the Jane Goodall’s Chimpanzee Eden in South Africa, they both agreed to add a couple of Chimpanzees to their list of adopted critters.

Carter and Olivia have been hosting various fundraising events over the past year in an effort to help raise funds to further support the work that the Cheetah Center does.  After months of hard work, they had finally amassed $1,000.00 for the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Center so this Dec, we traveled to South Africa to present the donation to the founder of the center and so that the kids could finally meet their cheetahs in person.  We combined our trip with several visits to other organizations fighting hard to save species and we even added an humanitarian component to our trip which we will be posting later.

We landed in South Africa on Dec 19th (after over 24-hours of traveling) and then headed out first thing on the morning of Dec 20th for our visit to the cheetah center.  BTW, if you are ever traveling in South Africa, we would recommend getting the supplemental car insurance which covers tires and windshield since their roads are filled with pot-holes as can be seen in this photo.

At the center, they have more than just cheetahs, they also have some of the most adorable African Painted Dogs you will ever meet.  The African Wild Dog is a critically endangered species being driven to almost certain extinction by human overpopulation, habitat loss and predator control killing.  It uses very large territories (and so can persist only in large wildlife protected areas), and it is strongly affected by competition with larger carnivores that rely on the same prey base, particularly the lion and the Spotted Hyena. Most of Africa’s national parks are too small for a pack of wild dogs, so the packs expand to the unprotected areas, which tend to be ranch or farm land. Ranchers and farmers protect their domestic animals by killing the wild dogs. Like other carnivores, the African wild dog is sometimes affected by outbreaks of viral diseases such as rabies, distemper, and parvovirus. Although these diseases are not more pathogenic or virulent for wild dogs, the small size of most wild dog populations makes them vulnerable to local extinction due to diseases or other problems.

The folks at the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Center work very hard to try and help save these precious animals.  They have been successfully breeding these animals and trying to educate communities to the value they have on our ecosystem.  They have also been experimenting with building special dens for the dogs expecting pups.  The dens line the outside of the sanctuary perimeter and have a special entrance (sort of like a doggy door controlled by staff members) which allows the mother access to her pups who are safe inside where they can not escape nor can predators enter to find them. We think that their new system will work and we look forward to hearing of their successes.

The main attraction to the center has to be their large assortment of healthy and lovable cheetahs.  We were given a private tour of the facility and even allowed to venture in to the sanctuary among the living area of these fascinating animals.  While driving to the cheetah section of the center, we passed by some of the various species that they care for as well including the Caracal, African Wild Cats, Brown Hyena and various types of Vultures including the Egyptian Vulture and the Lappet-faced Vulture, all of which are considered endangered and unless protected, are sure to become extinct in our lifetime.  We were amazed to learn about how little is known by the average person about these and many other animals who desperately need help.

At the center, they offer Adoptions for any budget and each species is reliant on your help if they are to survive for “One More Generation”… and beyond.

As we entered the cheetah section, we saw nothing but trees and brush.  There was a still quiet in the air.  We drove for several minutes continuing to call out to the animals as they do daily during feedings.  Suddenly we saw our first cheetah, better said our first two cheetahs.  As we turned the corner we saw these two amazing specimens sitting side by side watching our every move.

Next, I was allowed to exit the truck for a once in a lifetime opportunity to walk among these amazing animals.  While Carter was not that pleased that I exited the vehicle, he did love the great pictures we were able to get.  As I walked around, I was overwhelmed with emotions, especially when the first cheetah approached to make sure I knew whose territory this is.

Our guide Dave also had a blast walking around the grounds but even he was not immune to their occasional  show of dominance.  It was very impressive to see how these cats get their message across.  They would circle around us and then the one closest to us would tuck its tail, raise the hair on their necks and swat the ground with a fierce slap just before lunging one or two steps closer.  As long as you stood your ground they basically back down (I’m sure that’s not the case in the wild) but it was very intense and impressive at the same time.

We continued our tour to see even more cheetahs and other animals cared for by the great team at the center.  One of the many species we saw were Impalla, and lots of them.  We also learned an interesting fact about how these animals are regarded by their many predators.  If you look close at the picture, you will see what we mean.

