So Many New Friends Are Helping Out!

Thanks to all our new friends on Face Book and followers on Twitter! What a grand way to share our adventure with people like you from all over the world.

Here is a rough map of the places we'll be talking to wildlife conservationists and advocates:

We're looking to have many wonderful conversations as we make our visits like...

The Daktari Bush School and meeting Michele and Ian. This dedicated couple gives their time and money to create wildlife advocates out of local children and their families.

The African Bird of Prey Sanctuary is of course also on the list and we look forward to watching Shannon perform her magic with her free flights. Ben and Shannon devote their lives to reverse the trends toward raptor extinction.

Meeting with Will who owns and operates both a TV show and Leopard Rescue (the latter on a shoe string) will be another highlight of this trip. Protecting the leopard and other big cats are Will's passion.

Chatting with Tony who after 22 years finally was ready to fulfill his commitment when he created Monkeyland.

Then there’s Christo who started his own wildlife conservation foundation and is working tirelessly to stem the ever increasing horror of rhino dehorning by poachers.

These folk are a sampling of the diverse wildlife conservationists and advocates working in various parts of South Africa and with diverse endangered or threatened species that are included in this year’s tour.

Since April of 2010 we've devoted our time and resources to develop NIKELA to link people who care with those dedicated to saving the wildlife in South Africa.

Any help to defray the expense of this wildlife conservation tour (around $10,000 for airfare, car rental, accomodations, meals, etc.) is greatly appreciated.

Via PayPal

If you prefer to give offline

Send Checks or Money Orders to:

NIKELA

100 Commons Rd Ste 7-417

Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Extension... Too Much Family Fun!

What a blast we've had today!  Fun at the beach with our daughter and family on Hammock Beach in North Carolina.

Grandpa (Russ) built sandcastles for trucks and swimming pools for mermaids, not to mention the old "bury him alive" tradition.

Because we've had so much fun and no time to work this weekend the VIDEO CONTEST deadline is extended to September 10th at midnight.  All entries will be posted on the Nikela YouTube channel by Saturday night (September 11th) and ready for viewing, voting and donating.

Kids and families can enter the VIDEO CONTEST to help save South African wildlife.  Simply get creative using drawings, stuffed animals, toys, music, photos... you name it (just no violent or offensive images) and make a short (between 1 and 3 minute) video to get viewers to fall in love with your favorite South African wild animal or bird.  (Is it the giraffe?  Maybe the elephant?  Or is it the leopard or lion?)

I know... it's gotta be the rhino.  Did you know that of about the 4,000 that are left nearly 200 have been killed by poachers for their horns this year?  So helping people understand the life and death situation of the rhino would be a good choice.

Send your video to us via email or by going to Streamfile.com to upload it.  Need more information?  Click on the CONTEST tab.  We look forward to enjoying your video too if you care to join in the fun.

Our Journey has Begun!

After getting everything secured, getting fed tasty homemade spring rolls for leaving our Volvo with our son (fair trade wouldn't you agree?), our cat Weasel, Russ and I left for North Carolina late yesterday afternoon.  Today we drove thru New Orleans... a thriving city with definite remnants of the ravages of Katrina very visible.  On the east side whole apartment complexes and office parks lie unclaimed.  And many well kept neighborhoods can't shake the harsh reminder with at least one home peeling and empty.

The hi-way across Louisiana and Mississippi are masterpieces of engineering over endless water and cut through lush forests with (I should have counted) umpteen huge bridges to allow for river traffic.  As an engineer Russ was fascinated by the structures while I marveled at the trees.

Now it's time to catch some zzzz just outside Atlanta.  Oh yes, although not the best of travellers our cat did really well today and enjoys her freedom to explore every inch of the motel room.

No Plastic Wild Animals?

Yesterday while picking up a few things at the local store I ran through the toy section.  Our grandson needed some small wild animals for his wildlife video (for the Nikela Video Contest).

To my surprise I found Legos, Barbie, all kinds of Action Figures, space and alien stuff and of course dinosaurs.  However, not one REAL plastic animal!  No zebra.  No giraffe or elephant.  Not even a lion or a leopard!

I had to stop by the local zoo to pick some up, and even there, the selection was limited.  What's happening?  We're getting so caught up in the sur-real that we're missing the beauty we have and don't even realize that it is slipping through our fingers?

There's nothing quite like the real thing.  As I write this four humming birds are chattering away as they joust for a turn at my bird feeder.  Such amazing little things all dressed in fluorescent green using their tiny long beaks to drink up the life giving sugar water (when they're not using it as a jousting lance).

In Just a few weeks Russ and I will take wing to South Africa and walk with some of the most magnificent creatures on earth... the South African wildlife.  You can join the adventure if you like by following us here. 

Social Media Surprise

This web network social media thing was so strange and new to me.

I anticipated people just being letters and a smile on the screen. How could this all work without sitting down with people face to face or at least hearing their voice on the phone.

But I have met many great people this week. Their personalities and expertise are given freely and the connection is quite natural.

To give you an example I connected from Texas to a Romanian living in Portugal willing to help me understand fundraising for South Africa... and it worked terrifically! And by the way he contacted me!

The Nikela network is growing! We truly will be a global network of Wildlife lovers funding Wildlife protection and advocate efforts in South Africa.

Wow what a wonderful week!

Download Painting of Aslan, the LION

My friend Edith Macmillan, an amazing artist, is giving away a free download of her rendition of Aslan to every VIDEO CONTEST entry. Click "CONTEST" Tab above if you want to enter.


[Of course, 'sample' won't be all across yours silly]

It keeps Growing...

The Nikela fan page on Face Book keeps growing!  We're thrilled to see how many of you are joining the Nikela community. 

We're gearing up, getting ready and so excited about our up coming South African tour.  Besides smelling the lion and touching the South African dirt you'll be watching and seeing it (almost) as if you were there.

A few options for following our adventure to visit Michele and Ian, Shannon and Ben and a host of others as we watch them in action with the wildlife they rescue and rehab:

    You won't miss a story if you subscribe, however you want, on the side bar (see POSTS)
    Become a fan of our Face Book page
    Then there's of course Twitter.