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We Support . . .
A portion of all our
earnings go to support wildlife and environmental organizations. And all our
donations are personally delivered to underprivileged people and animals in our
area. Please help some of the many charities listed below as well as some of
the wonderful groups in your area.
Change is rarely made up of
grand "heroic" tasks that make the front page. Real lasting change
comes about from small, thoughtful acts we can all do everyday.
Seize the moment and change the world . . . one creature at a time. The only
way we fail is to do nothing.
Saint Vincent De Paul
Place
Located on the north end of Main Street in
Middletown, Connecticut, De Paul Place serves the homeless and poor of our
community with clothing donations and food which they serve in their soup
kitchen.
Animal Haven, Inc.
This animal rescue group is based out of
North Haven, Connecticut, works with our community to rescue dogs and cats and
adopts them out to good homes. To contact them, call (203) 239-2641 or write
them at 89 Mill Road, North Haven CT 06473.
Cause For Paws
A grassroots rescue organization, Cause for
Paws serves the Durham/Middlefield, Connecticut area, rescuing homeless or
feral cats and offering them for adoption to good homes. To contact them, call
(860) 349-0410.
Defenders of Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the
protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
We focus our programs on what scientists consider two of the most serious
environmental threats to the planet: the accelerating rate of extinction of
species and the associated loss of biological diversity, and habitat alteration
and destruction. Long known for our leadership on endangered species issues,
Defenders of Wildlife also advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation
that will help keep species from becoming endangered. Our programs encourage
protection of entire ecosystems and interconnected habitats while protecting
predators that serve as indicator species for ecosystem health.
Great Bear Foundation
The Great Bear Foundation was established in
1982 to promote conservation of wild bears and their natural habitat worldwide.
Bears are magnificent and fascinating
animals with special needs. Their survival in the modern world must be
vigorously defended - something the Great Bear Foundation (GBF) has been
working hard to do since its formation.
All eight species of bears face threats as
varied as the individual places on earth they call home.
Habitat destruction around the globe is
rapidly depleting the ecosystems bears need to survive. Illegal trade in bear
parts is decimating some bear populations because gall bladders and other body
parts command such a high price. Poaching and unethical hunting practices
continue to take their toll on bear numbers.
The Great Bear Foundation is made up of
people just like you - people who believe that bears throughout the world
deserve enough wild and open spaces to survive.
The Great Bear Foundation is a 501(C)3 U.S.
non-profit organization that receives its funding from individuals who give
generously - helping us defend wild bear populations. Businesses and other
groups also help fund our work in bear conservation. And the sale of books,
posters and other merchandise provides additional revenue.
Vital Ground
The Vital Ground Foundation, a nonprofit
conservation organization founded in 1990, is dedicated to conserving habitat
for grizzlies and all of the other plants and animals that share the land with
the Great Bear. We protect grizzly habitat through conservation easement or
outright purchase - for where the grizzly can walk the earth is healthy and
whole. Our goal is the preservation of America's wild heritage.
Only a few centuries ago, an amazing
tapestry of nature existed in America. Mountainlands abundant with conifers
towered toward haze-free skies. Sparkling streams coursed the mountains' jagged
contours to spill into the many rivers nourishing the grasslands below. Here,
too, were rare botanicals and the native people of the plains and forests, as
well as countless species of wild animals, including millions of bison, wolves,
mountain lions and the most magnificent creature of all - the grizzly bear.
Today, this treasure of wildlife is almost
gone. Pollution and development threaten the health of many of these fragile
ecosystems, unique botanical species have been destroyed, and many of the
creatures native to wilderness areas are in danger of extinction. For some, it
is already too late. Gone forever in their original wild state are the herds of
bison, the swift fox and the mountain plover. But there is still time to save
the grizzly and the land he calls home - if we act now.
The Vital Ground Foundation actually evolved
from a unique relationship between man and bear. The man was Doug Seus, who,
along with his wife, Lynne, raised and trained a Kodiak grizzly named Bart to
appear in feature films. As Doug and Lynne worked with Bart, they realized he
was teaching them far more than they were teaching him. Bart's intelligence and
unconditional loyalty demonstrated to Doug and Lynne that his species offers
mankind a chance to retain the integrity of our land and to teach our children
respect for all living things. Inspired by Bart, Doug and Lynne launched the
Foundation with their purchase of 240 acres of prime grizzly bear habitat
adjoining the Nature Conservancy's Pine Butte Preserve along the East Front of
the Rockies in Montana.
The largest carnivore on land, grizzlies are
creatures of contradiction; although their ferocity is well documented, they
are loving mothers and admired for their exceptionally keen senses. The grizzly
bear has long been revered by Native Americans. They called him Old Man or
Grandfather, even The Healer because they believed he had human qualities and
could promote medicinal healing.
Intriguing as the grizzly's history may be,
his constant competition with man for natural resources has created a
long-standing dilemma. Because of their diverse habitat requirements and home
ranges of several hundred square miles, grizzlies are referred to as an
umbrella species - a creature whose protection saves habitat for many other
valued plants and animals. It has been said that where the grizzly bear roams,
the earth is healthy and whole.
Just a few hundred years ago, more than
100,000 grizzly bears roamed the lower 48 states. Today, there are less than a
thousand, and more than 98 percent of the grizzly's original habitat has been
lost. Nearly 70% of grizzly bear mortality by people occurs on the 2% of the
ecosystem that is private land, making it imperative that landowners be given a
viable option for sharing their land with the Great Bear.
Time is running out. Not just for the
grizzly, but also for the world in general, for without the ecological balance
provided by nature, mankind's future is in danger.
We can't restore the land to its wild,
pristine environment of centuries ago. We can, however, protect areas still offering
much needed refuge to creatures such as the grizzly bear. But it will take
cooperation and effort.
The Vital Ground Foundation's objective is
to form partnerships with landowners and other conservationists that will
result in permanent protection of critically important habitats. Yes, we hope
to save the grizzly bear from extinction. We also hope to save other endangered
animals and plant life and preserve lands of untold beauty and historical
significance in the process.
We can only do this with your help, and with
the help of many others throughout the country. By sharing The Vital Ground
Foundation's vision of preserving the legacy of the grizzly bear and his
wilderness, you will be stating loudly and clearly that you too care about this
last great symbol of American wilderness and the land he calls home.
ã 1999-2006 Peaceful Healing Therapeutic Massage (except for
Mission Statements from Defenders of Wildlife, Great Bear Foundation, and Vital
Ground)