Ian Somerhalder of “The Vampire Diaries” and LOST series has long been a proponent of animal rights – it is something he talks about frequently on his Twitter page, in interviews, and also when he is going about his day-to-day business. Last month, he took part in a charity event for an animal shelter in Louisiana. Now, the actor has created his own foundation in order to help protect some of the creatues that roam this earth. Visit the new Ian Somerhalder Foundation page, it opens up with the actor's self-proclaimed “birthday wish” for all mankind: “Supporting and nurturing all life on this pretty blue planet is a very important commitment I am taking to the next level. You may have heard that to create positive change I've started a foundation. Well it's true! The IS Foundation aims to empower, educate & collaborate with people & projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures.” As previously reported, Somerhalder will have a further opportunity to discuss this foundation on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday night. The actor will officially celebrate his 32nd birthday on Wednesday. As for “The Vampire Diaries,” the final episode of the season (entitled “By the Light of the Moon”) is scheduled to air Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on The CW. BM