Welcome to Jennie of the Jungle!

Photo courtesy of www.twitrcovers.com I wanted to write out my most recent desire to open and run a rescued bird sanctuary somewhere in South America. That way maybe I can help manifest it. I was once interested in buying land in South America and building a hostel on it, either on the beach or in the jungle, or both! Part of this would include building a rescued bird aviary on the hostel property, so hostel guests could come through and hold and learn about the birds as part of their stay. All around South America, people keep birds (exotic macaws, parrots, and other birds) as pets, much of the time in horrible conditions (in a tiny cage at a bar where they are fed beer and crackers, or left in the cold outside and neglected). These birds are often stolen from the wild, where they are taken as chicks and their parents killed. This illegal pet trade is unfortunately still a pretty big deal in these countries. Even if the birds are treated kindly, they should not be taken f...

"Life is a dance of nature." -Toba Beta ...and what a beautiful dance it is. I recently experienced the greatest sunset ever, while on a camping trip with a friend. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let the photos speak for themselves... Walking into the dusk. The sky turns pink as the sun lays its weary head. The Earth waves goodnight with a colorful hand. All photos above copyright Jennie Burns.  And this is what happens when you chase a storm... Photo copyright Kristian Christiansen Model: Jennie Burns     “When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in." ―  Haruki Murakami ,  Kafka on the Shore

It hasn't even been properly identified yet! Researchers believe it is Martiodrilus crassus , which is Latin for "worm which feeds on dogs and small children." It didn't seem like it wanted to eat me, though. We found him under the mud in the tropics of Ecuador while I was on a volunteer project there. They rarely come to the surface and scientists don't know much about them yet. Pretty cool!

And another year helping native wildlife in Utah! The 5th Annual Wildlife Charity Party went off with a bang, and I will be sending a large chunk of change to the Southwest Wildlife Foundation (SWF). Their goal is to build an official animal rescue, rehabilitation center and educational Nature Park in the hills of Cedar City - which will be the first of its kind in Utah. property donated by Pacificorp A few years ago, Pacificorp Power donated land for the Nature Park, after meeting Martin Tyner's giant Golden Eagle, Scout. Scout is an educational eagle and creates love and respect in the minds of many who meet him. Martin's heart, hard work and dedication moved Pacificorp, and the land was given over to wildlife. Martin started gathering the troops to begin building on the property. Volunteers built a bridge connecting the Nature Park to the surrounding hills of Cedar City. Boy Scouts built a sign for the property. Volunteers painting the pedestrian bridge ...

I had the privilege of spending much of last year working with wildlife at Merazonia Animal Rescue Center in Mera, Ecuador. Here's what I did... Held a baby spider monkey who got electrocuted and is now missing one arm and a tail. The vets at Merazonia treated him and saved his life and now he is recovering there. In the meantime he needs lots of exercise, attention, and love. Baby spider monkey comes for a cuddle Taking Spidee out for a jungle jaunt The center was full of birds that had been confiscated as pets in bad conditions. Macaws, parrots and parakeets were a pleasure to work with and would allow me to chat with them all day long. Some even answered back! Head master at the center Barbosa, the pirate bird. He would spend the day nuzzled into your shirt while you cleaned his cage. I liked to think he was a sneaky old-man-bird who used his disability to get into girls' clothing. He he. Another orange-cheeked parakeet These parakeets were...