Pay It Forward
By Lori Porter

The BP Oil spill in the Gulf has people around the world up in arms for many reasons.   There is still no clear reason on why it happened and no solid solution in sight as to what we can do to fix it.  The people in power have still to decide who is at fault and so why they are playing politics everything and everyone else suffers.
The people that rely on the gulf for their livelihood are closing businesses every day.  Layoffs have occurred, doors closed with no date of reopening, boats docked with no reason to go back out and the list goes on and on.
If you don’t live close enough to drive down and check it out then just take a peek at the internet or turn on the news.  Every day the news gets worse. 
The people will be taken care of, or at least to the best of the government’s ability and usually too late to do any good.  But there will be some type of compensation for them.   But, they can’t rely on the animals any more as a source of income and the animals can’t stand up for their rights and ask when we are going to clean up their environments.  We can’t write a check to those dolphins’ families that died when the oil hit their waters.
In the areas that have been effected by the “spill” there are four species of shark, five species of sea turtle, seven species of tuna, 23 species of whale and over 280 migratory birds not to mention the shrimp, crab, crayfish, and dozens of other animals that are being affected.
So, my pay it forward this month is actually a fix it backwards.   I urge everyone to find what they can to send to the groups that are working in the gulf to rescue the animals.  If you can’t send money, get your friends together and have a bake sale, collect old towels and blankets, find something to raffle or do a car wash.  You can even donate those old pantyhose and visit your salon for their hair clippings.  There are a lot of things that you can do to help even if you can’t don the biohazard suit and walk the beaches.
Wildlife rescues are not given the giant grants or “bail out” monies that other charities are. They are usually independent organizations that rely on donations and volunteers.
My charity for this quarter is Defenders of Wildlife.
Founded in 1947, Defenders of Wildlife is one of the country's leaders in science-based, results-oriented wildlife conservation. We stand out in our commitment to saving imperiled wildlife and championing the Endangered Species Act, the landmark law that protects them.
Mission
Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities.
Goals
We work to protect and restore America's native wildlife, safeguard habitat, resolve conflicts, work across international borders and educate and mobilize the public.
From the President
“Our nation's wildlife and wild places are precious gifts that enrich our planet and sustain us. But nearly everywhere, natural habitats—home to all kinds of creatures—are being destroyed to make way for new shopping malls, roads and housing developments. Meanwhile, in the halls of Congress, some politicians are eager to open public lands to oil drilling. Others are pressing to unravel the Endangered Species Act, our country's pre-eminent wildlife conservation law. And beyond our borders, millions of animals are being exploited or killed illegally each year—becoming pets, food or souvenirs. With so many threats, concerned citizens are coming to the defense of America's wildlife, and Defenders of Wildlife is proud to be a leader in the fight to preserve our nation's animals and plants for generations to come.”
 
 
 
Rodger Schlickeisen, President

Other ways for everyone to help:

• Matter of Trust is collecting donations of hair, fur and nylons that it uses to soak up the oil.
http://matteroftrust.org/

• Support In Defense of Animals
http://www.idausa.org/supportf.html

• Donate to Defenders of Wildlife
http://www.defenders.org/support_us/index.php

• Donate to the Greater New Orleans Foundation
http://www.gnof.org/programs/gulf-coast-oil-spill-fund/disaster-on-the-gulf-coast//

• Donate to the Environmental Defense Fund
https://secure2.edf.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3820&3820.donation=form1

• Bring in a new day with Dawn! Buy a bottle of Dawn dishwashing detergent, then visit the Dawn Web site to activate a $1 donation by Dawn to the Marine Mammal Center and the International Bird Rescue Research Center.
http://www.dawn-dish.com/en_US/savingwildlife/home.do

• Send a political message about the need to restore the Gulf Coast! The National Wildlife Federation has created this form letter you can send to President Obama.
https://online.nwf.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1095&autologin=true&s_src=OilSpillPage