June 2012
Dearest Humans, Birds and Elephants,
It is that time of year when look forward to our Catskill Exotic Bird Club anniversary and this one is a big one. We will have been together for 26 years. I have procured a great speaker for us, Peter Capainolo of the Ornithology Department in the American Museum of Natural History. Mr. Capainolo has put together a talk, for us, on the evolution of birds. Along with our silent auction, for which we hope all of you who read this will donate some wonderful things, and a really good meal at Mr. Willy's Restaurant in Monticello, we should have a terrific night to remember. I hope everyone attends. It is a night of fellowship for our bird club and something I know that many of you, if not all, look forward too every year. We are a little club, but we do some great work and we have been doing so for a long time. The night for this gala will be our regular meeting night, July 12th. We will start at 7:00 and have our own room in Mr. Willy's as we have had for several years now. The price is still the same. Please call Matt, 845 292-5242 or me, 845 794-7966 to let us know you will be attending because I have to give the restaurant a count. This dinner is open to people outside the club too. The price for non members is only $35. If you know anyone who is interested in birds, please let them know. Members pay $30, no increase in price.
Speaking of doing great work, we just did another educational bird program today. This time it is for the Adult Day Care Center at Harris Hospital. I have asked for anyone who would like to participate to join us. Right now, it is Amy Kristt and myself. I am hoping that Debbie Napolitano comes as well. Amy and Debbie show up for all our educational programs as well as doing others on their own. I send emails before each one to ask others to join us. I would love to see many other people there. Your birds are more than welcome, providing they are comfortable being out in public with people they do not know. We gain so much good will for our avian friends during these programs. We are able to teach the public, be they children or adults, about birds. We let them know what the responsibility of bird ownership is all about and we also make people aware of what is happening to parrots in the wild and what the pet industry has done and is doing to parrots. We also make people aware that we call for a moratorium on the breeding of birds for the pet industry because their are just so many who do not have homes. Bird "sanctuaries" are full and many of them are just not where I would send a bird to live for the rest of its life.
Amy called me yesterday about doing another bird education program in a camp this summer. Also, she told me about a street fair in which we can participate. If anyone wants to join us, with or without birds, please let us know. We would be so happy to have you as part of the talk. As a club we need people to be active. Too many parrots are sold into homes where the people have no idea about what they are getting into. Then the calls come in that range from " I want you to find a new home for my parrot because I can't give it what it needs", to "I want this bird out or my husband (wife) will kill it" to "get it out of here because I can't stand it any more"..... Needless to say, the first one is generally the easiest to deal with. There are many people who feel that since they work all day and can only give the bird attention when they are home, that someone else would serve its needs better. These people often do not realize that in today's world most everybody works. If they love the bird, and most of these people do, then nobody will actually provide a better home. They also have to be told that taking the bird out of a home where there is a strong love and connection with its "human" will cause that bird terrible stress and emotional pain. Often, more often than not, these people just need some encouragement and they keep the bird.
The other categories are, unfortunately, different. Here is where most of the impulse buys or impulse adoptions come into play. People need to know that parrots scream, bite, chew walls and furniture when they can, make lots of dirt and need lots of attention. Also, a bird that is kept in a cage 24 hours a day is a prisoner, not a pet. These are not things that are often told to them when money is exchanged and a sweet baby bird is taken home. It is not easy. Our job is to teach and reach as many people as we can so they do not buy or adopt a pet bird without knowing what they are undertaking. Our education programs are important, please get involved.
Education is the main premise of our Annual Bird Shows. Once again, our 21st is coming up in October/ We need everyone to get involved in that too. See Matt and talk to him. There is so much to do.
Tonight, we are making bird toys. Our birds need their minds stimulated and bird toys are one way of providing that stimulation. I hope we have some nice materials from our members that we can all use. The club is providing wood, chains, ropes and other things that our birds enjoy. Bird toys are expensive and very temporary. If your bird likes its toy, often it is gone really fast and you need another one. Here is a chance to make some at a VERY reasonable price.
We need programs; as usual I am open to suggestions and contacts. Like I say all the time, I have no shame, I will call anybody. Just tell me who to call and what kind of program they can provide for our club.
Have a great evening; remember to tell Matt or me that you will coming to the anniversary dinner/meeting. Give extra love to your birds and take part in everything we do.
