Green Gal

Thought for Thursday

2011-12-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

"After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with color, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn't it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it? This is how I answer when I am asked -- as I am surprisingly often -- why I bother to get up in the mornings."
- Richard Dawkins

Pinecrest Lake in Winter

Long Time No See!

2011-12-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

Now that I finally have a break from school and will soon be on a break from work, I figured I should update the blogosphere about what I've been up to and share some snapshots of the past few months. I am going to try to post weekly green tips again, even if they are brief, especially during the next month since I am now on break from school.

The first environmental news from my life that I have to share with you is that this quarter, I got a job working in the UCSC Sustainability Office! I am the Internship Coordinator Assistant, which means I process timesheets, create lots of instructional Google Documents for the office, update the office calendar, and compile and send out the office's monthly newsletter, Greening UCSC. I am loving this job, especially all of the opportunities it has opened for me in the sustainability community on campus. This quarter I also became a voting committee member on the Carbon Fund Committee (whose staff members work in the Sustainability Office), which gives out money to qualified applicants seeking to put on projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus and in the Santa Cruz community. I may post more about this later, but we just had our Fall Funding round, and it was amazing see to see how many different ideas are out there that students have for making our campus a more sustainable institution.

Also this quarter, I've been a more active member of Path to a Greener Stevenson (PTAGS), the environmental organization in my college. I am the photographer for the group, as well as a representative for PTAGS both on the Carbon Fund Committee and the Sustainabiliteam, a newly-formed team of representatives for all the sustainability organizations on campus.

Additionally, I've continued to work toward certification in the Experiential Leadership Program through the Recreation Department. I took the Fall Seminar course, a course on Risk Management, and I now update the ELP Facebook page with news and reminders for others working toward certification.

It's been a busy quarter to say the least.

Add to that three classes with plenty of reading and papers, and it's no wonder I haven't updated since August. But I do hope to change that, as I mentioned. Even if it's just a photograph of life at UCSC, I am going to try to post at least once a week.

For now, here are some photographs from the quarter.

Mushroom Foraging: North Coast
Everything in this basket is edible.

Walking back to my dorm from work in November:

Thanks for reading!
Green Gal

Seems fitting to use this quote, one of my all-time favorites, after this quarter:
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
-- Mahatma Gandhi

End of CYES 2011 Barbecue & Final Counts

2011-08-12T23:57:00.000-07:00

I got paid to eat spicy ice cream today. And I didn't have to pay for the two scoops, either.

It was spicy because it was peach habanero flavor, and it was free and I got paid for it because of Rising Sun Energy Center and California Youth Energy Services.

I'll rewind. Today was my last day of working for California Youth Energy Services for Summer 2011. All twelve cities celebrated the successful summer of changing lightbulbs and showerheads, among many other things, in a park in Berkeley.
Buddy, the CYES mascot
I played soccer for the first time in years, remembering after a few minutes why I hadn't played in so long. (I'm quite scared of getting kicked in the shins or having a ball knock the air out of my lungs, so I only kicked the ball when no one else was trying to gain possession of it. I stepped out of the game at the first opportunity, but I did have fun!) I also ate delicious food and had lunch for one final time with my awesome team of fellow Energy Specialists and my two wonderful managers. I performed a skit with them, as well, and cheered for all of them, including my favorite Leader in Field Training, Jasmin, when each of us received recognition for attendance, service and completion of the program, which is considered a training and employment program.

This was the first year the program was in my city, but that didn't stop us from placing 3rd in the program-wide challenge (hence the money for free ice cream...also, the barbecue ended early, so we went out for ice cream in Berkeley before heading home, and we get paid until 6:00 PM...sooo that's how I was getting paid to eat ice cream!). We visited 274 homes, changed 3,365 lightbulbs, replaced 44 showerheads and 244 aerators, and swapped out 60 halogen lamps (dangerous fire hazard and huge waste of energy) for energy efficient 55-watt CFL torchieres for free in the past six weeks.

We passed many of our goals, especially for 15-watt flood lights. Not only did we numerically pass our goals, it certainly felt fulfilling each day to come back to the office knowing we had educated members of our community on energy and water conservation and provided personalized suggestions for them.

We had a referrals race throughout the six-week program within our site. Without these referrals, we never would have fulfilled our house calls goal. We weren't allowed to canvass door-to-door in our city, as other sites were. We relied on word of mouth, advertisements in the newspaper, visits to public places like the farmer's market and the senior center by our outreach manager, news articles, and client and team referrals.I had such a great summer working for CYES and getting to know my awesome team, and I really hope I get an opportunity to return to CYES next year :-)

Here are some more pictures from the barbecue and ice cream today in Berkeley:

Cross-Country Bike Ride, and End of CYES

2011-08-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Thomas Fullam, who works for the City of Pleasanton, and two friends are riding their bikes from Oregon to Virginia, updating a blog about their travels along the way. They leave today, and plan to cycle into Yorktown, Virginia, on October 10.

Read the full article that I wrote about the trip on Pleasanton.Patch.com here.

Check back this weekend for a blog post about my experience working for California Youth Energy Services. Today was our last day of Green House Calls, and tomorrow we find out our totals and attend a barbecue to celebrate with all twelve sites. It has certainly been a fulfilling summer.

To read more about CYES, click here.

Helping the Planet, One House at a Time

2011-06-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Did you know that for the many uses we have for freshwater, and for the billions of people living on Earth, that we can only use 0.01% of all the water on Earth? Are you aware that the leaky toilet in your bathroom might be wasting 200 gallons of water daily? How about this: Energy Star rated CFL lightbulbs (the curly ones) use 75% less energy than incandescent lightbulbs because rather than produce heat to make light, they rely on a chemical reaction that takes far less energy to create.

No, I didn't look these startling facts up online. I learned them today, among dozens of others, during training as an Energy Specialist for California Youth Energy Services, a program of the non-profit organization Rising Sun Energy Center. CYES provides free home energy & water consultations (Green House Calls) to increase the energy and water efficiency of homes in the San Francisco Bay Area, thus saving residents money on their utility bills.

