The Story of Kauro: One of Our Elephant Orphans

The Practice for the Elephants Contest has ended and my piano students have done a great job, practicing during the month of May, with lots of minutes of practicing to raise money to continue to foster our 10 elephant orphans—orphaned because of illegal poaching for their parents’ ivory tusks.

We still need two more matching donors for two of the students:
Keep reading to find out how you can become a matching donor!
Please see below to find out about our charity.

About the contest:

Students earn two cents for every minute practiced over the course of 4 weeks. At the end, we total up the minutes to figure out how much each student has raised. Students’ sponsors can be parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, close friends of the family.

Students also have matching donors: paired with one of my students, you’ll match what that student earned practicing, most kids earn between $10–20.

So far we have matching donors for all but 2 students. Can you match what they earn? The kids are so excited that their contribution will be doubled! Our goal is to raise enough to continue to foster our 10 baby elephants. (It’s $50 a year per elephant baby.)

If you’d like to be a matching donor for a great cause, please contact me and I will pair you up with a student! 

Meet One of Our Elephants

The story of one of our baby elephants, Kauro.

Why Pianos and Elephants?

As pianists we are very aware of the history of using ivory for piano keys and that the manufacture of pianos once contributed to the trade in ivory. But today, piano technicians use polymers and mixtures of plastics to create the look and feel of ivory for our piano keys, bypassing entirely the illegal trade in ivory elephant tusks.

Where Our Donations Go

The donations collected go to sponsor abandoned baby elephant cubs whose mother or father was killed from illegal poaching of ivory in Africa. The orphaned baby elephants are raised and kept safe for later release by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya where it operates the Tsavo East National Park.

Click here for more details on the contest and on the Foundation.
Please also visit the The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust website.
You can also follow the Trust on Facebook.
Here’s another website, iworry.org, where you can take action toward ending the ivory trade.

This wonderful and amazing contest was created by fellow piano instructor, Penny Lazarus.

Piano Practice for the Elephants Contest: Become a Matching Donor Today!

The Practice for the Elephants Contest is under way at the Cape Ann Piano Studio!
My piano students are practicing piano to raise money to continue to foster our baby elephants, who have been orphaned because of illegal poaching.

Keep reading to find out how you can become a matching donor!

Our Elephants!
Our Elephants!

About the contest:

Students earn two cents for every minute practiced over the course of 4 weeks. At the end, we total up the minutes to figure out how much each student has raised. Students’ sponsors can be parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, close friends of the family.

But new this year, students have matching donors: each matching donor is paired with a particular student and will match what that student earns.

Each student generally earns between $8–$15 for practicing. Can you match what they earn? I have 14 young students participating in the contest, and they all need matching donors. The kids are so excited that their contribution will be doubled! Our goal is to raise enough to continue to foster our 10 baby elephants. (It’s $50 a year per orphaned elephant.)

If you’d like to be a matching donor for a great cause, please contact me and I will pair you up with a student! 

Cape Ann Piano Studio Spring Recital, June, 2015
Cape Ann Piano Studio Spring Recital, June, 2015

Why Pianos and Elephants?

As pianists we are very aware of the history of using ivory for piano keys and that the manufacture of pianos once contributed to the trade in ivory. But today, piano technicians use polymers and mixtures of plastics to create the look and feel of ivory for our piano keys, bypassing entirely the illegal trade in ivory elephant tusks.

Where Our Donations Go

The donations collected go to sponsor abandoned baby elephant cubs whose mother or father was killed from illegal poaching of ivory in Africa. The orphaned baby elephants are raised and kept safe for later release by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya where it operates the Tsavo East National Park.

Click here for more details on the contest and on the Foundation.
Please also visit the The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust website.
You can also follow the Trust on FB: https://www.facebook.com/thedswt
Here’s another website, iworry.org, where you can take action toward ending the ivory trade.

Meet One of Our Elephants

Rorogoi (girl)
Here’s Rorogoi (girl).

 

This wonderful and amazing contest was created by fellow piano instructor, Penny Lazarus.

Piano Practice for the Elephants Contest: Become a Matching Donor Today!

The Practice for the Elephants Contest is in the final stretch as my piano students begin Week 4 of practicing piano to raise money to foster baby elephants, who have been orphaned due to the illegal poaching of elephants for their ivory tusks.
Keep reading to find out how you can become a matching donor!

elephantsign
Last year’s sign the kids made at the recital.

