Animal Experience International

Hey everybody!

So its been an interesting couple of days, filled with snakes, baby monkeys, parrrots, and festivals. There is a festival going on in Flores for some saint (apparently all the towns have a patron saint).

I’m now cleaning a couple cages full of parrots and I still cant tell the difference between all the species. Well I can distinguish them but not whether they are fronted or crowned or aztec. They scream for their breakfast in the morning but other then that they can be quite cute.

It was fun moving some baby monkeys (!!) from quarantine into a regular cage. They needed to be caught up, weighed, dewormed, deloused, and carried in an arm lock to the new cage.

Theres been 2 snakes that have been found on the grounds. One was a coral snake, which has venom. The other though was a parrot headed snake (I liked him better) which are nonvenomous. The coral snake was caught by the vet and taken FAR away. Quite a lovely creature, and you knew it was a coral snake because he was red, black, and a little white. The parrot headed snake was very photogenic, and I got to hold him while someone ran for their camera. A very nondescript snake that did a great impression of a stick.

I’m headed to dinner soon in town, where we are celebrating one of the other volunteers birthdays!

Hasta Luago!

http://www.animalexperienceinternational.com/guatemalawild.html

Recently someone asked us this, we thought it was such a good question, we should tell everyone the answer!

First, we believe a good defense is a good offense. We have been too all of the Placement Partner locations to inspect, participate, view and judge the transportation, activities, humane care, volunteer care and living conditions. We have met the people you will be staying with, working with and traveling with (the partners). Since all the other volunteers go through applications and interviews we am confident in their abilities to make good judgements and keep themselves, and each others (you) safe.

The volunteers also sign agreements, they all have agreed to follow procedures and rules outlined by AEI and all of the Placement Partners know if any volunteer participate in acts of violence, harassment or in a way that endangers animals or people (including themselves) they will be asked to leave the Experience. The Placement Partner is completely in the right to ask people to leave and will not be penalized financially or through a lack of volunteers in the future- so they can speak out and use their discretion without having to worry about repercussions from AEI. If a volunteer is asked to leave, there is an exit ‘interview’ we have with both the Placement Partner and the volunteer. The Placement Partner is asked to contact us first so we can try to mediate the situation first.

We have a great relationship with all of our Placement Partners. Our volunteer coordinator emails with all of them at least once a week, some of them once a day! They all have had international volunteers in the past and have signed agreements that they will provide medical supportive care and bring you to authorities/hospital/transportation/whatever you need in the event of an emergency or crisis.

Since we pick you up and drop you off from the airport we minimize the risk of you getting into trouble along the way to the Placement Partner.

AEI provides you with up to 500,000 in travel insurance which is from a company called Volunteer Card, it’s insurance especially for voluntourists. It is also has the added bonus of having a 24 hour emergency support line that is manned by people who specialize in travel emergencies.

We also provide you with travel manuals that we have written ourselves after visiting the Placement Partner sites. Everything from parasites in the water to how to deal with culture shock- these manuals are like mini guidebooks specifically designed for you and your exact adventure.

Our volunteer coordinator wrote a book about keeping safe while traveling. Its available as an e-book or we can send it to you. We’re sure all authors think they’re book is important, but we really think there are some important things to say- for physical and mental health, as both are equal parts important.

All of that being said, this is a trip that you do on your own so we encourage all of our volunteers to be smart and trust their gut! Guts always know. If something feels unsafe, it probably is, so say be empowered to say no and trust yourself when you say it.

We can’t guarantee nothing will happen to you, but we try our very best to minimize the bad variables and maximize the protective ones.

If you would like more information or clarification about safety policies and procedures, please never hesitate to ask. That’s why we are here!

Keep safe out there- or we will find you!

Nora and Heather

AEI is off to Australia. As the Veterinary Coordinator I am traveling to Oz to check out some new and exciting Placement Partners for Animal Experience International. First stop will be in Queensland where I will visit Australia’s tropics, at the beginning of their hot and humid season. I am excited to be stopping in at the Bat Hospital, one of our existing partners, to see what new work they are doing. They are in full swing at this time of year –their spring. This is when they rescue hundreds of orphaned bats, hand- raising them so that they can be released back to the wild. They also treat many Spectacled flying foxes at this time of year that are found suffering from a paralysing disease that is transmitted by ticks. These
patients are nursed back to health by the hospital’s team of bat rehab professionals and volunteers. It will be busy and I can’t wait to help them out!

