Prairie Smoke (Geum Triflorum)

Prairie Smoke (Geum Triflorum)

Other common names:

·         Three-Flowered Avens

·         Old Man’s Whiskers

·         Purple Avens

·         Red Avena

·         Long-Plumed Avens

Geum: New Latin; a plant of uncertain identity

Rose Family: Rosaceae

Description: This perennial wildflower forms a low leafy rosette about 6-10" across. Individual basal leaves are 3-5" long and 1-1¾" across; each leaf is odd-pinnate with 3-6 pairs of lateral leaflets and a terminal leaflet. There are also secondary leaflets that are inserted between some pairs of lateral leaflets; these secondary leaflets are quite small and poorly developed. These leaflets are oriented away from the center of the rosette, forming an oblique angle with the rachis (central stalk of the compound leaf). Individual leaflets are oblanceolate in shape, shallowly cleft, coarsely dentate, and slightly ciliate along their margins; they are somewhat variable and irregular. 

During the growing season, the upper leaf surface is medium green and sparsely covered with short appressed hairs, while the lower leaf surface is light green and hairy primarily along the rachis and major veins. Flowering stalks develop from the center of the rosette, becoming 5-10" tall at maturity. Each stalk terminates in an umbel of 3 nodding flowers. The flowering stalks (peduncles) are reddish green to reddish purple, terete, and densely hairy. There is a pair of leafy bracts at the base of each umbel that are deeply cleft with linear to linear-oblong segments. These bracts are reddish green to reddish purple and hairy. Sometimes pairs of leafy bractlets develop along the hairy pedicels of the flowers; these bractlets are also deeply cleft with linear segments.

Individual flowers are ½-1" long and similarly across. Each flower consists of 5 pale red to purplish red sepals, 5 white to pale red petals, a central cluster of pistils, and numerous stamens that are arranged in a ring. The sepals extend along the entire length of the flower and they are joined together at the base; each sepal is deltate in shape and hairy. Each flower also has 5 linear floral bracts (one floral bract between each adjacent pair of sepals).These floral bracts are the same color as the sepals and hairy;they extend outward from the sepals. The petals are largely hidden by the long sepals as the flower barely opens.

The blooming period can occur from early to late spring and lasts about 1-2 months. Afterwards, each flower becomes erect and develops a dense cluster of achenes with long feathery tails. These achenes are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. This wildflower can form small clonal colonies of plants from the rhizomes. A rosette of low basal leaves persists through the winter; these winter leaves are often reddish purple.

Range and Habitat: The native Prairie Smoke is restricted to northern Illinois, where it is uncommon. Elsewhere in the state, it is absent. In Illinois, habitats consist of dry gravelly prairies and hill prairies. In other states (e.g., Michigan), this plant has been found in sand prairies and alvars (a habitat that is dominated by limestone slabs). This conservative species is found in high quality prairies where the vegetation is neither too dense nor tall.

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Bur Oak (Quercus Macrocarpa)

Bur Oak (Quercus Macrocarpa)

Beech Family: Fagaceae

Description: This native tree is 80-120' tall at maturity, forming an ovoid to globoid crown with a tall stout trunk (up to 5' across). The branches of the crown are ascending to widely spreading and somewhat crooked. The thick trunk bark is gray to gray-brown with flat corky ridges and deep irregular furrows. The bark of branches and twigs is gray-brown to brown and often rather corky with flat elevated ridges. Alternate leaves about 4-10" long and 2½–5" across develop from the twigs. These leaves are obovate or broadly elliptic in outline and pinnatifid with rounded lobes. Most lobes extend moderately to deeply into the leaf blade. The deepest lobes usually occur along the lower one-half of the blade. Leaf margins are undulate and irregular, lacking any bristles or true teeth. Upper leaf surfaces are dark green and glabrous, while lower surfaces are pale gray-green and densely tomentose with short fine hairs. These hairs are often stellate or clustered together (visible with a 10x hand lens). The petioles are ½–1" long, light green, and either glabrous or tomentose.

