Heard It Through The Ape Vine www.apeconservationeffort.org

decision, but she has decided to continue

October, 2020 working on Gorilla Golf Gingerbreads for raffles, which she has Redheads done so well. Haunted Gingerbread Houses Also, we are sorry that Date and details TBD Joshua Baker has found it necessary to step down from the board. His 2020 Calendar current work schedule is keeping him busy, but he Happy will remain active on Now through several committees of January 8, 2020 New Year! ACE.

Yankee Candle Congratulations to the Sale 2020 ACE Board 2020 Board of seven (See article for details.) people - Jane Barron, Announced Barbara Cebula, Lori Kirkland, Leslie Martin, January 25, 2020 Voting for new board Susan Smith, Donna members was an Mayer Todd and Gene ACE Meeting important part of the Todd. Please contact TechLab, 9:30 AM November 16, 2019, them with any questions General Meeting. Five about ACE that you people were unanimously might have. Spring 2020 voted to be Board HoneyBaked Ham Members 2020-2021. ACE will have its first They are Jane Barron, meeting of 2020 on gift card sale Barbara Cebula, Lori January 25 in TechLab at Details TBD Kirkland, Donna Mayer Zoo Atlanta. We will Todd, and Gene Todd. begin the meeting at 9:30 AM and finish in time for October 19, 2020 We are sorry that Shelley the Volunteer DeWeese will be going Appreciation Lunch for Gorilla Golf zoo volunteers at noon. The Oaks Golf Course off the board. Due to now living in Tennessee We have several ideas to Covington, GA talk over, plus we want to and her work schedule,

she had to make this set our 2020 Calendar of

A A Newsletter Membership January 2020

Events. Everyone is donations and, perhaps, to consider several invited to this meeting. larger amounts. options for this event. With creativity as a All donors should have guide, we have adopted want to join the  received an immediate the idea that our first Gingerbreads for and email generated from annual Gingerbreads for Redheads committee, the GA Gives platform Redheads will be please contact Vivienne thanking you for your modified for an October Ferguson or Jane Barron. support, and another from timeframe. We will ACE. If you did not get decorate "haunted Think "haunted one, please let me know. gingerbread houses!" gingerbread houses!"

You know this will be We believe this idea is Since we were unable to

valuable in the effort to unique and will be hold this fundraiser for GA Gives Day save the Great Apes. We popular for several orangutans as planned will decide which on-the- reasons. (1)The event for this year, there was a Was Great for ground non profit should will be held during a vote at the November 16, ACE receive the money raised good weather time of the 2019 General Meeting to in our January meeting. I year. (2)The event can be donate $3,000 from by Donna Mayer Todd hope you will come to the promoted as a Halloween general funds to be sent meeting and be a part of activity during October, to BOS (Bornean Congratulations and that decision. instead of during the Orangutan Society). Thank You to all who busier holiday season. These funds will help emailed, texted, posted, The success of GA Gives (3)Children can wear support a non-profit tweeted or told a friend and its growth year to their Halloween costumes group that is working to about GA Gives 2019 and year come through the to decorate their save orangutans in Ape Conservation Effort. connections we "each" gingerbread houses. Borneo. We exceeded the make and the story we (4)Holding the event at awareness and donation tell about ACE and why Halloween ties in nicely totals of past GA Gives we support it. We had 3 to promote responsible Response donations from non- shopping of candy and from Richard Zimmerman, events! Thank you also Executive Director - to all who made members, names we did palm oil. (5)We can use Orangutan Outreach donations to ACE. You not recognize and the recyclable gingerbread- contributed to a grand number is from last looking house kits, which Just a quick confirmation totals of $2,235.00 in year too. Who knows? can be enjoyed during to let you know the check donations - this from 17 They may decide to Halloween and then arrived! Thank you unique donors. return and support ACE washed and decorated for again! The $3,000 will in other ways or tell a the next holidays, thus be included in our This year, for the first friend of theirs, spreading promoting recycling. January transfer to BOSF. time, we were able to the awareness further. employ a matching funds We will have an I hope you have a grant thanks to a long informative poster about wonderful Christmas and time, dedicated ACE  the Palm Oil Crisis to New Years! Looking member. Really. Thank alert and educate people forward to a fantastic You to that member, who when shopping for their 2020 for the orangutans! wishes to remain Gingerbreads holiday gifts. This poster Anonymous. We will be used at several Best wishes and happy appreciated the very for Redheads ACE events. holidays to everyone on generous donation which, your end... Rich {:(1} I believe, and according Doesn't this sound like to all the expert Plans for our first fun? We hope it will information we received, Gingerbreads of appeal to a wide audience  helped to encourage Redheads hit a few and become a fun and challenges, so we began educational event. If you at Zoo Atlanta. Volunteers are always excited to see what we have for sale, especially if it includes ornaments decorated by the gorillas and orangutans from Zoo Atlanta. Those photo by Gene Todd ornaments, along with "Golfers in the Mist" Fundraising other items such as fabric and straw shaped animals, The morning did start off Update recyclable grocery totes, appropriately for this photo by Gene Todd event - instead of Ross Brandt and and paper bead jewelry Paul Grimley by Susan Smith "gorillas in the mist" it were snapped up by the was "golfers in the mist" - volunteers. ACE made 2nd Place The Fall Yankee Candle as a heavy misty, fog $757 during the two-hour Ken Carrigan and campaign has raised $360 enveloped the area. The sale. Ryan Carrigan for ACE so far this year. golfers enjoyed their

