Happy Holidays from MAARS!

December 25, 2009

Dear Family, Friends, Members, and Supporters :

I know it's been a while since you've heard from us, but this has been an unusually busy year for all of us and, perhaps, many of you, too.

MAARS began its second decade in 2009 by making its boldest move yet! Last January, MAARS moved the whole flock — over 130 birds — across town to a new, permanent home on the east side of St. Paul. With the help of friends and supporters like you, a lot of legwork, and a little luck, MAARS was very fortunate to become the owner of a great building — a valuable property that has established a solid financial foundation upon which the future of MAARS can be built.

The facilty's additional office, meeting and classroom spaces offer the organization many opportunities to move forward in fulfilling its mission and expanding the programs in the fulfillment of its mission and ensuring that The Landing will always be here for birds in need. The building's multilevel floorplan contributed to an improved environment and quality of life for the birds, providing multiple rooms to house compatible flocks, abundant natural light, and a large, central area to accommodate the daily tasks necessary for the facility to operate in accordance with MAARS' high standards. 

During the first ten months in the new building, our volunteers donated countless hours of their time -- knocking down old walls and building new ones to expand housing space, relocating doorways to ensure safety, installing non-porous flooring in every bird room, and painting - always painting! As MAARS enters its second decade, there are many plans for the future and further facility renovations -- including 2 enclosure-free exercise rooms, an outdoor, roof-top aviary surrounded by natural flora and sunshine for use in mild weather, and a veterinary medical clinic, hospital and quarantine area. Additionally, there are projects that must be carried out in order to maintain the building, increase its energy efficiency, and add to the value of the property. We are considering the construction of a new, green roof over part of the building, installment of a high-quality HVAC system, and exterior remodeling that will bring even more natural light indoors and, at the same time, add value to the building and contribute to the neighborhood's beautification and revitalization programs, as a welcomed new member of the local community.

There is still much to do in fulfilling our vision for MAARS, The Landing and the Flock. But we cannot make that vision tangible, or achieve the organization's goals, without your contributions. By becoming a member or sponsor, you become the brick and mortar of MAARS and The Landing - and share in offering a healing home and flock for those who may have never know either - or have, perhaps, lost both.

Please join us, share our vision, and support our dedication to providing sanctuary, advocacy and rehabilitation to wild birds living in captivity.

Warm wishes for very Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year! 

Gratefully,

Eileen McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer

P.S. Look for our next full eNewsletter at the end of January! We'll fill you in on the details of all we've accomplished in 2009 and announce some exciting new programs commencing in 2010!

Humane Education Takes Flight With the Publication of Lucky!

MAARS is one of the founding organizations in the Avian Welfare Coalition — a coalition of animal protection organizations, avian rescue groups, veterinarians, and conservation organizations. This month, the Avian Welfare Coalition is proud to announce the publication of Lucky, an educational children's book that gently awakens children to the plight of captive birds and birds captured in the wild.

This children's book — based on a true story — tells the story of Lucky, a parrot who is captured in the wild and eventually regains his freedom with the help of a young Indonesian boy.

Originally written in 2004, this much-awaited story is finally available to the public in this beautifully illustrated 32-page book, printed on recycled, chlorine-free paper to protect the environment and the world's forests. What's more, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book benefits avian welfare, rescue, and conservation — to help birds like Lucky.

Currently there is a dearth of educational books that deal appropriately with the plight of captive exotic birds. Indeed, in the prevailing children's literature parrots are typically used as comedic characters belonging to a household rather than as a wildlife species belonging to a habitat.

Lucky fills this void in children's literature and humane education. This is not only the perfect book for parents and educators to encourage children to be kind to animals, it also teaches valuable lessons about why wild animals belong in their native habitats.

The story is also a natural fit for a wider educational curriculum including geography and culture of Indonesia, the natural history, behavior, and physical characteristics of parrots and tropical forest ecosystems, as well as real-life conservation efforts. Our dedicated website www.LuckyTheLorikeet.com incorporates all these topics and is designed to engage children and educators in a variety of interactive, creative activities. In addition, children can meet the real Lucky in a narrated documentary video clip available on the website — truly a rare and inspiring opportunity!