Bur Oak is monoecious, producing both male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers on the same tree. The male flowers are produced in drooping yellowish catkins about 2-5" long; individual male flowers consist of a lobed calyx with 5-20 stamens. Female flowers are either solitary or clustered together in groups of 2-3. Individual female flowers (about 1/8" in length) consist of a pistil that is covered with appressed scales (involucral bracts) with red styles at its tip. Overall, a female flower has the appearance of a tiny narrow cone. Both male and female flowers bloom as the leaves begin to develop during the spring. Cross-pollination is by wind. During the summer, fertile female flowers develop into nuts that are either solitary or occur in pairs. The nuts occur on short stalks up to 1" long (shorter than the petioles of the leaves); they are often nearly sessile. Nuts mature in a single year and usually germinate during the fall of the same year. Individual nuts (including their cups) are 1½–2½" long and similarly across; they are initially green, but become brown to grayish brown at maturity. The distinctive cups extend at least one-half the length of the nuts, sometimes nearly enclosing them. The coarse scales of the cups are keeled and rather knobby in appearance; the outer scales along the rim each cup have soft awns up to 1/3" (10 mm.) in length, forming a conspicuous fringe around the nut. The starchy meat of the nuts is low in tannins and potentially edible. The root system produces a deep taproot and widely spreading lateral roots. At favorable sites, this tree sometimes forms colonies.

Range and Habitat: Bur Oak is a common tree that is found in every county of Illinois. Habitats include moist bottomland woodlands, upland woodlands, and savannas where deciduous trees are dominant. This tree is most commonly found in bottomland woodlands a little outside of the flood zone. It also occurs in savannas and can be an invader of prairies because of its resistance to fire. Occasionally, Bur Oak is cultivated as a landscape tree, where it can become quite large.

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Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata)

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata)

Mustard Family: Brassicaceae

Description: This introduced biennial plant is 1-3' tall. During the 1st year it consists of a small rosette of leaves, while during the 2nd year it becomes a little-branched plant about 1-3' tall. The leaves of 1st year plants are up to 2" long and across. They are cordate-orbicular with margins that are dentate or wavy and their upper surface has a reticulated network of veins. The petioles of these basal leaves are rather long and slender. The alternate leaves of 2nd year plants have a similar appearance, except that they are usually longer than wide, spanning up to 3" long and 2" across. The lower and middle leaves along the stems are usually cordate with either acute or blunt tips, while the upper leaves are often ovate. Both the stems and petioles of 2nd year plants are occasionally hairy, otherwise they are glabrous like the blades of the leaves. The foliage is often light green or yellowish green in appearance, otherwise it is medium green. The upper stems terminate in narrow racemes of white flowers. While in bloom, these flowers are bunched together toward the top of the raceme. However, as the flowers mature and develop seedpods, the raceme becomes more elongated and they become more separated.

Each flower is about ¼" across, consisting of 4 white petals, 4 light green sepals, a short cylindrical style, and several stamens with pale yellow anthers. The pedicels of flowers while they are in bloom are up to ¼" in length, although they become longer later. The blooming period occurs during late spring or early summer, lasting about 1-2 months. The flowers are replaced by narrow seedpods that are called "siliques." These seedpods are about 1½–2" long and narrowly cylindrical (although slightly 4-angled in circumference). Relative to erect stalk of the raceme, they are more or less ascending.As the seedpods become mature, the foliage dies down by the end of summer. Each mature seedpod contains a single row of black oblongoid seeds. The root system consists of a shallow taproot that is white and branches frequently. This plant often forms colonies by reseeding itself.

Range and Habitat: Garlic Mustard has been reported primarily in NE and central Illinois, where it is locally common. In other areas of the state, this plant is apparently less common or absent, however it is rapidly spreading. There is little doubt that it is more common than official records indicate. This plant was introduced into the United States from Eurasia. Habitats include moist to slightly dry deciduous woodlands, woodland borders, areas along woodland paths, semi-shaded areas in gardens and along fence rows, and partially shaded waste areas. This plant thrives in light shade or partial sun and it is intolerant of regular mowing. At the present time, Garlic Mustard is the worst herbaceous invader of deciduous woodlands in Illinois as it has the capacity to crowd out and destroy all of the native wildflowers that bloom during the spring. Effective measures of control include pulling the plants by their roots and spraying the foliage with herbicides. Cutting the flowering stalks from their stems is not an adequate method of control because Garlic Mustard is capable of regenerating new flowering stalks from lateral stems. Also, mature seeds can develop from any cut stalks of flowers and immature seedpods that are left on the ground.

