After all these years, I want to tell you all how profoundly Steve influenced my son, Trevor. We have always love animals and have a small reptilian collection of our own. My son, Trevor grew up watching Steve’s adventures on Animal Planet and fully intended to study under him, journeying to the Australian Zoo after graduation. He cried for weeks after Steve passed away, but is now happy knowing that the zoo and Steve’s message will survive. This young man, Trevor, living in Southwest Florida caught and cared for snakes, turtles, alligators, and other reptiles nearly every day. Before, he gets too old I want to share this with you as a furthering tribute to Steve Irwin:

When he was 12, Trevor was fishing at one of the local fresh water lakes when he saw an alligator lying on the bank. The ‘gator looked decimated, dried out, and nearly dead. He went to it and helped it into the water, but the ‘gator thrashed, rolled, and did not act right. Trevor pulled him back on shore. A homeowner came out and told Trevor the ‘gator showed up about three days before and hadn’t moved from the bank. Trevor instinctively knew it would die, so he ran home, tied his wagon to his bike, dumped out toys from a rubbermaid tub and returned to save the ‘gator. Upon getting the alligator home, Trevor called a group called C.R.O.W. (Care and Rehabilitation of Wildlife) located on Sanibel Island, Fl. As members of the SW Florida Herpetological Society, we knew they help distressed indigenous species. CROW came and collected the alligator. Trevor gave them all the information he could and they saved the alligator’s life. They determined the alligator sustained permanent neurological damage likely from being struck by an automobile. Although the animal could never survive in the wild with the injuries he has, CROW donated him to a local alligator zoo where he will be cared for and make baby ‘gators for the rest of his life. Attached is a picture of Trevor with his ‘gator.

THE battle to Save Steve’s Place has set a new record for petitions in Queensland and possibly Australia with more than 73,000 people signing up.

Almost six weeks after vowing to secure the highest number of signatures for a petition, Australia Zoo’s Terri Irwin appears to have realised her objective, with 73,260 supporters signing on.

That’s 13,000 more than early last month when she said she was counting on people power to prevent bauxite mining in the Cape York reserve named in her late husband’s memory.

Mrs Irwin said then that the most signatures ever obtained for a petition against a mining operation was 20,000 and the most signatures she could find on anything in Australia was 72,000 in Queensland on the daylight saving issue.

Mrs Irwin has pledged to “fight to the end” to protect the 135,000ha Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve - a wetland conservation property and tribute to the late Crocodile Hunter - which she said was being threatened by mining lease applications lodged by Cape Alumina Pty Ltd…(please follow link to Courier-mail)

GRASSROOTS hope ... after a loss in the courts, Terri Irwin is relying on people power to "Save Steve's Place"

by Glenis Green

December 14, 2008 11:00pm

and here is the link

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,27574,24799172-3102,00.html

WELL DONE TERRI AND EVERYONE THAT HAS SIGNED THE PETITION

TOGETHER WE CAN STOP THE MINING THE (SIWR)

WOOOO HOOOO

JOE