My brother sent me this photograph this week. It's one he took while travelling in Scotland last year. Dark and cold in many ways, but incredibly beautiful as well.
On Wednesday I had a fundraiser to go to. I don't usually go out during the week. In fact I'd gone through three babysitters in order to be able to get out the front door, and at the last minute Mr Large kicked a football through our front window smashing it into spectacular smithereens.
Keeping my voice calm (and resisting the urge to yell loudly at him) I asked him to get me the tape. I knew I'd need to  measure up the window to give the correct details to the Insurance Company.
He rushed off and returned white-faced seconds later, thrusting the sticky tape at me.
My sweet boy.
His hopeful little face that I'd be able to repair the damage done by sticky tape. And sheer relief I hadn't yelled at him, even though I'd really wanted to.
Having established that someone would be out shortly to repair the window I shot out the door. While driving I thought about how late I was and feeling increasingly edgy.
The fundraiser itself is for a cause dear to my heart. Within minutes of arriving I'd calmed down and wandered the room looking at the silent auction bids. Then the speakers were introduced.
The Doctor was first. She warned the parents of the children in the room that this would be hard for them to hear and to hold on while she did.
And she spoke.
I wiped tear after tear as she spoke passionately about the children she works so hard with.
I cried as I looked across the room at a mum who wants her daughter to live a long and happy life.
A mum who is running across the Great Wall of China in a half marathon to raise funds so other parents and families don't have to suffer the same way. Three fellow school mums are joining her in what is considered the toughest run in the world.
For reasons I can't discuss further I know too much about Cystic Fibrosis. It is a cruel and gruelling condition. It turns the lives of families and sufferers upside down.
But listening to a father of three with CF speak about his life journey, which included 2 lung transplants it struck me. It's perspective and the one we choose to have.
The Doctor was there to fight it.
The Mother was there as an advocate.
The Sufferer is Living while living with it.
The broken window is repairable. The petty small stuff we sweat over? It's rubbish.
What's important is how we choose to see things.
Like the photo above there is darkness so much of the time, but the light and beauty is what makes it bearable.
Standing in that room that night surrounded by people who took the time to be there, to cheer those mums on and to donate towards the work they're doing made me smile. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

As Sirocco and Mark's mating video surges past the 1 million views on YouTube, here's an album with some pictures of Sirocco when he just a chick.

According to TVNZ, Sirocco now has 4,000 Facebook friends and more than 2,000 followers on Twitter.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) spokeswoman Nic Vallance says it is great to know that people all over the world are interested in New Zealand's precious wildlife.

More than $3,000 has been donated towards the Kakapo Recovery Programme in the past week alone, thanks in large to Sirocco.

Donations can now be made using PayPal.

* $100 buys disease screening for one bird
* $250 buys a radio tracking aerial
* $1000 buys a portable incubator
* $1600 buys a radio-telemetry receiver

In TV news, TBIVision.com reports that the series has been sold to a number of broadcasters worldwide, so keep an eye on your local listings.

Last Chance to See has been acquired by ABC (Australia), Sky (New Zealand), NRK (Norway) and UKTV (UK)

Once more for fun...

The video of Mark Carwardine being shagged by Sirocco the Kakapo is rapidly becoming a YouTube sensation, as it nears one million views. It has been uploaded to YouTube by the BBC, so I'm able to embed it below. Radio New Zealand reports that the Department of Conservation is delighted with the attention, as donations to the Kakapo Recovery Programme have gone through the roof, especially as donations can now be made using PayPal.

Clive Anderson appeals on behalf of Save the Rhino. Save the Rhino works to conserve viable populations of critically endangered rhinos in Africa and Asia.

Listen now on the BBC Radio 4 website

I'm delighted to tell you that the Kakapo Encounter with Sirocco is back for 2009, with nightly departures to Ulva Island running September 26 to October 26.

Wildlife Extra has more news on this event, and there's an early bird special if you book your tickets by 30th June ($85 per adult, $45 per child).

