Volunteer for Earth Celebrations Hudson River Pageant!

Unfortunately, I'm not able to participate as a costume performer this year, but I highly recommend it if you can! I've been in 5 or 6 Earth Celebrations pageants over the years and it is always so much fun! Here's the info:

SIGN UP TO BE A COSTUME PERFORMER, PUPPET VOLUNTEER, PARADE MARSHAL & OTHER ROLES FOR THE HUDSON RIVER PAGEANT- SAT MAY 22.

TO RESTORE THE HUDSON RIVER SPECIES & HABITATS
& ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE IN NEW YORK CITY

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : CAN WE CONFIRM YOU FOR A ROLE FOR THE HUDSON RIVER PAGEANT:

We would need you to firmly commit to all day Sat. May 22 8am-6/7pm and also save all day Sun. May 23 (as raindate in case). There is also a costume fitting on Wed. May 5th 6-8pm and a rehearsal Sat. May 15th 12-1/2pm in the Hudson River Park. Let us know if you can make above dates. Please send your phone number and address through the contact information form or email listed here: http://www.earthcelebrations.com/contact-us/

There is also a benefit party this Friday, Apr. 23rd: http://www.earthcelebrations.com/river-restoration/hudson-river-pageant-benefit/

And free puppet and costume workshops on Wednesdays and Saturdays: http://www.earthcelebrations.com/arts-pageants/hudson-river-pageant-2/

Leur Existence - Tree Project

http://www.hsny.org/images/programs/exhibitions/treeproject/treeproject_press_release.pdf
I'm super excited to be going to this exhibit at the Horticultural Society of New York today. It is a display of trees people have grown from seeds of second and third generation hibaku trees. These are trees that survived the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.

Apparently, no one thought anything would grow again for 75 years, but within two months, new buds appeared on the burnt remains of these trees that are still alive today.

Hiroshi Sunairi, who was born in Hiroshima in 1972, began giving seeds of the trees to people around the world. For this exhibition, seeds of Round Leaf Holly, Persimmon, Chinaberry, Chinese Parasol, Japanese Hackberry, Jujube and Platanus were distributed to nearly 400 participants in 23 countries. Today I'll see about 30 trees loaned by people who've been growing them here in the New York City area.

I'll be going with a good friend of mine who is an artist and plant lover as well. He makes beautiful pottery that he uses for planting, and transforms them into gorgeous terrariums. He's been in contact with the curator, who told him they still have some seeds left even though it is the last day. He is definitely going to try to grow one and I may also too. I don't know anything about growing trees, and don't have any space outside to plant one in my little yard. But I am going to try to find out what kind of care they need, and if I'd be able to grow it inside. If I think I could do a good job (I don't want to waste one of these precious seeds!) I'm going to take one too.

The horticultual society is only open to 6 during the week, and not at all on weekends so that's why I haven't been able to go until today. We get out early at 3pm for President's Day weekend so I can go today, on the last day of the exhibit! I can't wait until 3 to see these trees!!

NJ Veterans Also Growing for Peace

I just came across this article. It describes how veterans are growing vegetables in community garden plots at the VA in East Orange. I actually volunteered there many years ago, mostly helping with a literature review for a study investigating the causes of Gulf War Syndrome. I really enjoyed volunteering there, especially chatting with the veterans as I went about my research. Now they even have a community garden! I'm tempted to go back and see if I could help out with this project somehow.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this poignant story. The veterans say it gives them a measure of peace, the ability to think, and do something not just for themselves, but also the community. They even have a winter garden similar to mine, and enjoyed turnip greens on Thanksgiving day just like I did. Pretty awesome. Definitely gives me something else to ponder/be thankful about when I eat my leftovers tonight.

DIY Solar Cooker

So last night I was just about to fold up and put away that good ol summer staple to prevent burning hot steering wheels - the silver windsheild shade - when I remembered seeing this website: http://solarcooking.org/plans/windshield-cooker.htm.

Aside from being a really wonderful organization that helps people in developing nations, the site has detailed plans to build a solar cooker out of the shade. Supposedly, it will get as hot as 350 degrees F, and cook your food almost just like a regular burner.


