Wild Iris Books has volunteered to be a drop off point for supplies going to the wild life recovery efforts from the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Wild Iris is at 802 W University Ave. They’re open Monday-Friday, 1:00pm – 9:00pm, and Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm.

Marsha Drew from Levy County is coming after May 15 to pick up the supplies. She will be responsible for getting them to the organizations who need them most.

What’s needed are:

• sheets
• Dawn detergent (a bottle per bird is usually required)
• Pepto Bismol
• Toothbrushes (new– dollar stores)
• Heavy Duty Rubber Gloves (also dollar stores)
• Kennels (small to extra large)
• Towels
• Adhesive Bandages
• Shovels
• Rakes

Below are organizations looking for help.

• www.VolunteerFlorida.org
• BP Community Support Team Hotline- 866 448-5816
• Florida Audubon- www.audubonoffloridanews.org
• Seabird Sanctuary (Tampa) www.seabirdsanctuary.com
• Alabama Coastal Foundation- 251 990-6002 or www.joinacf.org
• Mobile Bay Keeper- 251 433-4229 or www.mobilebaykeeper.org
• Mobile Bay National Estuary Program- 251 431-6409

Many thanks to Lola Haskins for helping to coordinate this collection effort in our community.

“If you need emotional motivation, please read on. Every legislator will get a copy of this anthology. I think my poem may be the only poetry; the rest is science.” – Lola Haskins

The View from Cedar Key

There are acts we shouldn’t risk,
the way we’d not send our children
across busy streets alone.

Perhaps nothing of ours would slick
the Gulf, no black goo coat
the feathers of staggering

birds, nothing clot the sand
our children love to mound.
Perhaps we’ll never wake to

brown beaches. But what if we did?
I think of Cedar Keys and
fine days kayaking

against the wind. And I remember
how it felt to land on
the farthest scrub

and know that the Gulf stretched
to Texas and Mexico but none
of its despoilation

bore our name. I ask you: what
is it worth to drive a mile
a penny cheaper?

I say not this. I say there are
places best left holy. I say
that if we cannot save

this water, there will be no other.
I say that if, when the money
is clamoring around us

we do not yield, then they will come.
And they will lie down on
our white sands and

remark to each other, shading
their eyes, how beautiful
Florida is. And we

will smile inside, knowing
how gladly we paid the price,
and think

Yes, beautiful.

from Unspoiled, an anthology edited by Susan Cerulean and Janisse Ray

By: Cheryl
Cheryl is a computer networking professor at Sante Fe College for the past 14 years and is a highly sought after internet and computer consultant. Previous to her tenure at Sante Fe, Cheryl spent seven years working for the American Red Cross in Jacksonville. During that time she served as a founding member of the North Florida Aids Network, Vice-Chair of the North Florida Drowning Prevention Coalition and wrote many grants for HIV/AIDS education training. Cheryl has, also, had the privilege of being mother to two wonderful human beings. Her 19 year old son Sean and 17 year old daughter Jessie have been very supportive of her commitment to Wild Iris Books and have been very helpful its growth and success. Cheryl is the logistical and strategic thinker of the team who is one of the most non-judgmental, compassionate persons on the planet.
Website: http://friendsofwildiris.org/members/cheryl/