While on the east coast, I will be meeting with groups that work with marine animals around the Great Barrier Reef. What an opportunity! These organizations will really benefit from AEI’s dedicated volunteers, and they will provide amazing experiences for AEI clients. On top of all the exciting animal work, this area is renowned for its beaches, surfing and scuba diving opportunities.

I will then be flying into a remote area of the Northern Territory to meet with a veterinarian who runs an amazing project providing veterinary care to Indigenous communities. This area is definitely off the beaten track -visitors to these places actually require permits to travel there. We will be discussing ways that AEI can provide assistance to the important work that this organization does.

There are so many interesting animal health and wildlife conservation projects to explore in Australia. When I return we will be updating everyone as to our new Placement Partners and the new volunteer opportunities available to you. Stay tuned! I will be back in a couple of weeks.

-Dr. Heather

A quick blog post from our Volunteer Coordinator: Nora Livingstone from when she was in Thailand volunteering at the elephant sanctuary we are now partnered with!

Originally written 14 February 2008:

“Happy Valentines Day to my date: a baby elephant!

WELL this sanctuary is the BEST animal sanctuary of life!! I love it. I get to wake up and rub the bellies of 16 dogs, then I go on a forest walk with 4 elephant mamas and one baby and then we go swimming. After that I feed some gibbons and makacks and then I have breakfast! The rest of the day is bascially the same thing but mix in some sun bears, a tiger and a whole wack of other animals and there you have my awesome day!

Today I was on “doggie duty” so I had to bathe some of the 16 dogs here. That means getting in the shower and spraying them off while they bite at the water and dance around like little hippos. Doggie Duty rocks! Of course, after our shower the dogs went outside and promply rolled in the dirt…I loved it though.

I am really enjoying the warm weather and the kindred spirits here. Its nice to speak with native english speakers with ease again. When I was in Nepal I was so used to nepali that I became really soically awk. with english people. I am back to my weird self.

yesterday we went into town for the night market. The night market is basically a day market….only dark. It was awesome to get out with the sanctuary crew and just a bit of drinks and a bit of fun. It was strange but nice to see everyone wearing makeup and nice clothes - not our regular elephant poop stained clothing.

I love my time here although its going by too fast. Its a great escape but I am definately running out of money so, don’t worry I will be coming home soon.

Know that I am absolutely great and I am loving my time here. Elephants are big, primates are funny and bears are scary.

I’m thinking of all of you and am actually so excited to see you soon!

I love you all.”

Aww Nora, sounds like you had the time of your life- hope you aren’t too embarassed to re-read these!

We are constantly being inspired by our clients.

We love hearing about their fundraising efforts, their tireless dedication to the organizations they volunteer for and the global community of advocates they are recruiting!

Right now we have two vet techs who are raising funds to get to Nepal to volunteer with the street dog populations. Their fundraising efforts are nothing short of awesome. Using the ‘takes a village’ method they have inspired everyone in their life to be a advocate, supporter and stakeholder in their trip and the organizational mission. They had a graphic designer make a poster for them, they had their families help bake dog treats, they convinced the local community centre to let them sell these treats as a fundraiser and members from all over the community are buying these dog cookies! What makes this so inspiring? Other than their amazing diverse and innovative thinking? The fact that every connection they make they makes someone an advocate for their cause.

Every person who buys a dog biscuit, every person who reads the sign, every person who helps them along- EVERY person they talk to now knows about the hard life the street dogs in Nepal face. What makes it better is they also know that these animals have a shot. They know the hardships but they also know the humane answer.

When you act in your community and participate in outreach you do more than just raise funds, you raise awareness and advocates. That’s awesome and it’s inspiring.

Keep on inspiring us!
We love it!

Nora and Heather.

You have the power to change the world. We promise.

How can we promise that? Because the world is changed by every action you take. Sure, picking up a plastic bag on the beach won’t drastically change import and export laws in Canada but for the sea turtle who would have eaten it and died of malnutrition- his life is saved, his world is changed. You have changed a life, and therefore you have changed the world. It’s simple. So why are you just sitting there? Go change the world!

Not every action has to change the world for everyone in it, to be deemed important. We have the responsibility to realize that every action WILL change the world for someone- even if it’s just changing their perspective. This is why we drink fair trade coffee in our office. This is why we give out the addresses and names of women’s co-ops when our volunteers go traveling. This is why we make posters, fundraising sheets and thank you cards for our volunteers to use. This is why we cross post and advertise the fundraising campaigns our volunteers are involved in. These actions may not be noticed by everyone across the world but they are noticed by some and when they are noticed, those people’s lives are changed. Those people’s worlds have been changed, too.

