Thank you for visiting The Penguin Lady blog! My name is Dyan deNapoli, and I’m a penguin expert, educator and author of The Great Penguin Rescue: 40,000 Penguins, a Devastating Oil Spill and the Inspiring Story of the World’s Largest Animal Rescue. My mission is to raise awareness and funding to help protect dwindling penguin populations.
After working closely with penguins for nine years at Boston’s New England Aquarium and in the wild, I founded The Penguin Lady in 2005. I conduct on-site programs about penguin biology, behavior and conservation for children and adults in a variety of settings (colleges, museums, libraries, senior centers, nature expedition ships). I’ve been featured as the guest expert on many television and radio shows, including CNN’s Situation Room, BBC Radio 5 Live, CBC Radio-Canada, Sierra Club Radio, and ABC Radio Australia. I was honored to be asked to speak at TEDxBoston in June of 2011 – my talk is currently featured on the main TED website. Over the last fifteen years, I’ve enjoyed sharing my passion for these engaging seabirds with approximately 250,000 people worldwide.
Dyan deNapoli with Gentoo penguins in Antarctica, 2009. Photo by Marc Dove
My recently published book chronicles the truly remarkable rescue of 40,000 penguins from the Treasure oil spill in South Africa in 2000. Having worked as a rehabilitation supervisor during this historic event, I witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of oiling on the penguins, as well as the inspiring outcome when thousands of people from different backgrounds came together and worked as one to save a species. More than 12,500 volunteers – with big hearts but no animal care experience - came to the rescue of the traumatized penguins in their greatest hour of need. After three months and 556,000 hours of grueling labor, 95% of the penguins were released back into the wild in what still stands as the largest and most successful animal rescue ever undertaken.
The Great Penguin Rescue was published by Simon & Schuster’s Free Press imprint on October, 26 2010, and has been favorably reviewed by several publications, including The New York Review of Books, New York Post, The Daily Beast, The Birder’s Library, and others.
Library Journal selected it as “One of the best sci-tech books of 2010″ (in the natural history category), and it has been designated a “Must-Read” book in the 2011 Massachusetts Book Awards. (This also makes it a nominee for the the 2011 MA Book Award – winners will be announced later this year.) And it was a Silver Award Winner in the 2011 Nautilus Book Awards – these awards recognize books that are “changing the world one book at a time”, which is precisely why I wrote The Great Penguin Rescue, so I am very honored by this award in particular. I donate 20% of the proceeds from my book and from every public appearance to penguin rescue, research and conservation groups.
Dyan deNapoli with Pinguino at the New England Aquarium. Photo by Katie Dow
My goal with this blog is to provide breaking news and information about what’s happening in the world of penguins, as well as sharing publishing tips with aspiring authors. For more information about my work , my book, or penguins in general, please visit my company website at www.thepenguinlady.com or my Facebook fan page at The Penguin Lady (or click here for my Facebook fan page). I’m also on Twitter as thepenguinlady (or click here for my Twitter page). Thanks for stopping by!
My talk about The Great Penguin Rescue given at the TEDxBoston conference on June 28, 2011 is now featured on the home page of TED.com.
Dyan deNapoli – The Penguin Lady
Hi Dyan!
I’m the noisy guy at the library that comes by once in a while to seek your guidance in the literary world.
After having read your blog and learning more on the status of your book I opted to chose this media so that I won’t distract you from getting your work done.
Your work is very impressive! Thank you for what you’ve done and what you’re doing. I truly am looking forward to reading your book and attending the signing.
Your advice to establish a personal blog was outstanding. Thanks for sharing your time with me. I am finding that this blog tends to offer a bit if a challenge in trying to figure out what to do and how to do it. But that’s ok because I’ll reap my rewards once I conquer the hill.
Ok…I took enough of your time so get back to work.
Enjoy your day Dyan and thanks again for your time.
Ira (the divorce-book guy)
Hi Ira,
Thanks for your nice message. I’m more than happy to share what I’ve learned along the way on this publishing journey. It’s like learning a whole new language! And I’m still figuring out how to use this blog space as well – once I’m finished with the last round of edits on my book, I’ll have more time to devote to it. Wishing you success on your publishing journey!
Cheers,
Dyan
Hi, Dyan, I am too working on a book on penguins! It’s called What Are Penguins? and it’s a learning guid about penguins. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for answering my questions about penguins cuz i really need the right answers for my book i’m working on. I am first making an adult book on it and then a kids book on it! It will be out this upcomming Christmas or next March and it will be in stores then! Thanks.
