Muttnation March Kicked Off Muttnation Foundation Adoption Drive

Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville GRAMMY Award-winner and 12-time CMA Award winner, Miranda Lambert kicked off CMA Fest with her first MuttNation March on June 8th.

Miranda with more than 1000 fellow animal lovers, including Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, created a sea of pink as they, along with approximately 120 dogs marched from Nissan Stadium over the Nashville Pedestrian Bridge, and ended at Chevrolet Walk of Fame Park, where Lambert was joined onstage by Storme Warren, host of SiriusXM’s “The Highway.”

The MuttNation Foundation Adoption Drive at CMA Fan Fair X featured 60 dogs, of which 30 of them walked in the march. Besides the rescue pups, the offerings included the popular “Puppy Corral” where prospective owners could play with the dogs, a photo booth and of course the MuttNation mobile unit. The adoption drive matched the perfect shelter pups to new families in 21 states as well as Canada. Adopt, don’t shop was in full force this week where all of the 60 adoptable dogs found their forever homes!

“I am so grateful that all these amazing dogs found their forever homes,” said Lambert. “Marching with so many amazing fans and fellow animal lovers was really a highlight of CMA Fest for me.”

For fans who couldn’t be in Nashville for the activities, don’t fret, there is still a way to participate. Through June 19, folks can visit MuttNationFoundation.com and enter in the MuttNation Shelter Day Sweepstakes for a chance to win working with Miranda Lambert making over an animal shelter in need. Fans are rewarded at higher donation levels with a handful of unique incentives including exclusive merchandise, meet & greets and more.

For more information on MuttNation events visit www.muttnationfoundation.com

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Good News for Brazilian Bird on the Brink

The critically endangered Cherry-throated Tanager, which numbers as few as 30 individuals, has gained a much-needed refuge in Brazil’s threatened Atlantic Forest. The 4,171-acre (1,688-hectare) private natural heritage reserve, not yet named, protects essential habitat and provides a lifeline for the species.

The Cherry-throated Tanager went unseen for more than 50 years and was believed to be extinct in the wild until 1998, when it was sighted again in privately held, well-preserved forest patches in the Caetés region of Espírito Santo. Protecting every possible acre is important in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, where only about 10 percent of original habitat remains.

The new reserve is the second-largest private protected area in the state of Espírito Santo and shelters more than 250 bird species, in addition to the Cherry-throated Tanager. Five other globally threatened birds are also found in the surrounding Caetés region: White-necked Hawk, Brown-backed Parrotlet, Golden-tailed Parrotlet, Vinaceous Amazon Parrot, and Bare-throated Bellbird. Threatened mammals, including endangered buffy-headed marmoset and brown-throated sloth, will potentially gain habitat as well.

SAVE Brasil worked with Grupo Águia Branca, one of the country’s largest transportation and logistics companies, to create this private reserve. SAVE has also been working with the state government to create a 10,625-acre (4,300-hectare) wildlife refuge adjacent to the private reserve, and American Bird Conservancy (ABC) supported SAVE on the public consultation process in 2016. ABC and SAVE’s support of the government on outreach for the wildlife refuge also helped in the creation of the private reserve.

“We hope that creation of the new reserve will accelerate the process of establishing the wildlife refuge,” said Dan Lebbin, ABC’s Vice President of International Programs. “With a total of nearly 15,000 acres (nearly 6,000 hectares), these two protected areas would contribute much-needed hope for the tanager’s survival.”

Cherry-throated Tanager occurs primarily in the forest canopy at elevations between approximately 2,800 to 4,000 feet (850 to 1,250 meters). Single individuals or groups of up to 10 birds can be found, occasionally associated with mixed-species flocks. The population may be as high as 250 but is more likely closer to 30 individual birds left in the world. Recent sightings have been of small groups of two or three tanagers observed at the same site.

The species is a candidate for designation as an Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) species. AZE species are those assessed as endangered or critically endangered that are restricted to one site globally. These species are those in most urgent need of conservation globally.

As few as 30 Cherry-throated Tanagers are left in the world. Photo by Ciro Albano

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10 Year Old Reveals How Going Vegan Will Save The Planet

Two years ago, Long Beach resident Genesis Butler took home the title of PETA Kids' Cutest Vegan Kid—and last month, the 10-year-old became one of the youngest people ever to give a TEDx Talk. In her humor-filled presentation (available here), she reveals why going vegan is the easiest way to help the environment.

"I see a lot of people in their eco-friendly cars, with their 'Save the Earth' bumper stickers, but they're in drive-throughs ordering burgers," Genesis says. "I have come to you as a representative of my generation and future generations … to ask you to think about the foods you eat."

