This is the story of our gifted photographer, Marian Brickner’s, journey to Lucy - the star of our book, I’m Lucy: A Day in the Life of a Young Bonobo, and it is the second part of our interview - read part 1 here.

After I read, The Forgotten Ape, I started to look for bonobos in United States zoos. I found out that there is a whole family tree of bonobos starting with Linda, who arrived in 1962. I began to take my idea about using photography to change people’s perceptions about hurting other beings and transform it again. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if I could do something photographically to show kids that bonobos have families, how much they are like us.’ I hoped that would help them be interested in wanting to help bonobos.

I went to the Milwaukee Zoo first to see Linda and take her picture. I wanted to take pictures of her whole family, so then I went to Fort Worth, Texas to take pictures of Linda’s son, Kevin. When I arrived back at the Milwaukee Zoo with Kevin’s picture, Linda’s keepers couldn’t believe it. “He looks just like his mom!”

Next, I went to San Diego to try to take pictures, and tried to talk to the keepers and take more pictures, but it was very difficult. They were so busy and kept asking, ‘Who are you?’

Then, I had a thought, no one wants to hear doomsday information about the environment. People, myself included want to be inspired and motivated. We want fun and happy. I realized, what could be more fun and happy than children of any kind - so I started looking for bonobo kids to photograph.

So, I tried another zoo that had bonobos - the Jacksonville Zoo. I called ahead of time and talked to a wonderful man named Craig. He was so welcoming and told me to come on down. He said he couldn’t wait to meet me.

When I arrived, the first thing I noticed about the bonobo exhibit was that there is no glass so taking pictures is easier and the photos are better. And, then I saw Lucy…and then Kaleb…and the whole family. It was perfect.

This is the very first picture I took of Lucy at the Jacksonville Zoo. The family portrait. She melted my heart, and I hope she melts yours too.

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

As I promised yesterday, here is Delfi’s story of bonobos meeting in the Zoo. Delfi is the Director of Animal Programs at the Jacksonville Zoo and was instrumental in allowing our photographer, Marian Brickner, to document the lives of Lucy and her family for our children’s book, I‘m Lucy: A Day in the Life of a Young Bonobo.

This is the story of a male being introduced to the bonobo family at his new zoo home, starting with one of the established females and her son.

Their first meeting went very well. They did the things that bonobos do when they first meet such as touch each other, look each other over, make a lot of fun bonobo noise, share food and establish dominance. Apparently this male was quite the gentleman and made no threatening gestures towards the female or her son. He knew his place - meaning that he understood full well that this new female friend ranked higher than him. As he moved towards the food, she expertly blocked his path - essentially controlling the food stash - and he politely moved in a different direction; he did what she told him to do!

But, this is our favorite, favorite part of the story. After their first meeting, the zookeepers routinely separate the bonobos once again until their next meeting. They split the bonobos up by guiding them each through separate doors, and it’s done. But the next time they brought these two bonobos together, the apes knew what was coming. When the zookeepers started the process to separate them, the male and female bonobos refused to part. They moved together closely and would not let go so that as the zookeepers encouraged them to move through each door, they did so together. They outsmarted the zookeepers who had no choice but to leave them together for that time.

More from our Delfi interview coming soon!

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Lucy doing a handstand! She’s so big now! photo by Marian Brickner

Delfi Messinger is the Director of Animal Programs at the Jacksonville Zoo, home of Lucy, Kaleb, Lorel and Lexi. And, YES, this means that she can go see the bonobos whenever she wants! Delfi was also a key player in the creation of I’m Lucy. Without her kindness, her love for bonobos and her gracious permission for our photographer, Marian Brickner, to take a zillion pictures of Lucy and her family, this book would not exist today. Many, many thanks to you, Delfi.

We got the chance to talk to Delfi the other day and, literally, had to force ourselves to hang up the phone. She has so many incredible stories, we could have listened all day.

We originally contacted Delfi because of the post we wrote on May 6th where we wondered: are zoos good or bad? This post has been read more than any other post and folks seem very passionate about the subject…so we wanted to go straight to the source at one of our favorite zoos, and see what’s up. Here’s what she had to say:

Bonobo Kids: We know that there are good zoos and bad zoos - and we know that Jacksonville is a very good zoo. Can you tell us why?

Delfi: I’d love to use bonobos specifically to illustrate this point - they are such a great example of why Jacksonville is such a good zoo.

First, we’re an AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) zoo, and incidentally all bonobos in the U.S. are in AZA zoos which means they are in the best facilities in terms of care and conservation and education. The bonobos in Europe are in the European equivalent of AZA zoos.