This campaign will end continental breakfast and on Wednesday, January checking out their gift 8, 2020, so there is still  bag goodies as we time for one more watched the fog dissipate. purchase. To help By the time most of the support ACE, go to the golfers reached their tee , website it turned out to be a clear, www.yankeecandlefundra cool fall day ising.com or the Yankee Candle mobile app When all the golfers had Yankee Candle finished their play, they Fundraising. Don't were treated to lunch and by Susan Smith settled in for the photo by Gene Todd forget to add our Group Ryan and Ken Carrigan

Number 990066937. presentation of awards Your order will be 2019 Gorilla Golf and the raffle, which is 3rd Place shipped directly to you. always a hit. Joe Volman and Same Game, Mike Zeldes Our Fall HoneyBaked New Place Ham gift card sale brought in $190. Cards The 9th annual Gorilla are ordered though an Golf Tournament was online site and electronic held on October 28th at or plastic cards can be the Oaks Course in requested. The online Covington, Georgia. This photo by Jodi Carrigan site is closed now, but it was a new course to Some great raffle prizes will re-open in late challenge the golfers but February or early March an advantage for getting Awards were presented for our Spring campaign. to the airport for our out- for First, Second and A link and sales dates of-town players. All of Third place, Longest will be communicated to the golfers had very Drive and of course photo by Gene Todd you at a later. Joe Volman and positive feedback about Closet to the Gorilla: Mike Zeldes the new course and its ACE participated again in location, and the club did 1st Place the Holiday Bazaar held an excellent job hosting Ross Brandt and after the December our event. Paul Grimley volunteer MEGA update Longest Drive Josh Meyerchick She updated the group on ACE Members the status of gorillas as Are well as information on the -- side-by-side paintings new research/education Interesting of his vision. I was facilities being People floored by its artistry. constructed. She also This became the catalyst recognized several of the Our interesting members for a different approach to golfers who had highlighted in this issue Apes in the Arts. I participated in this are Joshua Baker and Lori approached the Vice tournament for many Kirkland. President and Fundraising years. chair, and the ideas was approved! (Mind that I

photo by Gene Todd still wasn't a member of Josh Meyerchick ACE.) I then helped ACE in the realization Closest to Gorilla and execution of the 2015 Ryan Carrigan Apes in the Arts. This event ignited and photo by Joshua Baker encouraged my passion to Lori and Josh try and make a difference in the animal world. I Lori's view became an ACE member that year and have

photo by Jodi Carrigan I had known about ACE worked on the board DFGFI banner ephemerally since about tirelessly ever since. 2013 working within the DFGFI, recipient of the primate department first At this same time I as an intern and then as a funds raised, received a started to really research photo by Gene Todd check for $12,397.00 long-term seasonal why apes specifically Ryan Carrigan making our total donation keeper. But it wasn't needed to be saved. The from nine Gorilla Golf until I spoke with one of more information I found, events over $128,000. my many patrons at the the more I wanted to help Tara Stoinski, President With that good news, we coffee shop I worked at outside of being a keeper and CEO/Chief Scientific are set for 2020 with the that started my current or husbandry aide Officer of 10th annual Gorilla Golf passionate quest to really volunteer at the zoo. Gorilla fund International scheduled for October 19, try and make a difference Along with this research (DFGFI), thanked each of 2020. See 2020 Gorilla in the world of ape came questions on what the participants and Golf flyer attached. conservation. could I do in my personal volunteers for another life that could help in successful tournament. This gentleman was an saving the habitats that artist and owned the these magnificent animals tattoo parlor in our small live in. I started to make town. He had mentioned more environmentally that he had always friendly and conscious

