Blue Iguanas will always need help, find out what you can do today !
It has been over a week now, one long busy week for the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme. They have been on the Radio, in the Newspapers, in the online forums but most of all in our thoughts. Already many people have gotten together to help out or raise fund. People have volunteered and helped at the Park, I am sure have all seen the fund raisers out and about at their various venues, and of course private organisation and individuals have all rallied to show their support. However what if you haven’t and you want to, or what if you simply want to do more .. well the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme will always need your help.
There is always the option of donating skills or equipment that they may need, there is also just donating your time or thoughts. However on a more regular occasion the program has received various efforts of help and here are just a few of the things you may consider if you want to help out.
- Volunteer at the Blue Iguana Breeding Facility – email john@blueiguana.ky
- collect food, feed, collect eggs, general duties
- Sponsor a Blue Iguana for a Year $500 – email sam@blueiguana.ky
- Name a Blue Iguana $1000 for life – email sam@blueiguana.ky
- Raise Funds to donate to the BIRP – email sam@blueiguana.ky
- organise your own event to raise money, make it fun !
- If you are a organisation why not consider giving large to help out with various projects or operating costs. I am sure you will get to name an Iguana as your mascot ! – email sam@blueiguana.ky
Of course the best thing we can do is to catch the idiots that thought this was a good idea to do.Blue Iguana Crime Stoppers Poster. There is a reward out there for information leading to an arrest. That amount has reached over $10,000. DMS broadcasting starting it off with $5000 pledged, then the National Trust adding to it. From different amounts I have heard I think the total is about $12,000. The right thing to do is to offer any information you have, hope it leads to an Arrest, and then give a LARGE donation to the Iguana Program, say $12,000 ?
- feel free to download that link above to the crimestoppers poster and print it off and put it up somewhere public ! -
Royal Cayman Islands Police Blue Iguana Press Release – click to download
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE from BIRP: 14th May, 2008 – click to download – or read below
Some serious money raising happening from the Ritz Carlton’s Ambassadors for the Environment Jen Abels, Sarah Agnolin and Karen Lornie
As the police investigation into the slaughter of seven Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas moves into its second week, the National Trust and the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme are taking stock of the situation and looking to the future. “A review of funds received and pledged over the last week are testament to an extraordinary outpouring of community support in the wake of the disaster” said BIRP Director Fred Burton. “This is still happening – we’re being notified of donations and suggestions to raise additional support, almost continuously.”
Cayman Crimestoppers has just released a reward poster, with donations towards the reward actually received by the National Trust standing at CI$ 7,210 by Monday afternoon, out of a total of over $16,000 pledged. DMS triggered the cascade of donations with a $5,000 pledge and extensive radio coverage. All donors to date have generously agreed that if the reward remains unclaimed, the funds will be directed to benefit other aspects of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme.
Contributions and pledges have also been received specifically towards the cost of increasing security at the Blue Iguana captive facility. In particular, Walkers has pledged to underwrite costs of a security system, and Sagicor also made a donation for this purpose, early this week. Three independent security providers have reviewed the facility in the last week, and the preferred solution will be selected by the Trust and the BIRP later this week.
The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme has also received substantial unrestricted donations over the last week. With the cost of the security systems yet to be determined, and income from Blue Iguana tours inevitably disrupted by the crime, many donors preferred to allow the BIRP to direct their funds to wherever the need proved greatest. Greenlight Re granted the programme $20,000 over the weekend, while a team of over 50 community volunteers led by Sarah Agnolin and Kurt Christian raised an astonishing $12,903 in cash donations from the public, over three days stationed in Hurleys Grand Harbour and Fosters at the Strand.
In addition to purely financial support, both Government agencies and the private sector are contributing in other ways. The Departments of Agriculture and Environment are placing considerable resources in support of the RCIP investigation, and to help the surviving injured Blue Iguanas along with St. Matthew’s Veterinary School and Island Veterinary Services. Ocean Frontiers is providing free accommodation for International Reptile Conservation Foundation personnel who came to assist during the crisis. Several other local businesses, schools, and associations are adding their weight to the effort, either in fundraising or other suggestions for assistance.
Meanwhile, the first eggs of the year are being laid by the surviving captive Blue Iguana breeders, turning the programme staff’s thoughts toward a brighter future. Volunteers from the Ritz Carlton Ambassadors of the Environment have been helping BIRP Head Warden John Marotta, in excavating the nests.
Blue Iguana Recovery Programme
PO Box 10308
Grand Cayman KY1-1003
Cayman Islands
Tel: 345 916 2418
Email: fjburton@blueiguana.ky
Web: www.BlueIguana.ky
Discussion
No comments for “Blue Iguanas – RCIP & BIRP Press Releases & How to Help.”