Category Archives: volunteering

Volunteering Matters: Howling Woods Farm

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evolutionyou.net | Howling Woods Farm

This week I am proud to present Kristyn Scott—and her good friend & fellow volunteer—Mary Russell. Kristyn & Mary are two of the angel volunteers behind the Howling Woods Farm, a breed-specific animal shelter in New Jersey that rescues and places domestic bred wolves, wolfdog hybrids and northern breeds.

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Kristyn with Takoda (one of the permanent Wolfers) & a little visitor

Kristyn has been volunteering for at Howling Woods Farm (HWF) for 9 months and Mary has been a volunteer and close friend to HWF for over 2 years. A big THANK YOU to both ladies for sharing their knowledge with me today!!

Tell us a little bit about Howling Woods Farm (HWF). What is it? Why was it started?
Mike Hodanish, owner of HWF, had wolf dogs as companion pets while living in AZ. When he moved to NJ he did dog rescues. Missing wolf dogs specifically, he purchased Sierra, our resident Alpha female. While looking for a companion for Sierra, his research and contacts made him realize that there was a need here in New Jersey for domestic bred wolf and wolf dog rescue. Mike started the rescue in 2002 and incorporated it in 2005. Howling Woods Farm is registered with and inspected by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) agency responsible for protecting animal health and welfare.

We currently have 14 rescued wolf dogs and domestic bred wolves on Mike’s 12+ acre farm, some being part of Mike’s permanent pack, while others are in need of adoption. In his mission so far, Mike has rescued over 70 wolf dogs!

How and why did you decide to get involved and volunteer with Howling Woods?

Kristyn:  I first met Mike and the Howling Woods pack in June ’11 at the Garden State Festival of Balloons. They had an information table and picture booth for visitors to take pictures with the “stars” of Sorcerer’s Apprentice—four of his pack appeared in the movie with Nicholas Cage. I instantly fell in love with the animals’ disposition. They were sweet, calm, and welcoming… I just didn’t want to leave. I must have stayed at their booth for over an hour, and revisited several times before the day was done. While speaking to Mike and learning about the farm’s rescue mission, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I did more research and applied to be a volunteer that night and have been with HWF ever since.

Mary:  I met the wolfers at a Pow Wow and fell in love. I didn’t really care about their stories at the time, I was in heaven! I eventually looked them up on the internet and discovered I could meet them at Howling Woods Farm. Learning about the rescue and the plight of these amazing animals, I asked how I could help. Soon I realized Mike’s integrity. Every penny of donations goes to the rescue; much of his own income does as well. Mike’s pre-placement screening procedures for adoption and his policy of taking an adoptee back if an adoption doesn’t work impressed me. One of the most defining elements of Mike’s rescue that sealed my involvement is his ability to assess his current rescues, their personalities, etc…and do what he can to make sure the rescue is a good fit to ensure the best chance for an adoption. He also has to make the most difficult decision to say no when he can’t safely take on another animal to assure that accepting a new rescue is in the best interest of the animal.

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Mary with Chante & Shania

As a volunteer at Howling Woods, what kinds of things do you do?
We are involved in all types of maintenance and clean up at the rescue—currently a few volunteers are helping with the building of a new store as well as new enclosures for the adoptables. We also help with cleaning and maintaining the transport vehicles, organizing and selling merchandise, assisting in feeding the animals, assisting with leash training, etc. We take the wolfers for walks around the property, guide tours on weekends for visitors, as well as provide education at events, school forums and other public venues.

With many of our adoptables, a big responsibility is to simply provide nurturing care and help in socializing. Some of these animals come to us afraid of human contact, or have been harmed and have lost their trust in people. Some may have not been around other animals. Our main goal is to make sure the animals are cared for and loved. Sometimes we just sit in their pens with treats, calm voices, and a brush to make sure they know we’re there for the right reasons.

Oh, and did we forget to mention…poop duty?!

