Critter Chat
Storytellers of Sierra Nevada wildlife
2024 Winner: KVMR Jody Fenimore Excellence in Public Affairs and Community Programming
Season 2: Episode 15
The Critters of Wolf Creek
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Wolf Creek begins above Grass Valley, California, flows through the city, turns roughly south, and eventually joins the Bear River at Nevada County’s southern border. Wolf Creek has been neglected and under-appreciated in the past, but that has begun to change. In this episode we speak with biologist, Kristen Hein Strohm of Wolf Creek Community Alliance. This show also features snippets of the Wolf Creek Anthem, an original composition inspired by the creek by artist Alexis Alrich.
Critter Chat
Season 2 of Critter Chat begins in 2025!
All shows can now be heard on
Apple & Spotify
Mothers Comfort Project
An initiative of Rational Animal, launched by Rational Animal founder's mother Rheda S. Brandt in 2009, Mothers Comfort Project brings volunteers together along with makers spaces, instructors, sewing machines, fabrics and notions to sew comforting beds and toys for animals who await their forever homes in shelters; or wild animals in rescue facilities who need cozy beds and enrichment materials.
Achievements to date:
- Hosted and financed hundreds of volunteer sewing circles.
- Delivered over 50,000 hand-sewn beds and toys to animals in hundreds of animal shelters and rescue organizations.
You can help in your own neighborhood:
Start your own chapter
Volunteer
Donate to Rational Animal to keep this valuable work going!
Rational Animal Fundraisers
Fine art prints donated by the world's greatest celebrity photographers help us fundraise for our work.
Check out the collection of Notecards & Prints available through our shop at Storenvy.
Photo: Kobe Bryant, by Neal Preston, all rights reserved.
2024 Animal Guardian Award
HONK! The musical tale of "The Ugly Duckling"
Congratulations to the cast, crew and writers of this wonderful production presented by Sierra Stages! Read more about it...
Rational Animal Helps Wildfire Victims
Through our World Animal Day fundraiser, we were able to give a significant donation to the UC Davis Wildlife Disaster Network, veterinarians on the frontlines helping wildlife injured in California wildfires in 2020.
This video was included in the video portion of Touchstone Gallery's "People and the Planet" exhibition 2023.
Catio & Shelter Renovation Project
We fulfilled the dream of creating a "catio" - an indoor/outdoor safely enclosed space for cats for the Grass Valley / Nevada City Animal Shelter. We also helped the shelter gain more visibility with a new street sign and new exterior paint.
See our video about the project here.
Read more about this project here.
Artists with Animals
Fine Art Mini-Print Notecard Boxsets
These beautiful boxsets of cards are an original creation of Rational Animal, Morrison Hotel Gallery and world-renowned fine art photographers. They are our bread and butter, keeping us funded to continue our work for at-risk animals. Buy a stack today! Thank You!
Series 1
The original series! Twelve fine art mini-print notecards featuring the photography of many of the world's greatest celebrity photographers. Featured with their animal friends are: The Beatles, David Bowie, Brigitte Bardot, John Lennon, Alison Mosshart, Robert Plant, Chris Isaak, Patti Smith, Billie Holiday, Nelly, Neil Young and Kris Kristofferson. Cards are blank inside, envelopes included in kraft cardboard box.
Series 2
Twelve fine art mini-print notecards featuring the photography of many of the world's greatest celebrity photographers. Featured with their animal friends are: Sally Field, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Zappa, Ice-T, Beastie Boys, Moby, Graham Nash, Michael Jackson, Pete Townshend, Frank Sinatra, Mick Fleetwood and Eric Clapton. Cards are blank inside, envelopes included in kraft cardboard box.
Series 3
FEATURING THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF NEAL PRESTON
Twelve fine art mini-print notecards featuring the photography of one of the world's greatest celebrity photographers, Neal Preston. Iconic people featured in Series 3 are: Daryl Hall, Robert Plant, Stevie Nicks, Kelly Rowland, Alison Mosshart, Nancy Wilson, Todd Rundgren, Ricky Martin, Rod Stewart, Frank Zappa, Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne and Janet Jackson. Cards are blank inside, envelopes included in kraft cardboard box.
Rational Animal Turns 23 in 2025
Celebrating our 23nd year of our mission of "creating media to help at-risk animals" this year we begin our second year of producing our radio show and podcast Critter Chat, a half-hour series featuring the wildlife of the Sierra Nevada. We also look forward to our fifth year of humane education hands-on sewing for animals events through our Mothers Comfort Project and Bright Futures for Youth collaboration.
Over the last five years, we were deeply involved in a shelter renovation project at Grass Valley / Nevada City Animal Shelter and our fundraiser to help veterinarians and rescues on the frontlines helping animals injured in California wildfires (see above video).
Throughout these 23 years we celebrate with friends, volunteers and sponsors who have helped us increase awareness and help animals through our campaigns: animal adoption and spay/neuter TV and kiosk ads for the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals; Trails to Tails, five editions of the NYC's first shelter map; our star-studded GIMME SHELTER Rock N Rescue NYC benefit concerts raising funds for over 30 rescue organizations; recognizing hundreds of people for their good work for animals with the Orange Animal Guardian Ribbon Award; raising awareness for wild, working, and domesticated animals via our Gingerbread Homes for Animals family events in Central Park and Chelsea Market ; and our Mothers Comfort Project sewing and delivering over 25,000 beds, toys and supplies to dozens of animal shelters.
Adam “Adrock” Horovitz, Beastie Boy, with Roberta, when he helped us promote our benefit concerts, GIMME SHELTER: ROCK N RESCUE NYC
Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder with Celo, the rescued dog featured on Rational Animal’s Pearl Jam/Riot Act fundraiser t-shirt.
Campaigns and Awareness Projects
We run lots of different campaigns and projects. We have our Orange Ribbon for Animals, which is all about showing support and doing good deeds for at-risk animals. We produce high quality public service announcements, in both video and poster format. We also run successful projects, such as our Mother’s Comfort Project, which has made and provided thousands of beds and toys for homeless animals.
ABOUT US
We produce advocacy campaigns and community events to increase awareness and encourage support for animals in need.
Learn more >>>
VOLUNTEER EVENT
We need your helping hands and the animals need your help! Email us at [email protected]
© Rational Animal 2025. All Rights Reserved.