Founded in 2000, California Youth Energy Services has 12 sites in the Bay Area this summer. Over the past eleven years, it has trained more than 550 young people and served over 12,000 homes. CYES provides this free service to PG&E customers who are interested in doing their part for the earth and saving money on utility bills. The program employs youth from the community and trains them on conducting green energy audits and replacing lightbulbs and showerheads with energy-efficient ones, among other basic services, all for free!

This if the first year that CYES has come to my city, and I'm so excited to be part of it! I'm being trained this week on how to replace showerheads and faucet aerators; how to install a retractable clothesline; how to insulate water heater pipes; and how to assess a person's home on its energy efficiency, offer homeowners and renters suggestions for further energy and water saving solutions, and be able to educate residents in my city on climate change, why this program is valuable not only to the earth, but also to their wallets, and why being conscious of environmental impact behaviors is important. I definitely have to say that this job is the most fitting job for Green Gal that could ever exist! I especially like the fact that this job isn't furthering the consumeristic, "buy-buy-buy" mindset that is plaguing our society. In fact, it's in some ways trying to reverse this by beginning with at-home resource conservation and efficiency behaviors, which can lead to more eco-educated and conscious consumers and citizens.

If you happen to live in the Bay Area and want to learn more or sign up for a Green House Call, please visit the Rising Sun Energy website here: http://www.risingsunenergy.org/content/greencall.html.

(Just a note: The opinions represented in this post and throughout the Green Gal blog do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of California Youth Energy Services or Rising Sun Energy Center. I'm not representing CYES or Rising Sun Energy Center in this post, just sharing information and hoping to spread the word about this awesome program!)

Thanks for reading!
Green Gal

---

"Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race."
-- James Joyce

Recycling, and Social Change

2011-03-11T15:33:00.000-08:00

Need another reason to recycle? Sometimes it's easier to just toss a recyclable into a nearby trashcan than to wait until you find a recycling bin, but here's a good reason to wait and dispose of it properly:

"Paper takes up 40-50 percent of the volume in American landfills. Despite the growing commitment to local recycling programs, the amount of paper is steadily rising--up from 35 percent in 1970. The rest of a landfill consists of in descending order of volume, construction/demolition debris, metals, plastics, other materials, food and yard waste, and glass."

That quote is from my Archaeology textbook, Archaeology: Down to Earth by Robert L. Kelly and David Hurst Thomas (4th edition, published 2011 by Wadsworth CENGAGE Learning). A lot of the stuff listed there is recyclable and shouldn't even be in the landfill. We could save a whole lot of space for actual garbage by recycling things that are recyclable--especially paper!

On another note, in core class today, two local activists (a skate shop owner and a Santa Cruz mother with a culinary degree) spoke to the class about the volunteer activism groups they've started. In our class, we've read Gandhi, Malcolm X, MLK, Thoreau, and other thinkers who have enlightened us to various methods of enacting social change. The purpose of having real people come talk to us about how they are enacting social change was to make it clear that we aren't just reading these books so we can fill our minds with cool ideas; we're supposed to use this knowledge and these ideas to do something in the world. As Analicia Cube, founder of Take Back Santa Cruz, put it: "Take those ideas. Then go do something with it." She saw an issue in her community--gang activity, criminal activity, violence--and decided she'd had enough. She saw that the acts of violence and the criminal activity in Santa Cruz were degrading society, making Santa Cruz an unsafe place. People get angry every time something violent happened, but then the anger dissipates with time. Cube has a culinary degree, so it's no surprise that she likened the issue she sees to how a frog will jump out of an already-boiling pot of water, but if you put him in the pot and slowly cook him, he will sit there and cook. It wasn't enough to sit back and let the police deal with the gangs; she needed to do something.

She began her organization through Facebook, gaining membership by standing on a corner with a sign on Halloween and returning home to find 1,000 new members on her Facebook page. Her description of the methods enacted by her group reminded us all of Gandhi: non-violent protest. One of the things Take Back Santa Cruz has done is stand at the corner of Laurel and Pacific downtown where drug dealings take place. They get a big group together, peacefully resisting the illegal activity going on. Cube recounted an incident when a drug dealer approached her and asked her what was up. She said "Well, you certainly aren't dealing drugs this evening, that's what's up." Her passion for safety in her community is evident, and she certainly has attitude.

I really liked her message about positivity. She told us there's a reason they don't have signs and they aren't screaming in protest. That's a negative way to enact change, and she's all about positivity. In responding to a question about her relationship with local government and the city council, she said that though there are issues on which she disagrees with the members of city council, she chooses to live in the sliver of agreement that she's managed to find in each of them. She doesn't live in the place of disagreement, but finds a common ground in order to develop a relationship with each member. "The police, the fire department, the city council are all tools of society," she said. "Society has to employ them, though. They aren't going to go out and solve all the issues." Rather than resist the assets available to her as a leader for change, she chooses to utilize them and cooperate with them.

The other speaker, Danny Keith, agreed that it's important to be positive. Keith owns Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop and he began an organization called Grind Out Hunger. From the website:

Grind Out Hunger was created through the vision of skateboarders helping kids overcome hunger. Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop founded Grind Out Hunger with the one goal of inspiring kids to help kids; Danny Keith mentions “by going directly to the schools and talking with the kids, it has a huge impact.” Grind Out Hunger is an educational piece challenging local elementary, middle and high schools to raise food and money for hungry children in the community.... Keith continues “The collaboration between students and Grind Out Hunger has been very successful raising over 500,000 pounds together”.

Here's a video from the Grind Out Hunger website: Click here.