photo by Jodi Carrigan wanted to take a painting choices like repairing the 2019 Gorilla Golf golfers done by an ape and paint electronic devices instead what he "saw" within. I of buying the latest and replied that I could greatest, refusing to  probably make this purchase any product that happen.--.which I did. had unsustainable palm Fast forward a few weeks oil as an ingredient, photo by Gene Todd later when he brought me switching to Tara Stoinski a beautifully framed work environmentally safe for Marriott Corporation I had previously been a continue to languish in in thousand-odd hotel bicycle riding, vegetable ignorance and inaction, rooms. I don't know what eating, recycling, grow- then I was no better than house and skin products, motivated her gallantry, my-own-food, small- those that perpetrate the greatly reducing my but my favorite barista carbon footprint type evil in the first place. I single use plastic walked up in that moment dude living in California had to get better or live a consumption, and then and handed us a couple of and Hawaii. So I was squawking hypocrite. slowly and carefully flyers. She was a ripe for the proverbial Ugh. speaking about these brunette in her thirties, picking, but moving to changes and how much and for the past six Georgia (welcome to I chose better. they are necessary to the months her rainbow eye driving everywhere) and people in my inner circle. make-up, tinkling becoming a business For me the plight of the laughter, and "ahem" owner (time and Great Apes is allegorical This has now become a yoga pants had rapt my convenience trumping to the plight facing our way of life for Josh and attention whenever I everything else), I had own species. The myself .-- even as the visited this particular fallen out of the positive destruction of habitat, news of the world comes coffee shop. habits I had built up over overuse of natural into our house of "climate the preceding years. resources and general crisis," more and more In my hand the flyer exploitation are animals going on the showed a silhouette of a As Lori and I got to know happening to BOTH IUCN list as critically gorilla wearing a each other and spent time humans AND the Great endangered, diseases and newsboy cap standing working with ACE, our Apes. We are inured to fires running rampant in next to a flag that would desire to shrink our the violence and third world countries due normally be stuck in a respective carbon- destruction because we to capitalism golf hole. footprints and impact our are like goldfish - unable consumption from the planet grew larger and to see the water we are more developed I looked up into her larger. Together we were swimming in. countries. We always ask smiling face and more efficient, could buy each other, "What can quizzically said, "What's food in bulk, began to eat Being part of Ape WE do to help?" Could this?" "Gorilla golf." she less and less meat, and Conservation Effort has or will our actions move replied grinning, really started to dig into helped me to SEE. See the conservation dial out bouncing on the balls of what a "normal" person the importance of of the world? her feet. "Golf and can do to lessen their biodiversity, see the gorillas sounds like when carbon footprint. Normal systemic problems that I truly believe we can all you and I golf," Robert of course meaning the can only be solved by raise a voice for the said as he nudged me average television trained taking a multi- voiceless and really make with a wink. consumer. The type who dimensional approach to a difference in saving buys plastic Ziploc bags issues and to really put these animals and change The ensuing conversation to use once for a my money where my the culture of the world! led to an exchange of sandwich made from the mouth is when it comes contact information, and lowest quality to TAKING ACTION. over the consequent ingredients: pesticide Josh's view months of email and ridden GMO refined The single use plastic phone conversations, the white flour, peanut butter bag, carrying my single The sun shone warm on "Brunette Yoga Pants" filled with dirty palm oil, use bottle of water, and my back, skies clear and became Lori Kirkland. and his-fructose corn single use plastic bag of blue, coffee thick and hot Lori Kirkland quickly syrup, dyed jelly spread. chips isn't worth the in my cup. I exchanged became my wife and my compounded cost to jibes and jokes with my education regarding the We figured out that tiny future generations, Great brother-in-law Robert plight of the Great Ape changes add up, much to Apes and all species. while we enjoyed the rare species as well as our my innate-nihilistic Now that I'm aware I can morning we didn't have to planet began in earnest. chagrin. I came to find TAKE ACTION and be off somewhere that if I KNEW the right figure