7.28.06

Save that date! We’re restarting the RMAD bimonthly meetings. This is for members, friends, and future friends to find out what is going on and to talk about our work. More information in the calendar below. Please contact us with any questions.

Save this (approximate) date! RMAD will be hosting a casual, fun and indulgent fundraiser in mid-August (around the 18-22). More details soon. Anyone who wants to make vegan pie or four, please email Paula Lewis at paulal@rmad.org.

Recent developments with the Keep Boulder Wild (www.KeepBoulderWild.org) campaign have provided a somewhat optimistic future for Boulder’s prairie dogs. Two avenues are currently being pursued within the campaign...

Of the legal efforts ,RMAD Executive Director Dave Crawford says, “The legal team had a productive meeting with several attorneys Wednesday morning. The team continues to explore whether or not the city is abiding by its own ordinance as it prepares to kill the prairie dogs at Watson and Valmont. Also, we received a cursory – and arguably inadequate – reply from city staffer Bev Johnson to our open records request, which seeks to ascertain exactly how, and under what sections of the law, the administration is proceeding with its plans. We also need to find out if the city is required by law to complete in 2006 its 10-year review of the Grasslands Management Plan. If anyone is willing to help with that research please let me know!”

Of the relocation effort, Lindsey Sterling Krank says, “The team is still in the process of securing a release site for the prairie dogs on private land. We have filed an application w/ the FDA to get the relocation going, if a release site is approved. The city-owned land that has recently been greatly affected by plague is proving difficult to work with because there is little to no research proving that a relocation into the sites could be safe for the prairie dogs. It could also jeopardize a CU professor's research that is working to learn how to prevent the spread of plague in the long run.”

And the numbers have spoken! Keep Boulder Wild researcher Yemaya Thayer recently assembled the tally of pro- and anti-prairie dog comments that were sent to the city (and which are available to the public). Thanks to the efforts of compassionate people – as publicized by RMAD, the Prairie Dog Coalition, The Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – 297 were in favor of humane management and 5 were for lethal control. Enough said, eh?

As RMAD is the fiscal sponsor of Keep Boulder Wild, we’re taking contributions for this campaign and all our other work. Your help is needed! For more information on how to contribute, see this page: http://www.rmad.org/support.html or contact me by email or phone.

Congratulations to Erica Rambus, good friend to RMAD and to all animals. Erica will be featured on Channel 7 for her “Everyday Hero” award. The dates for the broadcast are: 8/6 (10pm), 8/9 (11am), 8/11 (4pm), 8/12 (5pm), 8/13 (7am). To read about Erica and her work, please visit http://www.divinefeline.org/.

And a sad, final note: please be careful driving in these hot, drought-inducing times. Colorado wildlife must often find forage in places it normally wouldn’t, which might include crossing busy roads. Dave and I carried a dead baby deer, no bigger than a dog, out of the intersection at 30th and Arapahoe. This one’s for her.

-- Chris --

7.14.06

Friends:

It has been an extremely busy past two weeks in the RMAD office. While a great deal of our time and energy has been geared toward Keep Boulder Wild (www.KeepBoulderWild.org), a campaign to prevent the slaughter of thousands of prairie dogs in Boulder, we’ve also been diligent in attending to our ongoing projects and assisting the public with a variety of situations.

Two RMAD websites have recently been redesigned for ease of use and better aesthetics: www.WildlifeKillings.org and www.PrairieWatch.org. Wildlife Killings is a site for bringing public attention to the continued killing of Colorado’s wildlife; Prairie Watch is a map-based colony-tracking tool that will allow prairie wildlife advocates to have a better sense of the health of prairie dogs in the Boulder/Denver area. We’re still working out a few kinks, but overall they’re running smoothly and ready for public interaction. Let us know what you think!

Our vegetarian work is also really coming together with two publications and a new website, VegColorado.com, debuting soon. World-famous artist Dan Piraro, creator of the nationally syndicated “Bizarro” comic strip (www.Bizarro.com) has contributed artwork for the cover of our youth-targeted vegetarian publication and it’s looking really great. Monstrous thanks to Dan! Dan is also highly active with a farm animal sanctuary in Woodstock, New York. Check it out at www.woodstockfas.org.

Keep Boulder Wild (www.KeepBoulderWild.org) still needs volunteers! This campaign is more important than ever, with numerous municipalities killing prairie dogs. Any questions, or if you're interested, contact Paula Lewis at paulal@rmad.org or see KeepBoulderWild.org for more information.

Kudos to Gabe Coffman-Lee and his mom, Kelley, for creating an excellent and informative vegetarian display at the Smoky Hill Public Library (5430 S. Biscay Circle, Centennial). Check out pictures of it here (www.health.rmad.org) or in person. Better yet, contact your local library about doing a similar display. Thanks, Gabe and Kelley!

ACTION ALERT: Westminster recently poisoned 400-600 prairie dogs on open space located on the north side of Big Dry Creek. Please write to Westminster staff and local media and simply let them know you do not support habitat destruction and poisoning of our wildlife! More information below the calendar.

Lastly but not leastly, Julie Marshall, author of Making Burros Fly, will be giving her talk in Denver on Monday. More details in the calendar.

-- Stay cool --


-- Chris --

6.30.06

Friends,

A quick wrap-up of this week:

KBW members have been meeting after-hours and devoting heaps of time and energy toward steering Boulder back toward the path of compassion and progressive values. Thanks to each and every one of you who have helped out so far. The campaign continues to keep the pressure on council and staff, keep the public informed, and hope for the best while planning for the worst.

Keep Boulder Wild (www.KeepBoulderWild.org) still needs volunteers to do outreach during the Farmer's Market and possibly other events. If you care about prairie dogs, here is an easy, enjoyable chance to help out immensely. Wear our new prairie dog outfit! Any questions, or if you're interested, contact Paula Lewis at paulal@rmad.org or see KeepBoulderWild.org for more information.

There will be no HEALTH Potluck on July 2. Instead, have fun with a group of awesome vegetarians at the Annual Fourth of July Picnic, organized by Ann Swissdorf. Please note the new location, spread the word, and see below for more information. (Ann has all the details you’ll possibly need so if you’re thinking about attending, I suggest reading this!)

RMAD is hiring an operations development director! Please see http://www.rmad.org/rmadjobs.html for more information and/or to apply.

Have a safe and most excellent long weekend.


- Chris -