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Silver Maple (Acer Sacharinum)

 Silver Maple (Acer Sacharinum)

Maple Family: Aceraceae

Description: This tree is 60-100' tall at maturity, forming a short broad trunk and an ovoid to obovoid crown that is defined by long ascending branches of considerable size. Trunk bark of mature trees is gray and rough-textured, consisting of flattened scales and straight to curving furrows. On very old trees, the bark may become slightly shaggy when the scales become curved and somewhat loose. Trunk bark of young trees and branch bark are light gray and more smooth, while twigs are reddish brown, smooth, and covered with scattered white lenticels. Pairs of opposite deciduous leaves occur along the twigs and smaller branches. Individual leaves are up to 6" long and 4" across; they are palmately divided into 5 primary lobes. The primary lobes themselves are often divided into shallow secondary lobes and their margins have a few large teeth. All of the lobes are sharply cleft and pointed at their tips; the primary lobes extend deeply into the interior of each leaf. The upper leaf surface is light to medium-light green and glabrous, while the lower surface is conspicuously whitened and glabrous to mostly glabrous (some hairs may occur along the undersides of the major veins). The slender petioles of the leaves are up to 5" long, light green to red, and glabrous.

Individual trees of Silver Maple can be monoecious or dioecious; trees with perfect florets are rare. Some trees are capable of changing their gender from year to year. Staminate florets occur in small dense clusters about 1/3" across on short lateral spur-twigs; these florets are nearly sessile and they vary in color from yellowish green to red. Individual staminate florets consist of 4 sepals, 4-6 stamens, and no petals. At the base of each staminate cluster, there are several scaly bractlets. Pistillate florets also occur in small dense clusters about 1/3" across on very short peduncles; these florets are nearly sessile and they vary in color from greenish yellow to red. Individual pistillate florets consist of 4 sepals, a pistil with a pair of styles, and no petals. At the base of each pistillate cluster, there are several scaly bractlets. The blooming period occurs from early to mid-spring before the leaves develop. The florets are cross-pollinated by the wind. Fertile female florets soon develop pairs of samaras (seeds with elongated wings). In each pair, the samaras are held about 90° apart from each other (or a little less) and they are joined together at the base. At maturity, individual samaras are 1½-2½" long, becoming light brown; they dangle from slender pedicels and fall to the ground during early summer. The root system produces woody lateral roots that are fairly shallow and widely spreading. The leaves usually become pale yellow during the fall.

Range and Habitat: In Illinois, Silver Maple is a common tree that is found in every county. Habitats consist primarily of moist floodplain woodlands, riverbanks, and swamps. In these types of habitats, Silver Maple is often one of the codominant trees. In drier locations, it is not competitive with Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and other trees in the long run because its seedlings are less tolerant of shade. This tree is often cultivated as a landscape plant in yards and parks. In urban and suburban areas, the offspring of these cultivated trees often escape into adjacent areas that are not mowed (e.g., fence rows and vacant lots).

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Learning to Learn...

Last updated: 5/7/2015

~LEARNING RESOURCES ~

Here I will compile, update and add to a list of ways I learned how to learn. Like most, I'm tired of reading those articles of number of things they did to cope or overcome their weaknesses. I have inattentive ADHD, anxiety, depression and ODD thus learning, studying and remembering don't come easy for me. That is why I'd like to share a list of things that help me so hopefully I can help you! Also please feel free to contact me with anything you'd like to add to the list...Teamwork!!

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The General (1926)

The main male character, Johnnie Gray, is in love with a woman, Annabelle Lee. Early on Johnnie tries to enlist in the army but gets rejected because they think he is at his current job meanwhile a couple of men happen to see Annabelle and lyingly told her that Johnnie did not even get in line to enlist. After hearing that news Annabelle was very upset with Johnnie so she got on a train that ended up being stolen or hijacked by their enemy of the war. However once Johnnie heard about this he decided to go try to rescue her meanwhile overhearing a conversation that their enemy was going to try to ambush their people. Therefore after he successfully saved Annabelle he went to warn the troops of what he had found out. Thanks to Johnnie they were able to then conquer their enemy so afterward he was finally able to become a soldier.

Having a background in black and white film photography, I have definitely noticed a lot of overlap between that and film making. That is why I was not very surprised when I found out from watching Visions of Light that film making originally began with photographers thus as soon as The General began playing I immediately noticed it was sepia toned or, according to Visions of Lights, tinted film. However there is more than just toning that filmmakers got from photography such as camera angles.

