About 20 years ago, several species of large whales—including the humpback, minke, and southern right—were facing extinction.  Valuable for their meat, oil, and whalebone, these massive mammals were quickly disappearing from the world’s oceans. And so, the world responded, placing a moratorium whale hunts in 1986. It appears those species of whales are rebounding, according to a study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Great news!! BUT…almost one-fourth of whale species are now threatened, including the blue whale, which is larger than a dinosaur and believed to be the largest living creature ever on our planet. Hazards like being hit by ships, entangled in fishing nets, deteriorating habitats, and the decline of food sources are putting their future at risk. Please remember that “Save the Whales” is still a battle cry. We haven’t won….yet!

Say what you will about the pomp and circumstance of the British monarchy but you’ve got to appreciate a country that has knighted Paul McCartney, Elton John, and a penguin named Nils Olav! A penguin has been the mascot of the Norwegian King’s Guard since 1972, when Lieutenant Nils Egelien chose—quite appropriately—a king penguin from the Edinburgh Zoo. He was named Nils Olav, after his “sponsor” and Norway’s then-King Olav V. The name has passed from generation to generation, with the current Nils Olav being the third mascot to the Guard. Having already earned medals for good conduct and long service, Nils Olav was knighted on August 15 by British Major General Euan Loudon on behalf of Norway’s King Harald V. Dressed in his natural “black tie” attire, Sir Nils Olav now bears a badge on his flipper that symbolizes knighthood. To the Round Table, Sir Knight!

Last week, swimmer Michael Phelps proved that he is an American hero. Yes, he brought pride to our country by winning a record-setting eight gold medals for his feats in the pool, but I’m talking about his biggest achievement. As a child, Michael was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He took up swimming when his mother encouraged him to channel his energies into something he could enjoy. Michael was teased by classmates in all through school but managed to find that one talent that could set him apart. I’m so proud of Michael’s achievements because he has sent a message to all the youth around the world that you can make your dreams come true. As Duckey says, “when you believe it, you can achieve it.” Thank you, Michael Phelps!!

A few empty, plastic bottles tossed on the beach or roadside are careless litter. But 15,000 of them can make an ocean vessel!! Two scientists crafted a raft from the empty bottles (as pontoons), paired with cockpit of a Cessna plane (which they salvaged from the desert). They set sail from southern California on June 1, 2008, headed for Hawaii on the garbage watercraft they appropriately named “JUNK”. Their mission is to raise awareness of the problem of garbage dumping in the ocean. Follow their journey on their blog.

Imagine flooding a landfill and then going for a swim in this waste-filled water? Not too appealing, is it? Well, I don’t expect the ocean creatures in the Pacific Rim are too thrilled either. There is an area, thousands of miles from shore, where 3.5 million tons of trash — which mostly consists of non-biodegradable plastic! — sits in the ocean. Known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, the natural currents have drawn the trash that filters into the ocean from North America, Hawaii, and Asia, stirring up a “toxic stew” that ocean life is eating! The currents carry the debris out to sea, and leave it in an underwater graveyard that is twice the size of Texas! We can’t clean up this mess but we can be even more vigilant about not letting trash get into the ocean. It’s not dumped there, for the most part. It gets carried away from the beaches and makes its way from roadways through storm drains. Find out more about this trash tsunami here.

The starfish looks like a seashell but is actually a living creature, but some people have either forgotten that fact or just don’t care. On the Caribbean Island of Grenada, people are tossing starfish like Frisbies for their dogs to catch. The dogs chew on these poor sea creatures, which are usually just left to die on the beach. This is another example of trampling on someone else’s home turf. We can’t just trash every beach, meadow, woods, or river — and ignore all the living things that call it home. Please think twice before you harm a habitat or creature. Just think of the poor starfish dying on the beach!

It’s been a long journey to this point, but “Duckey and the Ocean Protectors” is finally almost ready to be shared with the world, and I thank my friends at Writers of the Round Table for that. When I started forming these characters in my imagination almost twenty years ago, I never imagined that I would get to see them come to life in ways that will make such a big impact for kids and adults alike. As a child myself, growing up in rural North Carolina, I spent so much time in the outdoors and found so much inspiration in my animal friends. Whether I was hiking alone through a meadow or visiting the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, I always saw the value and beauty of the natural world. (more…)