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	news bulletins february 2007

• Green Pit Stops
• Save Cash By Recycling "Technotrash"
• Many Mothers
• Breastfeeding: The Lifesaving First Hour

Green Pit Stops

A delayed flight out of Philadelphia International Airport does not have to mean a long afternoon of shopping for souvenirs or squirming in a terminal seat—wilderness is just one train stop away.

The 1,000-acre John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, located on the south side of Philadelphia, is only one mile from the airport, but the air here is filled with a different variety of flying things. Blackbirds, hawks and bald eagles can be seen from the refuge parking lot.

John Heinz at Tinicum Refuge is not the only national wildlife refuge close to urban America. Managed by the Department of the Interior, the 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges. A number of them are near major metropolitan areas. These can mean the difference between a few hours on the tarmac and a walk in the woods or wetlands. They give restless children a chance to stretch their legs before a long flight, and parents, an opportunity to take a deep breath of fresh air. Wildlife refuges offer nature walks in a variety of lengths to fill whatever time is available. Some even have spotting scopes no further away than the visitor's center.

Travelers looking for a quick immersion in the abundant nature of National Wildlife Refuges can check out:

John Heinz at Tinicum Refuge was established in 1972 to protect the last 200 acres of freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. Refuge Manager Kate McManus describes the trails as "shady and well-maintained - not rustic hiking."

Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland, is just outside the nation's capital and 30 minutes from the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. "You think you're truly in a rural area when you're out here," says Nell Baldacchino, wildlife biologist at Patuxent.

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge—two miles from Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport—provides visitors looking for a quick get-away with a half-mile loop trail or hikes up to 12 miles through floodplain forests, native prairies and large lake marshes.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is one of the nation's largest urban wildlife refuges. Located just eight miles outside of Denver it is adjacent to Denver International Airport. "It's an oasis," according to Dean Rundle, who manages the 27- square mile area.

San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a trolley ride from the San Diego Airport. Composed of salt marsh and coastal uplands it provides habitat for more than 200 species of birds that can be seen from a variety of trails.

For more information about the US Fish and Wildlife Service, visit http://www.fws.gov.

Save Cash By Recycling "Technotrash"

It is estimated that the typical American household has more than 70 CDs, 40 DVDs, and 17 video games that are simply lying around gathering dust. This unused home media inventory is not only a waste of money, but is yet another source of junk in landfills—it is reported that 90% of this ever-growing category of technotrash (waste from technology related products) is not being recycled.

One website, BarterBee.com, is helping consumers recycle their CDs, DVDs, and video games by creating an inexpensive, easy-to-use trading marketplace. At BarterBee.com, members list their items for a point value, and then when another member buys the item, those points can be used to buy other items on the site. There is no membership fee, no fee to list items, and each purchase has a one dollar transaction fee.

According to Robert Alvin, President of BarterBee.com, "In addition to the inventory they already have, the average American household spends $300 annually to acquire more CDs, DVDs and video games. Our over 50,000 members are not only saving money and reducing their media clutter by using BarterBee.com, they're helping save the environment by reducing technotrash."

Many Mothers

A new baby thrives on love, care and attention—and so does a new mother. Yet nowadays many women don't have a support network of family or friends nearby to provide assistance during the crucial first weeks and months after a birth. Wanting to fill that gap, Anne McCormick, head of a family service program in Santa Fe, New Mexico created a volunteer organization called Many Mothers. "The idea was simple," says McCormick, "I knew women both want and know how to help other women."

For the past 14 years, Many Mothers has dispatched a skilled volunteer to the aid of any new mom who feels exhausted, overwhelmed or simply needs additional help. Volunteers assist with simple tasks like grocery shopping, washing dishes, or tending the baby while the mom takes a quick bath or nap. These desperately-needed hours of help can give moms the opportunity to better cement a bond with her new-born. Plus, informally talking with someone experienced in baby care can alleviate the ordinary doubts and fears that a new mom faces. At present, Many Mothers has 22 volunteers who help 70 families a year.

The program doesn't just help families of newborns; it's very satisfying for its volunteers as well. "One of the gifts to me," a Many Mothers volunteer recently stated, "is that I've learned how many different ways there are to be a good mom."

To foster this type of service in other communities, Many Mothers has developed a how-to manual which is now available free of charge to anyone wanting to help families with newborns.

"We are not a franchise," McCormick explains. "We suggest that communities determine their own needs and resources and then develop a service for new mothers which suits that community." The Many Mothers guide, however, offers a step-by-step explanation on how to get started; how to become non-profit; how to recruit and supervise volunteers; how to locate families, etc. In addition, on-going help is available through the Many Mothers website. Go to www.manymothers.org for further information.

Breastfeeding: The Lifesaving First Hour
One million babies could be spared becoming a neonatal death statistic if they are nursed within an hour of birth.

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) wants everyone to hear their simple, new message: one million babies can be saved each year if they begin breastfeeding within one hour of birth.

A recent study has shown that if all mothers began breastfeeding within the first hour it would save one million of the four million newborn deaths. This study from rural Ghana, based on 10,947 breastfed singleton infants, has shown that initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth reduced the infants' risk of death. It also demonstrated a marked increase in risk with increasing delay in initiation. Overall late initiation (after day one) was associated with a 2.4-fold increase in risk. Giving pre-lacteal feeds, i.e. something other than mother's milk before beginning to breastfeed, also increased the risk of neonatal mortality. The study conducted on babies who survived day one clearly showed that 41% of all babies who die during 2 to 28 days of life can be saved by this simple intervention: beginning breastfeeding within one hour of birth. When the deaths of day one were included, it showed 22% of all neonatal (0-28 days) deaths could be reduced. In India, for example, this means 250,000 neonates can be saved from death annually by just this one act. Initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth is the primary and most vital step towards reducing infant and under-five mortality, by reducing the overwhelmingly high neonatal mortality rate.

The United Nation's Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG-4) aims at reducing under-five child mortality by two thirds by 2015. According to global data, out of all 10.9 million under-five deaths, roughly four million babies die during the first month of life. This means that deaths will have to be brought down appreciably within the first month to make a significant dent on the child mortality rates. The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, Innocenti Declaration on Infant and Young Child Feeding 2005, and World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions all support this action.