Why is it such a problem when people purchase wolves and wolf hybrids as pets?
The problem begins with the unregulated wolf dog breeders. There are good conscious breeders however some breed the animals only for profit and don’t care who they sell to or what their living situation is. If you live in an efficiency apartment a wolf dog does not make for a great pet, but if you have the money, these breeders will sell. Many people get the wolf dog for a status symbol, they don’t realize the care needed such as, room, a companion animal, special dietary needs, containment. Buyer’s are also not prepared for the shyness and aloofness most wolf dogs display.

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Kristyn with Sampson, the gentle giant, eating cheese from her mouth! So sweet!

What advice would you give to someone who is considering purchasing a wolf or wolf hybrid?
People interested in purchasing or adopting should first be cautious of where they are getting the animal from. They also need to know that wolves are ILLEGAL to own in any state! Wolf dogs (or hybrids) are legal in certain states and you need to make sure yours is one of them. Research state and local regulations before getting a wolf dog. Wolf dogs are high energy animals, they need lots of exercise. At least 6 foot high fencing and dig guards are suggested. Realize most wolf dogs prefer to be outdoors. They need a companion animal!  Ask lots of questions, research and know where you are getting your animal from. Use social networks and forums for information for more information on owning a wolf dog before rescuing.

Anyone looking to adopt must also consider their diet and food plans as most are on what we call the BARF diet (bones and raw food).

Know that, the higher content the wolf dog, the less protection they will offer. Wolves, in nature, fear humans and just as they wouldn’t come near you in the wild, the chance of a wolf dog guarding the house is slim. They’ll be the first to run and hide.

Last question, how can WE—the Evolution You family—help the Howling Woods Farm?
First and foremost…Help spread the word that wolf dogs are NOT dangerous animals.

Come and visit the farm or any of the mentioned events we have listed on our website. Visiting the farm is by donation and appointment only. To schedule a visit with us or make a donation to the cause, please contact us at howlingwoods.org.

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Kristyn with Naiche, an 18-month-old "pup"

Once again a big thank you to Mary & Kristyn for sharing. Howling Woods Farm is an incredible organization and I am so honored to feature this important cause here.

In love & light,
Dena

Volunteering Matters: The Rotary

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Students at Fundaninas, an orphanage in Guatemala City, Guatemala. With support from The Rotary Foundation through several Matching Grants, the orphanage houses, nourishes, and educates girls ages 2-18. Rotary Images/ Monika Lozinska-Lee.

A note from Dena: This is a guest post from my good friend, Lou Mello. Lou is an active member of the Rotary Club. For a long time I’ve wanted to know more about this organization. I knew that it must be a great thing because Lou is an amazing guy & he is deeply involved. I asked Lou to write this for me & my Evolution You family. Enter Lou…

So, how to start a post about myself and Rotary and make it a little interesting for getting us all from Darkness to Light? First, I should let you know that I don’t much like talking about myself, please see this post on Andra Watkins blog for that. I try to live the Golden Rule and my experience in Rotary is the closest I can come to living that daily.

Rotary came into my life nearly 13 years ago and it’s all about the things we should care about. Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self” and that is all about giving of your time and treasure to help others. We help folks in our own local communities as well as people around the world who need clean water, education, food and shelter and a multitude of things that Rotarians can provide by working together.

My local Rotary Club meets weekly for lunch and we have about 70 members. We have fellowship events, hold an annual Soccer Classic fundraiser and do a number of projects locally. Some of them are giving all third graders in our area dictionaries, we also provide free shoes for needy school children in our area as well as backpacks of food weekly for those students that may not get food at home on the weekend. We also provide 7 scholarships annually for high school students to attend colleges. Here is a link to our Rotary District Facebook site. Our Rotary District consists of 79 Clubs in South and Eastern South Carolina.