out how to change installing the latest gizmo answer and chose to that one thing in your life for the better of the region. The dry measures have had some everything. season this year lasted effect but don't address longer than usual, one of the biggest You might be surprised contributing to the scale problems: preventing the In Indonesia, clearing where that action takes of the fires. blazes on existing fields. land with fire is illegal. you. But every summer, "The companies need to thousands of fires are set be punished, and the on small farms and punishment needs to be commercial plantations,  tough," said Yuyun including those growing Harmono, an oil palm, a key ingredient photo: Wall Street Journal environmentalist at in consumer products Sebangau national park Walhi, a Jakarta-based such as shampoos and Indonesian nongovernmental cosmetics. Farmlands Authorities in Indonesia Wildfires Point organization. "We have expanded rapidly to have identified 16 propose that the produce more for export Up Land-Clearing national and international government revoke their world-wide. corporations and at least permits, make them pay." Tactics 323 individuals suspected Medical responders in of starting this year's fires Indonesia isn't alone in its Indonesia say they are by Feliz Soloman to clear their land for a struggle. From the trying to contain a public- new round of crops, a Brazilian Amazon to the health crisis. Tens of The following article is crime punishable by up to East Africa nation of thousands of people have reprinted from the Wall 10 years in prison. Police Street Journal, October 1, Madagascar, fires set been diagnosed this year have launched extensive 2019 deliberately to clear land with respiratory illnesses investigations and sent at emit large volumes of across the six Indonesian least two dozen cases to As Indonesia battles the greenhouse gases and provinces closest to the prosecutors so far, a worst wildfires since spark health emergencies. flames, according to the police spokesman said. 2015, tens of thousands The problem has only Health Ministry. A state The fires are the most of people in its provinces intensified as more land of emergency was destructive since 2015, have been sickened by has come under declared this summer in when large parts of the toxic air. Flaming forests cultivation to feed Riau, a province of country were scorched and the public-health growing populations and central Sumatra. and neighboring states emergency have renewed meet the global demand blanketed with sickening attention on a persistent for palm oil and crops In the neighboring smog. problem with a global such as soybeans. province of Jambi, reach: slash-and-burn pollutant particles made Researchers found that farming. It especially haunts the sky appear blood red, breathing in toxic haze developing countries, as if it were ablaze. To caused by the fires in Each summer brings where farmers often don't Mr. Harmono of the 2015 led to about 100,000 noxious clouds of smoke have or can't afford the Walhi NGO, that was a premature deaths across to Sumatra and machinery they need to sign his country was Southeast Asia. Indonesian Borneo as clear farms. Where soil crossing an fields are set ablaze to conditions are poor and environmental red line. After that, President Joko make way for the new fertilizers are expensive, Widodo was forced to planting season. Some burning is seen as a cheap The government and non- make changes. He took years, like this one, high way for locals to add profits have set up what steps to force a freeze on winds nudge the flames nutrients to their land. are known as safe houses converting forest land beyond the boundaries of The practice is so where people can breathe into farmland and set up the plantations, through widespread that from a tank for about 10 an agency to revitalize parts of adjoining governments don't have minutes, before returning 8,000 square miles of rainforests. The burning the capacity to detect and to the noxious air. degraded forests by 2020. produces thick, hazardous track down on the Residents said this year Environmentalists say the smoke that spreads across burning. was especially bad. and she will meet them To be fair, I was on his , of when she chooses. It is a turf. I had been spying which Rwanda's new freedom for her, and on the fur ball's family -- Volcanoes National Park  one we are grateful to nine mountain gorillas, occupies a fraction. provide." including the roughly Neighboring national 400-pound patriarch, a parks in Uganda and the Judge Elena Liberatori's massive silverback with a Democratic Republic of landmark ruling in 2015 towering forehead and the Congo share the declared that Sandra is meaty hands twice the Virunga territory, along legally a nonhuman width of mine. The apes with the rare apes. But

