Kids Saving the Rainforest – December 2018

by Karma Casey

Hello Quepolandia readers! Its Karma again, the spokes-kid for Kids Saving the Rainforest! Happy holidays from me and all the animals at KSTR! This time of year is a great time for getting together with our loved ones, and appreciating the things we have. It is also a time for reaching out and showing others how much we care about them. I love giving gifts to my friends and family!

Here at the Kids Saving the Rainforest wildlife sanctuary, home to more than 50 animals we like to show the residents of the sanctuary how much we care about them. We will be making special treats and preparing a big holiday feast with fun, interactive food in our animal kitchen!

Last year, I helped make popcorn and cranberry garlands for the parrots, and stuffed hollowed out coconuts full of healthy, nutritious goodies for some kinkajous and white-faced capuchin monkeys! Our sanctuary staff handed out all the yummy treats, and we all got to watch the animals have a great time enjoying their holiday feast! I can’t wait to do it again this year.

If you are looking for a special, unique gift that has a lot of meaning behind it, here are some great ideas! We have a lot of really special gifts you can give that help support our very important work saving the rainforest!

Buy a book that makes a difference! Kids Saving the Rainforest just published a new children’s book called, “Little Buddy the Sloth, Saves the Titi Monkeys”. This is such a great book, and guess who is in it? Me! You can see me in the book, and there is even a picture of me holding one of those holiday coconuts I just told you about!

Little Buddy was the very first sloth that Kids Saving the Rainforest rescued. In this book, Little Buddy teaches you about the endangered Grey Crowned Squirrel Monkeys (you may know them as the Titis), and how we have worked so hard to save them and give them a safer home! The book also talks about Janine, another kid, like me, and how she started Kids Saving the Rainforest when she was only nine years old! Janine is my hero, and you should read this book to learn all about her and the great work she has inspired over the years.

Go to Amazon.com, and type in the title, or type this link into your address bar,
http://a.co/d/fNOuvDs You can get a copy of your very own for just a few dollars! It makes a great gift, especially for the animal loving kids in your life. The proceeds from the book go to helping take care of animals and planting trees!

Sponsor an animal! There are a lot of amazing animals in KSTR’s wildlife sanctuary, and our rescue center also rescues over 100 of these extraordinary creatures every single year! The wildlife professionals at KSTR are hard at work saving their lives and rehabilitating them to get them back into their rainforest homes. You can help!

Go to our website at kidssavingtherainforest.org/sponsorship.html and sponsor an animal! This makes such a huge difference in the lives of these animals, and helps support our work so we can rescue even more!

We are also raising money for some other really important things the animals in our care need, if you are looking for other ways to help. Our veterinary clinic needs an anesthesia machine, to help animals in surgeries fall asleep and wake up easier and with less risk. The birds we care for need a flight cage to spread their wings, and also to help prepare these high flyers for their return back into the wild. If you want to give this holiday season to any of these important needs, click the DONATE button at kidssavingtherainforest.org. If you want your money to go to something special, write it in your message of support!

Give the gift of supplies! If you come down to Costa Rica, or know of someone who is going to, take a moment and think if you have a little extra room in your suitcase. Can you squeeze in some powdered goat milk for a baby sloth? How about some medical supplies for our veterinary clinic? Getting supplies shipped to Costa Rica is very complicated, and also costs a lot of money. If you have a tiny bit of space to spare, we would be so grateful if you could bring down some supplies to help us out!

Our wish list is pinned to the top of our Facebook page. You can see what we need the most, pick out a few items, and stash them in your suitcase for the journey. When you’re here, schedule a tour of the Kids Saving the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, and bring along your supplies! We are so grateful for any help you can give us like this.

The holidays aren’t just about giving, though. I like to think about all the things the rainforest can give back to us. Trees give us clean, fresh air to breathe. When I walk outside every morning, I see beautiful Titi monkeys looking for their breakfast in those trees. I know trees make food and homes for animals. I see a Blue Morpho Butterfly flutter past, a rainbow in the sky, a sloth holding her baby down by the beach. All around us the world has given us such great beauty and wonder to enjoy. Look around you. What gifts is the world giving to you, right now? Take time to slow down and enjoy things like this. Spend a moment with your loved ones.

I hope you have a happy, happy holiday season! And remember! If you are in the Quepos Manuel Antonio area and ever find orphaned or injured wildlife, Kids Saving the Rainforest can help! Send a WhatsApp message to 88-ANIMAL, and our clinic team can come to the rescue! Read me next time!