I first saw the plans years ago, and thought it was such an intriguing idea. My mom is forever buying me these things for my car, which usually end up lying aroud unused, just like the one I was about to put away last night. It would be soo cool to set it up in the garden and cook some veggies with nothing but the power of the sun. Especially now that I was the Solar Energy Garden Spirit in the Earth Celebrations Pageant, I've got to try it!

I resolved not to put it away and to try it on the next sunny day that I'm home. According to the FAQs on that site, you can do it even way up in Canada all but the three coldest months of the year, so I think I still have a little time to try this experiment.

Unfortunately it probably won't be this weekend, since rain is predicted until Monday. But in the meantime I'm at least posting this so I won't forget. Stay tuned for another post about the results!

Up To 90% of NJ's Bats Died This Winter!

http://www.northjersey.com/environment/environmentnews/NJs_alarming_bat_die-off.html

Wow, I hadn't heard about this before. I just found it from http://twitter.com/WildNewJersey.

N.J.'s alarming bat die-off

Monday, June 29, 2009

BY JAMES M. O'NEILL

E-mail: oneillj@northjersey.com

Up to 90 percent of North Jersey's bat population was killed off over the winter by an unusual fungus that has been associated with the deaths of more than a million bats in nine states.

This brown bat captured in New Jersey was weighed and measured before being released. The die-off of bats could impact people because the animals help keep insect populations in check.

New Jersey officials are reporting severe mortality among bats at two major hibernation spots in North Jersey — the Hibernia Mine and the Mount Hope Mine in Morris County — as well as two smaller mines near the Delaware Water Gap. Tens of thousands of bats have died, experts said. An estimated 30,000 bats normally hibernate in Hibernia Mine alone, but, in mid-April, only about 750 were found alive there.

"There were thousands of carcasses on the floor," said Mick Valent, principal zoologist with the state's Endangered and Nongame Species Program.

The fungus, called white-nose syndrome for the whitish powder that appears on infected bats, was discovered on bats near Albany, N.Y., in 2007 and has since spread to nine Eastern states. Experts have lobbied Congress for emergency funds to study how and why the disease is spreading and how it might be stymied.

The disease has caused "the most precipitous decline of North American wildlife in recorded history," Thomas H. Kunz, director of Boston University's Center for Ecology and Conservation, said during a congressional hearing this month. Experts warn that as the disease spreads it could lead to the extinction of some bat species.

I always did like bats, so I'm bummed. I remember them flying above the trees that circled the round pool in my backyard when I was growing up. I wasn't scared of them, though some other people were. I'd often hear they were afraid the bats would fly in your hair, but that never happened to me and I spent a lot of time out there. I loved swimming in that good ol above ground pool, what fun that was. Wish I had one now, too bad the backyard is too small!

They best thing about bats is they eat mosquitos. It's bad enough here with the bats, imagine if they were gone completely? I really hope they don't go extinct.

There is a count you can help with, if anyone reading this locally knows past roosts. I'll be at my childhood home this weekend too, I wonder if I'll see any bats? The pool is long gone so I haven't spent much time out there in years, so I can't say how long it has been since they have even been around. And my mom who lives there is is one of the people who were scared of bats so I doubt she knows! haha But I'll look, she's taking care of my dog while I go camping, so I know we'll be out there throwing the ball with him...

Because of the large mortality of Jersey bats, the state's annual summer bat count will take on even greater significance this year. Volunteers will be asked not only to count the bats they see emerging from summer roosts, but also report on known past roosts that have no bats this summer, said Maria Grace with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, which is managing the bat count for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Interested volunteers can contact her at maria.grace@conservewildlifenj.org.

"It's always alarming when you see a species being decimated," Valent said "and we don't know what else could eventually be affected."

Hudson River Pageant Pics

Wow, the pageant this year was just absolutely amazing. It was sooo much fun walking along the Hudson! The performances, particularly the river grass dance, boat dance, and harmonic convergence singers were incredible.

