3 . Sketch for Survival 2024

Sketch for Survival is an annual exhibition and sale of wildlife art run by charity Explorers Against Extinction. It helps to raise awareness about species extinction and biodiversity (生物多样性) loss while also raising funds for projects around the world.

You can be a part of Sketch for Survival 2024 by entering our art competition. Just 100 artworks are selected from all submissions (提交的作品) to be exhibited in London & Edinburgh alongside artworks donated by professional and famous artists, as well as competing for our Artist awards.

The submission stage runs from 1 February to 30 June. The selection stage is July-August. Exhibitions run September-November.

Guidelines in Brief:

Anyone aged 17 and over can enter. (Children aged 16 and under can enter our Junior Sketch For Survival Competition). The competition is open to professional, amateur (业余的), hobby and student artists;

Online Submission — no need to post your artwork to us;

There are two categories (类别): Endangered Wildlife and At-risk Wild Spaces;

One work per category per artist;

We are accepting submissions until 30 June;

100 Finalists’ works will be exhibited at our exhibitions in London & Edinburgh and be included in our online fundraising sale;

These 100 Finalists can compete for our awards which include the Leisure Painter’s People’s Choice Award, an award voted for by the public; The Artist Award, chosen by the editorial team of The Artist magazine and the Sketch For Survival Wildlife 100 and Wild Spaces Artist of the Year awards, selected by our specialists;

Short-listed artists will have their artwork digitally shown at The Explorers Club in New York, USA.

There is a Highly Commended Collection for selected runner-ups.

8 . Kids and teens are often dismissive of praise from their parents. I am sure that parents out there can relate to this, as we all have been told at one time or another by one or several of our kids, “Stop it, Mom.” or even, “You’re just saying that because you are my parents, and you have to say that.” I can assure you, though, that they are listening. They will probably not thank you for this praise until they are in their twenties, but don’t let that stop you from praising them during their childhood and teen years. Just be careful how you praise them. A little praise may go a long way-especially if it is the right kind of praise.

It appears that the way to go is to praise their efforts according to a study by Brummelman of Utrecht University in the Netherlands and his colleagues. These researchers concluded that kids should be praised primarily for their efforts, rather than for their personal characteristics, because if they are praised for their efforts, then a poor performance is more likely to be seen as a glitch (小故障), rather than a valid reflection of who they are as individuals.

Let’s think about this together. If you are a teenager or a child of any age and are constantly told how brilliant you are, then when you do poorly on a test or a few tests, you may feel like you have suddenly lost your status as brilliant and may now feel ashamed that you are merely average or even dumb. If you are a girl who is constantly being told how beautiful you are, then on a day when you don’t look or feel so good, you may decide that you are unattractive. This is the problem that develops when we are praising our kids for global personality characteristics that they can’t always live up to.

9 . About two weeks ago I saw a very sad, blue eyed, homeless man sitting outside my local coffee house. I said, “Hi! How are you doing today?”

He seemed shocked that I was talking to him. “Not very well,” he replied. He began to tell me how he had been hit by a car while riding his bike. He had been in the hospital for a month and s rest home for another month. During that time the person that paid for his SSI checks (社保费) died of a hear attack and his wallet was stolen with all his IDs. He had several checks waiting for him but had no ID and therefore no access to his money.

I decided that if this was all true I’d like to help him get a copy of his birth certificate and social security card. I asked him to meet me at the Department of Vital Statistics at 11:00 p.m. The next morning I didn’t see him so I started filling out the paperwork. I explained to the receptionist, “I’m trying to help a homeless friend get his ID hack.” “Bob?”   she inquired. “Yes, Bob,” I responded, surprised that she knew his name. “He was here at 9:30 and he just left,” she said, “But he told us you were coming.” I paid the fee and walked out with Bob’s Birth Certificate.

As I was driving home I saw Bob riding back on the old bike someone had given him. I pulled over and jumped out of my car shouting, “Bob! Bob! I got it!” He saw me and rode over. “I got it, Bob! Look, here it is!” He got tears in his eyes and told me I was his guardian angel.

A few days later I needed him to meet me at the Social Security Office. It took me a half hour to get there by car and at least two hours by bike. But there he was sitting on the sidewalk waiting for me! We were in the Social Security Office for two hours. We got everything straightened out and by next week he will have received his back pay, which is a substantial sum.

Yes, one person can make a difference in this world. And the interesting thing is that I am getting as much, if not more, from this experience than Bob. I am deeply touched by Bob’s sensitivity, his gratitude, his stories, his heart.

Home is where the heart is, even for the homeless!