Here is my celebration of two great things about this world, wildlife and puppies, combined into one. Commence: Wildlife puppies!

Note: All of the below images were donated by photographers who entered the National Wildlife Photo Contest, which is currently open for people to enter, vote for and share photos.

Wolf Pup

Antarctic Fur Seal Pup

And another one…

Grey Fox Pup

>> Adopt your own wildlife puppy and help National Wildlife Federation make a difference for wildlife

African Wild Dog Puppies

Harbor Seal Pup

And one more…

Red Fox Pup

Meerkat Pups

Coyote Pup

Sea Lion Pups

Two more sea lion pups, trying to get a sea turtle to play.

Bat Pup

Sea Otter Pup

Pupfish

Ways to Celebrate National Puppy Day

The unofficial holiday National Puppy Day was designed to encourage the adoption of orphaned puppies and dogs in shelters across the country, so this Friday…

• Consider making your next pet one you rescue from a shelter. Search Petfinder for dogs of all ages.
• Not able to make room for a new hound in your home? Donate money, supplies or time to a local shelter.
• Want to help National Wildlife Federation protect wildlife puppies? Symbolically adopt a wild animal baby.

And lastly, in repayment for some amazing photo research help from my coworker (and because I couldn’t resist)…

Sleepy Puppy

Slide from Seth Priebatsch's keynote at SXSWi about his donation to National Wildlife Federation

Today’s keynote at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, TX included a great moment.

Seth Priebatsch, “Chief Ninja” of the location-based app developer SCVNGR, put up a $10,000 donation to the National Wildlife Federation as a reward for his audience solving a group challenge.

They did!

Thank you so much Seth and SCVNGR, from all of National Wildlife Federation.

SCVNGR Celebrating Launch of LevelUp

The donation to NWF was made to celebrate the launch of their new online deal app, LevelUp, described by Mashable here:

“Location-based mobile game startup SCVNGR is releasing Thursday a second mobile application for iPhone and Android called LevelUp. This release is meant to serve as a pilot in the Boston and Philadelphia areas and test a new approach to merchant deals that better drive customer loyalty.

“LevelUp plays in the same sandbox as Groupon, LivingSocial and the myriad of other daily deals sites, but the product attempts to reengineer the formula with game mechanisms and location — two areas SCVNGR knows well — to benefit both the consumer and the merchant.”

Perdido Key Beach Mouse photo by Nicholas R. Holler, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

National Wildlife Federation’s Eliza Russell just emailed from Florida’s Perdido Key, where tomorrow, she and a group of volunteers will be preparing the dunes for nesting season.

This event is part of our Gulf Coast volunteer restoration effort to help wildlife and habitat impacted by the Gulf oil disaster.

What’s on the schedule for tomorrow’s volunteers?

“We are moving the dune boundary out about 5 to 8 feet to help the native grasses and habitat for nesting shore birds, turtles and a special species–the Perdido Key beach mouse,” she said.

In walking the area with the park host, Eliza heard about their need for help regaining more habitat.

Photo taken March 10, 2011 on Perdido Key, near NWF's dune restoration project.

“They are very grateful to be able to accomplish the re-posting and re-protecting of the dunes in a day,” she said. “The project usually takes them many weeks with their limited staff. This is really important, especially with nesting season just around the corner.”

Eliza also snapped a photo of a BP cleanup station (see right), still at work dredging and removing oil from the beach.

“We’re all very excited to help Perdido Key,” Eliza said. “This park and its neighbor parks needs our help. As do the wildlife.”

Read more about “The Nature of Perdido Key Beach Dune Habitat” >>

Saturday Update – 2:30 p.m.

From Eliza: “Forty-five volunteers–including 30 from Pensacola’s Naval Air Station–have rolled up their sleeves today to extend and rope off sand dunes along Perdido Key. More than 1 mile of posting was done by lunch. By 2 p.m., the next mile was almost done. The rangers are shocked be everyone’s dedication. Our long distance winners are a mother and daughter from Orlando (7 hours away). The dunes are almost ready for the incoming wave of shore birds and turtles. Lots of smiling faces doing hard work. That is what NWF does best!”