Next we got to go to the pens where they keep some of the cheetahs to help feed them.  Olivia and Carter got to actually help fix their meals and mix their vitamins and medicines in with their raw meat.  Olivia was quicker to reach in to the food dishes than Carter but they both eventually did it, and then we went out to feed these hungry animals.  Check out the King Cheetah we also saw.

Linda and Dave were the best tour guides we could have hoped for and they truly care about every single animal in the sanctuary.  We wish to thank them and the entire staff at the center for all they do to help raise awareness about the plight of endangered species.

Carter and Olivia had a blast visiting the center but their best part was actually getting into the pens with the cheetahs they have been adopting for years.  You can see the smiles on their faces as they posed for these pictures.

As we were leaving the cheetah center to go and visit with the sanctuary’s founder, we were given the opportunity to see first hand how these animals live everyday.  I am not sure this is what the kids had in mind.

Next we headed over to the education section where we met the center’s Director of Education, Marilyn, along with the center’s ambassador Lord Byron who travels the country educating students and farmers about the need to preserve the species and how we can all learn to live together with each other.  The center is working on helping to provide farmers with special dogs which are trained to scare off cheetahs so that the farmers don’t lose their valuable livestock to hungry cheetahs.

Then we got to meet with Ann Van Dyk herself and she actually spent over an hour with us fielding questions from Olivia and Carter about all her hard work and what it takes to run such a large and successful sanctuary for forty years.

Next, we got to present Ann with a large check which Carter and Olivia had personally collected via numerous fundraising events in an effort to help the center continue their work.  Before leaving, they allowed us to visit with one more of their special cheetahs named Scarlett.   This was probably the highlight of Olivia and Carter’s because this cheetah was the most laid-back animal you could have ever imagined.

Finally, we had another opportunity to meet with Ann and her key staff members for a final farewell.  The folks involved with Ann and her dream are all amazing people and we are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be part of their day.  If you have never considered Adopting an animal, we encourage you to start now.  Even a few dollars can make a big difference and it may well be just what helps save these amazing animals for the next generation.

Thank you for caring and we hope you too are inspired to want to get involved with making a difference.

Recently OMG founders Olivia and Carter were invited to enter a contest hosted by the folks at Rocket21.  The contest was designed to showcase some of the amazing work kids are doing in their effort to help clean up our environment.  Connecticut 7th Grader Tommy Whiteley was selected as Grand Prize Winner for his ideas on how artificial ice flows could save polar bears who risk drowning on marathon swims caused by vanishing ice. Tommy and his family joined environmentalist and media titan Ted Turner, Oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Emmy Award Winner Jeff Corwin, and 26x Grammy Winner Alison Krauss as VIP guests at the Captain Planet Foundation Gala, held on Friday, 12.9, at Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium. (See full press release here)

Additionally, 10 year old Georgia Student Carter Ries and his sister Olivia were selected as Second Place Winners, recognized for a Plastic Awareness Week school curriculum they developed together. Both students are excited to be guests at the Atlanta event. Nine year-old Olivia noted, “This is my first ever Gala … it’s a once in a lifetime thing!” Carter added, “I’m so excited to meet the winner! I’m hoping that I meet some famous people too!”

“Rocket21 is about supporting all kids’ dreams, every single day. Together with Captain Planet Foundation we’ve designed a very special opportunity for Rocket21 members to share their ideas for protecting the planet with some of the world’s leading environmentalists.” said Rocket21 President and COO Jodell Seagrave. “No doubt this experience will be a force in shaping their futures.”

About Rocket21:

Rocket21 provides unprecedented access to world-class experts and organizations while protecting them with a combination of state-of-the-art, real-time filtering and human moderation, extensive safety and security precautions, and a specialized infrastructure designed to keep kids safe.

Olivia and Carter had a blast at the event and even got to meet up with Ted Turner and Captain Planet.  Carter really wanted to meet Jeff Corwin and Lauren tried to catch up with Dr. Earle but the place was packed and they never did have the opportunity.  We wish to thank everyone at Rocket21 and especially Lisa Litsey, Jodell Seagrave and Mark Grayson for their hospitality and support of the work Olivia and Carter are doing.  We also wish to thank Laura Turner Seydel and all the folks at the Captain Planet foundation for making the evening such a memorable evening for Olivia and Carter.  It opportunities like this that show the kids that their hard work and efforts are truly appreciated.