Keith remarked that though skateboarders tend to be anarchists and that he doesn't believe he really needs the government/city council or any other organizations to help Grind Out Hunger be successful, he agrees that they are tools that can be helpful in the process of helping others. It was clear from his presentation that his biggest concern is feeding kids, since they are put in the circumstance of poverty. Their poverty isn't typically because of any decisions or mistakes they've made, but because they were born into it. Both Keith and Cube said that at points in their lives, they've looked at themselves in the mirror every morning to reinforce a positive, you-can-do-it mindset. "You have to believe in yourself before anyone else will," Keith remarked.

It was interesting to listen to individuals who are actively participating in causes they are passionate about. It was cool to see the ideas we've been reading manifested in real people. It isn't as though they necessarily read the texts we've been studying and decided to go out and live them; they have just found similar paths to enacting change. Getting an education means being exposed to these ideas, being able to put them into action, and recognizing their use in other contexts, which can help us determine which have been effective for others. Cube told us to constantly be curious and to discover what we're passionate about so we can do something with this education we're fortunate enough to be receiving. Needless to say, it was a very inspiring day in core class!

So, lessons learned today: Recycle everything recyclable, and don't let society be the frog that is unknowingly boiling in the pot. Wake up the frog/society and figure out how to turn off the stove/solve an issue you see taking place.

Have a fantastic weekend!
--Green Gal

P.S. I can see the white angry tsunami waves from campus...usually I can't see any white indicating a wave. I'm avoiding the beach for sure. At least Santa Cruz is a "city on a hill" so I won't be swallowed up by ocean. I feel so sad for the people of Japan. I can't imagine how terrifying that must be for everyone there and for everyone who has family or friends there. Japan and everyone affected in some way by the tsunami are in my prayers.

During a walk after class with my teacher, a student pointed out that while in Japan people's lives and livelihoods were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami, in Santa Cruz, some boats sunk and the piers were mangled, and everyone's freaking out. The news this morning on TV, or at least the channel I was watching, was all about the boats. My teacher remarked, referencing the fact that we read Marx earlier this quarter, "Oh no! The bourgeoisie's yachts have been destroyed! How terrible!" Yes, the people who lost their boats in Santa Cruz and throughout California are in my prayers, too, particularly those whose boats are how they make a living. But I do wonder why the news this morning spent so much time talking about Santa Cruz, tsunami-wave-riding-surfers, and the tide here when that time could have been spent reminding us of the real tragedies across the Pacific and what is being done and can be done to help them.

Hello, Spring?

2011-03-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

You know those days that just feel like a particular season? They have some quality that reminds you of the typical feeling you get during that season? Well this morning it feels like Spring outside. When I woke up this morning, I opened up my shades and saw sunlight in the redwoods, and just now as I walked back from the dining hall, I could hear myriad birds chirping. It's a homework day, but it would be nice to explore the forest. As I walked back into my house, I saw a group of students in hiking boots and shorts gathering to leave for a hike. Unfortunately, I have to sit in front of my laptop today and listen to the lectures that I didn't attend for Archaeology class. But I'll keep the shades open and maybe venture out to the Stevenson Knoll for some sun later...

I'll leave you with a poem by Rabindranath Tagore:

Who are you, reader, reading my poems an hundred years hence?
I cannot send you one single flower from this wealth of the spring, one single
streak of gold from yonder clouds.
Open your doors and look abroad.

From your blossoming garden gather fragrant memories of the vanished flowers of an hundred years before.
In the joy of your heart may you feel the living joy that sang one spring
morning, sending its glad voice across an hundred years.
-- "The Gardener 85," Rabindranath Tagore

Snow, Salamanders and Sinkholes

2011-02-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

At nine o'clock this morning, I put a pair of binoculars around my neck and stuffed a small red notebook into my pocket before setting off with a group of four other UCSC students led by UCSC Museum of Natural History curator Chris Lay. I had signed up for this Natural History of the UCSC Campus one-day class last quarter, but it had been cancelled due to rain. Today, even with the threat of snow, the class was still on. It was chilly but fortunately not raining as we set off from the UCSC Recreation Department toward the East Field.

After introductions, Chris asked if there was anything we particularly wanted to see. An environmental studies major named Shannon, who I talked with throughout the hike, said "any mammals other than deer and ground squirrels." We all laughed because moments before we had seen about 25 ground squirrels on the hill by Stevenson College, and deer are ubiquitous throughout the campus. Chris said he hoped today's hike would take us places we'd never before explored on campus; it turned out I hadn't been to the majority of the places we walked to.

The first natural history sighting we had was a Say's phoebe on a fence post (my handheld camera is broken, so I wasn't able to take any pictures from today's hike, hence the photos from other sources. Each photo is linked to its source.)

Chris told us that this bird is a fly-catcher, venturing from its perch to catch flies and bugs with its wide, pointy bill and then returning to its perch. It has a dark head and a yellow-brown underside, and its call can be described as "whiney." Chris remarked that they are often found in open areas, like the meadow east of East Field where we spotted it. The "binos" (birding lingo for binoculars) were a necessity on the hike. Without them, most of the creatures we saw would have been distant dots. My eyes are definitely not trained for spotting birds in the distance, so it always took me a few seconds to determine where to look.

In the same meadow, we also spotted a male Anna's hummingbird performing an intimidation display. It flies straight up, really high, and then dives down in a j-curve. A "zoop" noise at the end of the dive is created by its tail. This hummingbird, one of two found on the UCSC campus, lives here year-round.

Our next sighting was flora. Non-native, weedy wild radish, of the mustard family. Interestingly, this plant's flowers have four petals and six stamen, unique to its family. It has purple, yellow or white flowers and tastes a little like cauliflower.
We continued down the meadow until we came to a gash in the ground, where it looked like the earth was sinking into itself. It was, actually, because it was a sinkhole, one of many found on campus. We ventured into it. It just looks like a depression in the ground, but upon closer inspection, a hole covered with rocks can be seen, no bottom in sight. Sinkholes are not common in most topography. When it rains in a normal valley, the water drains down through the valley by creek or river. In a sinkhole, however, the water just goes through a hole in the ground, like a bathtub drain. There's limestone underneath the whole campus, which was created in the ocean a looooong time ago from the buildup of dead organisms. The San Andreas Fault line, about 10 miles east of us, is bent, and so there is sliding and pushing; because the two sides of the fault are of the same density, this fault created the Santa Cruz Mountains. The limestone under the campus contains calcium carbonate, which is dissolved when water runs over it. When it rains, the water dissolves the limestone and carries it away toward the ocean. Some rocks that had been piled into the sinkhole were put there because, as Chris said, "they don't want it to eat the East Remote Parking lot."

