To: Meril, Rick
Sent: Fri Jan 07 07:06:16 2011
Subject: News From Izilwane, January 2011
IZILWANE is starting the New Year off with a bang!
We have tons of great ideas—articles, explorations, photo and video galleries and other adventures—in the pipeline for 2011. This year is the International Year of Forests and the beginning of the International Decade of Biodiversity, and scientists from all over the world will focus on biodiversity and protection of the world's incredible ecosystems. Here at IZILWANE, we will also explore issues of biodiversity from our own specialized perspective on how humans perceive the natural world and how altering our perceptions can help other species. Check back for new stories about wildlife corridors, cultures adapting to a changing world, the new concept of biocultural diversity and much more!
In December, our team of writers, photographers, editors, production managers, assistants, and helpers donated 474 hours during the busy holiday season, bringing us to a total of 8,234 donated hours since IZILWANE's inception. We also received a very generous $5,000 gift from an anonymous donor to help us start the New Year off right! It is this type of gift, as well as the dedication and support of our volunteer staff and contributors, that has made IZILWANE the success it is today... and this is only our third issue. But there is still more to be done. Help us celebrate the New Year by donating today!
In December, our team of writers, photographers, editors, production managers, assistants, and helpers donated 474 hours during the busy holiday season, bringing us to a total of 8,234 donated hours since IZILWANE's inception. We also received a very generous $5,000 gift from an anonymous donor to help us start the New Year off right! It is this type of gift, as well as the dedication and support of our volunteer staff and contributors, that has made IZILWANE the success it is today... and this is only our third issue. But there is still more to be done. Help us celebrate the New Year by donating today!
In December, our third month since going live, IZILWANE's popularity continued to grow! Our website received 913 new visitors; this is more than double the number of new visitors just two months ago. And visitors continue to come from countries around the world, such as Japan, Romania, Germany and Canada!We are also extremely popular on Facebook! The number of monthly active users was up by 34 percent since the end of November, and the number of views generated by our various posts is up 114 percent! That's well over 17,000 views! Keep it up, Facebook!
In our outreach program, we have had enthusiastic responses and offers of support and contribution from academic professors and representatives from organizations including: The Nature Conservancy, Freedom to Roam, The Optimum Population Trust and Friends of Bonobos. We thank all of you for understanding that it is not only the hard science that makes a difference to other species, but also the act of taking a hard look at how to change the role of human beings in the destruction of biodiversity. We need to combine biology with anthropology and psychology if we are to address human-caused biodiversity loss. More than ever we believe that our stories and reports help connect the human animal to the global ecosystem.
IZILWANE Welcomes the New Year!
We have been live for less than three months, and as we wound down 2010, we found ourselves looking ahead excitedly for what is to come in 2011! Our team has grown to include writers from diverse backgrounds and a variety of interests who live all across the country and around the globe. And we have some great articles, photo and video galleries, reviews, and interviews coming up this year! In January, we are publishing two new pieces: "Inspiring Young People to Care about the Environment," about the benefits of the Youth Conservation Corps on our public lands, and our new photo gallery, "The Galapagos," which showcases photographer Robert Katz's experiences traveling through the islands.
Inspiring Young People to Care About the Environment
What does it take to get today's young people excited about environmental conservation? Jack Chapman explores this question in his new article about his experiences as a crew leader for the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC). With YCC projects in every state, at-risk youths can take an active role in the preservation of our natural and cultural resources. This kind of hands-on experience does more than just inspire youth to care about the environment; it also combats depression, builds self esteem and provides students with valuable work experiences. Jack's project, studying mud shrimp in Yaquina Bay on the coast of Oregon, encouraged students to get muddy, think hard about science and come up with new and unique ways to address water quality decline in the United States.
How You Can Help This New Year
IZILWANE is a nonprofit organization run almost entirely by hardworking, passionate volunteers who create the ezine and produce dynamic stories for our readers. We help people connect personally to nature and to other species through articles, photography and video.
IZILWANE is a project of Perception International, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation. Perception International promotes environmental, cultural and perceptual diversity worldwide.
ALL of our operating costs are covered by generous gifts from people like you. Help us start the new year off in the green by helping out and educating people about the loss of biodiversity. A gift of as little as $35 can make a world of difference. Consider making a fully tax-deductible gift to IZILWANE online. Or donations can be sent to:
IZILWANE
PO Box 2160
El Prado, New Mexico 87529
Visit http://www.izilwane.org/support for more information.
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