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The Life of Dian Fossey
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The Life of Dian Fossey
January 16 is Dian Fossey’s birthday, and we’re taking a moment to recognize a truly spectacular woman. Take a moment to learn more about Dian Fossey’s life through the interactive experience on the Gorilla Fund website.
Dr. Dian Fossey founded the Karisoke™ Research Center in Rwanda’s Virungas Mountains in 1967, to protect and study the endangered mountain gorillas. Although Fossey’s life was cut short, her work has continued through the Karisoke Research Center and grown into conservation efforts for other wildlife and programs for people who live near the gorillas.
Among the most legendary scientists of our time, Dian Fossey went to Africa at the urging of famed anthropologist Louis Leakey and began her groundbreaking studies of gorilla behavior. She faced and overcame many obstacles and ultimately gave her life to gorilla protection.
Thanksgiving Coffee has partnered with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund for over a decade, supporting their programs in Rwanda to save the mountain gorillas. Learn more about our partnership, and purchase Gorilla Fund Coffee from Rwanda on the Thanksgiving Coffee store.
Recommended Reading
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Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg
The Noyo Food Forest is having their annual Earth Day celebration this Saturday at the Learning Garden. This four hour event is a fundraiser for the Farm-to-School and Youth Intern programs that the Noyo Food Forest operates year-round. We partner with the Noyo Food Forest throughout the year, and we especially love being a part of this annual event in Fort Bragg.
15th Annual Earth Day Event
Saturday, April 20, 12 - 4 PM
At the Learning Garden at Fort Bragg High School on Dana Street.This Earth Day event is free and geared toward everyone in the family. There will be live music, and you can participate by putting down a bid for the silent auction, paying entry to bouncy houses, and tasting goodies from local chefs. This is one of the most fun events that happens in the city of Fort Bragg every year. Local organizations and nonprofits are a big part of this event, and you’ll see booths and representatives from the Noyo Marine Science Center, the Mendocino Land Trust, our Mendocino County state parks and many more important parts of the coastal community.
Thanksgiving Coffee will be serving up samples of our Bee Bold Blend, our new Nitro Coffee, and the Noyo Food Forest will be selling 12oz bags, as well. All the proceeds benefit the Noyo Food Forest and their important work here in our community. We are very happy to be a part of this awesome event. For more information, visit the Noyo Food Forest Earth Day page on their website, and RSVP on Facebook to share with your friends. Join us on April 20 – see you at the Learning Garden.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Partnership with the Noyo Food ForestLearn more about how we support our Mother Earth
bee boldEarth Day Event in Fort Bragg 2024
read more -
Song Bird Coffee Protects Critical Forests
Songbirds are important, beautiful and a delight to the senses.
For over 25 years Thanksgiving Coffee has continued to support endangered migrating songbirds and the essential forest habitats they need to survive.
Our work to conserve Songbirds began 1998 with our line of Songbird Coffee. Here at Thanksgiving we continue to purchase from concious coffee farmers who understand the importance of shade grown coffee, and it's role in protecting biodiversity.
The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center recently released a wonderful video that highlights the process and the importance of shade grown coffee, and we want to share it with you.
It is called Cafe Y Aves
"In rural Colombia—and many parts of the world—coffee is essential to local culture and the livelihood of farmers. To birds and other wildlife, the places where coffee plants grow are just as essential. "
History of Deforestation
By 1996, the United States forests had run out of hardwoods such as oak, ash, maple, cherry, and all the wild fruit and nut trees due to unsustainable logging practices. The desirable wood of these trees is used for many things like furniture making, and also became very in demand as high end finishes for home building, like veneers for plywood, doors and window frames.
The timber industry, needed to find another source for hardwood. They turned their attention south, to the abundant rain forests of South and Central America, where these trees and many others grew plentiful, vitalized by the nutritious soil, temperate climates and abundant rain.
Bird Friendly Shade-Grown Coffee Can save up to 243 bird species
They noticed that the local coffee farmers had these valuable trees growing among their coffee crops and learned that coffee is a shade loving tree, that withers in the sun and needs the shade to be a healthy producer of coffee fruit. Mahogany, and a dozen other hardwood varieties were growing in unity with the coffee trees, providing the much needed shade for the farmers crops. There was a lot of money to be made if they could convince coffee farmers to log their trees. It is a long story of deception, but governments in collaboration with multinational corporations set out to convince coffee farmers, using flawed scientific reports and false information that by clearing away these trees and growing coffee in full sun would increase their yields and therefore make them more money.
