Our Sister Site is now Live!

While I appreciate you taking the time to explore my site, I would like to remind you tht our sister site - Forever Forest Group is now live.

We have not added a lot o informaton to that site yet, but it will be the future home of the rainforestkid and the rest of my Forever Forest Group friends.

So please be sure to check them out!

Jungle Jordan

Taking time to help others

I hope everyone is having a happy holidays. Over winter break from school, I have had the opportunity to donate my time to help out at the Salvation Army with my brother and grandfather. We helped to pull bags of toys for distribution to needy families. It was a really great thing to do for those that need a little extra help this time of year, and it was also pretty fun!

I hope everyone can take some time this coming year to take some time out and do something nice for someone that needs it.

The following is an article the Alton Telegraph wrote about our volunteering and the Salvation Army's Toy Give-Away.


Volunteers help Salvation Army help others
By CYNTHIA M. ELLIS, The Telegraph

ALTON - Red and green plastic bags filled with toys were lined up by the hundreds Wednesday at the Salvation Army, awaiting distribution to needy families.

Nine-year-old Jordan and her 7-year-old brother, Colin, found the bag they were looking for with a little help from their grandfather, Steve Shedd, 55, of Godfrey.

Shedd, a professor at Principia College in Elsah, brought his grandchildren with him to volunteer during the Salvation Army's annual Toy Giveway."They are off school right now and really wanted to do something to help out," Shedd said. Although this is his first year volunteering at Christmas, Shedd said it was not the first time he donated his labor to the nonprofit organization. He said that during the school year, he brings college students to the Salvation Army to help individuals with filling out job applications and putting together resumes.

He said another reason he chose to help out the organization is that his father has served as a board member for more than 50 years in his home state of Massachusetts."He received an 'Others Award' for his years of service," Shedd said.

Stacy Boyer, a social service worker, said the Salvation Army served 579 families, or 2,738 individuals, during this year's two-day giveaway. "(Volunteers) start bagging everything up the day after Thanksgiving," Boyer said.

She said the Salvation Army identifies the families through an application process with proof of income and expenses. She said some families receive toys and food, while some receive only food. The red and green garbage bags that filled the gymnasium were coded and tagged, which made it easier for volunteers to find everything.

Capt. Randy Tooley said this is the first Christmas event he has been a part of since arriving in Alton more than five months ago. "I worked it at other places I've served at, but not here," Tooley said. He said he noticed the number of volunteers who help out during times of need. "If it weren't for them, we couldn't make this happen," he said. Not only do volunteers give out toys and wrapping materials, they also share themselves.

First-year volunteers Marty Ramirez, 71, of Alton, and Eric Fry, 40, of Moro, said they enjoyed spending the day helping others. Fry said volunteering holds special meaning to him. "The Salvation Army helped my father out years ago when he was hurting for money," he said. Fry said his father went to an agency that told him he would need to repay any assistance he received. He said his father then approached the Salvation Army. "They offered him food and clothes, and when he asked if he needed to repay it, they told him no," he said. "He never forgot their generosity." He said that once his father got back on his feet, he started donating to the charity that helped him.

Fry said his father taught him the value of giving to others, so that is why he decided to volunteer. Fry said he always has given money to the organization and that, for the past two years, he has volunteered during Thanksgiving, so he thought it was time to help out during Christmas, which is the organization's busiest time of year.

Pat Johnson, 70, of Godfrey, said she volunteered because members of her church, Main Street United Methodist Church, are involved. "This is such a needy organization," she said. "To see the outpouring of love that is given, I think that's what makes this event so special." Jordan, of Chesterfield, Mo., said she definitely would volunteer again. "It helps out a good cause," she said. "Plus, I like searching around for the bags."

Happy New Year!

Jungle Jordan

Welcome Another Rainforest Kid!

I would like to welcome Dylan to the Rainforestkid.com family. Dylan was one of the 3 winners, of the trip to the Monte Verde Rainforest this year. Dylan had a great time, and has passed along this drawing he did there. Dylan has also written a great short article of the time he spent there.

"...What I hoped to discover at the Rain Forest was an unnamed bug which was exactly what happened! You see, there was this strange bug that had the back end of a caterpillar and the wings of a butterfly and the front body of a wasp."

It's a great read, and you can find the rest of it here.

Thanks

Thank you to everyone that has read about my project in the childrens edition
of the Sentinal and has visited my website. I've really enjoyed hearing from everybody.

I have been updating my website, and have added my radio interview for download in the Fun Stuff section. I am also working to put up links to other websites that support saving the rainforests.

A special thanks to Mrs. Jean Ponzi for allowing me to offer my radio interview for download. visit her website at http://www.kdhx.org/programs/earthworms.htm .

If you want to learn more about the rainforest visit Mrs.Crandell's website for the Monteverde Conservation League U.S. at: http://www.mclus.org/ and to donate directly to the rainforest go to http://www.mclus.org/give/donate-now/ and mention Jungle Jordan sent you!

I'm also working on a crossword puzzle for my website.
jungle jordan

More Updates

I have gotten to add a few more updates now. I will add more things from my journal and new things I learn. I also hope to add some of the powerpoints I have made about my trip to Costa Rica. I hope to do a fact of the week when I get more time on the computer. Check back often for more things.

Picture

This is a picture I drew when I was at the San Gerardo Field Station. I drew it at night when the lights where off so I had to use my flashlight. It has a buttress root tree on the left and a strangler fig tree on the right with another tree in front of it. The bird on the bottom right is a Bay Headed Tanager that we saw when Mark was showing us birds. The big bird on the left is one I made up because I really liked the colors together. I imagine he lives in the rainforest and maybe some day I will discover him.

Jungle Jordan

Second Solo

This is some rainforest dirt smudges from when I tried to do a leaf print. I found a leaf on my second solo that I wanted to make a print of because I thought it was cool. The leaf rubbing didn’t come out so now I have dirt smudges in my journal to remember my second solo.

My First Solo

I heard lots of bird sounds during my first solo. Such as mra-mra and we-a-hoo-hoo. The picture is from my journal where I wrote down the different sounds I heard and some of the things I saw. My first solo was really special because I got to sit quiet and see the forest. I got to see an agouti which was amazing!! I had a perfect view of the canopy from the small trees below me. I really liked the spot and got to share it with my family later when we did a night hike. When I go back to the rainforest I want to visit that spot again and see if anything has changed and what animals are there now.