LAND TRUSTS PROGRAM
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Why not protect your private land under a conservation easement? Learn more about Land Trusts to help save the environment and see what you can do while still living on your land. Protect and manage your land by making decisions you are comfortable with. There are many reputable land conservancy nonprofits who will hold your conservation easement. Additionally, there are tax benefits to a conservation easement, so it's a win-win situation for the environment and the land owner. Possums Welcome is happy to share information about this process and help make this happen.
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THe tule Elk of point REYES NATIONAL seashore
The Tule Elk are a protected species and they are endemic to California (found only in California). Tule Elk are the smallest subspecies of the North American Elk.
Here is an example of the watering hole our nonprofit would like to build for the Tule Elk and other wildlife.
The Tanzania Waterhole We are looking for partners to make this happen. I know this is a tall order, but every action starts with an idea. Let's see if we can make this a reality. To learn more about the Tule Elk, read the California Nature Center's publication here. |
This project falls immediately in the mission statement of Possums Welcome because it involves wildlife preservation, animal protection and education regarding farming. Tomorrow, Thursday, April 21, 2021, Possums Welcome will be speaking before the California Coastal Commission advising them to inform the National Park Service ("NPS") that our California Commission does not concur with their proposed "zoning framework, management of ranch operations, and elk management." Elk Management is code for shooting the Tule Elk (what they describe as culling) or otherwise preventing the Tule Elk from accessing water to live. Their proposal is to continue to allow this. Currently, 24 farmers have received special considerations even though their leases from the federal government should have expired 35 years ago. This special treatment has manifested in those farmers (who are leasing national lands) placing fences around their farms and preventing the Tule Elk from reaching water and adequate vegetation to survive. Their fences and shooting have resulted in the death of hundreds of Tule Elk. This is a very important issue for Possums Welcome because we are in a drought and matters will only get worse. Possums Welcome would like to:
1. Enjoin the NPS/Point Reyes National Seashore from preventing groups from making water accessible to the wildlife 2. Enjoin the NPS/Point Reyes National Seashore from preventing Possums Welcome from building a man-made watering hole (with camera) in the Tule Elk area, they the NPS does not provide water themselves 3. Enjoin the NPS/Point Reyes National Seashore or their agents from tampering with the water made available to the wildlife 4. Enjoin the NPS/Point Reyes National Seashore to remove the 8 foot fence which currently prevents Tule Elk from accessing adequate food and water 5. Enjoining the NPS/Point Reyes National Seashore or their agents from shooting the Elk (this injunctive relief request may be taken up with a separate lawsuit) |
SIGN PROGRAM
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One way to care for the environment and the animals within is to remind people to slow down. The sign program engaged children to create signs to remind people to slow down. This was a great project to involve children and to send a message to the public to be more mindful. It also gave children some confidence about their art and showed them the strength of the pen (or crayon).
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MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
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Christine Kelly has been publicly speaking for animals, the environment and how to sustain long term activism since 2003. Our Mentorship Program grew organically (not to overuse that word on this site!), based upon people liking the work that she does and wanting to know how they can be an activist too, and how to sustain their activism as well. Currently, her mentees are local bay area high school, college and law school students, but all are welcome. The goal of this program is to empower people to be confident communicators and activists for change to help the earth and the species that reside upon it. We offer 6 and 12 month long mentorship programs. If you would like to learn more about our mentorship program or would like to enroll in this program, please email christine@possumswelcome.org.
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 Speech giving is a component of our mentorship program.
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Environmenal EDUCTION AND OUTREACH
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Education and outreach is a large component of Possums Welcome. Sometimes it is by being a frog docent and sometimes it is merely creating a media so that people can watch and learn. The Nice to Nature website is one of these video projects. This environmental site is focused on the responsible use of water. It was inspired during the drought season down in Southern California, but the contents of these videos contains basic and easy practices for any time of the year. The tips are relayed in English, Spanish and Mandarin so that the information may be easily sought and used cross culturally. Possums Welcome works in collaboration with other groups with similar missions. We have sent volunteers up to the Tam Van to act as Frog Docents under the Marin Water volunteer program to educate the public and protect the yellow-legged frog.
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MoRNING SPANISH YOGA & ART
We believe communication and embracing different cultures is important so this is our way to make it fun for kids in a hope that fluency and understanding will follow with enough exposure. I can't wait to have this program back when we can get back together in person. P.S. Thank you Charlein for the photo!
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I miss this program the most. It was so fun. Pre-COVID, Possums Welcome was bringing education to children each morning with a focus on art, crafts, movement and humanitarian projects. Our project is based in a small sleepy town in northern California and has the following lesson plan which will last for 25 minutes before school begins each morning:
10 minutes - Yoga and Breathing Exercises 15 minutes - One or more of the following: Arts, Crafts, Singing All in Spanish! |