Congratulations again to Tommy and his entire family for winning the contest and for working so hard to make a difference.  It just goes to show you that “Anybody can make a difference”.

If you would like to learn more about the Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program, please send us an email at info@onemoregeneration.org and we will gladly contact you with all the details.  Here is more on the program:

EEA Outdoor Learning Symposium

Thanks again from all of us at OMG

We just wanted to let everyone know that we will be taking a break from our daily OMG Trivia.  Olivia and Carter have not missed a single day with their trivia in over 400-consecutive days.  Quite an amazing feat when you consider their ages.

As we wind-down the remainder of the year, we will be focusing our time on our upcoming trip to South Africa.  Olivia and Carter have worked extremely hard this past year and are really looking forward to our trip and the opportunity to finally meet the Cheetah’s they have been adopting for years.

Here is what their itinerary looks like:

On Dec 22nd we will be driving to Crocodile Bridge where we will be staying in Marloth Park for a few days.  On Dec 23rd we will be meeting up with the folks from Jane Goodall’s Chimpanzee Eden where the kids will be working for a day at their Chimpanzee Eden. We will spend Christmas in Marloth Park before driving back to Joburg on Dec 26th to catch a flight to Cape Town.

In Cape Town we will be working with the folks from the IFAW in Cape Town.  While we are in Cape town, we will be visiting Boulders Beach were all the penguins are and on Dec 28th our founders will also be helping out at the SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) which helps sea birds and penguins during oil spills etc. Olivia and Carter were instrumental with the animal rescue efforts during our recent Gulf Oil Spill (you can read about their efforts here).  We will be retuning to Joburg on Dec 30th where we are staying for the night before flying back to the USA on Dec 31st.

So as you can see, planning for this trip has kept us far too busy to be able to stay on top of our daily trivia.  We hope to be able to resume the trivia in early 2012.  We have so thoroughly enjoyed reading all the answers to our trivia each day and have been amazed that we have received responses from almost every corner of the globe.

We wish to thank all our supporters everywhere and we hope you check in on us daily to see what Olivia and Carter post about their trip in South Africa.  We hope to post pictures as well (providing we can get access to the internet) and we look forward to reading your comments.

Thanks again from the entire OMG Team

Carter had an opportunity to hold one of these hearty reptiles recently and he surprisingly liked it.  Here is trivia for today.  These are the largest lizards in their natural range.  They are very adept at climbing trees and leaping from branch to branch despite its ungraceful physique.

When frightened by a predator, these guys will attempt to flee, and if near a body of water, they dive into it and swim away. If cornered by a threat, they will extend and display the dewlap under its neck, stiffen and puff up its body, hiss, and bob its head at the aggressor. If threat persists they can lash with its tail, bite and use its claws in defense. The wounded are more inclined to fight than uninjured prey.

So here are carter’s questions:  Tell us what this reptile is and where they can be found in the wild?  Also, locals hunt these animals easily by imitating the sounds of what animal?  Finally, if a male loses a fight, tell us what happens to its body color?

Good luck

Olivia loves these guys.  She says they are cute…  Anyway, here is her trivia for the day.  These guys feed and sleep while hanging upside-down from branches.  Their slow-moving lifestyle and a variable body temperature let them survive on a low-energy vegetarian diet.  These guys rely on excellent camouflage for protection.  Did you know that small moths live in the fur of these animals and lay their eggs in piles of their feces?

Although they are quite slow in trees, these guys are agile swimmers. The offspring cling to their mother’s bellies for around 9 months or so. They cannot walk on all four limbs, and so they must use their front arms and claws to drag themselves across the rain forest floor (as can be seen in the video below). They do not have a mating season and breed year round.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell us how this animal got its name and how they are able to survive without ever drinking water?  Also, in Brazil, these guys are hunted for their coats.  Tell us what the locals use their coat for?

Good Luck

Also, Olivia and Carter came across this video and wanted to share it with everyone.

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to Angela Walker from Macedonia, Ohio for being the first with the correct answers. The odd looking mammal we featured is the Three-Toed Sloth. The three-toed sloths are tree-living mammals from South and Central America. There are four living species of three-toed sloths. These are the Brown-throated Sloth, the Maned Sloth, the Pale-throated Sloth, and the Pygmy Three-toed Sloth.

