We are back from Joshua Tree in time to Celebrate our Planet and her Amazing Diversity of Life: Plant, Animal and Geological.  I will be hosting an Earthday Show & Tell.  Kids can bring or share special memories of their planet, or how they have made it better.  Here are a few ways my family and our involved friends have made a difference by protecting as well as enjoying Earth. 

One way we can is by planting seeds, growing our own food, and experiencing the cycle of plantlife. 

The craft for Earthday is PLANTING. 

We will need: Seeds and Seedlings you wish to share. And a stack of Newspapers so I can show everyone how to make biodegradable potters to bring your plants home and put in your indoor or outdoor gardens.  If anyone has Milkweed plants which is the only food for Monarchs, bring those to share too.

My family has taken many conservation “walk-abouts” with Tracker Rob.  In conjunction with the Tree people, we have taken out invasive plants and planted indigenous species.  As members of the Topanga Wildlife Youth Group, my children participated in a sacred red-tailed hawk release as well as helped biologists record, research and remove invasive crayfish from the Topangacreek. For several years, I volunteered by going out around midnight to count the elusive grunion fish that come ashore to mate during sprint and summertime full moons. Find out a way that you can get involved to help protect your environments and the your personal web-of-life.  Your family will have a sense of pride and an added connection to the world outdoors.  This is one of the best ways to prevent cynicism and complacency from taking hold of a human being.

Recently, Esme and I took in a concert with Samite , born and raised in Uganda, fled to Kenya as a refuge in 92′.  He has founded a few organizations including Musicians for World Harmony.   Samite was the subject of the documentary, “Song of the Refuge” and featured in the doc that is freestreaming on Netflix, “Alive Inside,” about using music to awaken the spirit of those in later stages of Alzheimers.  Samite, played many instruments for us including the Kalimba.  He also had us join in with him as he sang a beautiful song  that he calls his Dalia Lama song, as he performed it for him once.  Samite joked about how silly it seemed to him how everyone backstage cried after the Dalai Lama thanked them for their songs, until he did the exact same thing.

Samite is also one of the artists on Putumayo’s African Playground album – track #8 titled – Munomuno

With a bit of wood-working (sanding and maybe even sawing) as well as screwing into wood – anyone can create their own hand held finger piano or Kalima/Mbira.

I will also get the kids to join in on the live telling/acting out of a Griot tale (African Folktale).  Drums and other instruments will make great accompaniments – so bring your instruments.

Last week at the Broad Stage, some of us had the opportunity to learn from Steve Winter, a 20 year veteran of National Geographic, about Big Cats, their habitats and how to help protect them. With his videos and photos, he enthralled us with stories of how he photographed and wrote the first Jaguar story to make it in National Geographic;  his coldest adventures capturing the image of Snow leopards in the Himalayas; evading charging Rhinoceroses while shooting tigers, and his most recent photo stake-out to collect  images of LA’s Puma, P-22 whilst roaming near the Hollywood sign in Griffith park.

Steve Winters also lit a fire about the possible LAND BRIDGE that Los Angeles is considering, that would allow wild animals, like our resident Mountain Lion P-22 to go back and forth from Griffith Park to Santa Monica Mountain Range.  One location proposed is less than a mile from where our homeschool co-op meets up weekly.

To see some of these African and Asiatic cats in person, about a dozen MudPies and Butterflies Families have visited CatHaven just outside Sequoia national Park during on our annual Family Campouts.  Here we met Clouded Leopards, Jaguars, Jaguarundis, Cervils, Caracals, Tigers, Lions, Leopard cubs, a Cheetah and a Snow Leopard that licked the founder’s bald spot (through a fence, but still!)  These creatures are ambassadors for all North American humans to better understand the need to protect not only Big Cats of Asia and Africa, but why protecting their habitats and the surrounding villagers is also crucial.  Take the time with us, or with your families, to experience the majesty of these animals and your role in ensuring your descendants will also have them in their world.

Inspired by Steve Winter’s stake-out in Griffith Park, my daughters picked Mountain Lions to investigate and study at a deeper level.  Ula drew their favorite prey, the Mule Deer.  Esme drew the camouflaged cub, and to highlight what we learned about the “crepuscular” hunter’s eyes, I drew the face of a Mother Mountain lion.  (More cones than rods, pupils dilate 3 times wider than humans, etc).