The farmers, already living on humble incomes and with the idea of making more money in the future, allowed these large timber companies to log their land. But without the leaf litter from the big trees which fertilized the soil every year, oil based fertilizers would be needed (enter Dupont). With sunlight reaching the ground, weed killers would become essential (enter Monsanto). With forest habitat lost for migratory songbirds who fed on insects, the need for pesticides became essential. A destructive cycle of harmful chemicals became a necessity.
The big chemical companies now had new markets, timber companies gained new inventories of almost unlimited, inexpensive hardwoods, and the poor coffee farmers paid for all this with higher costs, lower quality coffee, and a 90% loss of biodiversity on their farms. It is a sad story, but one we want to bring awareness to and are actively working to reverse.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company continues to partner with the American Birding Association and is Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified. This is the "Gold Standard" for coffee grown to support biodiversity and song bird habitat.
You can support Songbirds too!
When you purchase our bird friendly coffee, you are part of the solution for our planets songbirds.
causesSong Bird Coffee Protects Critical Forests
read more
Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg
The Noyo Food Forest is having their annual Earth Day celebration this Saturday at the Learning Garden. This four hour event is a fundraiser for the Farm-to-School and Youth Intern programs that the Noyo Food Forest operates year-round. We partner with the Noyo Food Forest throughout the year, and we especially love being a part of this annual event in Fort Bragg.
15th Annual Earth Day Event
Saturday, April 20, 12 - 4 PM
At the Learning Garden at Fort Bragg High School on Dana Street.
This Earth Day event is free and geared toward everyone in the family. There will be live music, and you can participate by putting down a bid for the silent auction, paying entry to bouncy houses, and tasting goodies from local chefs. This is one of the most fun events that happens in the city of Fort Bragg every year. Local organizations and nonprofits are a big part of this event, and you’ll see booths and representatives from the Noyo Marine Science Center, the Mendocino Land Trust, our Mendocino County state parks and many more important parts of the coastal community.
Thanksgiving Coffee will be serving up samples of our Bee Bold Blend, our new Nitro Coffee, and the Noyo Food Forest will be selling 12oz bags, as well. All the proceeds benefit the Noyo Food Forest and their important work here in our community. We are very happy to be a part of this awesome event. For more information, visit the Noyo Food Forest Earth Day page on their website, and RSVP on Facebook to share with your friends. Join us on April 20 – see you at the Learning Garden.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Partnership with the Noyo Food Forest
Learn more about how we support our Mother Earth
Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg 2024
read moreEarth Day Event in Fort Bragg
The Noyo Food Forest is having their annual Earth Day celebration this Saturday at the Learning Garden. This four hour event is a fundraiser for the Farm-to-School and Youth Intern programs that the Noyo Food Forest operates year-round. We partner with the Noyo Food Forest throughout the year, and we especially love being a part of this annual event in Fort Bragg.
15th Annual Earth Day Event
Saturday, April 20, 12 - 4 PM
At the Learning Garden at Fort Bragg High School on Dana Street.
This Earth Day event is free and geared toward everyone in the family. There will be live music, and you can participate by putting down a bid for the silent auction, paying entry to bouncy houses, and tasting goodies from local chefs. This is one of the most fun events that happens in the city of Fort Bragg every year. Local organizations and nonprofits are a big part of this event, and you’ll see booths and representatives from the Noyo Marine Science Center, the Mendocino Land Trust, our Mendocino County state parks and many more important parts of the coastal community.
Thanksgiving Coffee will be serving up samples of our Bee Bold Blend, our new Nitro Coffee, and the Noyo Food Forest will be selling 12oz bags, as well. All the proceeds benefit the Noyo Food Forest and their important work here in our community. We are very happy to be a part of this awesome event. For more information, visit the Noyo Food Forest Earth Day page on their website, and RSVP on Facebook to share with your friends. Join us on April 20 – see you at the Learning Garden.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Partnership with the Noyo Food Forest
Learn more about how we support our Mother Earth
Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg 2024
read moreSong Bird Coffee Protects Critical Forests
Songbirds are important, beautiful and a delight to the senses.