YOU have this power. Too often we are bogged with the idea that our small actions won’t mean anything, they won’t change anything, they are useless. This couldn’t be further from the truth. During a volunteer placement that load of dishes you did means animals don’t have to wait to get their food- their world is changed. While sitting on the bus, that seat you gave up means that person gets to rest their feet- their world is changed. You give $20 to a fundraising campaign so someone can live their dream- their world is changed.

Don’t be bogged down by the things you don’t think you can do- be inspired by the actions that are right in front of you. Not everyone will be able to dedicate a year in Sumatra- but everyone can be advocates for the animals and the volunteers and the cause. Just by cross posting something you can change a life- inspire action and change the world.

Today, right now, look around. What is one action you can do that will change the world? Whose life can you change? Whose world can you change?

You may be just a drop in the bucket but with out collective drops there would be nothing in the bucket.

C.S Lewis said “We are what we believe we are.” So believe you are a powerful, world changing human- because you are!

If you are serious about being the change you want to see then DO IT! Change one thing and be confident in your actions. Together our collective actions will change enough individual lives that the entire world will shift and be changed for the better.

YOU can change the world- so believe it, act like it and you will!

Be awesome.

Nora

We aren’t going to use the term opportunity of a life time very often. Many of our trips are so amazing, you will want to go again and again. AEI was created because Nora got addicted to volunteering with these great organizations and wanted to share her amazing experiences.

However, the Experience we are about to tell you about IS an opportunity of a lifetime. We just partnered with a group that needs a volunteer go live in Sumatra for a year and take videos and photos of the rehabilitation and release of orangutans and elephants. Yes, you would be in living with an amazing organization and watching the beautiful and inspiring rescue, rehabilitation and release of wild elephants and orangutans. No experience is medical necessary as you would be taking video, pictures and writing blogs about your experience. We will work closely with you and the organization to find you housing, figure out a budget (less than 3,000 for a year) and make sure you can focus on living in paradise and helping endangered animals. If you are interested or think you may know someone who is interested please contact us. AEI has an open door policy and will work with you to make sure you are safe, conformable and secure with your placement.

Check out the Placement for yourself and see how you can live your dreams. If a life less ordinary is what you are looking for THIS placement if your ticket.

Orangutans and Elephants and YOU- oh my!

Nora & Heather

Earlier this week both AEI directors went in to the wild of Central Ontario to better understand a project our Canadian turtle-y Placement Partner was working on. We were in for one of the best days of our AEI lives! We happily canoed away from our desks and towards a remote island located in the middle of a wetland. We were loaded down with bug nets, bug spray and a healthy appreciation for the insects that would soon be feasting on our blood. However, the weather had different plans for these black flies, deer flies and horse flies. It was sunny, warm and WINDY the whole day so instead of being covered in horrible war wounds, we only suffered a few bites from the particularly strong fliers.

The Experience we were volunteering with was a post release study that had us face to face with tiny Blanding’s Turtles (cutie-ous maximus). Blanding’s Turtles are one of the cutest (biased) turtles in Ontario, this is mostly because they have a perpetual smile. Protected under the Endangered Species Act, they are threatened provincially and nationally. Interestingly enough it can take them 25 years to reach maturity and lay eggs. Loss of habitat, poaching (for the pet trade) and car attacks rank in the top for reasons they aren’t having the best luck out there.

Our turtle Placement Partner is running a post release study for Blanding’s hatchings that were head started at the Placement Partner’s site. If we can learn more about baby Blanding’s Turtles we can learn more about the big fellas and then learn more about how we can help them grow up safe and happy.

Using radio guided telemetry, hip waders and quick hands (with gloves to keep the leeches off) we looked for the hatchling turtles who were released just a short time ago. With tiny radio beacons attached to their shells we found out that turtles are big fans of NOT being caught by humans. We raced around the swamp listening to the beeping of beacons from turtles very affectionately named things like 007, 010, 001 and 003. We were able to make contact with only one- the rest proved to be little (not quite teenage) ninja turtles. We weighed and measured the one turtle we were able to catch and were proud of the other ones who were so good at their evasive maneuvers. If they could get away from us, surely they would be able to dodge predators.

It was as a fun day of turtling, birding, canoeing, mudding, making up verbs and researching a threatened species. To learn more about the Blanding’s Turtle and how you can help them please visit the MNRs Blanding’s Turtle page! If you would like to volunteer on this Experience or learn more about this Placement Partner please visit the AEI website.

We took some great photos and some thrilling videos which we will be posting soon! So check back!

Keep calm and turtle on!