 

About the contest:

Students earn two cents for every minute practiced over the course of 4 weeks. At the end, we total up the minutes to figure out how much each student has raised. Students’ sponsors can be parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, close friends of the family.

But new this year, students have matching donors: one (or more) paired with a student, who will match what each student earns.

So far we have matching donors for all students—we need 3 more then every student will have one! Each student generally earns between $10-$20 for practicing. Can you match what they earn? The kids are so excited that their contribution will be doubled! Our goal is to raise enough to continue to foster our 6 baby elephants, and, if there are extra funds we will foster another baby elephant. (It’s $50 a year per orphaned elephant.)

If you’d like to be a matching donor for a great cause, please contact me and I will pair you up with a student! 

Last year's recital!
Last year’s recital!

Why Pianos and Elephants?

As pianists we are very aware of the history of using ivory for piano keys and that the manufacture of pianos once contributed to the trade in ivory. But today, piano technicians use polymers and mixtures of plastics to create the look and feel of ivory for our piano keys, bypassing entirely the illegal trade in ivory elephant tusks

Where Our Donations Go

The donations collected go to sponsor abandoned baby elephant cubs whose mother or father was killed from illegal poaching of ivory in Africa. The orphaned baby elephants are raised and kept safe for later release by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya where it operates the Tsavo East National Park.

Click here for more details on the contest and on the Foundation.
Please also visit the The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust website.
Here’s another website, iworry.org, where you can take action toward ending the ivory trade.

Our Elephants

Barsilinga (boy)
Barsilinga (boy)
Jasiri (boy)
Lima Lima (girl)
Lima Lima (girl)
Rorogoi (girl)
Rorogoi (girl)

 

Chemi Chemi (boy)
Chemi Chemi (boy)
Sonje (girl, left)
Sonje (girl, left)

This wonderful and amazing contest was created by fellow piano instructor, Penny Lazarus.

The Practice for the Elephants Contest Results Are In!

To all of my young students who participated in the contest:

Congratulations!

Because of all of your hard work practicing the piano, together you raised not only enough to continue to care for our two elephants Barsilinga and Chemi Chemi, and to foster a new elephant in place of Lominyek, who is now grown up and released into the wilds of the park, but you also raised enough for a FOURTH new baby elephant to foster!!
I am very happy and very proud of you all, you have made a very important and meaningful contribution to the survival of African elephants. 🙂 🙂 🙂
—Miss Julie
First elephant money turn in!
First elephant money turn in!

 

Click here for more information about the The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This wonderful contest was created by fellow piano instructor, Penny Lazarus.

Barsilinga and Lemoyian playing in the puddle.
Barsilinga and Lemoyian playing in the puddle.
Chemi Chemi (left) playing with a friend.
Chemi Chemi (left) playing with a friend.

Practice for the Elephants Contest Begins April 8!

The Practice for the Elephants Contest starts again next week and runs for 6 weeks through May 23rd.

For my students new to piano this year:

Students practice and earn two cents for every minute practiced over the course of 6 weeks. At the end, we total up the funds we raise, and foster orphaned elephants, that is, we will continue to support the elephants we began to foster last year. If there are extra funds (it’s $50 a year for each elephant) we will foster another baby elephant. These elephants have been orphaned due to the illegal poaching of elephants for their ivory. The use of ivory for piano keys once contributed to the ivory trade. Of course, ivory is no longer used; polymers and mixtures of plastics are used instead for the key tops.

Printed handouts on the contest, as well as the practice sheets, are in the studio. Click here for the PDF with more details on contest, and and why we do it!

Here are our three adopted elephants, all doing well!, with updates:

Chemi Chemi: Keeper’s Diary update
Barsilinga: Keeper’s Diary update
Lominyek: There is no Keeper’s Diary update for Lominyek, as he is now, happily, living in the wild with other elephants in Tsavo East National Park in Kenya. Because he is, we will be transferring our donation to another younger orphan who needs us!

Click here for more information about the The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This wonderful contest was created by fellow piano instructor, Penny Lazarus.

Want to sponsor a student? If you’re not a part of the studio, click here. If you are, let me know in the lessons and I’ll pair you up with a young student!

Barsilinga and Lemoyian playing in the puddle.
Barsilinga and Lemoyian playing in the puddle.
Chemi Chemi (left) playing with a friend.
Chemi Chemi (left) playing with a friend.
Lominyek with his keepers.
Lominyek with his keepers.