For over 25 years Thanksgiving Coffee has continued to support endangered migrating songbirds and the essential forest habitats they need to survive.
Our work to conserve Songbirds began 1998 with our line of Songbird Coffee. Here at Thanksgiving we continue to purchase from concious coffee farmers who understand the importance of shade grown coffee, and it's role in protecting biodiversity.
The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center recently released a wonderful video that highlights the process and the importance of shade grown coffee, and we want to share it with you.
It is called Cafe Y Aves
"In rural Colombia—and many parts of the world—coffee is essential to local culture and the livelihood of farmers. To birds and other wildlife, the places where coffee plants grow are just as essential. "
History of Deforestation
By 1996, the United States forests had run out of hardwoods such as oak, ash, maple, cherry, and all the wild fruit and nut trees due to unsustainable logging practices. The desirable wood of these trees is used for many things like furniture making, and also became very in demand as high end finishes for home building, like veneers for plywood, doors and window frames.
The timber industry, needed to find another source for hardwood. They turned their attention south, to the abundant rain forests of South and Central America, where these trees and many others grew plentiful, vitalized by the nutritious soil, temperate climates and abundant rain.
Bird Friendly Shade-Grown Coffee Can save up to 243 bird species
They noticed that the local coffee farmers had these valuable trees growing among their coffee crops and learned that coffee is a shade loving tree, that withers in the sun and needs the shade to be a healthy producer of coffee fruit. Mahogany, and a dozen other hardwood varieties were growing in unity with the coffee trees, providing the much needed shade for the farmers crops. There was a lot of money to be made if they could convince coffee farmers to log their trees. It is a long story of deception, but governments in collaboration with multinational corporations set out to convince coffee farmers, using flawed scientific reports and false information that by clearing away these trees and growing coffee in full sun would increase their yields and therefore make them more money.
The farmers, already living on humble incomes and with the idea of making more money in the future, allowed these large timber companies to log their land. But without the leaf litter from the big trees which fertilized the soil every year, oil based fertilizers would be needed (enter Dupont). With sunlight reaching the ground, weed killers would become essential (enter Monsanto). With forest habitat lost for migratory songbirds who fed on insects, the need for pesticides became essential. A destructive cycle of harmful chemicals became a necessity.
The big chemical companies now had new markets, timber companies gained new inventories of almost unlimited, inexpensive hardwoods, and the poor coffee farmers paid for all this with higher costs, lower quality coffee, and a 90% loss of biodiversity on their farms. It is a sad story, but one we want to bring awareness to and are actively working to reverse.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company continues to partner with the American Birding Association and is Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified. This is the "Gold Standard" for coffee grown to support biodiversity and song bird habitat.
You can support Songbirds too!
When you purchase our bird friendly coffee, you are part of the solution for our planets songbirds.
Song Bird Coffee Protects Critical Forests
read moreEarth Day Event in Fort Bragg
The Noyo Food Forest is having their annual Earth Day celebration this Saturday at the Learning Garden. This four hour event is a fundraiser for the Farm-to-School and Youth Intern programs that the Noyo Food Forest operates year-round. We partner with the Noyo Food Forest throughout the year, and we especially love being a part of this annual event in Fort Bragg.
15th Annual Earth Day Event
Saturday, April 20, 12 - 4 PM
At the Learning Garden at Fort Bragg High School on Dana Street.
This Earth Day event is free and geared toward everyone in the family. There will be live music, and you can participate by putting down a bid for the silent auction, paying entry to bouncy houses, and tasting goodies from local chefs. This is one of the most fun events that happens in the city of Fort Bragg every year. Local organizations and nonprofits are a big part of this event, and you’ll see booths and representatives from the Noyo Marine Science Center, the Mendocino Land Trust, our Mendocino County state parks and many more important parts of the coastal community.
Thanksgiving Coffee will be serving up samples of our Bee Bold Blend, our new Nitro Coffee, and the Noyo Food Forest will be selling 12oz bags, as well. All the proceeds benefit the Noyo Food Forest and their important work here in our community. We are very happy to be a part of this awesome event. For more information, visit the Noyo Food Forest Earth Day page on their website, and RSVP on Facebook to share with your friends. Join us on April 20 – see you at the Learning Garden.