Jacksonville got the bonobos in 1998, so we’ve had them for 10 years. And one of the cool things about this zoo, like San Diego (which also has bonobos) is that we have pretty good, warm weather, so the bonobos get to be outside most of the year. We always keep them as close as we can to their real habitat. We pay close attention to the rule that what goes on in mother nature is essential to meeting the apes’ psychological and emotional natures.

For example, with bonobos, they stay with their mothers for years, nursing until they are about five. Then, the males continue to stay with their mothers for life, and it’s the females that leave the group when they are teenagers (around 10 years old) - then, they bond with the females of a new group. This is markedly different from other animal groups, where it’s the male that leaves. As a zoo community, we need to facilitate this natural movement, and we have to do it across zoo lines.

So, back to why Jacksonville is such a great zoo. We work closely with Species Survival Plan (SSP) to manage our bonobos. Many endangered zoo animals are managed by SSPs. They monitor all of the bonobos and help facilitate the survival of the species. They incorporate many factors to do this, including, talking to the IRs (Institutional Representatives) which includes people like me and the actual bonobo handlers at the zoos and direct knowledge of the bonobos’ actual personalities. For instance, you would need to be careful with the move of a super dominate female because she needs to get along with the other females at the new zoo. The SSP also studies the genetics of each animal as well, making sure that new family pairings will create strong baby bonobos, ensuring their survival.

Coming tomorrow: The story of a bonobo arrival at the Jacksonville Zoo…our favorite bonobo story to date!

Delfi also has a wonderful blog where she talks about her amazing work saving bonobos and chimps in Africa and her daily work at the Jacksonville Zoo. You’ll see some great photos of Lucy, Kaleb and the rest of the bonobo crew!

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Our environmental action heroes and one of the recipients of I’m Lucy profits, Roots & Shoots, have just featured I’m Lucy as their book of the month for the Roots & Shoots book club! The announcement was made via their e-newsletter, Branch Out.This e-newsletter goes to 12,000 Roots & Shoots members globally!!! We are thrilled that 12,000 amazing, action-driven and community minded kids, teens and adults will be learning all about Lucy and the plight of the bonobos.

We want to especially thank Dr. Jane Goodall. All of the work she has done and continues to do as an activist, teacher and pioneer inspires and motivates people into action every day. The afterword that she wrote for I’m Lucy adds a critical amount of information and urgency to the struggle of the bonobos and our environment. For her words, her time and her contribution, we are eternally grateful.

The Roots & Shoots program is a nonprofit organization created by Jane Goodall and dedicated to making positive change happen—for our communities, animals and the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in almost 100 countries, the Roots & Shoots network branches out across the globe, connecting youth of all ages who share a common desire to help make our world a better place. This powerful, youth-driven network fosters a fun, flexible and supportive environment where young people and adults come together to share ideas and inspiration, implement successful community service projects and participate in special events and global campaigns.

Visit Roots & Shoots to become a member and get involved today!

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

The amazing Tony Fitzpatrick has written a super-wonderful article about I’m Lucy and Bonobo Kids. And while it’s popping up all over the Internet (including several Washington University publications), we thought it should certainly pop up here as well! Tony is a true Bonobo Hero - and he provides Bonobo Kids with yet another shining example of how to use your talents to help the entire world.

Tony writes about a wide variety of topics, specializing in science, technology, environmental and agricultural writing. His stories, articles and essays have appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide. A former English teacher, college writing instructor and high school coach, he holds degrees from the University of Illinois and Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

His book, Signals from the Heartland, a narrative about people, the environment, ecology and natural history of Illinois and Missouri, was published in 1993 by Walker and Company, New York. It was cited by “Library Journal,” a leading review publication, as one of the best science and technology books for lay readers published in 1993, along with a title by Stephen Jay Gould. Of this book, Kurt Vonnegut commented: “What a relief it is, and how encouraging about America it is, to know of these people who respond to what we have done to our planet without panic and despair, but who devote their lives and their courage and their resourcefulness to modest but fruitful demonstrations of where we can go from here.” More recently, his short story “Country Sleep” was cited by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada as Honorable Mention for Best Short Story of 2004. Fitzpatrick is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Association of Science Writers and He lives with his wife and two children near St. Louis. He can be reached at tonyfitzp@yahoo.com.

Thank you for these heartfelt words, Tony, and for your contribution to bonobos, kids and our planet.

To read the article in full, please click here.

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Eleven year-old Haley Stern, president of Kids Save Apes, had an incredible journey to Boston in May where she met Jane Goodall, our very own Mathea Levine, and James Brooks - an incredible young man who has also done so much to raise awareness and money to help save great apes (and bonobos in particular). The reason for the trip was that Haley was chosen (with James as her co-pres) to present the great work that she’s doing as a member of Jane Goodall’s youth organization, Roots & Shoots. In her own words, here is the story of Haley’s adventure:

The weekend had finally arrived - I’d be meeting James Brooks, Mathea Levine - and of course - JANE GOODALL!

