My friends, today is World Elephant Day 2013 and I want to ask all of you to participate with me to help Kenya’s wild and orphaned elephants. Today, you can make a difference – right here and right now – that will have an immediate result for these animals. These are small, simple steps that honor every Kenyan elephant and their families who are under siege or have been lost to human greed. The current elephant poaching crisis is alarming and there are many elements that contribute to it - ultimately the African government, its native communities, black market poachers, and the countries that allow government sanctioned ivory sales are at the helm of the issue. Please honor these animals by doing the following:

1. Do not buy or wear ivory or any product that contains ivory ever again. This simple step alone can help curb the world’s appetite for elephant destruction.

2. Help the government: sign the petition to stop elephant poaching in Kenya – the petition is 86,000 strong! <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FSY2VJx&amp;h=YAQE68zUb&amp;s=1" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/SY2VJx</a>

3. Care for orphaned baby elephants by supporting one of the world’s most influential elephant sanctuaries: foster the most recent baby elephant to arrive, Vuria (July 31st) or any one of the orphaned elephants at The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. $50 helps to feed and care for one elephant for a year: <a href="http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/orphan_profile.asp?N=295" target="_blank">http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/orphan_profile.asp?N=295</a>

4. Spend 15 minutes today learning about African elephants:

<a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantadvocacy.org%2Fafricanelephants.htm&amp;h=6AQGzKocm&amp;s=1" target="_blank">http://www.elephantadvocacy.org/africanelephants.htm</a>

5. Discuss how important these animals are and the effects of poaching with your children today. Help them understand the beauty and grace of these animals and how they have right to live in a wild natural environment and ask how your children might want to help.

6. Do not attend venues that abuse or train animals for entertainment and profit (circuses) now or in the future.

7. Please hold a space for these animals in your mind and heart. Ask God or your chosen guru to send love light and protection for these creatures. Visualize their safety and security in their own rightful land and that the universe protects their young from harm.

8. Lastly, please pass this message along to your friends and family. Every person can make a significant difference in the lives of these animals with the list above.

Many thanks on this wonderful day of awareness.

<a href="http://elizabethalkhas.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/lima-lima-and-adan-2-26-13.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17" alt="Lima Lima and Adan 2.26.13" src="http://elizabethalkhas.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/lima-lima-and-adan-2-26-13.jpg" width="289" height="203" /></a>