Today, there are just 125 kakapo alive, though this is a major achievement for a bird that was down to just 51 in 1995. Once prevalent throughout New Zealand, kakapo now reside on the predator-free Codfish Island under the care of the Kakapo Recovery Programme. Typically only scientists involved in the programme have had the opportunity to behold this rare and mysterious bird. That changed three years ago with the inception of Kakapo Encounter. In the Spring of 2006, the Ulva Island Charitable Trust hosted Kakapo Encounter on the predator-free bird sanctuary Ulva Island and invited the public to come observe a kakapo.

Here's the location of Ulva Island. The full Google Maps and Google Earth versions links to this location are available below.

**FINAL REMINDER REPOST**

In aid of Save The Rhino, the Seventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture will take place on March 11, 2009. The speaker this year will be explorer and broadcaster Benedict Allen.

I first became aware of Benedict when he presented his inspiring 1997 "video diary" style documentary series "The Skeleton Coast" in which he trekked through the Namib desert with three grouchy camels. He followed that trip with a 3000 mile trek across the Mongolian Gobi desert in "The Edge of Blue Heaven".

Benedict is a sometime guest, and sometime presenter on BBC Radio 4's "Excess Baggage". Here he is in an appearance from 2006: The Adventurer's Spirit in the Face of Adversity.

These days, Benedict is known for his Channel Five TV series Unbreakable...

in which eight athletes are pushed to their mental and physical limits, explorer Benedict Allen takes a look at what helps keep any of us going in the face of disaster.

As to the lecture itself...

It’s an exciting and often humorous talk which draws on his vast experience of survival in jungles and deserts and the Arctic, by himself and others who live at the extremes.

Please e-mail fiona@savetherhino.org for tickets, which cost £15.

I'm very pleased to begin our fourth annual AnotherChanceToSee.com fundraiser, and this time we'll be raising funds for The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, which helps to save endangered species around the world.

Gerald Durrell visited Madagascar in 1990 to start captive breeding programs with a number of animals such as the Aye-Aye Lemur. From this expedition came his final book The Aye-aye and I: A Rescue Mission in Madagascar. Since Aye-Aye's were the very first animal visited by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine for what would become the original Last Chance to See, I thought it would be nice to raise a few pennies for them, and I hope you can help, even just a little.

After sponsoring a Mountain Gorilla infant called Urwibutso for $50, raising £281 for Save The Rhino and then another $96 for Mountain Gorillas, I hope we're able to repeat this success for the The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure, and any amount will be welcome. If you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving will also add a 25% bonus donation in Gift Aid, but you're still able to donate to this fundraiser from anywhere in the world.

Many thanks for your anticipated support.

Another year has slipped by, and this site celebrates its fourth birthday today. Has it really been that long? There's now over 1000 posts on the blog.

I know I don't post as often as I used to, but I still try to keep up with the big news, and there's been plenty of that this year.

Stephen Fry has already done some filming for the TV series of Last Chance To See, and unfortunately came off second best with a boat-dock and broke his arm. His Stephen Fry podgram tells the grim tale. Good luck to Stephen and the rest of the team as they continue their adventures. Be safe!

The Kakapo Parrots enjoyed a decent breeding season with 7 chicks hatched, although one died soon after. The Rimu crop looks very good this year, so we're optimistic for a great 2009.

The Northern White Rhino has not fared quite so well, and there has been no sign of any remaining animals in DR Congo. It looks very much like the magnificent Northern White Rhino is now extinct in the wild.

Last year's fundraiser "720 Dollars for 720 Mountain Gorillas" raised $96, so a huge thanks to everyone who contributed. Thanks to George for pointing out in the comments that FirstGiving has expired my fundraiser so I'll need to come up with something new soon.

Here's to the fifth year of Another Chance To See. Thanks for visiting.

Check out your local USA cinema on the following link to see if it is playing the special edition movie of "Long Way Down" on Thursday July 31st. This is a special one-night event from Fathom Events, screening just a few days before the TV series begins on August 2nd on the Fox Reality Channel.