Genesis shares that she (and her mom) stopped eating animals when she was 3, after learning that animals were killed for chicken nuggets—and the rest of the family went vegan soon afterward. "It's been four years since I went vegan, and I love it because I know I'm helping animals and also the Earth, too," she says. "According to many scientific studies, raising animals for food is the primary cause of global climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution, and water shortage, just to name a few."

"Genesis Butler is living proof that there's no minimum age for making the world a better place," says PETA Senior Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "Genesis was already an accomplished animal rights advocate when she took home the title of PETA Kids' Cutest Vegan Kid, and two years later, she continues to inspire people of all ages to go vegan and save animals' lives."

PETA Kids—whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat"—selected Genesis as the winner of its 2015 Cutest Vegan Kids contest to recognize her efforts to persuade her entire family to go vegan, her participation in numerous animal rights demonstrations, and many other accomplishments.

For more information, please visit PETAKids.com.

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Climate Deal Decision Puts Birds at Risk

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) condemns President Donald J. Trump’s decision, announced today, to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The reversal increases the dangers that a changing climate creates for migratory birds like Red Knot and many other species, including humans.

"This is another indication of a backward-looking energy policy that would plunder America’s remaining wildlife sanctuaries in the Arctic, offshore, and in the grasslands and forests,” said Steve Holmer, ABC’s Vice President of Policy. “We can develop a smart energy policy that responds to the climate challenge while still protecting birds and other wildlife and conserving their habitats.”

ABC remains strongly committed to combating the threats, including climate change and habitat loss, which face birds throughout the Americas. Together with partners, we have planted more than 5 million trees and protected vital habitat in North, Central, and South America.

Red Knots are one of many species affected by a changing climate. Photo by Mike Parr

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Virginia McKenna Takes Two Lions Home to Africa

"This is the best moment of all – when the door is opened. It’s the perfect moment for the rest of his life"

International wildlife charity, Born Free, has today released a heart-warming short film of its Co-Founder Virginia McKenna OBE’s emotional 10,000 km journey to rehome lions Nelson and Ciam at Born Free’s Big Cat sanctuaries in Shamwari Game Reserve, South Africa.

The film, shot last month and also featuring Born Free Patrons Jim Moir (Vic Reeves) and Nancy Sorrell, includes the tear-jerking moment Nelson and Ciam step out onto African soil for the first time.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the arrival of the first lions rescued by Born Free at Shamwari Game Reserve. Virginia was there for the first rescue and has witnessed nearly every arrival since then. She said: “The emotional feeling that I think everybody has is even more profound because you cannot believe that from 20 years ago until now we’re still allowing wild animals to live in the most hideous conditions. It beggars belief that human beings haven’t really learnt to be more understanding and sensitive about wild creatures’ nature and that they also feel all the things we do. It makes me more determined to instill and inspire a different kind of feeling between people and captive wild creatures.”

Nelson was rescued from a French zoo that fell into liquidation in April 2015. Ciam was confiscated from a garden in Southern France where his owner kept him illegally as an ‘exotic pet’ in November 2015. Both lions were rescued by French animal rescue charity Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis and were living in a temporary home at Natuurhulpcentrum rescue centre, Belgium, until Born Free offered them lifetime care in South Africa.

Nelson and Ciam are now settling into their new lives at Shamwari. Born Free’s Animal Care Manager, Glen Vena, said: “Ciam looked at home from day one. Just like a lion, he owned his enclosure and his presence is felt by our other lions at the centre. Nelson looks great too and eats very well, however he is going to take a bit more time to get used to his new home. He is exploring his main camp slowly, but does not look scared or uncomfortable at all. He is just being him.”

Born Free’s campaign Beyond the Bars aims to raise awareness of the plight of captive wild animals worldwide. The campaign aims to expose animal suffering and neglect, recommend improvements in captive animal welfare and the enforcement of legislation, and to call for the closure of substandard zoos. For more information, see www.bornfree.org.uk/beyondthebars.

Help Born Free with future Big Cat rescues: https://give.bornfree.org.uk/products/you-can-send-this-lion-home-990

Link to film: https://youtu.be/4GsP9bAEdrE
‘Nelson and Ciam go home to Africa’ by Raw Cut Television for Born Free. Produced and directed by Blake McGrow

Image: © Born Free/Eva-Lotta Jansson
For more high-res images see: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132476364@N06/albums/with/72157682368503356

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No Time to Cut Hurricane Protection Funding

The America's WETLAND Foundation (AWF) warns that the advent of the Atlantic Hurricane season is the wrong time for the Trump administration to announce eliminating funding for coastal restoration and protection projects.