All The Best, Jocelyn Peterson
P.S YOU ARE ONE ON MY HEROS! SOMEDAY I WANT TO DO MY SHARE AND DO WHAT YOU DO!
Hi Jocelyn,
How wonderful that you are writing a book about penguins. I will look forward to reading it when it comes out! Good luck to you as you work on it.
All best,
Dyan
Thanks for helping the dear penguins. It doesn’t get any dearer than penguins in my book.
Best from,
Phil
Hi there,
I’m quite inspired by your work and find that you are doing one amazing job saving the lives of penguins.
I run a community radio show that airs in Sydney, Australia, and was wondering if you’d like to take part in an interview to detail your work and give insight to the cruelty of animals and what we can do to help.
I’ve no email to contact you personally, so I apologise for hijacking your about me! But hopefully you will see this sooner rather than later!
I wish you all the best and hope to hear from you soon!
Chris
Hello Chris,
Thank you so much for your very kind note. And no worries about contacting me through my blog. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you on your radio show about my work with penguins – I would love to do that. Feel free to e-mail me directly at dyan@thepenguinlady.com. Looking forward to connecting with you. (And I have to tell you that I truly love Australia! I’ve been twice – once to Sydney – and the folks there are some of the friendliest on the planet.)
Cheers,
Dyan
Hi Dyan
you are an angel sent from heaven
if i want to help and work with you , how i can do this?
Hello Ash,
Thank you so much for your sweet note! I no longer work at the New England Aquarium, so the main focus of my work these days is writing and lecturing about penguins. If you wanted to do something to help penguins, there are several options. If you want to work with them directly, you can volunteer at SANCCOB (the premier penguin rescue center in South Africa). You can apply through AVIVA at http://www.aviva-sa.com/sanccob-penguin-conservation-project-cape-town.php or through Enkosini at http://enkosini.com/PenguinConservationCentre.htm. Earthwatch Institute also has a penguin project on Robben Island – you can apply at http://www.earthwatch.org/exped/barham_research.html. In addition, you can help penguins by supporting penguin rescue, research and conservation groups. There is an extensive list of these groups in Appendix II of The Great Penguin Rescue, my book about the Treasure oil spill in South Africa. And here is an abbreviated list of them (which I need to update!) on my website at http://www.thepenguinlady.com. Finally, you can help penguins everywhere by reducing your reliance on fossil fuels and by reducing your carbon output, as global warming is having a negative impact on nearly all penguins species globally.
Thanks again Ash!
Dyan
Hello Dyan,
Thank for the fast replay and for this valuable links..
I didn’t know how to start, but your help made it much easier for me now I know what my options are.
You are an inspiring woman with an amazing fascinating story to tell and great knowledge to share.
You have devoted your life for a creature in a far way land an unable to ask for help, you were his voice that reached our heart.
For that thank you so much
There is more to learn from you the lady penguin lady, you are a noble person and I would love to be your friend and learn from you how truly to love our planet.
My email alhashmy90@hotmail.com
Thank you
ash
Hello Dyan,
I’m from A&C Black Publishers, and we’re producing a book on endangered animals in conjunction with the London Zoological Society. I’m keen on including some of your images of the Treasure oil spill. We would, of course, grant you full picture credit and mention your wonderful blog.
If you’re interested, please get in touch!
Thanks,
Nirupa.
Hi Nirupa,
Thank you for contacting me about the book you’re working on. Why don’t you e-mail me directly at dyan@thepenguinlady.com so we can discuss this further.
Regards,
Dyan
Hi Dyan,
I tried e-mailing you twice but It got returned to me both times : ( Anyway, I really enjoyed your talk last night at the Tewksbury library and started reading your book last night, it is great! It is awesome to hear people talk about a great cause that they are passionate about.
Like I told you briefly I have been trying to get my foot in the door at the New England Aqurium. I have already gone for my first interview for volunteering and are waiting to hear about a second one. I would love to get in there. They should already have my information on file but I would like to forward my resume to you as well just in case.
Keep up all the great work and keep fighting the good fight for the penquins!!
Sincerely,
Danielle
Hi Danielle!
Thank you so much for coming to my talk at the Tewksbury Library and for buying my book – I’m happy that you’re enjoying it. My apologies for the delay in responding to your message – I’m afraid it slipped through the cracks. I hope things went well with your interview at the NEAq. Have you heard anything back yet? If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. And feel free to e-mail me directly at dyan@thepenguinlady.com.
All best to you,
Dyan