There are sinkholes all over campus, creating a honeycombed rock layer under the soil. When Chris brings a geologist out to this sinkhole with his 2-unit Natural History of the UCSC campus class, the geologist says that he doesn't walk over sinkholes because of their potential instability.

Chris talked about the various sinkholes and caverns around campus that most students don't know about. McHenry Library has been worked on for years; it's supposed to reopen this summer. One reason for this prolonged construction is that when they went to reinforce a corner of the building, they found that there was nothing to reinforce it with: the earth had sunk away from the building. Science and Engineering Library is bridged across a cavern. J Baskin Engineering was built on stilts because of its proximity to a sinkhole. This topography also accounts for the many caves on campus, including the well-known Porter Cave, which I ventured into my first evening on campus.

As we traversed meadows in lower campus, I silently was thankful that I'd chosen UC Santa Cruz over another school like Davis. UC Santa Cruz has the coolest natural history! So many things to discover and so much biological diversity. I'm definitely signing up for Chris's 2-unit Natural History of UCSC winter course next year.

While standing in East Meadow, Chris mentioned how California grasslands have been infiltrated with non-native species over time, due to the introduction of cattle in the 1850s and exotic grasses. I had pointed out plantain to Shannon earlier, and we'd each tasted a leaf. She asked if plantain was native, and Chris said no.

We crossed the road and wandered near the Village and the Farm. The Village is located in an old quarry. The campus grounds had many uses before UCSC was established; originally, of course, it was the home of the Ohlone (I'm hesitant to use this name because I've been researching local Native American tribes for a research paper I'm writing on missionization, anthropology and the effects of colonization of this area on the ability of local tribes to become federally-recognized, and Ohlone was a word created by anthropologists...it's better than "Costanoan," and it is generally acceptable by the local tribes, but I still feel a little iffy using it to generalize the original inhabitants of this land). Seventy-five to 100 years ago, limestone quarries were created on the campus grounds. The limestone was burned to extract the lime, which was used in concrete and other things. To burn the limestone, they clearcutted the redwoods for fuel. The trees reforested themselves, but in the large meadows on campus, stumps were removed for grazing. (The Ohlone used to burn meadows in order to clear out brush for easier hunting and so that native plants would grow with the fertile soil.)

We passed a bay tree and each of us grabbed a leaf and crushed it in our hands. Chris told us that bay tree leaves are related to the bay used in cooking, but that they are much stronger and shouldn't be used in that way. Bay tree leaves are particularly pungent, and something about them causes extreme reactions in certain people.

Up in the sky, we noticed a white-tailed kite, which was kiting, or stopping midair by flapping its wings to look down on its prey (think of a kite standing still in the air). Other birds can kite, as well, but kites don't need the stiff wind others need because of its unique shoulder joints. It's related to the hawk.
Near the Village, Chris pointed out a patch of wild radish. Beside it were some native grasses, then a patch of mud and then another layer of native grasses. On the mud patch were a bunch of little piles of dirt. He cautioned us not to walk over the mud, for it was home to, he estimated, a few 1000 bees. The bees had been hibernating all winter and had come out to get some radish pollen and lay eggs in holes in the mud. After they mate, dig holes, lay their eggs and seal the holes off from rain, the bees die and the babies are born next year. With all the rain we've had, the bees have had to dig themselves out of the dirt, hence the piles. We looked closely and noticed a bunch of bees laying on the surface, unmoving. Chris picked one up. It didn't look like a bee, no yellow and black stripes. It was a solitary bee, meaning these bees are not part of a colony with a queen. The bee wasn't dead, but it was too cold to move around much or fly. To tell the difference between a solitary bee and a fly is that bees have two sets of wings, and flies only have one. The bee has two eyes on the side of its head, as well as three "microeyes" on the top. The bee lay in Chris's hand for awhile and then the sun came out, it warmed up, and it flew away.

We walked through the Great Meadow. I spotted a brush rabbit by a wood pile. It's the only rabbit found around UCSC, and it's a cottontail rabbit, with the white bushy tail. We came across a little alligator lizard under a piece of wood (who was cold and docile until he warmed up), as well as a slender salamander in the defensive posture.

I should really start working on homework, so I will have to shorten my description of the day. On the rest of the hike, we saw: some fungi, a newt carcass, a red-tailed hawk, chickweed, jimson weed, a baby roughskinned newt (which I held! it's cute little hands were fumbling along like a crawling infant), an awesome green Pacific chorus frog, a brown Pacific chorus frog, the mima meadow where crazy, rare mima mounds are found (read about them here!), a coyote, Fremont star lily, a bell-shaped mushroom, Johnny jump up flower, soap root, California buttercups, suncups, and SNOW! It snowed on us as we entered Cave Gulch. The snow was more like snowy hail, but it was incredible! I never thought I'd be wandering campus in the snow at UC Santa Cruz! It was a little chilly, and Shannon remarked when the sun shone through some clouds at one point, "I feel like those bees and lizards when the sun came out!"

By that point, it was already past 12pm, which was when the class was supposed to end. We made our way back to the east side of campus. My notebook is now filled with 9 pages of natural history, and I've learned to identify a variety of different plants and animals. Great way to start off my Saturday!

-- Green Gal

Passionate anxious freedom toward death.