Be well, say hello to any elephants you see for me,
With love,
Richie
It is that time of year when look forward to our Catskill Exotic Bird Club anniversary and this one is a big one. We will have been together for 26 years. I have procured a great speaker for us, Peter Capainolo of the Ornithology Department in the American Museum of Natural History. Mr. Capainolo has put together a talk, for us, on the evolution of birds. Along with our silent auction, for which we hope all of you who read this will donate some wonderful things, and a really good meal at Mr. Willy's Restaurant in Monticello, we should have a terrific night to remember. I hope everyone attends. It is a night of fellowship for our bird club and something I know that many of you, if not all, look forward too every year. We are a little club, but we do some great work and we have been doing so for a long time. The night for this gala will be our regular meeting night, July 12th. We will start at 7:00 and have our own room in Mr. Willy's as we have had for several years now. The price is still the same. Please call Matt, 845 292-5242 or me, 845 794-7966 to let us know you will be attending because I have to give the restaurant a count. This dinner is open to people outside the club too. The price for non members is only $35. If you know anyone who is interested in birds, please let them know. Members pay $30, no increase in price.
Speaking of doing great work, we just did another educational bird program today. This time it is for the Adult Day Care Center at Harris Hospital. I have asked for anyone who would like to participate to join us. Right now, it is Amy Kristt and myself. I am hoping that Debbie Napolitano comes as well. Amy and Debbie show up for all our educational programs as well as doing others on their own. I send emails before each one to ask others to join us. I would love to see many other people there. Your birds are more than welcome, providing they are comfortable being out in public with people they do not know. We gain so much good will for our avian friends during these programs. We are able to teach the public, be they children or adults, about birds. We let them know what the responsibility of bird ownership is all about and we also make people aware of what is happening to parrots in the wild and what the pet industry has done and is doing to parrots. We also make people aware that we call for a moratorium on the breeding of birds for the pet industry because their are just so many who do not have homes. Bird "sanctuaries" are full and many of them are just not where I would send a bird to live for the rest of its life.
Amy called me yesterday about doing another bird education program in a camp this summer. Also, she told me about a street fair in which we can participate. If anyone wants to join us, with or without birds, please let us know. We would be so happy to have you as part of the talk. As a club we need people to be active. Too many parrots are sold into homes where the people have no idea about what they are getting into. Then the calls come in that range from " I want you to find a new home for my parrot because I can't give it what it needs", to "I want this bird out or my husband (wife) will kill it" to "get it out of here because I can't stand it any more"..... Needless to say, the first one is generally the easiest to deal with. There are many people who feel that since they work all day and can only give the bird attention when they are home, that someone else would serve its needs better. These people often do not realize that in today's world most everybody works. If they love the bird, and most of these people do, then nobody will actually provide a better home. They also have to be told that taking the bird out of a home where there is a strong love and connection with its "human" will cause that bird terrible stress and emotional pain. Often, more often than not, these people just need some encouragement and they keep the bird.
The other categories are, unfortunately, different. Here is where most of the impulse buys or impulse adoptions come into play. People need to know that parrots scream, bite, chew walls and furniture when they can, make lots of dirt and need lots of attention. Also, a bird that is kept in a cage 24 hours a day is a prisoner, not a pet. These are not things that are often told to them when money is exchanged and a sweet baby bird is taken home. It is not easy. Our job is to teach and reach as many people as we can so they do not buy or adopt a pet bird without knowing what they are undertaking. Our education programs are important, please get involved.
Education is the main premise of our Annual Bird Shows. Once again, our 21st is coming up in October/ We need everyone to get involved in that too. See Matt and talk to him. There is so much to do.
Tonight, we are making bird toys. Our birds need their minds stimulated and bird toys are one way of providing that stimulation. I hope we have some nice materials from our members that we can all use. The club is providing wood, chains, ropes and other things that our birds enjoy. Bird toys are expensive and very temporary. If your bird likes its toy, often it is gone really fast and you need another one. Here is a chance to make some at a VERY reasonable price.
We need programs; as usual I am open to suggestions and contacts. Like I say all the time, I have no shame, I will call anybody. Just tell me who to call and what kind of program they can provide for our club.
Have a great evening; remember to tell Matt or me that you will coming to the anniversary dinner/meeting. Give extra love to your birds and take part in everything we do.
Be well, say hello to any elephants you see for me,
With love,
Richie