Fathom and Wasserman Media Group are proud to present the Elixir Films and Big Earth production of Long Way Down – the ultimate motorcycle adventure - on the big screen. This unique event will be shown in select local movie theatres for one night only, on Thursday, July 31st at 7:30pm! This is your only chance to see a Fathom exclusive cut of Long Way Down – Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Moulin Rouge!, Trainspotting) and Charley Boorman’s (Actor and Motorcycle Fanatic) 15,000 mile motorcycle journey from Scotland to South Africa on the big screen. Join McGregor and Boorman as they face many challenges from the unknown and unforgiving terrain that test their endurance, driving skills and push their friendship to the limit.

I've already seen the TV series on DVD but it will nice to see a version of it on the big screen. I've got my ticket and I'm sure it will something of a unique movie experience.

I don't know if the Mountain Gorilla scene will make it into the movie or not, but it was so nice to see Ewan and Charley being so moved in the presence of these magnificent creatures. You can see a short clip of it in this video trailer. Finally, I've been thoroughly enjoying the book version of Long Way Down on my Sony Reader, but its also available as a hardback edition of course.

Many many congratulations to Drew Nichol who's turned his interest and love for the Mountain Gorillas into a huge fundraising success. The Seattle Times reports on his latest walkathon which raised over $30,000 for the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project.

Details of his campaign are on his excellent Gorillas In Our Midst website.

Other than having to sit out one day to nurse a cold and severe shin splints, a Woodinville man who walked from Seattle to Portland to benefit Africa's mountain gorillas said the adventure was a great success.
[...]
Nichol, whom acquaintances sometimes call "the Crazy Gorilla Guy" because his office is filled with gorilla paraphernalia, has felt a growing connection to the animals since he saw the remake of "King Kong" in 2005.

He's finishing up a DVD to benefit the gorilla project and plans to visit Rwanda to see the gorillas for the first time this fall.

Be thankful this blog is not smelly-vision enabled...

http://www.zsl.org/donations

Just a reminder that Kakapo Encounter 2008 will be running from 12th August to 23rd October (according to this Wildlife Extra page), although the official site still has it listed for September 8 - October 22, 2008.

Kakapo are nocturnal, so viewing is limited to once a day immediately after nightfall. A charter boat will take you from the wharf at Halfmoon Bay to Ulva Island. Each group will have a experienced guide not only to inform and educate, but ensure no harm or discomfort comes to Sirocco!

Sirocco will be living in a large natural enclosure, with a full time minder in attendance. As a bird that was hand-reared by humans, Sirocco is very sociable with people, and your opportunity to view will come when he comes to his minder to recieve his nightly feeding. The encounter will be very much on Sirocco's terms, but given his consistent fascination with people, we are hoping he will find the experience as enjoyable as you do.

Any profits go to Trust projects which include trail maintenance on Ulva Island (a predator-free bird sanctuary), and the reintroduction and care of endangered bird and plant species.

Many thanks to Gwen who generously donated $50 to my Mountain Gorilla Fundraiser after seeing the incredible footage of Titus on the PBS special "The Gorilla King" this weekend.

To remind you, since there approximately 720 Mountain Gorillas left in the world, we're trying to raise $720, $1 for every single gorilla up there in the Virunga Mountains.

So please visit our Firstgiving donation page at "720 Dollars for 720 Mountain Gorillas", if you'd like to make a contribution. Proceeds will go to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, a charity of which Douglas Adams was a great supporter and patron.

Anyone can donate, from anywhere in the world, the site is secure, and you can contribute as much or as little as you can afford. $1 will do, as that's one Mountain Gorilla towards our target!

Here's our progress graph so far...

REMINDER: The Sixth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture will take place next week at the Royal Geographic Society in London, on Wednesday 12th March 2008.

The lecture will be presented by psychologist Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. His subject will be "The Stuff of Thought, Language as a Window into Human Nature".

The lecture will be followed by a very special LIVE 30th anniversary performance of material from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio scripts which will hopefully reunite many original cast members such as...