My dad and I drove into Boston with all of the Kids Save Apes material. “There it is!” I called up to the front seat. “Legal Seafood!” We walked in. I had only seen small photographs of James, but he was easy to spot. He was wearing a t-shirt with a gorilla, and a Great Ape Trust baseball cap. I sat down in between James, and Mathea’s kind daughters, Isabella and Delilah. I was not used to this… and I was thinking “Wow, this trip was arranged by me!? I was the one who was the advocate and talked with Roots & Shoots, and met James, and got every one together!”

So I had my meal, Mathea signed I’m Lucy for us, and we chatted a bit longer, and James, Neil (his dad), my dad and I walked out of the restaurant thinking about our next event - the Jane Goodall lecture.

It was great!! She receieved a standing ovation before she spoke a word. Of course, we were VERY proud of her accomplishments as well, being the advocates that us kids are.

I guess I expected the lecture to be long, boring, like most talks are! But Jane blew us all away. She talked about her unique experiences and the reasons for hope. She talked about kids, and how we ought to make a difference. To sum it up - you won’t regret it.

In the morning, we had a lot of fun. We presented our projects, gave a speech, and then…..met, and took pictures with Dr. Jane. It wasn’t like meeting someone famous, it was like meeting an old friend. She signed my book “Through a Window” and we were off. It was a great moment…and I hope to meet her again in the future.

After that, we went to the Franklin Park Zoo with James and Neil. We got face to face with gorillas ( a topic that I’ve reflected on through school reports ) and wow - that changed my life. When you get to know them for a while, the bonds really show!

Over all, I had a really amazing time, and I hope to have more events like this in the future !!

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Amanda Snow is a children’s librarian by day and a book reviewer by night! As a lover of all kinds of books, she writes a great book blog called A Patchwork of Books. And she just gave I’m Lucy a glowing review for Non-fiction Monday!

Click here to read the review. Thanks so much, Amanda!

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Yesterday, our beloved author of I’m Lucy, Mathea Levine, presented the children’s book to The After-School Corporation (TASC). ‘The After-School Corporation works in New York City, New York State and nationally to enhance the quality, availability and sustainability of comprehensive, daily after-school programs. The first nonprofit organization in the nation to set about building a citywide K-12 after-school system, TASC funds, monitors, evaluates and supports after-school programs in New York City public schools.’ (from tascorp.org)

TASC is looking for quality, engaging books to use in their literacy program, and they asked to feature I’m Lucy! Here are some of the highlights from Mathea’s presentation about why our book is a perfect learning and curriculum tool for the classroom, any learning program and every child:

1. I’m Lucy is beautiful, hilarious, heartwarming and we haven’t met a person (of any age) that doesn’t just love it!

2. The story of Lucy and her Jacksonville Zoo family is a springboard to an extended curriculum about bonobos, great apes, conservation, the environment, endangered species, Africa, science and more.

3. I’m Lucy’s accompanying (and expanding) interactive website and this blog offer realtime, doable actions that kids (and adults!) can do - as an individual, a family or a class group - to help the environment.

4. While the book is written with clear, uncomplicated, easy to read words, it doesn’t ‘look’ like a kids book with Marian Brickner’s stunning photography and Leslie Tane’s beautiful design - making it a perfect literacy tool for readers of all ages.

Thank you TASC for inviting Mathea to your event…it was a huge success, and we are honored to be part of the important educational work that you do.

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

We just got an email, inspired by yesterday’s post, asking if we would travel to any school to read I‘m Lucy and present Marian Brickner’s amazing bonobo slide show…the answer is 99% YES!!!

We’d love to hear from you, find out where you are and talk about coming to your school. Just send us an email or give us a call to let us know the details. There is nothing we love more than sharing Lucy and her family with kids…but we do need to find out how far away you live and coordinate everything with our schedules.

We can’t wait to hear from you!!!

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Marian Brickner, our fearless photog, is at it again! She just brought I’m Lucy: A Day in the Life of a Young Bonobo to the Child Care Center in St. Louis where she serves as a board member…and the kids LOVED it.

I tried to pick just one picture to share with you all, but I can’t…so here they all are.

The first one is my absolute favorite - I think that page in the book is hilarious too:

It just doesn’t get any better than this!!!

Thanks, Marian for the great pictures and for sharing Lucy and her bonobo family with these awesome kids!

Help Spread the Word!!!

Powered by Bookmarkify™