Camera angles, or perspective, help make the film or photo you are looking at more visually appealing to the eye, also known as aesthetics. For instance, most people do not want to look as a blurry image or film so having the camera in focus is always a good start. Some other common camera angles are close-ups, angle-up,  and angle-down but I refer more interesting angles like depth of field, converging/leading lines and reflections or shadows. Speaking about shadows, Grapes of Wrath had some excellent examples of how to use shadows in a film and they even seemed to follow a rule I heard in Visions of Lights that said you can “put shadows anywhere but their faces,” for obvious reasons. Nonetheless when it comes to The General there did not seem to be much use of shadows or any more interesting camera angles. However, also used in photography, they did seem to have pretty good contrast in most of their scenes.

Contrast in important because no one wants their subject to blend into the background, you should want your subject to stand out. In The General it seemed like they paid more attention to contrast than I expected they would have. For example, they seemed to use a lot of direct, or front, lighting and instead of being washed out by too much gray, like most black and white films, they had the actors and actresses dress darker thus making them stand out more against the gray scenery.  

Granted that there are many overlaps between photography and filmmaking, filmmaking does have to consider a few aspects that is not needed for photography, like acting. Acting a huge part of filmmaking and in The General I noticed a lot more exaggerated movements that would not need to be exaggerated in non-silent films. While some of it was a bit over-the-top, overall I enjoyed watching the exaggerations. It added more passion and comedy into the film. A director from The Hollywood Narrative said that they will try to “exaggerate some to make a point” even though it may not be as necessary now, with sound, as it was back-in-the-day, with silent films.

National Geographic: Mysteries of Mankind

Uncover fascinating clues to the origins of the human race. Tale a Spectacular Journey. It starts right here...

Who are we, and where did we come from? Follow an errie trail of ash entombed footprints...hold the razor-sharp stone tools of our ancient ancestors...unearth fossiled skeletons dated at a million years and more. These are some of the fascinating clues in one of the greatest mysteries of all time: The origins of the human race. Join scientists as they reveal new facts about human evolution and probe ever deeper into the compelling MYSTERIES OF MANKIND.

A National Geographic Special. Produced by The National Geographic Society and WGED/Pittsburgh. Made possible by a grant from CHEVRON. Executive Producers: Denis B. Kane, Thomas Skinner. Written and Produced by: Barbara Jampel. Photogra[hed by: Erik Darrstad, Andre Gunn, Risk Robertson, Mark Knobil. Edited by: John Dabney. Muisc by: Scott Harper. Narrated by: Richard Kiley.

Program Time: Approx. 60 minutes
Made in 1988
ISBN: 0-7922-0880-3
UPC: 727994513742

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WANTED: Animal Shelter Donations

This is South Suburban Humane Society's wish  list. If you'd like to donate anything please feel free to mail it to me so I can donate for you, drop it off if you're in the area (Orland Park, IL) or I am even willing to pick up and donate anything you have to offer to them (depending on the distance). Also, please help spread the word (even if you aren't able to donate anything), I know the shelters will appreciate it! Thank you!!

- Paper Towels

- Hand Sanitizer

- Clorox Wipes (or generic equivalent)

- Diamond Dog Food

- Liquid Laundry Detergent 

- Bleach

- Dog/Cat Canned Wet Food

- Copy Paper (8 1/2" x 11")

- Sponges

- Non-Clumping Cat Litter

- Kleenex

- AAA Batteries

- Disposable Gloves

- 55-Gallon Garbage Bags

- Foil Steam Trays (half or full size)

- Purina Cat/Kitten Chow

- Large Rugs/Blankets

- Ink Pens

- Kongs (toys)

- New Food Trays/Bowls

Gift Cards for: Walmart, GFS, Sam's Club, Costco, Office Max or Amazon.com

http://www.southsuburbanhumanesociety.org/ 

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This is the wish list from another animal shelter, P.A.W.S. Tinley Park. Again, if you'd like to donate anything please feel free to mail it to me so I can donate for you, drop it off if you're in the area (Orland Park, ) or I am even willing to pick up and donate anything you have to offer to them (depending on the distance). Also, please help spread the word (even if you aren't able to donate anything), I know the shelters will appreciate it! Thank you!!

- WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED FOR LEASHES AND COLLARS OF ALL SIZES

- New or gently used Top Paw® Pet Yard Containment Pen

Dog Food:

- Evangers canned food

- Science Diet dry (maintenance, puppy, lamb & rice, small bites, etc.)

Cat Food:

- Purina Friskies canned food (kitten / cat)

- Science Diet dry (maintenance, light, senior, sensitive stomach or skin, etc.)

Special requests for Kitten Season:

- KMR formula, nursing bottles, Royal Canine dry (Babycat34 in pink bag), Pro Plan kitten canned food (chicken & liver)

- We love KONGS for our canine friends (please refrain from sending rawhides) and any type of toy for our kitties (especially the little mice & bell balls)!!!!

- Leashes of all sizes for dogs & breakaway collars for cats

- 4 or 6 ft nylon leashes

- towels and small blankets

Cleaning Supplies:

- Dryer Sheets 

- Liquid Laundry Detergent

- Dawn detergent

- Hand Sanitizer 

- Paper Towels

- Large Garbage Bags 

- Spray Bottles

Office Supplies:

- General office supplies

- Postage Stamps 

- Envelopes

- Large Rubbermaid containers

Gift Cards for: Gas Stations, Target, Staples, etc. are always welcomed!!!

http://www.pawstinleypark.org/

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Other Ways to Help/25 Creative Ways to Help Animal Shelters:

Spread the word:
• Hang up fliers for upcoming adoption events or adoptable animals in pet stores, vet offices, parks and other places where potential adopters will find their perfect companion. Distributing fliers and other marketing materials is an easy and important way to get the word out about adoptable pets.

• Share adoption profiles on social media: Your Facebook timeline, Twitter stream, Pinterest board, Tumbler page and other social media accounts are all perfect ways to help advertise pets that are in need of a home. Simply sharing the profiles of adoptable animals to your followers takes hardly any time or effort yet could play a part in creating the perfect match for an animal in need of a forever family.

• Transport animals: Have a car? Then a shelter might need you. Some shelters have a hard time arranging to get animals from the shelter to vet appointments, or from shelters to rescue facilities. Donating a little of your time and your driving skills will help animals get the care they need when they need it, and frees up time for other shelter volunteers to get more work done.

• Walk dogs: Many times shelters are short on staff to help exercise and socialize their animals. If you’re good with dogs, take an hour once a week (or more!) to drop by and take a dog for a walk. Play time has huge psychological and physical benefits for waiting animals.

• Pet cats: Cats need socialization too. If you’re a cat lover, take an hour once a week (or more!) to hang out with cats — petting, playing and interacting with them to get them ready for a new home.




Gathering supplies:
• Donate wish list items: Every shelter has a wish list of items, whether it’s food, toys, bedding, litter, crates or cleaning supplies. Pick up a couple items next time you’re shopping to drop off at the shelter.

• Scan Craig's List, Freecycle, eBay, and other resources for items being sold or given away, and collect them to donate to a shelter.

• Call local hotels to see if they have any unusable bedding, towels or cleaning supplies that they will donate to a local shelter.

• Call office supply stores to see if there are items they are willing to donate, such as printer paper, ink, envelopes and other items that shelters need.




Bust out your special talents:
• Crafty folks: Create homemade toys and bedding using old T-shirts, jeans or blankets. Or sew up “Adopt Me” vests and bandanas for adoptable animals to wear while they’re out for walks or at events. A quick search for “How to make [insert dog bed, dog toys, cat toys, etc.]” will bring up loads of patterns and ideas.

• Carpenters and DIY whizzes: Help out with carpentry or other skills needed to repair and improve shelters. Anything from renovating parts of a facility to building a new cat tree will be hugely appreciated.

• Lawyers: Shelters need lawyers too. Lend your knowledge and skills to help shelters stay on top of legal forms, contracts, copyright on videos or brochures made for advertising, and so on.

• Accountants: Shelters definitely need to stay on top of accounting paperwork. You can help shelters keep organized about fees paid by adopters, donations and grants, as well as balancing expenses for caring for the animals.

• Dog trainers (or trainers in training!): Take a dog to obedience class. Often dogs need some training before they’re ready to be adopted. You can help shelters by volunteering your skills as a trainer and working with the dogs. Or if you're a novice, take a dog to obedience classes where you both can learn. Basic commands like sit, stay, lie down, and loose leash walking all make a dog more adoptable.