person, thus entitled to were scattered around a Rwanda, far more some legal rights enjoyed tangle of tree branches ambitiously than the other Did you know? by people and better and bamboo stalks rooted two countries, has turned living conditions. The on a mud-packed slope, the gorilla sightings into a judge said she "wanted to while I'd been lurking luxury commodity, Sandra settles tell society something about 30 feet away with complete with extremely new, that animals are six other tourists. We all high-end lodges. into new home sentient beings and that wore shades of fresh-off- the first right they have is the-shelf khaki, with In an effort to protect the fit for orangutan our obligation to respect cameras-phones or zoom meager number of with legal them." lenses at the ready. A endangered mountain young couple from gorillas, park officials personhood But without a clear Mexico City had Go-Pro allow just 96 tourists a alternative, Sandra video cameras strapped to day to see them -- divided Wauchula, Fla. - A 33- remained at the their wrists. into group of eight, plus year-old orangutan antiquated zoo, which guides, trackers and granted legal personhood closed in 2016, until I was crouched next to a optional porters -- and by a judge in Argentina is leaving for the U.S. tree -- eager to avoid restrict the human-ape settling into her new Atlanta Journal- annoying the silverback -- rendezvous to an hour. In surroundings at the Constitution, when King Kong Junior 2017 the cost of the Center for Great Apes in November 8, 2019 rushed me, crashing out trekking permit doubled, central Florida. of a stand of bamboo. He from $750 a person a day tried to yank me away by to $1,500. "We weren't Patti Ragan, director of Rare Breeds the sleeve. Just as sure how our clients the center in Wauchula, swiftly, Placide would react when the says Sandra is "very Rwanda's Nkurunziza, one of our price went up," said sweet and inquisitive" group's two guides, Linda Friedman, owner of and adjusting to her new endangered gorillas grabbed by other sleeve Maryland-based Custom home. Born in Germany, are luring an and gently grunted Safaris, who arranged my she spent 25 years at the increasingly upscale (primate-speak for trip. "But they didn't Buenos Aires Zoo before crowd -- eager to "scram") at the little guy, blink." The number of arriving in Florida on who promptly released international visitors to Tuesday. fulfill a bucket-list me and sprinted back Rwanda rose to 1.7 ambition down the hill to find more million last year, up from "She was shy when she willing playmates. I'd 1.3 million in 2015. first arrived, but once she by Deborah Dunn paid $1,500 to spend an "People think, I've always saw the swings, toys and hour with the gorillas. wanted to do this. I'm not grassy areas in her new I'd been in Volcanoes The near kidnapping was putting it off until I'm home, she went out to National Park, a sliver of a bonus. 65," said Ms. Friedman. explore," Ragan said. jungle in northern "This is the first time in Rwanda, for all of 30 At last official count, 604 These days, with the over a decade that Sandra minutes, when a fur ball mountain gorillas -- more arrival of increasingly has had the opportunity to the size of an ottoman than half of those left on luxe accommodations, the meet other orangutans, came barreling toward s. the planet -- live in the country draws the kind of well-heeled, gin-and- working. The gorilla tonic swilling visitors population is doing well," 2020 ACE Board who have long been a said Prosper Uwingeli, fixture on the Serengeti or the chief warden for Board Members: the Okavango Delta. A Volcanoes National Park, Jane Barron pioneer on the citing the birth of some Barbara Cebula accommodations scene, 30 infants this year. Mr. Lori Kirkland Virunga Lodge opened in Uwingeli points out that Leslie Martin 2004, perched on a 10% of the park's tourism Susan Smith mountaintop with revenue pays for local Donna Mayer Todd panoramic views of the schools and health clinics, Gene Todd volcanoes and two crater among other community lakes. After the treks, projects, as a way to curry Primary contact: guests tend to get local support and protect info@apeconservationeff massages at the lodge's the gorilla habitat -- ort.org spa, then assemble around farmers and 400-pound the stone fireplace for wild animals don't always Fundraising events: cocktails before dinner. make the friendliest fundraising@apeconserva Much more recently, neighbors. tioneffort.org three of Africa's poshest hotel brands -- The above are excerpts Wilderness Safaris, from a lengthy article Singita and One & Only - appearing in The Wall - opened outposts just Street Journal, outside Volcanoes Saturday/Sunday, National Park. Each November 9-10, 2019. offers a small number of rooms at a sizable price tag. Rates at the 8-suite  Singita Kwitonda Lodge, which debuted in August, run $3,300 to $6,600 a night for two, including all meals but excluding the permit for gorilla treks.

Tara Stoninski, the president of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, one of the leading conservation nonprofits in the country, commends Rwanda's high-end, low- impact approach. "It was a strategic decision by the Rwanda government to lessen the pressure on the gorillas," she said, referring to the gorilla permit's price hike, "but also have a chance to increase revenue." And the model appears to be