You can see us in the back left corner of the above picture. Our costumes - Solar Energy and Tidal Energy, were new this year, so we actually were right at the front of the parade the whole time along with two other energy spirits - Geothermal and Wind. We even had CFL lightbulbs on our heads, that were literally plugged in to my solar panel and bill's propeller!! haha

Here we are leading the parade behind two other new costumes (both brown) - Native Species Spirits, Oyster and Terrapin Turtle.

And here's the river grass dancers:
The picture of the front of the parade with the Native Species is from here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9339981@N08/sets/72157617905267473/

The others are from here: http://theholyflame.com/hudsonriverpageant2009/

Both of these links have a lot more pics of the whole parade. I don't see any of the boat dance, which is too bad. It was soo cool - there were two big long row boats, and 4 kayakers. All of the boats were decorated and the rowers wearing costumes - they looked like something out of cirque du soleil. They paddled up and down the Hudson for about an hour, and even from far away you could see the silouette of the costume hats. Then, at the end for the performance they paddled in and did an intricate dance with their boats. One kayaker even did a full eskimo roll, in costume! I can hardly wait for next year already. :-)

Hudson Pageant Today!!

I'm so excited! Our costumes were changed last minute - I'm now Solar Power and my partner is Tidal Energy! It is so appropriate too, b/c my real name is Dawn, (and that's what aubade means too, a poem, song or dance - the last as I like to think of it - performed at or about daybreak). Also my husband surfs, and that is what originally brought us together - our mutual love of the ocean and techno music. :-)

I harvested around 40 adorable radishes this morning and am bringing them to share in a my 3 green moms reuseable baggie. They were purple, magenta, hot pink, maroon and red - so those were the Easter Egg & red globes. (The french white radishes weren't quite ready to harvest yet, they take a little longer)

I also picked a huge vase of chamomile flowers and made that into tea along with some dried lavender. Bringing that in our kleen kanteens. This was the first time I've ever made chamomile tea with fresh flowers, and wow did it come out delicious! I was surprised at just how chamomil-y it was. The tea turns the most beautiful shade of bright spring green!

Well, I better get going - the parade starts at 1pm! Volunteers have to show up by noon (and they still need some if you happen to read this and want to join!) The schedule of events is posted here: www.earthcelebrations.com

Earth Celebrations Hudson River Pageant: May 9th

Happy Belated Earth Day! I am getting so very excited for my upcoming earth celebration - when I will perform in a pageant to benefit the Hudson River. These pageants are always so much fun. I've been dressed up as a garden spirit by Felicia and her talented crew of volunteers about 6 or so times before, for 2 Winter Parades, 2 or 3 Spring Pageants, 1 television appearance and 1 charity event. The costumes and puppets are always so amazing!! They've been on hiatus for the past few years and I've missed it so much. I was thrilled when I got a call from them a few weeks ago requesting me to perform in this new parade for the Hudson!! And it is just even better that it will benefit my Hudson-Raritan Estuary, a cause I believe in as passionately as gardens. Afterall, we can't grow plants without clean water.

Here is a pic of me in the 13th Annual Spring Pageant back in 2003. Wow, I can hardly believe it was so long ago. I'm the Butterfly Spirit, wearing a purple costume with a yellow butterfly wing hat in the center. You can just see half of me behind the blue Water Spirit:The year after that, I was Mother Universe, the purple costume in the center of this picture below - which isn't me- but a picture of someone else in the costume another year.

I had such great time being Butterfly Spirit and Mother Universe. Though let me tell you, dancing with your arms held up to show off butterfly wings and universe symbol sleeves for over 8 hours is not easy!! Haha. Though it is well worth the next day's sore muscles.

I just found out today that they want me to be Wind Spirit this year. I've also convinced my partner to do it to! He is going to be Sun Spirit. I'm a little bit dissapointed, because although I didn't tell them, I really wanted to be a fish. I love fish. I may try to get it changed at the costume fitting next week. But either way, I know it will be amazing.

If you happen to be in the NYC area, they are always open to new volunteers. Anyone can participate! You can help them make the costumes at free workshops, or sign up to be a performer like me, or even carry a puppet or be a marshall. They is always more room for people to do something, even up to the day of the parade. Or just come out and watch the show!

