8/8/2008...a collaboration of enthusiasts

[clearlysaid]

I got to be involved in some way, 08.08.08 is my birthday. That is just too coincidental. I haven't been into T's for too long, bur have 20+ yrs breeding reptiles. I would like to help!!
RICH

We could make you our mascot! Dress you up like a huge tarantula... oh yeah. :clap:

Kyrga, a press letter would be awesome. I was reading how International Talk Like a Pirate Day really took off is because news outlets starting picking up on it... I guess Dave Barry actually wrote an article about it, once, and then people in, like, Ireland and Australia starting joining in, too... pretty cool.

 

[hairmetalspider]

I am planning a series of educational events on this day through local petshops, schools, stores and possibly a zoo.

When the time comes, I will be contacting local newspapers and getting press coverage.

I was wondering if I could count on the support of some members of the AB community...start a grass-roots movement.

I believe if we work together on this and create a large enough movement...we could do something great.

However, we need a plan.

Any ideas?

And I am intending this to be serious...so please only post if you are capable and willing to follow through on the plans.

This would be a great day to raise awareness of invertebrate related issues such as unfair blanket bans and such...and also to get people to recognize the signifficance of tarantulas and other invertebrates as pets.

That's cool that you want to do all of this-but remember, a lot of us are already working on it and have some events lines up already...

 

[Frédérick]

just pointing something up, would the event be only restricted to tarantulas or rather arachnids, including scorps, opiliones,amblypygid, solifugid, true spiders etc...Given that this event is wanted to be widespread, why not make other members of the arachnids profit from the publicity? An International Arachnid Day sounds great! just my 2 cents

Fred

 

[hairmetalspider]

It's Worldwide Tarantula Day. Name decided already.

 

[kyrga]

That's cool that you want to do all of this-but remember, a lot of us are already working on it and have some events lines up already...

Don't forget, people here are spread out all over the not only this country, but Canada, UK, etc etc. People can do different things in different areas, without stepping on each others' toes. I think he had some good ideas.

 

[hairmetalspider]

Don't forget, people here are spread out all over the not only this country, but Canada, UK, etc etc. People can do different things in different areas, without stepping on each others' toes. I think he had some good ideas.

And he did. No one argued that. But we don't need 40 websites in the US.

 

[Hamburglar]

why can't we have 40 websites?

On another note, I don't mean to be negative because I think it is a great idea and I have been doing a small part for awhile now. However, and forgive me if this has already been discussed I haven't had time to read the varied threads, I think we should be careful how this is presented. I have a small fear that some of the narrow-minded powers that be might not respond as we would wish. They might think that the "spread" of critters like tarantulas and scorps are worse than they thought when they see a bunch of varied types of people get together and try to introduce them to their pets. And this might lead some to try and start a bandwagon in order to stop the eight-legged, man-eating horrors or whatever they picture in there minds. I'm am speaking on more of a local level that some type of resistance might be faced, and if we aren't careful with how we respond, local officials might try to counter with their heavy legislative hands .

 

[fishwithoutabik]

I currently involve tarantulas in the classroom as a yearly unit during the spring. However, we are not in school on August 8th. I think it is a great idea though. However, I plan on continuing the education this year and as long as possible...

Since Aug 8 is not during the regular school year, maybe something could be arranged with colleges or daycare centers. (for those who woule be interested in going that route.) I present regularly at my kids' daycare, and especially during the summer, there are older and younger children there.

Also, I always think college students are a good group to reach because they tend to be at a place where they are very open to new information. Colleges are also obviously great places for events and things.

I am a student, so I can always promote on campus too.

 

[-Sarah-]

Mrarachnid1st had an excellent idea. Here's mine... Anyone think passing around and signing petitions, and then sending them off would help us get noticed? Count me in, I'm all for it.

-Sarah

 

[cacoseraph]

lol

scabies might have to rethink getting involved in drama nonsense

we have enough serious stuff going on to not really be able to waste time


like i said... get ducks in a row and we will be happy to shoulder a load of the work


but i don't have time to waste on drama

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

hmmm

good stuff god stuff. I can make shirts for it if need and also put postes up for them here too.

 

[clearlysaid]

Okay... I'm going to start by saying I'm going to link this response to the T-Day venting thread Corey started....

Now, what I have to say is this: This is a great idea, spreading the awareness/education/etc of tarantulas. If we can do a grassroots movement like Chesire says there is NO way to be 100% organized and control what everyone is doing. What we CAN control is, like, the website... content... what is said on flyers, what is said on press releases, etc... If we can provide each other with enough information to go out into our own communities and contact our own governments than that should be sufficient enough to get this really going... and who cares if we're are scheduling our own events at schools or zoos or whatever... as long as we all have the same goal in mind, that's what matters to me.

And with everything that has started now, in all honesty all I'm seeing are ideas. A few people have become involved in this but so far nothing has been happening. If it takes a few more individuals to join and/or stir things up to make stuff happen then I'm all for the "drama."

If all we can do is bicker back and forth to each other nothing is going to get accomplished. Let's stop wasting time and just get stuff done.

We've got Arachnoboards to discuss this but most importantly the eighteight.org forums... that is THE place to get everyone together and discuss this stuff. It doesn't matter if you're from CO, Canada, England or what... we can all have the same meeting place there.

 

[Stylopidae]

That's cool that you want to do all of this-but remember, a lot of us are already working on it and have some events lines up already...

Yes...however, those threads are all about what people are thinking about doing. Everyone's running about and trying to do many things at once...it's a mess and this needs to be an organized effort if we want any chance of success.

This thread is what people are doing and what they're actually capable of doing and my aim is to provide a clear direction this time around.

We are getting miles ahead of ourselves. Bell needs to get her website up before we start writing our congress people.

With a little luck, I have a way that may reach over one million people in Iowa alone...but I need to be damn lucky first. I think that if we do this right, we could reach so many more.

I know a petstore that's on board in my area, and I know several people who want to help me out. I don't doubt that everyone else can do this, as well...but we need a central organization to take action and to represent the group as a whole by clearly and coherently communicating the ideolgy and reasons behind what we're doing. If we have 40 websites, it's going to detract from everyone and look like a haphazard half assed effort...not something we need because we already have a stereotype that's similar to that. We need organization and proper representation from one party. Bell's 8-8-08 website is a great idea...and out of anyone else I've seen so far she seems to be in the best position to pull that off.

However before Bell does anything, we need mission statements and coherent ideas about what's going on.

I suggest that people make up mission statements, PM them to Bell. By making the website, it seems she's put herself in position as the leader of this brigade-and from what she's told me in private...she is a good person to have on the job.

They need to be specific, clear and descriptive...but short.

This needs to be a day of education and recognition.

We need to make it clear that we actually want to preserve environments and there needs to be a clear focus that many species in the hobby are soley captive bred...and that the hobby supports that over Wild Caught specimens.

People also need to know that tarantulas aren't the monsters that everyone thinks they are...but they also shouldn't be idealized.

Before we do ANYTHING else-we need a mission statement. From the mission statement, we can begin planning.