2011-02-22T18:27:00.000-08:00

I'm writing an essay right now. Okay, well not right this minute, but I'm in the process of writing an essay. Topic: Basic tenets of Malcolm X's philosophy compared with Martin Luther King Jr. Supposed to be 4-5 pages. Almost at 5, and I've still got a few more paragraphs about Malcolm X to write. Greeeeat! So I thought I'd share some pictures I just took in my room since that's definitely going to help me reduce my paper length. Enjoy!

Why, yes, those are Egyptian hieroglyphs! My boyfriend is taking a class in hieroglyphics, so he wrote my name for me!

My desk, where I am about to continue writing my essay. (BTW, that white thing next to my Malcolm X book is this awesome tool that keeps your book propped open so you can eat, transcribe or hands-free read your book! You should get one!)

The quote on my white board. My Stevenson Core class teacher, Mr. Schafer, spoke about Heidegger on Friday. I'm enjoying every minute of my finite journey toward death! Yeah life!

Happy Tuesday!
-- Green Gal

Tuesday Thoughts

2011-02-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

I just returned from the dining hall after eating a delicious omelet scramble. My large brown bear mug is filled with the rich, suprisingly well-made coffee the dining hall serves, and it's sitting here on my desk, wafting wonderful scents into the room. When I got back to my house, I checked on the laundry I'd put in the wash right before leaving for breakfast, and my timing was perfect: the laundry was finished washing just as I walked in. Don't you just love when things work out like that?

After I post this, I will return to my reading assignment that is supposed to be completed by noon today for my Native American studies lecture. We're reading Native Features: Indigenous Films from Around the World by Houston Wood. I have to read to chapter 9, and then I'll move on to Archaeology homework. This book on films is quite interesting, as it describes many of the central themes found in indigenous films, as well as analyzes the issues with stereotype found in films about indigenous people made by non-indigenous people. We've watched some of the movies in class, including Rabbit-Proof Fence and Smoke Signals. I've never taken a class that analyzes film, so it's been a different experience for me to do so in the context of Native American studies. The class isn't only about film, but learning to decode popular media and recognize the dominant discourse and challenge it is definitely a central part of the class. We're learning to see the portrayal of Native American peoples in a different way, to question the accepted notions we have of the "Indian," and to understand why the stereotypes, mascots and iconic depictions are detrimental to Native American people. If Santa Cruz had a Native American studies major, I'd almost definitely be working toward it. The closest major Santa Cruz offers is American Studies with a concentration in Native American studies. I'm leaning toward that over Anthropology at this point, but I don't have to declare any majors until the end of next quarter. I'm also still considering Literature as a possible major. Next quarter, I'm planning on taking another American Studies class (my Native American studies class is American Studies 80E), as well as a Literature class, so I can make a decision about what major I'd like to declare. I could always change it. There are just so many wonderful options to choose from!

But, I should probably get back to my schoolwork. I spent the weekend snow camping in Yosemite, and as a result, I am a little behind in my reading. I went with a group from the UCSC Recreation Department, and we camped about a mile from Badger Pass, on the way to Dewey Point. It was an excellent, challenging, chilly trip. Perhaps I'll post about it on a future blog post.

The weather here in Santa Cruz today is typical...it's the kind of weather students here love. Overcast, but not too chilly. I've got my turtleneck sweater on and my down jacket handy (I definitely learned how to stay warm on my snow camping trip, and I've already put that knowledge to use on campus). My coffee and my reading assignment are waiting for me...

How is your day going? Post in the comments!

Happy Tuesday!
Isn't life awesome?

- Green Gal

---

Breathe in experience. Muriel Rukeyser

This Slug is Taking a Midterm

2011-02-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this slug isn't taking a midterm, but this slug (as in ME!) is taking a midterm, at 12pm today! It's a Native American studies class, so I'm actually a little excited since that's one of my favorite topics. Of course, I'd rather take a hike and come across some fellow Banana Slugs, but I am in college to learn, after all.

Have a good one.
- Green Gal

Inspired Babbling!

2011-01-28T14:38:00.001-08:00

It's Friday! I wish I could express fully how stoked off life I am right now...and maybe that's the double shot caramel soy latte I had before class that's talking, but my neighbors are playing some cool music that is making me all the more enthused. I wanna get up and dance.

Here's a quick bit about my day, and then I'm off to eat delicious organic salad with a really wonderful person.

I just had a fantastic Core class discussion out on the Stevenson knoll in the sun about Gandhi, his letter to Hitler, and Nietzsche. After the discussion, my instructor Mr. Schafer asked us all to take a moment to be grateful for the beautiful view and the fact that we go to UCSC. Shouts of joy rose into the sky from our circle.

After class, myself and three other students wandered around Cowell and Stevenson colleges with Mr. Schafer, talking about inspiring books and learning a little bit about one another. I talked about the wonders of Thoreau's Walden and mentioned how Thoreau takes a chapter to describe an ant battle and how I wish I had the free time to observe life in such detail. One student mentioned that she's reading The Grapes of Wrath. I got really excited and told her to look for Biblical allusions, and then revealed the book nerd in me and told them how I wrote a research paper on the book in high school. But really, how could you not love Steinbeck? Inspiring book of your life topic came up. Of course I said Into the Wild. Mr. Schafer told us that he decided to start a new life in California after reading Into the Wild and subsequently reading Call of the Wild. I already thought Mr. Schafer was an awesomely enthusiastic teacher, but now that I know he was inspired by Into the Wild, I cannot wait to have more discussions with him. I am definitely going to ask for some book recommendations from him and I plan on wandering around campus with him on Fridays in the future. He calls it "Grove of Academia" and it's a chance to walk and talk about our thoughts, either thoughts on what we're talking about in class or about what's happening in our lives in general. This is the first time I've gone, and it definitely brightened my day. I love talking about books. Other titles and authors that were discussed: The Great Gatsby, Eat, Pray, Love, Vonnegut, and The Year of Magical Thinking. There were others that I wish I'd written down in the Moleskine notebook Mr. Schafer gave me. He has on many occasions in class pulled out his Moleskine to share something he'd written down in it. I sometimes carry a notebook and write down poems or little thoughts, but the notebook that Mr. Schafer uses fits into the pocket on your jeans which my notebooks don't do, so I'm really glad and full of thanks that he gave me his extra notebook. It's small, paperback, red, and simple and I cannot WAIT to fill it with thoughts. Ok enough writing about my day. I have to go live it, and I should probably go to the dining hall now...

