Kerry Pillion’s Post

Special Announcement: Every gift made to us from 9am TODAY on Wednesday, 20 March will be DOUBLED! That’s right, fellow bilby lovers. We’ve got some generous ‘big diggers’ ready to match your donations—but only for this one special day. Saving the bilby is within reach. But we still have a way to go to ensure our bilby doesn’t go down the heartbreaking path to extinction. Hundreds of native Australian species have already been lost forever for our future generations. Don’t let us lose the bilby too. We are working with the entire bilby community towards our goal of having 10,000 bilbies across Australia, as an insurance population to last another hundred years (at least!) But as our operation grows and the cost of living continues to rise, we’re struggling to cover our bilby saving costs. When you dig deep and shovel in your support today, you’ll help cover vital costs like these: 🔨 Bilby feed – Keep food on the bilby’s plate! Believe it or not, the price of mealworms, kibble and seeds for bilbies has increased by 30% in the past year. 🔨 Insurance – It may not be glamorous, but it is essential. Insurance costs are up 135% on last year. 🔨 Essential land management and protection from feral threats – It’s extremely important to keep our predator exclusion fences strong so our bilbies are safe from harm. 🔨 Utility bills – We need help just keeping the lights on for our dedicated team members monitoring and protecting bilbies at Currawinya. 🔨 Running costs for our vehicles – We now have three cars instead of two - and all the running costs are going up! Fuel prices, insurance, rego and maintenance costs are all soaring, so we need help to keep the engines running. Any donation you make today will go further than ever for the bilbies! Your gift will be MATCHED until we reach our target of $150,000. Please donate now and multiply your impact for our Aussie battlers. About Save The Bilby Fund Save the Bilby Fund is a national charity who has been fighting to save the bilby from the threat of extinction for more than 20 years. We have grown to be the single largest contributor to the ASMP (Australian Species Management Plan) for the bilbies, having bred well over 60 young over the last few years. We now manage more than one third of the entire intensively managed captive population of bilbies to support the Greater Bilby Meta-population management plan and provide animals for re-introduction. Donation link in comments, or search it using Ecosia

August is National Dog Month. Find out all the details about national dog month in this article. From the origin of this pet holiday to ideas on how to celebrate, you'll learn something new about national dog month. #BLI #Insurance #BeckerLassen #4INSCME #BLI4INS #INSCME https://lmsafe.co/3NMT

When Leadership Fails Us All: A Story of Compassion, Loss & the Consequences of Misplaced Authority. There's something about pain that reaches us deeply, whether it’s across the world or in our backyard. As an empath, I feel & absorb others' pain—whether human or animal, very deeply. I can't bear to see suffering, especially when it's inflicted by those in power, & this story reminded me how essential it is for leadership to hold empathy at its core. The Story of Peanut and the Sanctuary Built on Love Mark Longo, a NY firefighter, and his wife built an animal sanctuary after rescuing a baby squirrel named Peanut. Peanut, a small creature full of life, love & trust, quickly became an Insta sensation, a symbol of love & the sanctuary’s mission to save animals with nowhere else to go. I followed their story for years. Peanut, along with a rescued raccoon, thrived in this loving environment, inspiring others to follow the sanctuary's journey of compassion & rescue. A few weeks ago, a shocking turn of events, NY’s Department of Environmental Conservation raided Mark's home with a search warrant. Officers spent hours interrogating the couple, rummaging through their cupboards and ultimately kidnapping Peanut and his raccoon friend, the very animals that had inspired this mission. Peanut was so terrified and stressed he bit one of the officers. The internet rallied behind them, with 1000s raising funds to support their legal battle. But before they could even fight, the DEC killed these beloved animals, citing the need to test for rabies—seriously!?! The world is left questioning how such a callous, misguided use of power can happen. What Kind of Leadership is This? Leadership isn’t just about authority—it’s about responsibility, empathy & the courage to consider those we serve. The DEC’s actions are a reminder of what happens when leadership loses sight of its purpose and bureaucracy goes mad. When the rules take precedence over compassion, when authority becomes blind to the lives impacted by its decisions & when there’s no accountability for the harm caused. The Leadership We Desperately Need The world doesn’t need more rigid enforcement without humanity. We need leaders who don’t just “follow the rules” but understand why rules exist. We need leaders who consider the cost of their actions on every life involved, who recognise that sometimes doing the “right thing” requires looking beyond what’s on paper. Seeing innocent lives, like Peanut the squirrel and his family, harmed by the very authorities meant to keep them safe fills me with heartbreak and fear. As leaders, we have the power to make decisions that can bring either pain or hope. Let’s choose wisely, with empathy and purpose, remembering that true leadership isn’t just about the role we hold but the lives we touch. ❤️ this post & follow Angela Sedran for more on how to be a better leader #leadership #leadershiptips #leadershipskills

