April 2004

SeaDevil Sponsors - New Cards and Club Trea$ury

SeaDevil Sponsors now have their own personalized card to recognize their contribution to keeping alive the SeaDevil Spirit and helping us provide activities for area divers.  The card boasts a beautiful picture of a clown fish in an anemone courtesy of SeaDevil Andrew Snowhite.  Thanks, Andrew!

The card provides travel discounts, a free "SeaDevil.net" email address and other benefits, but mostly it recognizes those in the community who graciously provide assistance to allow us to honor our speakers and sponsor events to benefit the local dive community.  The Charlottesville local treasury now has $560 available to fund events in the coming season.

Thank you so much to all of our charter members ...  and to all of you, come join the list.

Gordon Songer  *  Eric Gibson  *  Marlene Hopkins  *  Gina Petrucci  *  Terry Tate  *  Bruce Gray  *  Walter Slawski  *  Sherman Reeder  *  Amy Blyler  *  Robin Amato  *  Mike Marks  *  Tony Feldmesser  *  Lisa O'Connor  *  Andrew Snowhite  *  Chip Earle  *  Suzanne Staton  *  John Dawson  *  Cayman Brownfield  *  John S. Evans  *  Edward E. Clark, Jr.  *  Maggie Short  *  Sam Short  *  Justin Short  *  Brooke Erin Short  *  Robert L. Brooks  *  Priscilla Joyner  *  Steve Hutchenson  *  Mikiah Umberti

SeaDevil Ed Clark Helps Bring
Environmental Awareness to South America

Ed Clark, long time SeaDevil, President and Co-Founder of The Wildlife Center of Virginia, has recently returned from Medellin, Columbia.  For the last 6 years, Ed, with the cooperation of the conservation group Fundacion Ecolumbia, the Medellin Zoo and several government agencies has been working to promote environmental awareness throughout South America. “We are supporting the war on the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife parts, the third largest global black market, behind only arms and drugs” says Clark. It is estimated that one in three homes has an illegal wild pet.

For the past forty years, the internal political and criminal warfare, particularly in Columbia, has resulted in large numbers of displaced people. The illegal animal trade often provides their only source of income. Clark says it is very difficult to take a hard stand against people with so few economic options, who are resorting to illegal activity to provide food, clothing and shelter for their families.

One unique aspect of Ed's work involves a training program for single mothers at one of the wildlife rescue centers in Medellin. The women are instructed in the handcrafting of all natural handmade soaps and small stuffed animals, replicas of the endangered species (we’re) working so hard to save. These items are then sold in zoos and nature centers in the States. In two years, the program has trained and employed over one hundred women, each with an average of four children.

In addition to increasing public awareness of the need for conservation, Ed and the various agencies he has partnered with are working to create a “Field Manual for the Emergency Care of Neotropical Wildlife.” The manual will be a quick reference guide for the professionals responsible for confiscating wildlife from illegal captivity.  The species are varied, and include birds, reptiles, wild cats, and monkeys and “just about anything else you can imagine” says Ed. Many of the confiscated animals are kept in very poor conditions and are in need of medical treatment and or rehabilitation.

Ed will continue his work for the long term, and plans to extend the conservation efforts to both the Caribbean and Pacific coast reef systems of South America.

SeaDevil Summer Dive Tour
Kicks Off May 8^th!

A fantastic summer of diving adventure is in the offing for SeaDevil Divers! The 2004 Summer Dive Tour includes some of our favorite local dive sites such as Fishersville Quarry and Lake Rawlings, and will also offer some great off shore diving on the wrecks of Virginia Beach and Morehead City!

Register at Dive Connections, our tour partner, and for $35 receive a commemorative T-Shirt, an entry to the raffle, and free Certification Cards for any training accomplished on tour events.

One lucky Tour participant will win round-trip airfare, accommodations and diving at the luxurious Pelican Bay at Lucaya resort in the tropical destination of Freeport, Grand Bahama from November 25-29 2004. Yes folks, it’s the famous (infamous!) Thanksgiving trip led by SeaDevil founder Chip Earle! Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $10 each.

Flash!  Special Deal - SeaDevil Sponsor Members also get a free raffle ticket for each tour event that they attend!  Sign up today.

A Kick Off Party is scheduled for May 8^th at Fishersville Quarry, and will include a cookout, great diving, and good friends! Bring your non-diving buddies to participate in the FREE Discover Scuba Diving experience or hone your own scuba skills with ½ priced adventure dives. 

This year promises to be a blast of a great time.  Don't miss a single event.

For more information, call Dive Connections at 434-964-9200 or visit www.seadevil.net!