Life is pretty rewarding today. I see meaning, I am inspired to read more authors, I am inspired to reread and explore deeper the books I have read, I am looking forward to spending some time with my friend M tomorrow at a cafe downtown, I'm hiking all morning tomorrow with some fun people, and life just keeps on being beautiful. Plus, it's sunny and January and I live in Santa Cruz. Basically couldn't ask for anything more right now.

:-D
I'll try to post more often. If I don't, it just means I'm living too fully to take time to write it down ;)

-- Green Gal

Photograph Friday

2010-12-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

This bird sure looks angry...Look at those eyes! He should listen to Pierre Bezukhov. Photograph taken outside Starbucks in downtown Santa Cruz.

“If there is a God and a future life, here is truth and there is goodness, and a man’s highest happiness consists in striving to attain them. We must live, we must love, and we must believe not only that we live today on this scrap of earth, but that we have lived and shall live forever, there, in the whole,” said Pierre Bezukhov, pointing to the sky. (Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace)

---

Have a wonderful Friday!
Green Gal

"The oak sleeps in the acorn..."

2010-11-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

My best friend Alexys has this quote on her Facebook wall, and I feel like sharing it with the world. The imagery makes it wonderful, and the message is inspiring.

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.
-- James Allen

May your dreams be nourished with rain, warmth and listening to your soul's inclinations. The acorn could never believe that within it a great oak tree would grow. Foster the oak tree within your heart. Dream, and act.

--

Some pictures from last Saturday's herb walk:

Chadwick Garden
Madrone tree
Edible Madrone berries

Happy Sunday!
Green Gal

No Shave November

2010-11-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

The free and wild spirit of UC Santa Cruz draws many different sorts of people to its forest of learning. This spirit can be contagious to those who are already inclined toward living a little on the wild side; after all, the campus is surrounded by trees and deer, and this makes it difficult not to be aware of one's place in the natural world. I feel comfortable with being myself here, wearing what I want and dancing around when I want. I feel like I can be more naturally human, instead of abiding by certain social constraints that frown on violating arbitrary rules, like the idea that women should shave their legs and that men should have short hair. The foggy, wild forest of UCSC
It's not strange or appalling to see girls who don't shave their legs here, and I would guess many of those same girls don't shave their armpits. Hair is just part of being human, and many people here embrace this, with beards and mustaches of all sorts, long hair on both guys and girls, and many participants in No Shave November. I'm not sure where this annual tradition originated, but I've been aware of No Shave November for a few years. It's directed toward guys, who opt not to shave their faces for the entire month of November. My boyfriend is participating, and I didn't see why I shouldn't get to participate, too. So I am. Dumbledore definitely participates in No Shave November.
Eleven days of staying away from my razor has made me aware of how much easier life is without shaving. Here are some "green" benefits of not shaving:
- Shaving can use up a lot of shower water, depending on whether you leave the water on or off. In either case, and for guys, too, not shaving saves some water and time.
- Not shaving means not having to buy the supplies. Saving money is always green!
- Not purchasing supplies means reducing consumption of resources (over time, purchasing and using up shaving cream cans and razors wastes a lot of materials).
- Not shaving and not purchasing materials to shave means one is not dependent on an external source for their lifestyle, which leads to more self-reliance. It's always exciting for me to find new ways to do things without having to rely on someone or something else.
- Not shaving gives people the chance to experience their body in its natural state. I feel like by not shaving, I'm testing myself to see how comfortable I am with the natural state of my body. I'm definitely not used to having hairy legs or underarms, but I'm finding it to be a unique opportunity to embrace nature. Seeing other girls on campus who don't shave definitely made me feel like there was no reason I couldn't participate. I probably never would have participated in high school, however. The easy-going, open UC Santa Cruz setting was definitely a factor in my decision.

I would recommend trying it out if you've never lived for more than a week without shaving. It's easy to hide hairy legs in the fall and winter, but I have worn shorts a few times and haven't felt self-conscious about it. Being completely natural every once in a while--or all the time, if it works for you--is good for your humanity. Be free and embrace your natural self!

Thanks for reading,
Green Gal

---

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Free Land

2010-11-09T11:06:00.000-08:00

In my many years of encounters with the performing arts, I had never experienced hip-hop theater before Sunday night when I attended a performance at The 418 Project on Mission Street in downtown Santa Cruz. The theatrical performance, entitled FreeLand, took place during the second half of a benefit evening for Black Mesa/Big Mountain Dine (Navajo) Native residents in northeastern Arizona.

I'm hesitant to write about the Black Mesa situation, as I know very little about it. Essentially, the United States has been trying to relocate the Dine people for thirty or so years in order to access coal deposits under their homes. It's highly controversial, and these people have refused to leave their land. A group of people working with the Black Mesa Indigenous Support group is caravanning to the Black Mesa/Big Mountain reservation this month to provide support to the people who live there. I'm going to research the situation so I have a better understanding of what happened and what is currently happening, but if you know anything certain about the situation, please share it in the comments or by email and include the source of your information.

While I won't delve into the details of the Black Mesa situation, I would like to write about the FreeLand performance. Ariel Luckey, who grew up in Oakland, California, created this performance after researching the history of his grandfather's homestead in Wyoming. He discovered that the land had been wiped clean of Native Americans and then given for free to white settlers under the Homestead Act, passed by Lincoln in 1862. On a slide presentation after his performance, Ariel told us that each parcel of land contained 160 acres, and, in total, 270 million acres (10% of the entire United States) were distributed for free. One in five white Americans have at least one ancestor who homesteaded. The passing and implementation of this act largely influenced our nation's history by changing the histories of many individual families, tying them to a bloody history of genocide of the Native peoples who lived here.