Find out how to volunteer with National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Coast Restoration Effort >>

This part amphibian, part reptile creature is featured in the new movie, Yogi Bear, as an almost extinct species that inhabits Yogi Bear’s home, Jellystone Park. When the corrupt Mayor Brown threatens to shut down Jellystone and sell the land, Yogi Bear and his pal, Boo Boo, team up to save the turtle–and the park.

So is the frog-mouthed turtle real?

Sorry Yogi, but the frog-mouthed turtle is as fictional as Jellystone Park.

There actually is such a thing as a turtle frog. Native to Australia, this species is one of the only head-first burrowing frogs. Another characteristic is that their young skip the tadpole stage. They develop entirely within their egg and emerge as frogs.

Turtle or No, Protecting Habitat Does Protect Wildlife

Yogi Bear does however have the right idea when it comes to making sure habitat for endangered species is taken care of. The Endangered Species Act was enacted by Congress in 1973, and requires the federal government to protect:

• Endangered Species – species likely to become extinct throughout all or a large portion of their range.
• Threatened Species – species that are likely to become endangered in the near future.
• Critical habitat – habitat vital to the survival of endangered or threatened species.

Currently in the United States, more than 1,350 real plants and animals are listed as threatened or endangered.

Yogi Bear is Connected to Nature–Are You?

National Wildlife Federation teamed up with the film Yogi Bear to extend the movie’s lessons and inspire kids and families to learn about wildlife and to get outside in their own neighborhood or favorite park.

Because Yogi and Boo Boo spend their days outdoors in Jellystone, they lead the charge to save the park.

This connection happens for people too–especially kids. The more connected children are to outdoor spaces, the more they connect with the importance of helping the environment. This is the core of National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There campaign.

National Wildlife Federation put together a special Yogi Bear Outdoor Activity Guide for parents and teachers with some great ideas for kids.

Yogi Bear: On the Big Screen

For more about Yogi Bear, visit www.nwf.org/yogibear. Or test your knowledge of REAL bears with Ranger Rick’s online game Be Bear Aware.

Less than 100 Florida panthers are left in the wild.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission reported two Florida panther deaths in the past two days.

The panthers were both struck by vehicles, bringing the total number of panther road kills in 2010 to 15.

In 2009, 17 panthers were killed on Florida roadways–the highest number ever recorded.

With less than 100 panthers left in the wild, the deaths are a big blow to the endangered cat’s population.

The deaths both occurred in Collier County, Florida. Officials say a 2- to 3-year-old male was found Sunday on U.S. 27, and a 1 1/2-year-old male was recovered on Golden Gate Boulevard.

A Fort Meyers News-Press article noted that, “An 8-month-old female kitten was killed at [the second] location in May. Officials say it is possible that the panther killed this morning was a sibling of the kitten killed in May, and belonged to the family group that frequents this part of the Estates.”

   Adopt a Florida panther >>

Florida Panther Protection Program Aims to Reduce Fragmentation

Signs like these warn motorists to watch for crossing panthers.

Florida panthers are endangered due much in part to habitat loss and fragmentation. Adult male panthers depend upon a territory of about 200-250 square miles. This is becoming harder and harder to come by in South Florida.

To help protect and connect more habitat, National Wildlife Federation’s state affiliate, Florida Wildlife Federation, is working with a coalition of conservation groups and small and large farmers and ranchers in Eastern Collier County on the Florida Panther Protection Program.

The goal of this program is “the protection of a significant, contiguous range of panther habitat – potentially as much as 2,500,000 acres in public and private lands.” In addition, it calls for the establishment of the Paul J. Marinelli Panther Protection Fund, a source of private funds from well planned, sustainable real estate development in Eastern Collier County that could make significant funding available for conservation efforts over decades to come.

Check out our holiday deals that help support the National Wildlife Federation’s work to protect wildlife >>

Charles Thibodeaux and The Austin Cajun Aces perform.

The National Wildlife Federation’s South Central Regional Center was pleased to host a concert fundraiser for our Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund at Central Market in Austin recently.

More than 300 people were in attendance to watch Louisiana musicians Charles Thibodeaux and the Austin Cajun Aces, and our headliner, four-time Grammy nominee Marcia Ball.

The concert was free, with a suggested donation of $15, and National Wildlife Federation received more than $3,000 in total donations for the event. Additionally, our Regional Executive Director Susan Kaderka spoke to the audience about NWF’s response to the Gulf oil disaster, as well as our ongoing work to restore Coastal Louisiana.