Simon Jones as Arthur Dent
Geoffrey McGivern as Ford Prefect
Mark Wing Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox
Susan Sheridan as Trillian
Roger Gregg as Eddie
Stephen Moore as Marvin The Paranoid Android
With a Very Special Guest as the Voice Of The Book

Proceeds from the event will go towards Save The Rhino, including the auction of a rare handcrafted model of Vogon Commander Kwaltz from the Hitchhikers Guide movie.

Also raising money for Save The Rhino are the team of runners in training for the RAW Africa ultra-marathon this April. Apparently one of their members has been spotted roaming around Hyde Park, dressed in his Save The Rhino suit. Check out the video evidence...

I'm delighted to find out that the Kakapo Encounter with Sirocco is back for 2008, with nightly departures running September 8-October 22 out to Ulva Island.


Wildlife Extra has more news on this event which is bound to sell out quickly, even at $90 a pop. People came from all over the world last time, including Mosher during his world travels.

The response was phenomenal: people travelled from all over the globe to view this extraordinary bird. Prime Minister Helen Clark herself spent some ‘face time’ with the lovable parrot Sirocco, and remarked that the Kakapo Encounter was a ‘world class’ operation. Due to the success of the event, Ulva Island Charitable Trust is excited to announce that Kakapo Encounter is back! This year the Trust is making an effort to get the word out early, as many overseas bird enthusiasts expressed disappointment they didn’t have enough notice to plan a trip to New Zealand last year.

New Zealand's "One News" still has an article and video describing the previous Kakapo Encounter.

Here's the location of Ulva Island using the Google Maps API. The full Google Maps and Google Earth versions links to this location are available below.

Any profits go to Trust projects which include trail maintenance on Ulva Island (a predator-free bird sanctuary), and the reintroduction and care of endangered bird and plant species.

The International Rhino Foundation has been thanking everyone who bid on their wacky Rhino Poop auction on ebay.

We have just ended IRF’s Endangered Feces auction, ending with a total of 76 eBay bids, with a high bid of $1,075 for the white rhino specimen. We can’t wait to learn about the folks getting these special gifts.
[...]
The Endangered Feces auction was easily one of the wackier projects IRF has ever undertaken. But it captured people’s imaginations and generated interest in rhinos all over the world. Media coverage reached at least 3.5 million people. There are more than 200,000 references to “rhino poop” on Google, and our YouTube video had more than 500 viewings – and a several 5-star ratings!

If you're looking for an unusual gift for that special someone, head over to ebay where the International Rhino Foundation are currently selling four piles of Rhino dung to raise money for the charity. Each specimen of rhino dung has been properly dried and sealed in an attractive container featuring the name of the rhino species that produced it. At time of writing, over $1000 has been bid, and the auctions still have four days to run.

Can you imagine the look on the face of the recipients when they unwrap their special gifts?

Any takers?

Very many congratulations to Iain "Mosher" Purdie, who's now completed his 1000 Mile Charity Walk across Europe. Terrific effort Iain. And you're right, the thank you video from the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation is touching indeed. Best of luck with your future endeavors.

The 4th Annual Denver Gorilla Run takes place on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 11am.

The Denver Gorilla Run is a charity fun run with a difference. Everyone who takes part wears a full gorilla costume - from fluffy head to furry toe - and helps raise funds for the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund, the international charity working to save the world's last remaining mountain gorillas and keeping Dian Fossey’s dream alive for the past 22 years.
[...]
Every participant in The Denver Gorilla Run will represent a group of real live gorillas in the wild. You will be assigned to either the Amahoro Group, Mubare Group, Sabinyo Group or the Rushegura Group - so with limited entries available you must register soon to secure your place.

Incidentally, the footer on their page (currently) says that there are approximately 723 Mountain Gorillas left alive today. This correlates with our current Mountain Gorilla fundraiser where we're trying to raise $720 for 720 Mountain Gorillas. As you can see from the Google Spreadsheet chart below we're off to a reasonable start, but we still have a long way to go to reach our target.

The Sixth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture will take place at the Royal Geographic Society in London, on Wednesday 12th March 2008.

The lecture will be presented by psychologist Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. His subject will be "The Stuff of Thought, Language as a Window into Human Nature". As always, proceeds will go to Save The Rhino.