The Ohlone mural in the Santa Cruz Natural History museum exhibit. The culture of the Ohlone people fascinates me.

Ariel only performed three segments of his 90 minute show for us last night, and said before he began that he uses "art to start a conversation." I definitely identified with the first section that he performed, which focused on his search for cultural "color" as a white person with no distinct culture. Perhaps part of the reason that I'm drawn to learning about Native American culture is because I have very little culture myself. I'm descended from a variety of European ethnicities: French, German, Irish, British. The only ethnicity that my family celebrates culturally is Irish, but even that is quite subdued. We celebrate St. Patrick's Day and eat a lot of potatoes, but I know very little else about Irish culture, or about any of the other cultures related to my ancestry. I'm American, which has its own culture, but which is more globalized and less rich or unique. Ariel's performance suggested that it's as if the price of being American and blending into this nation's culture is to lose all cultural color and become culturally "white" or colorless. Of course, this is not true for all Americans; many who identify themselves as Americans maintain their cultural richness. However, for many Americans--mostly European Americans whose families arrived here a long time ago--distinct culture and roots to the past have been lost. In his poetric rap, Ariel mentioned a "hunger for spirituality and tradition," which made sense to me. "If you don't have roots, then how can you grow?" he asked at one point. His performance made me wonder about my cultural roots, and how I can regain a sense of the places and cultural settings my ancestors lived in.

He also shared the history of his family's land in Wyoming, and with movement, lyrics, vocal sounds, and music, told the story of a battle that took place near his grandfather's homestead before most of the Native peoples were eradicated. After the first section of performance, he asked everyone to talk to those around them about how they were feeling, since his performance is more than just a theatrical experience. It has a depth that can be emotional and difficult to hear.

Something interesting that he pointed out is how little our educated society really knows about Native Americans. We learn about them in various history classes, but the textbooks barely touch on that part of our past because it's so terrible. These people lived here for thousands of years, right where we live now, and sadly, they are given very little space in our society's generally-known history. Ariel observed that when we have specificity in our learning about something, especially history, it makes it more interesting. If teachers encouraged students to find out about their own past and to find connections to themselves that relate to the topics taught in history classes, students would be more engaged and more easily learn the material and remember it because of that personal connection. I know for myself, when I'm learning about something in a history class that relates to Native American culture or the gold rush--two topics I find fascinating and things I have some prior knowledge of--I learn the new information much easier than historical information related to topics I have no personal interest in, such as the many dynasties of China.

Ariel posed a question before he began his second performance: How has your family's stories been changed by this history of land theft and genocide of Native Americans? It definitely made me wonder. It also made me think about how UCSC is on stolen land, sacred land, that was once a place of great importance to the Ohlone people. Upper campus was a sacred bead making site. The former magical Elfland existed in the same places that years and years before, the Ohlone had felt a sacredness. Something about upper campus is special. For the Ohlone, the circles of redwood trees were considered sacred because the circle in their culture is important. It is interesting to me that students felt something magical in those same woods years later. Development in upper campus has been highly controversial, especially when Elfland was destroyed to build colleges 9 and 10. I've been to upper campus and explored the redwood circles of trees. I hope to spend more time there during my time living here.

The second segment that he performed related to the Ohlone people, who lived in Santa Cruz as well as Pleasanton, where I'm from, and Oakland, where Ariel is from. He talked about the shellmounds (large piles of disposed shells from the Ohlone who subsisted on tons of shellfish over the years, in which the deceased were buried with cultural objects) and the various references one sees to Native culture in the street signs and park names in the places where the Ohlone used to live: Ohlone Way and Shellmound Way, for example. In this section, he repeated "digging down" and the motion of digging into the earth with a shovel to represent a shift back in time, digging deeper into this area's history. To build the Emoryville Bay Street Mall, construction crews tore open and removed the shellmounds located there, destroying burial sites and cultural artifacts of the Ohlone people. Burial sites are incredibly sacred to Native peoples. Disturbing or digging up gravesites is a terrible offense. The removal of the shellmounds to build a mall must have been gut-wrenching to the descendants of the people who were buried there. Ariel went back in time, touching on instances of disregard for Ohlone culture. At some point, Oakland and Berkeley streets were paved with bones from shellmounds. He mentioned Shellmound Park in Emeryville, where in a dance pavilion located right on top of the shellmound, people were "literally dancing on [the Ohlone peoples'] graves." Back in time, to 1769 when Junipero Serra and the missions arrived and enslaved the Ohlone, converting them to Christianity to "save" their souls. One last dig deeper in time, and Ariel portrayed life pre-contact, when the Ohlone survived alongside a "complex ecology of land and water," and enjoyed an abundance of food. He described it as "a civilization too subtle for European eyes," which I found to be a beautiful way to phrase the ignorance of the European colonial mindset.

"This country is hella haunted," he said at the end. We have many ghosts in our past from various injustices. But we cannot go back in time, so Ariel discussed what our responsibilities are today. In saying that we cannot be silent and simply ignore the past, Ariel said we "can't be neutral on a moving train." Some things he identified as our responsibilities were sacred site protection, appropriate mascots, environmental conservation, energy extraction, and sovereignty and human rights. We have to be honest about the past and the truth, he said, but we are not responsible for our ancestors' actions. The final question he posed to us was, "What can we do to heal from the past, transform the present and create a better future?" He ended with a song about hope and freedom, and Free Land. An example of an inappropriate mascot. Why, you ask? Read this and then research it further if you're still not convinced it's offensive.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to have seen a small portion of his performance, and I may purchase the DVD of his entire performance, or perhaps buy one of his poetry books. His lyrics were creative, informative and well-written, and I'd love to hear them again. Whenever I attend presentations or come across something related to what I'm interested in studying, it helps focus or add to my vision of what it is I want to do with the knowledge I acquire. Seeing his performance about awareness of where our land came from, who it was taken from, and the stories, lives and people who once lived here reinforced my desire to teach what I learn, however that may manifest itself. Having worked with a city naturalist who taught about the Ohlone through school programs and classes open to the public, the future job I have in mind now for myself is based on that. I want to work in a park setting, surrounded by nature, teaching about how Native peoples survived on the same land where we now live in a completely different way. I want my work to bring awareness to Native American culture and help it get the attention it deserves in history books and in our society's awareness. I also want to know today's Native Americans, and get to know people within the Native community. There's such a fine line an anthropologist has to walk when studying a culture that is still alive. I don't want to offend anyone in my studying and work, so I hope to meet Native people and learn from them directly about their culture so I can present their history in a respectful way. Like I said in my last post, it's all about taking those opportunities that come up and being aware of the universe placing things in front of us. My tragedy class TA told me about this performance and strongly encouraged us to attend, so I made sure I went because I knew it would be something valuable and interesting. I'm so glad I went.