A little history of Rotary, founded in 1905 by Paul Harris in Chicago, he was looking for that small town network of friends that one could associate with. Paul and three others attended that first meeting and they rotated to one another’s offices and that begat the name “Rotary”. Rotary began spreading across the country in the U.S. and then internationally with the first Club outside of the U.S being in Winnipeg, Canada. There are now over 34,000 Clubs worldwide in over 200 countries consisting of 1.2 million Rotarians. See more details at this link.

Rotary supports programs for young people with Rotary Youth Exchange, Rotaract, RYLA and the Ambassadorial Scholar program. Youth Exchange sends high school age students abroad for a year at another high school and they stay with a Rotarian Host Family.

Rotaract is a Club for young folks between the ages of 18 and 30 and often associated with a university. They run their Club just like a regular Rotary Club with meetings, service projects, fellowship and just having fun. See more info on New Generations activities here.

The Ambassadorial Scholars program sends selected Scholars abroad for a year of study, service and voluntary project work with Host Rotary Clubs. They are usually just getting out of college and going abroad for some post graduate work. Moving forward, these Scholars will all be in one of the Six Areas of Focus of the Rotary Foundation. Namely, Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water and Sanitation, Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy and Economic and Community Development. More on that when we look at the heart of Rotary, the Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Foundation has funded over 41,000 Ambassadorial Scholars since 1947.

The Rotary Foundation is the heart of Rotary and funds humanitarian programs all over the world, primarily in the Six Areas of Focus. The History of the Foundation can be found here. Our number one Rotary priority is to eradicate Polio from the face of the earth. This is our PolioPlus program and in place since 1985. When it started, there were 165 countries worldwide with endemic Polio. Now there are only four, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria. We just celebrated an entire year without a single new case of Polio being reported in all of India, so we are nearly down to just three countries. There have been over 2 billion children immunized over the years and Rotarians have contributed nearly a Billion Dollars to fund this program. Bill Gates values Rotary’s role in this so much that he gave $355 million dollars to the PolioPlus fund. This will be only the 2nd disease ever wiped out on earth with smallpox being the first. Check out the Rotary PolioPlus Facebook site.

Get Involved
How does one get involved in Rotary? It is made up of business and professionals worldwide with a like mind to serve others, promote peace and understanding and do good in the world. Find a local Rotary Club and get involved, it will truly change your life. Here is a link to Rotary Basics, a quick introduction to Rotary.

We let our Rotary Four Way Test guide our lives, both professionally and personally. Of the things we think, say or do, we ask ourselves:

  1. Is it the Truth?
  2. Is it Fair to all concerned?
  3. Will it build Goodwill and better friendships?
  4. Will it be Beneficial to all concerned.

These twenty four little words, taken to heart, can change the world. Check out Rotary at www.Rotary.org for all the details.

A huge thank you to Lou Mello for sharing this guest post! I’ve learned a lot about the Rotary & I hope that you have, too. If you’re looking for a positive way to get involved and spread love & light—look no further.

xo,
Dena

Whale Rescue—Farallon Islands

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A friend made this post on Tumblr a couple of weeks ago. It’s been tugging at my heartstrings ever since.

If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

Support sustainable, ethical fishing practices! Awareness is critical. When you shop, inquire about sources. Write to the companies that you purchase from. Every single voice matters.

In love & light,
Dena

Volunteering Matters: Apshawa Preserve

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Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life. —Hermann Hess

On Sunday, I headed into the forest alone to begin my fence-monitoring duties. I didn’t know quite what to expect. I wondered, Would there be more vandalism? The stretch of fence that I am assigned to monitor is not that long, though the hiking is rough at parts. It takes me about an hour to get in and another hour back out, but I stop to enjoy nature & snap photographs, too.

What I found deeply saddened me. Yes, more vandalism. In one place, the fence had been pulled down and in another, the fence had been sliced open from top to bottom.

