Description
What it is
A pair of black-footed ferret earrings from Jabebo, the Bellefonte, Pennsylvania studio run by Kevin and Mary Abbott. Kevin draws the species art, and the earrings are laser-cut from upcycled cereal box paperboard on surgical steel hooks.
About the design
The mismatched pair shows the black-footed ferret in two stances, one peeking up out of a burrow and one crouched low. The species was thought extinct twice in the 20th century, then rediscovered on a Wyoming ranch in 1981. Conata Basin in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, about 80 miles east of the Black Hills, now holds the largest reintroduced population in North America.
How they are made
The base is post-consumer cereal box paperboard, collected from friends and neighbors around Jabebo’s studio in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Each design is laminated front-to-back for stiffness, the species artwork is bonded to the surface, and the shapes are laser-cut. A paperboard back is glued on, the earring is sealed with a natural shellac topcoat, and since 2018 a second clear epoxy coat adds water resistance and a smoother feel. The hooks are surgical steel.
Specifications
- Motif size: approximately 1 inch per earring
- Weight: approximately 0.2 oz per pair (1 oz shipping with card and packaging)
- Materials: upcycled cereal box paperboard, shellac topcoat, epoxy topcoat (2018+), surgical steel ear-wires
- Hardware: French-style surgical steel ear-wires (hooks)
- Mismatched pair: two different poses of the same species
- Made in: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, USA, by Jabebo (Kevin and Mary Abbott)
Who is this for
A keepsake for anyone who followed the ferret recovery story, visited the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, or did a ferret-spotlight tour at Conata Basin. It is also the design that ties most directly to BHPFA’s conservation work.
Frequently asked questions
Are the two earrings identical?
No. Each pair shows the same species in two different poses, so they read as a set rather than a mirror image. Wearing them as a pair is the intent; the asymmetry is the design.
Are they really made from cereal boxes?
Yes. Jabebo collects post-consumer cereal boxes in Bellefonte, laminates the panels for thickness, bonds the artwork to the surface, and laser-cuts each earring. The display card is paperboard too. The studio goes through more than 100 boxes a week.
What metal are the ear-wires?
Surgical steel French-style hooks. Most people with metal sensitivities can wear them without reaction. They are not sterling silver or gold-filled.
How does this connect to ferret conservation?
BHPFA runs the Black-Footed Ferret Protection Program at Conata Basin, which funds vaccinations against sylvatic plague, prairie dog habitat protection, and monitoring of the reintroduced population.
Does buying this support national parks?
BHPFA is the official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands. Proceeds from every purchase support education programs, conservation projects, and visitor services at these sites.