If you have experience with dog or cat behavior, volunteer to do behavior evaluations for new arrivals, and help the shelter determine each animal’s personality, social skill level, find any triggers for behavior problems, and other important information that’s needed for determining how adoptable an animal is or what kind of home they need to thrive.

• Website designers: Shelters need to constantly update their websites as animals are adopted or are made available for adoption. Everything from maintaining upcoming events information, calls for donations, blog updates, designing a professional look and other aspects of a great website are things you could help out with.

• Writers: Shelters do a lot of writing. They need adoption profiles for each pet put up for adoption, newsletters must be written and sent, ads for events and fundraisers must be crafted, grant applications must be written, and so on. Your skills as a writer could make all the difference for a shelter’s success.

• Social media experts: Social media is a must for getting the word out on adoptable pets. Shelters need to post updates constantly on who is looking for a new home, who was adopted out successfully (everyone loves hearing success stories!), requests for much needed supplies or donations, and other news. Someone skilled with the etiquette and best practices for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other platforms, including skills for writing and scheduling updates, can mean a big uptick in successful adoptions.

• Photographers: High-quality photos for adoption profiles make an enormous difference in how quickly animals get adopted. Volunteer your skills with a camera to photograph animals, showing off their personality and making them look their best so potential adopters will click on their profile and, with luck, visit to meet and adopt them. Check out HeartsSpeak, an organization that helps photographers partner up with shelters.




Fun fundraising ideas:
• Your birthday: Birthdays are the perfect way to gather donations for a shelter. Everyone wants to be nice to you on your birthday, right? You could set up a fundraising website, using something like gofundme.com or indiegogo.com, to raise money throughout the month of your birthday, or you can ask anyone attending your birthday party to bring a gift for the shelter instead of for you. You could even host your birthday party at a shelter or dog park for extra fun and inspiration.

• Your wedding: It’s getting more popular to have a no-gifts wedding registry, with the happy couple asking for donations to favorite charities. Your wedding registry could revolve around charities that help rescued animals in need. You can set up a registry page with monetary donations going straight to the rescue or shelter of your choice, or you can ask guests to bring something to donate that you can drop off later. Or both!

• Your party: Throwing a party? Add a special request for folks to bring something to donate to a shelter, or set up a jar for raising money next to the snack platter (or better yet, the drinks station). It’s an easy add-on to an event you’re already hosting.

• At work: Put up a glass jar with a sign on your desk or countertop, and send out an email to coworkers asking for donations for a week. Or take it a step further by organizing a supplies donation drive, bake sale, raffle or other fundraising drive for a week or more.

• At school: What better place to learn about animals in need than at school? Enlisting the help of teachers and classrooms full of students could mean major donations to a local shelter. Talk to the faculty and staff at a school about ideas, from donation drives to raffles. The shelter you’re helping could bring in a couple adoptable pets to the school to show kids how (and who) they’re helping. It’s the perfect opportunity not only to raise funds and goods for the shelter, but also to raise awareness at an early age about caring for pets.




Two more things:
• Say "thank you": Shelter workers give their whole hearts to their jobs, and are usually buried under never-ending to-do lists and urgent tasks. They usually are overstressed and under-paid. So little things like someone showing how much they appreciate what they’re doing goes a long, long way in restoring the energy and drive they need to continue to help animals. You can do something simple like sending in a thank you card or a bouquet of flowers. Or maybe deliver cupcakes or cookies, or order pizza or sandwiches for the whole crew one day. Anything that shows just how much their efforts are appreciated will make a big difference. When the staff are encouraged and energized, all the animals in the shelter benefit from that positive energy.

• Foster an animal: Being in a shelter can be extremely stressful for many animals, and not a place they can thrive. Plus, shelters fill up fast. Finding temporary homes while animals are waiting to be adopted frees up space to help newly rescued animals. Fostering doesn’t necessarily fall under the “easy” category for how to volunteer to help, but it does fall under the category of most important things you can do. Most shelters pay for food and vet bills, so fostering is not a burden on the wallet. Opening your home to an animal in need and providing the food, shelter, love and training it needs while waiting for a forever home is one of the best things you can do to help. It can also be one of the most fulfilling.

http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/25-creative-ways-to-help-animal-shelters#ixzz3IaV7sp4B