Lucky was made possible through the support of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), ASPCA, Animal Welfare Trust, Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute, and Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services (MAARS).

We invite you to join us in celebrating Lucky and in helping to build a better world for parrots everywhere.

LUCKY: Based on a True Story

Publication Date: March 2009

ISBN: 978-0-615-19395-3

Cover Price: $19.95

Printing/Binding: The book is softcover, 32 pages with 14 original illustrations, "perfect bound," and printed on environmentally sensitive paper with soy-based ink.

Order Your Copy Today!
www.LuckyTheLorikeet.com

About the Author

Monica Engebretson is Senior Program Associate for Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute. She holds a B.S. in Wildlife with a minor in Environmental Ethics from Humboldt State University. She also serves on the boards of Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services (MAARS) and the Avian Welfare Coalition and has twice traveled to Indonesia with the Indonesian Parrot Project.

About the Illustrator

Melodee Strong earned her B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art & Design in Illustration, and she is completing her M.F.A. in Illustration from Hartford University. Currently, she teaches courses in painting, drawing, and illustration. Her illustrations have received awards from the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles and the Society of Illustrators New York. Melodee has illustrated eight other children's books, including titles Colorful World and the You Are Important series, both of which received 2009 Teachers' Choice Awards. (www.MelodeeStrong.com)

Endorsements

"Lucky, Monica Engebretson's beautiful, moving book is a story that children will adore. Lucky is a not-so-lucky Lorikeet captured for the pet trade and sold as a gift to a little boy. But the boy's compassion, kindness, and perseverance bring back the bird's luck, and teach us all how what real love is — wanting what is best for others. I loved this book, and you and your children will too."

– Zoe Weil, President of Institute for Humane Education and author of Above All, Be Kind, Most Good, Least Harm, and the children's books, Claude and Medea and So, You Love Animals. (www.humaneeducation.org)

"Wild parrots are no different than other wild birds. They love freedom. They are not meant to live in captivity. Unfortunately, many people have trouble grasping this fact. Monica Engebretson's wonderful story Lucky should go a long way toward changing this misperception among young people. She clearly knows wild parrots. I can see and feel their familiar, magical ways throughout her story. Highly recommended."

– Mark Bittner, author of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. (www.markbittner.net)

"Often a story about an individual animal can make a difference in the lives of the humans who read it and the animals with whom they interact. Lucky is one such tale, about a bird — a beautiful rainbow lorikeet — named Lucky who was captured, taken care of by a young boy named Kersen, and then released because Kersen came to realize that keeping Lucky as a pet and depriving him of his freedom was wrong. As Lucky flew away with a flock other lorikeets Kersen shouted, ‘I love you Lucky and I understand.' Kersen continued taking care of other unfortunate captive birds until they could fly to freedom. Lucky presents an inspirational win-win situation for all the beings involved, human and nonhuman. Thanks to Monica Engebretson for sharing this story with us."

– Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado; author of The Emotional Lives of Animals, Animals Matter, and How Animals Play: Rules of the Game and editor of the Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare and the Encyclopedia of Human-Animal Relationships. (www.literati.net/Bekoff and www.ethologicalethics.org)

About the Avian Welfare Coalition

Avian Welfare Coalition (AWC), a working alliance of veterinarians, conservationists, avian welfare, and animal protection organizations dedicated to the welfare of parrots and other captive exotic birds. The mission of the AWC is to raise awareness about the plight of parrots and other captive birds and to serve as an educational resource for the humane community, lawmakers, and the general public. The AWC also aims to prevent the abuse, exploitation, and suffering of captive birds, to address issues of rescue, placement, and sanctuary for displaced birds, to increase legal protections for captive birds and to support legitimate conservation programs aimed at preserving birds' rightful place in the wild. (www.avianwelfare.org)