The purpose of this fence is to rehabilitate a wildlife preserve that is on the brink of destruction. Habitat destruction (commercial/housing development) has led to the extinction, or near-extinction, of the natural predators—mountain lions, wolves, coyote—of white-tailed deer. As a result of habitat destruction + no natural predators, the population of white-tailed deer has exploded. When NJCF held the deer drive, at least 18 deer were counted, which works out to a density of 40 deer per square mile. In order for the forest to be sustainable, the number of deer per square mile should be less than 10. This overpopulation of deer is eating all of the native plants in the preserve and rapid deforestation is occurring.

The implementation of this fence may be the only chance that this forest has to survive. Yet, people come along and inflict damage like what you see above. It truly breaks my heart. I can not understand why a person would destroy the fence instead of simply walking a few minutes to one of the gates. There are only a few things in life that make me lose it, and this is one of them. Some people do not care about this forest—or even this planet.

What’s worse is that I have had conversations with such people who have actually said to me,”I do not care about conservation. I do not care about the Earth. I do not care what happens because I will be dead before it takes hold.”

I consider myself a compassionate & understanding person; but this mentality is entirely foreign & repulsive to me.

Now, I am not saying that every person needs to stop what she is doing this instant & become a tree-hugging hippie. However, I do believe that simple lifestyle choices like recycling, keeping trash contained, being mindful of the environment, and NOT CUTTING FENCES—should be common practice for all people.

There is new life in the soil for every man. There is healing in the trees for tired minds and for our overburdened spirits, there is strength in the hills, if only we will lift up our eyes. Remember that nature is your great restorer. —Calvin Coolidge

I do not know what it will take to open eyes to the urgency of this matter. Perhaps, spreading the good word is all that I can do. For now, it will have to be enough. My hope is that by sharing my story, my photographs, and my passion for our planet—I might touch one life, change one mind.

A few photographs from my time in the woods on Sunday:

If you want to get involved, but don’t know how, here are some ideas to get you started:

In love & light,
Dena

Volunteering Matters: Deer Exclosure at Apshawa Preserve

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Volunteering Matters is an ongoing series where I share photographs & thoughts regarding my favourite volunteer projects.

Volunteering is an important part of my life. I’m always looking for ways to volunteer my time & energy to good, fulfilling causes. While it can be difficult to manage multiple careers, it’s easy to take advantage of numerous volunteer opportunities to satisfy my many passions & interests.

Volunteering allows me to forge friendships, pursue my passions, lift my self-esteem, and build/strengthen my body of knowledge. Perhaps best of all, volunteering just makes me feel good.

Last June, I started working with the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF). NJCF’s mission is to preserve New Jersey’s land and natural resources for the benefit of all. Since 1960, NJCF has protected over 120,000 acres of natural areas and farmland in New Jersey—from farms to forests to urban and suburban parks.

My first task as a volunteer for NJCF was to create a scavenger hunt for children at Apshawa Preserve.  My next task will be a longer-term project.  Along with a few other volunteers & staff, I will be monitoring the deer exclosure at Apshawa Preserve.

seahorse

Why a deer exclosure?
The 576-acre preserve has an overpopulation of white-tail deer. The deer—being native to the area—eat the native plant life. In turn, the native plant life is disappearing and the invasive species are thriving. The 3.2-mile-long fence will keep deer out and promote reforestation.

purple iris

Native Iris, planted by NJCF Staff & Volunteers

How do you get in & out?
There are self-closing gates placed all along the fence that make it super-easy (for humans!) to get in & out.

What about other animals?
Log bridges are placed along the fence to allow animals like bobcats, foxes, raccoons, possums and even bears to easily cross into and out of the preserve. Additionally small paths are carved beneath the fence in places to allow small reptiles—like turtles & frogs—to pass underneath.

animal crossing bridge

Who is paying for this?
The project is funded by a $125,000 grant from the National Forest Foundation. Volunteers like myself do not get paid. We do it because we want to. (Side note: That’s the point of “volunteering.”) ;)

Is there vandalism?
Sadly, vandalism is an issue. There are people who oppose the fence for various reasons. Hunters do not like the fence (even though there are countless other places to hunt nearby). Local folks—neighbors, hikers, etc.—don’t like the fence because, well, I think it’s because some people don’t like change. ATV riders don’t like the fence though it is illegal to ride in the preserve. And finally, there are others who (seemingly) just like to be difficult.