We are deeply grateful to Central Market for presenting this opportunity, and we look forward to building on this momentum with similar concert fundraisers in the Austin area!

For more information about National Wildlife Federation’s Oil Spill Restoration Fund and our efforts to help wildlife affected by the Gulf Oil Disaster, please visit: http://www.nwf.org/oilspill

Marcia Ball performs at a concert fundraiser for NWF's Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund.

NWF's Zach Horton, Annie Kellough and Geralyn Hoey collect donations at the concert.

Help ensure National Wildlife Federation has the funding needed to help wildlife recover from the Gulf Oil Disaster >>

As part of National Wildlife Federation’s efforts to limit carbon emissions and move America to a clean energy future, we have been working on changing Alaska’s regulations to allow individuals and businesses to generate their own renewable power and receive a fair price for it from the utilities.

The utilities actively opposed this idea, but it gives people an incentive and opportunity to make a difference in their own home or business space.

Thanks to the National Wildlife Federation’s leadership and grassroots efforts, Alaska recently adopted regulations providing a fair price to home-generated renewable power despite the opposition of the state’s utilities.

It is one example of how NWF can help reduce carbon emissions at the state level despite the federal government’s refusal to take action, and is part of our effort to help the state produce 50 percent of its electricity with renewable sources by 2025.

• Announcement from the Regulatory Commission of Alaska
  
• Download the regulations (pdf)

Catherine Craig of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project posted the following interview with a shrimp boat captain who attempted to rescue sea turtles from the these “burn boxes.” BP sent him away.

“They just drag a boom between two shrimp boats and whatever’s caught between the two boats, they circle it up and catch it on fire,” says Mike Ellis in the below interview. “Once the turtles are in there they can’t get out.”

Help ensure NWF has the funding needed to be on the front lines helping wildlife >>

For all the latest news on how the oil spill is impacting the Gulf Coast’s wildlife & to learn how you can help, visit NWF.org/OilSpill.

We were honored Thursday by a visit from one such 10-year-old named Grace, who lives close enough to the National Wildlife Federation’s headquarters to stop by with a special delivery.

Grace had raised more than $1,400 this past Saturday by setting up a lemonade stand in her driveway.

After feeling helpless watching news reports and reading the stories about the wildlife in the Gulf, Grace enlisted her parents in setting up a stand to give away lemonade, apple juice, coffee, doughnuts, cookies, or snacks to anyone who made a minimum $5 donation to National Wildlife Federation.

With some outreach through her neighborhood and school listservs, as well as her mom’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, Grace’s little lemonade stand attracted people from all over the area. In addition to those who biked and walked over to deliver their donations, Grace’s classmates brought their piggybanks and personal savings to donate. Even the principal from Grace’s school and his family came to donate.

Grace delivered the donations in a shoebox decorated with photos of Gulf wildlife, including a picture of a sea turtle hatchling she had the chance to help out in person (watch the video below for the story).

We showed her around NWF Headquarters and introduced her to the editors of Ranger Rick magazine, as well as Eliza Russell, Kevin Coyle and Susan Kaderka, three people who are helping lead the deployment of the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Coast Volunteer Surveillance Teams, an effort that Grace’s lemonade stand donations will go directly to supporting.

We hope she had a good time. Likely she’ll be running the place someday!

• Little Hands, Big Hearts – Kids Help Wildlife Impacted by the Oil Spill
• Information about NWF’s Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund and How to Donate

Click here to view the embedded video.

The song might just become the new theme song we play before every meeting of our Be Out There campaign, which works to get kids outside for a green hour every day.

Watch Jason Mraz sing “Outdoors”

Did that make you want to head outdoors like it did me? Getting more green hours is my New Year’s resolution. How about you?

Here are a few verses of “Outdoors” by Jason Mraz

“…Well open up your door
And be like me
Open up your door
And then breathe free
Look at all the beauty you’ll feel
Love love love love

Listen to the music of the wind
And the birdies sing
We’re just one big family
And all of nature deserves to be
Loved loved loved loved loved

So I won’t stay inside
No more no more
It cannot wait
I’m sure
There’s no need to run and hide
Let’s go explore
It feels so great
Let’s go outdoors…”