President Trump's budget revokes the agreement that gives coastal offshore energy producing states a share of revenues received by the Federal government through royalties from Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas leases. In Louisiana, monies from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) are a crucial piece of the funding puzzle for the state's coastal master plan.

"For almost 20 years, coastal state Congressional Members worked to seek recognition of the role their states play in ensuring a secure U.S. energy future," said AWF's managing director Val Marmillion. "As projections of a dangerous hurricane season are announced, projects to protect communities from the ravages of storms are vulnerable to these unwise budget decisions. This president took office vowing to drain the swamp, but with this action, he will kill off the nation's most important swamp, America's Wetland."

The comments came on the heels of newly released projections from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center that cites a 45% chance of an above-normal season. Forecasters predict a 70% likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms, including two to four major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher.)

"The President said he would shore up America's infrastructure and nowhere is that more important than in coastal areas critical to U.S. navigation routes, pipeline networks and working wetlands, where energy and seafood production fuel and feed the nation," Sidney Coffee, AWF senior advisor, said. "The GOMESA dollars have been constitutionally dedicated in Louisiana to fund coastal restoration and protection and are crucial to the state's ability to carry out its coastal master plan, the most comprehensive of its kind in the U.S."

It is Congress who must now approve the budget and provisions for funding of GOMESA, which was the result of a bi-partisan vote and strong support from energy and navigation industries and NGOs.

"We are pleased that the Louisiana and Gulf Congressional delegations hold significant strength in Congress - House Majority Whip, Steve Scalise, as an advocate and Representative Garrett Graves, as former chair of Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority whose Congressional District faces unparalleled destruction from coastal erosion, storm events and sea level rise," Marmillion said. "It is likely that President Trump may be unaware of the impact that such a move will have on critical energy, environmental and U.S. strategic assets and we are certain they will make it right with the new President."

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Recipe: Ginger-Turmeric Cookies

Ginger-Turmeric Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cassava flour
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp The Maple Guild’s Maple Cream
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons Gaia Herb's golden milk blend
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder, cinnamon, salt

Directions

1. Blend with a hand mixer and let the dough sit in the fridge for about one hour before baking.
2. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Recipe courtesy of:

Molly on Instagram. Follow her at:
https://www.instagram.com/wiz_kaleifa/

Recipe originally posted at:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTVB1AXghu_/

Also follow The Maple Guild Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/themapleguild

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New Interactive Ball Designed to Improve Interactions with Pet Guardians

gosh!, developer of unique, premium IT accessories that amplify life’s moments, today announced the launch of a 30-day Indiegogo campaign that will feature its latest product—easyPlay.

• The concept for easyPlay was born from the desire to connect pet parents with their pets while away from home—keeping dogs and cats engaged and alleviating boredom. Features of the easyPlay include: 
• Ability to set up to three treat/feeding times—notifying the pet with a pre-set voice recording that their treat or food is ready. 
• Camera with 2-way audio support allowing for communication between pets and their owners. 
• Remote control through app, allowing user to move ball and engage pet. 
• Activity tracker that reports on how active the pet is using a G-sensor. 
• Engages pet on its own in random movements using Automatic Play mode. 
• Ability to take photos or video with the app and share on Instagram or Facebook. 
• All features operate via Wi-Fi. 

Pet parents can pre-load hard treats or kibble into three different sections of the ball through an easy to unscrew top. Once a treat or feeding time has begun, easyPlay self-reloads a new portion of treats with an internal rotating motor, and plays a personalized voice recording to alert the dog or cat to play. The pet has to move the ball to get his/her treats out—treat dispensing during play is an important element of the toy to keep a pet active and engaged.

“It’s difficult to leave our pets home alone all day,” said Adam Anderson, managing director for gosh! “We’ve designed easyPlay to make it simple for pet parents to interact with their dog or cat from anywhere.”

The easyPlay will retail for $249 but early bird Indiegogo campaign contributors can acquire an easyPlay for a promotional price of $99.00. Information on the campaign can be found at https://comingsoon-tech.com/easyplay-smartest-interactive-pet-toy.

About gosh!
gosh! is a brand created and wholly owned by Appcessory Pte Ltd, an IT accessories company based in Singapore with offices in the U.S. and Asia that was established by a team of Apple specialists who have been involved in the tech industry since the late 1990’s. Every product is born out of a passion for design excellence. The gosh! team understands the pleasure of having a smart phone, laptop or any other electronic product doesn’t end by just owning it. It is about ‘accessorizing’ and scaling up the experience with affordable, thoughtful and reliable accessories. For information on gosh!, please visit: http://www.GetGosh.com.

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