Help Save a Life

Today (June 14th 2026) is World Blood Donor Day.  A few hours of your life can save the life of someone else in need.  Please consider signing up to donate.

My work place had been having blood drives for a while before I realized there's and app for that.  Because of course there is.  What isn't there an app for.  So, I downloaded the Red Cross Blood Donor app.  

As someone who donates on a semi regular basis I find the app rather helpful.  You can put in a zip code and find the nearest places you can donate and make an appointment right there on the app.  It will tell you your blood type (I'm AB+), keep track of how much blood you have donated and tell you when you can safely donate again.  You can also fill out your Rapid Pass, which is a bunch of questions that you have to answer before you can give blood.  It saves you time when you get there if you have already done this.  If you have never donated before, these questions can get
rather personal, but I think you can understand why.

Until the app I had only donated whole blood, but as I explored the app I decided I should donate platelets and plasma some times as well.  I did a little research (just to be clear, all on the internet, I didn't ask a medical professional, so don't quote me) and came to the conclusion that I might be able to help more people that way.  But I must warn you, platelet donation does take longer (about 2 hours) and there are two needles involved.  

I donate because it makes me feel good to know I'm helping others.  But there are
other rewards.  The app has virtual badges you can collect to encourage you to come back.  Donation centers also have swag sometimes.  I have a collection of shirts, but they give out other things sometimes too: sunglasses, socks, backpacks and such.  If you have the app you get points for each donation that you can use to get even more swag: hats, tote bags, camp chairs, thermos bottles, or of you are like me -more shirts.  And after so many donations you get a milestone pin.

I encourage all those who can to donate.  It does your heart good.  And you get free cookies and juice. But, one more warning, there is always a platelet or blood shortage so once you donate you will get calls and texts and emails asking you to come back.  Lots of them.  But that is a small price to pay for the good you could do.

It's all about the scales

World Pangolin Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in February, making today (February 21st) World Pangolin Day!  

Want to learn more about pangolins?  Well, there is a lot of info out there but her are a few facts to get you started:

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world.

People want pangolins for their meat and for the scales that are used in traditional medicine.

They are the only mammal covered in scales.

The scales are made of keratin, the same stuff as your fingernails.

There are eight species of pangolin, four live in Africa and four live in Asia.

All eight species of pangolin are endangered, raging in status for vulnerable to critically endangered.

Pangolins are insectivores, eating mostly ants and termites.

Pangolins have no teeth.

I think pangolins are cute.  They are certainly unique.  I think it would be a shame if we lost them.

If you would like to donate to help the pangolin check out these places:

Pangolin Crisis Fund

Save Pangolins

Greater Good Charities 

Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation

Fauna and Flora

My Latest App Obsession

 

I tend to get obsessed with things.  I download something on my phone and it is everything for a while.  My latest obsession is Treat.  It is all about sending food to dogs in shelters.  Being an animal lover, I downloaded it right away.

When you first log on you are given a list of shelters across the country.  When you pick your shelter, you are given a list of a few dogs at that shelter and you get to pick again.  Then the virtual version of your dog is sent around a track.  You roll a die and he runs.  If he lands on the treat spot several times he earns a treat.  If he lands on the bowls of food or the game spots he earns kibbles toward meals.

The games can earn you kibbles faster.  You can pick your dog's picture out of a pack, teach your dog a trick or pick the healthiest snack (hint: it is not the avocado) among other things.

Is it free? Yes.  Do they try to get you to spend money? Of course.  The only thing you can do for free is send the treats you earn.  If you want to send the meals it will cost you $5.96 a month.  But that is for all the meals you can earn for as many dogs as you want to help.  I did that one.  That may make me a sucker but I couldn't look at the cute little faces of the dogs and not want to help.  You can also remote foster a dog and buy more rolls of the die.  

My favorite part is when I open the app and they tell me dogs have been adopted.  Then they show me pictures of all the adopted dogs.  it warms my heart to see the dogs who have found homes, even if they are not dogs I have been sending food.  

I feel a sense of satisfaction every time I earn food for a dog.  I makes me happy.

If you like animals, give it a try.  But be warned, it can become an addiction.

Save the Bees!

Today (May 20th) is World Bee Day.  We need bees.  Well, it's more that plants need bees and we need the plants.  But it amounts to the same thing.  So what can you do to save the bees?