A governance expert at the Central Bank of Ireland with a not-so-secret passion for nature and conservation, Lisa O’Mahony is a volunteer trustee of the The Irish Wildlife Trust and a committee member with Airfield Estate. As we continue to #InspireInclusion this #InternationalWomensDay - this is Lisa’s #WeAct story.    “Someone asked me, if I was to do it all again, what would I do differently? And I was like. ‘Oh, I'd really like be a marine biologist’. I was always interested in nature. I'm from a seaside town here in Kerry. I've learned a lot growing up about the ocean, its wildlife, and their ecosystems. I did accountancy, finance and business and followed that path, but I knew I’d love to contribute to combatting climate change and protecting our marine environment. So rather than trying to change careers, I thought, ‘is there a way of using what I have built up, and the skills that I do have, and apply it to the conservation space?’ And I figured volunteering is the best way into it. That's how I got involved in the Irish Wildlife Trust and I've been learning a lot from them ever since. Sometimes you think to yourself, ‘Am I too young? Do I have enough skills to be on this board?’ But when you stand back and have a think about what experience you do have, a lot of it is very transferable. And for charities, skill sets like legal, risk or accountancy are great to have.    For me, being a trustee has really helped with my own personal development, particularly in decision-making. You're at the top of the organisation and you're responsible. You’re part of a team that makes decisions on what will best benefit the charity. For women in particular, it gives you practise in using your voice. In your work environment, you might be more hesitant to use your voice sometimes, but on a board, you have a legal duty, you have to speak up because you need to be able to challenge the decisions. If a woman is nervous of joining a board, I would advise her to do a bit of self-reflection first. Reflect on what your skills are, value them and bring them confidently. Appreciate them. Don’t underestimate the value of them. I learned coming onto the board of the Irish Wildlife Trust, that people are very respectful of your experience, they welcome your views. Don’t underestimate the value of what you do know, and don’t be intimidated by what you don't. For a board, it is about getting a diverse mix of expertise and being open-minded to learning. There was a lot about wildlife and nature I didn't know, but I'm there to help with the governance and risk management. I love getting to see the work that the charity does. That's where you get a boost. The EU Nature Restoration Law recently went through, and I can say, ‘our charity had a role in that advocating for that’, or hearing our team speak publicly about and campaign for Marine Protected Areas around Ireland." **Lisa's story is continued in the comments below**

Should I leave money to the person that I am leaving my pets with after I die? I often think this is a great idea for pet estate planning. If we're giving a pet, we are giving a responsibility. Pets cost money. If you have the funds available, that is an awesome idea. How much you want to give is very much up to you. Read the blog and watch the video at https://lnkd.in/g8xUGqAc. #estateplanning #estateplanningforpets #furryfriends #SiedentopfLaw

Should I leave money to the person that I am leaving my pets with after I die? I often think this is a great idea for pet estate planning. If we're giving a pet, we are giving a responsibility. Pets cost money. If you have the funds available, that is an awesome idea. How much you want to give is very much up to you. Read the blog and watch the video at https://lnkd.in/exqDgydY. #estateplanning #estateplanningforpets #furryfriends #SiedentopfLaw

Should I leave money to the person that I am leaving my pets with after I die? I often think this is a great idea for pet estate planning. If we're giving a pet, we are giving a responsibility. Pets cost money. If you have the funds available, that is an awesome idea. How much you want to give is very much up to you. Read the blog and watch the video at https://lnkd.in/g8xUGqAc. #estateplanning #estateplanningforpets #furryfriends #SiedentopfLaw

Should I leave money to the person that I am leaving my pets with after I die? I often think this is a great idea for pet estate planning. If we're giving a pet, we are giving a responsibility. Pets cost money. If you have the funds available, that is an awesome idea. How much you want to give is very much up to you. Read the blog and watch the video at https://lnkd.in/g8xUGqAc. #estateplanning #estateplanningforpets #furryfriends #SiedentopfLaw

Vacation homes are not the only things you can rent on a short-term basis. Did you know you could rent RVs, pools and more? Bottom Line expert Christopher Elliott, a nonprofit consumer advocate, discusses some ideas, along with their pros and cons.

If you have Facebook, please go take a look at the comment section of this United Airlines post… folks in the Marianas have had enough of United Airlines - who officially has a monopoly out here - single-handedly putting us in crisis by refusing to transport pets (unless you’re military, and even then under VERY limited circumstances) https://lnkd.in/gJ6FGGCG Do any of my contacts stateside know anybody in media that might be willing to help write an article, etc to help us gain national attention? United retaliates against the non-profits and reporters here who try to raise attention to this issue. Families who can’t afford a $4K-$8K pet shipper are forced to leave their pets behind if they want to leave. It’s unacceptable, and completely heartbreaking. And it is literally 100% United’s fault. They used to have a program in place to transport pets, but used COVID as an excuse to end it and refuse to bring it back. Attaching an article that was written about this - no doubt that the contributors suffered from United’s retaliation. None of us know what they do to them, but I do know all the nonprofits are too fearful to speak out publicly at this points. They’ve told myself and many others as much. We need help from the mainland to put pressure on United! https://lnkd.in/g8Gjvh2p