That said, some of these unhappy people vandalize and cut the fence. I snapped this photograph on Saturday. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a bear…

vandalism

Don't think it was a bear...

Are you afraid?
No. I am not afraid. I am not afraid of the vandals because they are unlikely to vandalize when there are people around. I do get nervous about bears but the reality is that black bears (the only kind we get around here) are generally docile creatures. So long as you make noise as you walk—set your cell phone to go off every few minutes, make loud footsteps, or (in my case) talk/sing to yourself & your dog—the bears will head away from you, not toward you.

seahorse

Saturday was National Trails Day. To celebrate, an NJCF staff-person lead a group of us on a one-hour hike through Apshawa. Afterward, myself and a couple other volunteers received our orientation about monitoring the deer fence. Our task will be to monitor the fence about once a week & make minor repairs. We will also report back on major damage (fallen trees, vandalism, etc.) so that staff people can come out & make those fixes.

I am so excited to be taking part in this project! Apshawa is such an incredibly beautiful place and knowing that I am helping to keep it that way is overwhelming in such a great way.

Here are a few photographs that I snapped on Saturday.

volunteers

Me & John - NJCF Volunteers

unlikely friends

An unlikely pair!

hikers

pink yellow wildflower

Mountain Laurel

Beautiful stretches of Mountain Laurel in bloom, looks like snow in the middle of June!

Volunteering Matters: Apshawa Preserve for NJCF

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Butler Resevoir, Apshawa Preserve

Preface: Volunteering Matters is an ongoing series. In this series, I share photographs & thoughts regarding my favourite volunteer projects.

Volunteering is an important part of my life. I’m always looking for ways to volunteer my time & energy to good causes. Because I am such a passionate person, my interests spread far & wide. While it can be difficult to manage multiple careers, it’s a lot easier to take advantage of numerous volunteer opportunities. Volunteer opportunities are especially attractive to me when they are ad-hoc (short, one-time, noncommittal) opportunities to contribute and make an impact.

There are so many reasons why volunteering is a great idea.

Perhaps the first and biggest benefit people get from volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community and country. The intangible benefits alone—such as pride, satisfaction and accomplishment—are worthwhile reasons to serve. In addition, when we share our time and talents, we:

Conservation is also an extremely important part of my life. I am intensely passionate about the preservation of Earth’s wildlife and natural environment.

Butler Reservoir, Apshawa Preserve

In June, I started working with New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF). NJCF’s mission is to preserve New Jersey’s land and natural resources for the benefit of all. Since 1960, NJCF has protected over 120,000 acres of natural areas and farmland in New Jersey—from farms to forests to urban and suburban parks.

My first task as a volunteer for NJCF was to create a scavenger hunt for children at Apshawa Preserve. I was so excited about this project for a bunch of reasons. First, Apshawa Preserve is only a couple of miles away from my house. Second, this scavenger hunt will be posted to NJCF’s website for children & their families to download. What an amazing way to get children excited about going for a scenic hike & learning more about the natural world!

Wildflowers, Apshawa Preserve

One gorgeous Saturday morning, Matthew & I put on our hiking clothes, filled up our water bottles, put Bella (our pup) in the car, and headed to the preserve. The trails were really beautiful and I had so much fun taking photographs and scouting out items for the scavenger hunt.

Bella on the Trails

You can check out the rough drafts of my project: Scavenger Hunt Items and Trail Guide. This volunteer project meant so much to me. Not only was I out in the forest doing something that I adore (hiking), but it also gave me the opportunity to get more families out into the preserve, enjoying wildlife, and thinking about the importance of preserving New Jersey’s land for future generations.

What do you think about volunteering? Have you ever been a volunteer? Would you consider doing it in the future?