If you want to donate money so other people can save the bees you can go here:

The Karma Honey Project

Project Apis m 

Pollinator Partnership

Bees For Development

Planet Bee Foundation

The Bee Conservancy

If you would like to be a little more hands on there are a few things you can do in your own backyard.

One is to stop using synthetic pesticides and herbicides.  Bees don't like them.

You can also give bees a place to live.  Most bees are solitary and don't live in hives.  Many live underground, so if you can leave a plot of undisturbed earth for them or put up special bee houses.

You can put up a bee bath.  Which is much like a bird bath, but for bees.  You can fill a shallow bird bath or bowl with water and put some stones in that break the surface so the bees have a place to land and get a drink.

And of course you can plant flowers (and trees) that bees like.

For some ideas on some plants for bees look here:

Bees and Blooms

Southern Living 

Gardeners World

Country Living

Garden Design

This is my brother's bee house for his Mason bees.  He takes good care of his Mason bees and makes sure when he mows the lawn that he leaves the clover for them.  (And besides, the clover is actually pretty, so why cut it down?) 

Save the Animals!

Today is National Wildlife Day!  (So is September 4th.  It is so important it gets two days.)  If you would like to help our wild friends here are some suggestions.

Wildlife Conservation Society

Wildlife Alliance

Roots and Shoots

World Wildlife Fund

Defenders of Wildlife

International Rhino Fund

Jane Goodall Institute

Panthera

Gorilla Doctors

International Union for Conservation of Nature

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Save the Elephants

Sea Turtle Foundation

International Sloth Day

 October 20th is International Sloth Day!!

We are not talking about the deadly sin.  We are talking about the adorable slow moving animal.

Did you know?

1. Sloths can live up to 30 years.

2. Green algae grows on a sloth's fur

3. Sloths are related to armadillos and anteaters.

4. A sloth's head can turn 270 degrees.

5. A sloth can hold its breath for 40 minutes.

6. It takes 30 days for a sloth to digest a leaf.

7. Ancient sloths could get as big as an elephant.

Pygmy sloths are also endangered.  

Here are some places you can go to help:

The Sloth Conservation Foundation

Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica

The Sloth Institute of Costa Rica

World Wildlife

Do Some Good

At Greater Good you can help out with just a click of the mouse.  Just click on the button on the top of the page to give to the cause mentioned there.  (As I write this it is trying to raise money to build a school for children in Senegal.)  Then make sure to click on the tabs for the other causes as well.  They will each have their own button for you to push.

If you want to give even more there are plenty of ways you can donate money directly or you can just shop.  Choose the site for the cause you would like to help and shop to your heart's content.  A portion of the money you spend will go to help out the cause you have chosen.

And if you need a new pair of shoes or a new coat make sure to check out the get one, give one section.  With your purchase of one of the selected items they will donate one to someone in need.

Save the Sharks

In honor of Shark Week I have come up with a list of websites that are trying to save sharks.  Visit them to find out how you can help them help the sharks.


Oceana

Ocean Conservancy

Defenders of Wildlife 

Sea Save

Shark Savers

Bite Back

Shark Trust

Save Our Sharks

Shark Angels

Shark Guardian

Help Out Classrooms in Need

Donors Choose is a website that lets you help teachers and students all over the country.  The teachers create classroom projects and ask for funds on Donors Choose.  You can search by area, school or subject.  You can give any amount you like to any project like.

Here are a few that caught my eye.

Ms. Lewis needs Fitdesks so that students can exercise while they study.  You can donate here.

Ms. Lewis also needs Chromebooks to go with her Fitdesks.  You can donate here.

Mr. Maguire needs air conditioners to cool his classroom and make learning easier.  You can donate here.

Mrs. MacIsaac needs a whiteboard and some chairs to help her students learn.  You can donate here.

Ms. Marshall also needs Chromebooks to help her students connect to schools around the world.  You can donate here.

Mr. Cao needs calculus books.  I think you can guess what they are for.  You can donate here.

You will notice that all of these projects are from Boston Latin Academy.  I'm partial since I went there.  But maybe you went somewhere else and would like to help out your own school.  Or the school your children go to.  Or just love geometry and want to help kids learn.  Go over to Donorschoose.org and browse around until you find a project that speaks to you.