Charity Hopping Around the World: Focus on The National Audubon Society's Project Puffin

We are featuring The National Audubon Society's Project Puffin as our charity for Charity Hopping Around the World. Read more about this worthwhile cause below and enter our giveaway!  Thanks to I am a Reader Not a Writer, Reading Away the Days, and Reading a Little Bit of Everything for hosting this hop.

The National Audubon  Society started Project Puffin in 1973 in an effort to learn how to restore puffins to historic nesting islands in the Gulf of Maine. At that time, literally all the puffin eggs in Maine were in two baskets - Matinicus Rock and Machias Seal Island. Although puffins are not an endangered species (they are abundant in Newfoundland, Iceland, and Britain), they are rare in Maine. The two surviving colonies were very vulnerable to a disaster such as an oil spill, or accidental establishment of predators such as rats or mink.

Project Puffin scientists work on the Maine coast to bring Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds back to islands where they once lived but had disappeared, due to hunting, in the late 1800’s.  These young and dedicated college students live directly on the islands where the birds nest, and help protect them from disturbances, while studying and banding them.  Since 1973, we have restored three puffin colonies, with about 1200 pairs of birds currently nesting, as well as 8000 pairs of migratory Terns, including some on the endangered species list.  

In celebration of Project Puffin we have a few great giveaways for you!

Signed copy of Neversink by Barry Wolverton

It's Redwall meets Ice Age in this epic adventure of an un-epic puffin who overcomes his puffinness to save his island home from an evil faction of owls. Barry Wolverton's debut is a fast-paced and funny story that's sure to make Puffins the new Penguin!

Copy of Project Puffin: How We Brought Puffins Back to Egg Rock by Dr. Stephen Kress as told to Pete Salmansohn

With their large, colorful beaks, their upright posture, and their big, dark eyes, it's easy to see why puffins are popular all over the world. But for the past hundred years, puffins along the coast of Maine have been threatened with local extinction. Biologist Stephen Kress decided to try to bring puffins back to Maine with an experiment that had never been attempted before. Stunning color photographs on every page capture each step of this wildlife success story.

DVD of Hoot based on the novel by Carl Hiaasen

Hoot tells the story of the importance of advocating for animals. When the new kid in town discovers that a local population of burrowing owls are about to have their homes destoryed, he teams up with the resident outcast and the school's offbeat tomboy to take on the town and sve the endangered owls.

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Welcome to the Kick-Butt Characters Blog Hop!

The Kick-Butt Characters Blog Hop is finally here! This hop runs from Thursday, March 22 at noon through 12:01 am on Thursday, March 29th. Thanks to I Am A Reader Not a Writer and Good Choice Reading for hosting! Good luck to all who participate!

The following Walden Pond Press books have some kick-butt characters who overcome many odds to save an island, defeat an villainous witch, rescue a friend, and run an evil crime boss out of school. They're all heroes in their own right. 

Two winners will receive signed hardcover copies of all of each of these titles: 

Neversink by Barry Wolverton: It's Redwall meets Ice Age in this epic adventure of an un-epic puffin who overcomes his puffinness to save his island home from an evil faction of owls. Barry Wolverton's debut is a fast-paced and funny story that's sure to make Puffins the new Penguin!

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy: Four imperfect princes. Four improbable princesses. One hilariously unforgettable adventure. There is a lot you don’t know about Prince Charming...

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu: Once upon a time Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into the forest with a mysterious woman. Now it's up to Hazel to save him. 

The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander: Middle school just got a lot more criminal. Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. it's what he does. His methods might run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem and no one else cane help, Mac is on your side. Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets The Sopranos in this laugh-a-minute mystery.  

Good luck to all who enter!

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Tweet for Puffins!: The NEVERSINK Adopt-A-Puffin Campaign

In honor of Neversink, Barry Wolverton's debut novel (pub 3/27/12), we want to lend our support to a great organization: The National Audubon Society's Project Puffin.

Here's the plan: From Tuesday, March 27th through Friday, March 30th, help us support Project Puffin's wonderful Adopt-A-Puffin program. For every 100 tweets we receive of the following message, we will contribute money to adopt one puffin from Project Puffin:

 

RT @WaldenPondPress In honor of #NEVERSINK by @wolvertonhill, help us support Audubon's #ProjectPuffin! Every 100 RTs = 1 puffin adopted

Provided we reach at least 100 tweets, we will select one classroom, school, or library at random from all participants in whose name the puffin will be adopted. The chosen group will receive a photograph and biography of the puffin as well as a certificate signed by the Director of the program, Dr. Stephen Kress. Help us protect Atlantic Puffins by adopting one! This donation goes directly to the scientists living and working on Puffin Islands each summer.

Project Puffin scientists work on the Maine coast to bring Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds back to islands where they once lived but had disappeared, due to hunting, in the late 1800’s.  These young and dedicated college students live directly on the islands where the birds nest, and help protect them from disturbances, while studying and banding them.  Since 1973, they have restored three puffin colonies, with about 1200 pairs of birds currently nesting, as well as 8000 pairs of migratory Terns, including some on the endangered species list.

Thank you for helping us support this wonderful organization!

Don't forget to include the entire message so we can count your participation. For every 100 tweets, up to a total of 300 tweets, of the promotional tweet, Walden Pond Press will donate $100 to The Audubon Society's Project Puffin to Adopt-a-Puffin. Only one tweet/re-tweet counts per person per day. This promotion runs 3/27/12 to 3/30/12. No purchase necessary.