You can find all the information here: http://www.earthcelebrations.com/

Incredible Article: Recession Veggie Garden Boom

I can hardly believe this yahoo article I just read:
Dollars from dirt: Economy spurs home garden boom by Gillian Flaccus, Mar 15, 2009

Apparently there is a huge boom in vegetable gardening. Just look at these numbers quoted in the article:

• Industry surveys show double-digit growth in the number of home gardeners this year and mail-order companies report such a tremendous demand that some have run out of seeds for basic vegetables such as onions, tomatoes and peppers.
• "People's home grocery budget got absolutely shredded and now we've seen just this dramatic increase in the demand for our vegetable seeds. We're selling out," said George Ball, CEO of Burpee Seeds, the largest mail-order seed company in the U.S. "I've never seen anything like it." Burpee saw a 20 percent spike in sales in the last year.
• A new report by the National Gardening Association predicts a 19 percent increase in home gardening in 2009, based on spring seed sales data and a telephone survey. One-fifth of respondents said they planned to start a food garden this year and more than half said they already were gardening to save on groceries.
• Seed companies say this renaissance has rescued their vegetable business after years of drooping sales. Orders for vegetable seeds have skyrocketed, while orders for ornamental flowers are flat or down, said Richard Chamberlin, president of Harris Seeds in Rochester, N.Y.
• Business there has increased 40 percent in the last year, with the most growth among vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes and kitchen herbs that can thrive in small urban plots or patio containers, he said. Harris Seeds recently had to reorder pepper and tomato seeds.

Personally, I wouldn't say that the recession spurred my interest in backyard gardening. I'd been longing to grow my own veggies for all 8 years that I lived in New York City, just knowing how much goes into trucking produce into that smoggy island metropolis. (not to mention, the extremely poor quality of these poor veggies so far from their home) It never seemed to me that this was a long term sustainable option, and I've always much preferred a garden over mowing a lawn!

But, it is certainly interesting to see more of the population getting on this bandwagon. It gives me a little bit more hope for the future.

The article also mentioned there is a petition asking Obama to grow an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn. I love it! If you'd like to sign it too, here's the link: http://www.eattheview.org/

Update 3/19/09: Well, I'll be darned. Yes he will! The Obamas are going to plant a veggie garden at the Whitehouse! Fantastic.

Inauguration Day Postcard for Peace Campaign 2009

Happy New Year 2009!

OK so the following isn't exactly garden related but I'm going to post it anyway.

Coming soon: the New Year's Day harvest pics (we got kale, spinach, 3 baby carrots and parsley) plus recipes for wonderful lavender & calendula bath salts and potpourri holiday gifts!

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Inauguration Day Postcard for Peace Campaign 2009

The current national US Dept. of Peace campaign action is to send postcards to President Elect Obama on Inauguration Day asking him to make funding violence prevention programs a top priority of his presidency.

Some suggested ideas you can use or adapt:

* Make violence reduction and prevention a top priority in your first term
* Violence prevention is cost effective
* Invest in proven methods and research on best practices
* Strengthen peacekeeping efforts at home and internationally through diplomacy and humanitarian assistance
* As part of the Department of Peace campaign, I am urging that violence prevention and peacebuilding programs and policy be one of the top priorities of your legacy.

For more information, click here: http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/view/610/36/

In addition, the New York DoP chapter suggests that you ask 10 "key community leaders" to send postcards. These are people who represent many others, such as the president of a nonprofit organization, college professors doing research on nonviolence, hospital administrators, clergy, etc. Research shows that support from key leaders is most effective when lobbying for a cause. Think about who you might know in your community and ask them to write a postcard too!

Collect as many postcards as you can between now and January 20, 2009!

VERY IMPORTANT: Please let me know in the comments if you collect any - it will help our campaign keep track of results.

On January 20, 2009, mail all of your postcards to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenuew NW
Washington, DC 20500

Thanks for reading - feel free to pass on to anyone you think might be interested!