Three-toed sloths obviously got their name from what was thought to be three-toes.  They are frequently referred to as three-toed sloths, however all sloths have 3 toes, the difference is found in the number of fingers; meaning they are now more appropriately referred to as three-fingered sloths.

These guys are able to survive without ever drinking water because they obtain all the water they need from the leaves they eat and by licking dew.  In Brazil, sloths are hunted for their coats, which are used as saddle-coverings.  Here is more on these slow paced creatures: Three-Toed Sloth

Thanks for playing along

Carter found these guys interesting so he decided to feature them for his trivia.  These guys have dense, warm fur which allows them to hunt through the sub-zero Arctic nights.  They have a keen sense of smell and track their prey and mates by smell.  During long days of the Arctic summer, these guys forgo their nocturnal lifestyle in favor of short periods of activity and rest.

These guys are powerful and versatile predator and scavenger. Prey mainly consists of small to large-sized mammals and they have been recorded as killing prey such as adult deer that are many times larger than this predator. Prey species include porcupine, squirrel, beaver, marmot, rabbit, vole, mice, shrew, lemming, caribou, roe deer, white-tailed deer, mule deer, sheep, moose, and elk. Smaller predators are occasionally preyed on, including martens, mink, foxes, Canada lynx, Eurasian lynx, weasels, coyotes and wolf pups. These guys will often pursue live prey that is relatively easy to obtain, including animals caught in fur-bear’s traps, newborn mammals and large moose and elk when they’re weakened by winter and momentarily incapacitated by heavy snow.

So here are Carter’s questions:  Tell us what this animal is and what its Inuit name (Kee-wa-har-kess) means?  Also, tell us how it earned its name ‘glutton’?

Good Luck

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to three OMG fans tonight because each one answered a different part of our trivia.  The first to identify the beastly critter was Napat Malathum, next we had Jean Netherton who gave us the definition of their Inuit name, and finally we had Angela Williams who answered why these guys earned the name glutton. The animal we featured is the Wolverine. The wolverine, pronounced /ˈwʊlvəriːn/, Gulo gulo (Gulo is Latin for “glutton”), also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae (weasels). It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids. The wolverine has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times its size.

The wolverine is also known ad the devil bear, skunk bear and hyena of the north.  Its Inuit name, (Kee-wa-har-kess) means ‘the evil one’.  The wolverine earned its nickname ‘glutton’ by filling itself ravenously on carrion during the winter months, when food is normally scarce.  And according to Angela, these guys will eat til they are overfull and sometimes to the point where they can’t move anymore.  Here is more on these fearsome mammals: Wolverine

Thanks for playing along

Olivia picked this prickly looking fish for her trivia tonight.  Check out the cool facts she found.  These are one of the most common freshwater fish, widespread in rivers, canals and still waters.  They are an active predator that both ambushes small fish from cover and chases them in open water.  Their bold black bars against its olive-green flanks are perfectly suited for hiding in reeds and weeds.

These fish are carnivorous fish and like to feed on smaller fish, shellfish, or insect larvae, but can be caught with nearly any bait. They commonly spawn during the spring, when the females lay strings of eggs in covered areas such as near branches or underwater plants.  These guys grow to around 5-pounds or more, but the most common fish to be caught are around 1-pound or less, and anything over 2-pounds is considered a prize catch. The British record for one of these is 6-pounds, beating the previous one by 1 oz.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell us what kind of fish this is and what color they tend to be attracted to when searching for prey?  Also, some of these fish have a tinged red-yellow coloring.  Tell us what causes these fish to have these colors?

Good luck

Answer:

This is what the cyclops looks like

Congratulations to Joey Parks from Upper Haven England for being the first to get the trivia correct.  The fish we featured is the Perch.  Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the Latin forma meaning shape.

Perch on the prowl for their next meal are partial to the color red which is why they go after such fish as the roach because of their red fins.  Perch that are tinged red-yellow may be this color from eating large amounts of cyclops, a type of plankton with high levels of the same chemicals that give carrots their color.  Here is more on these aggressive fish: Perch

Thanks for playing along