To view some clips from his performance, click here. To see some of the script of his show, click here. More information can be found at the show's website at http://www.freelandproject.com/index.html.

Thanks for reading,
Green Gal

---

Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.
--Bill Vaughn

(Or in that same vein, America is where developers bulldoze Native American history, then name the streets after them.)

Santa Cruz Natural History Museum

2010-11-07T00:43:00.000-07:00

It's raining in Santa Cruz this morning. Outside is foggy and wet, while I'm nice and warm in my dorm room. Perfect for story time!

Last Wednesday, I received an email from a woman who works with the Natural History Museum in Santa Cruz. I had learned about the museum while searching online, and was planning on riding my bike there on Thursday anyway, so her timing was perfect. She'd come across my blog and thought I'd be interested in volunteering and helping with a project. She wrote,

You might want to consider volunteering with us. We are going to be creating an Ohlone garden with CA native plants that grow locally and were used for food, dye, basketry, medicine. So we need to make a list of such plants and their uses. Any help you might give us would be appreciated. Let me know if you would like to work on such a list.

Of course, I told her I'm interested, so I met with her on Thursday when I visited. She gave me a tour of the Ohlone exhibit in the museum, which is beautiful and informative and has a large detailed mural on one wall. The museum brings third grade classes into the exhibit to teach and show them Ohlone culture. She showed me the boxes of materials they use to teach, including antlers and a fur covering to represent how the Ohlone disguised themselves as the animals they were hunting; various native plants that were used for different things; musical instruments; fire drills; and other cultural items to give the children a visual sense of the culture of the people who used to live here.

Outside, we looked at the gardens already in place on the site. There's an ecology/native plant garden, a hummingbird garden, and a butterfly garden. Also outside is a large statue of a Native man wearing a bear disguise. It evokes a sense that the man and the bear are one. A man was cleaning up the statue and fixing a part of the statue that had been vandalized. We said hello to him and learned that he was Daniel O. Stolpe, the sculptor who had made the statue in 1986. We spoke with him for a few minutes. He creates Native American artwork and has some of his work on exhibit in the McHenry Library. We told him about the Ohlone native plant garden and he told us a few things about the Ohlone. He gave me his business card, and I hope to visit his gallery on Mission Street sometime soon.

Lately, I've been aware of how everything happens for a reason; life provides so many opportunities for new discoveries and connections if you're paying attention. Visiting the museum on that particular day meant I was able to meet Mr. Stolpe and find out about his artwork. Because of my blog, I was asked to help with the Native plant garden, and now I have a place to volunteer, similar to the Alviso Adobe Community Park. Earlier this year, I was asked to write for Pleasanton.Patch.com because my editor came across my blog. Everything we do creates potential opportunities, and if we pay attention, we realize that so many things that appear to be obstacles are really just new paths for us to take. One example in my recent experience was last Saturday, when I had to walk twenty minutes in the misting rain to get to my Herbology class because I hadn't realized there wouldn't be a bus. At first I was frustrated, but once I started walking, I realized that life had just handed me a magnificiently rainy morning, with fog and open pastures to enjoy as I got some nice and easy exercise before class. I felt rejuevenated and started the day with beauty. If I hadn't been open to letting the experience be more than just an obstacle, I probably would have arrived at class feeling miserable and cold. Instead, it made my whole day bright.

I will keep this blog updated on my work with the Natural History Museum. I didn't take any pictures while I was there, so to add some color to this blog post, I'll share some pictures I took yesterday while exploring the UCSC Farm & Garden with my friends.

Thanks for reading. Happy Sunday!

Green Gal

---

Regret is the worst emotion. If you took another road, you might have fallen off a cliff.
-- William Shatner

Herbology 101

2010-10-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

Lower Campus this morning

Earlier this quarter, I was looking through the Recreation guide for interesting classes or workshops to register for and I came across an Herbology class through the Holistic Health Program. I am fascinated by ethnobotany--how different cultures use or have used plants, both medicinally and in general--so this class appealed to me immensely. My family and I have been utilizing holistic medicine (homeopathy, accupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine) since I was a child, so the class appealed to me as something I'm familiar with. I signed up for the three-day class and looked forward to learning about herbology in a more detailed and formal way than I had ever before.

Thursday was the first day of the class, and I took about 15 pages of notes in my small green notebook from 6-9 PM about a bunch of different plants and their uses, the history of herbology, what the difference between food, herbs and pharmaceuticals is, and what questions to ask when identifying or getting to know an herb (Name, Actions, Habitat/Origin, Temperature, Tropism, and Dosage). We sipped delicious, naturally-sweetened tea of licorice and lemon verbena while we learned about the incredible world of herbalism.

A few interesting facts I learned:

- The word "drug" has the root "droga," which means dried plant. Originally, drugs were dried medicinal plants.

- There are five flavors in Chinese traditional medicine, each associated with parts of the body and different actions/types of herbs. They are
* bitter (heart; drains & clears, stimulates digestion),
* sour (liver; astringent)
* sweet (digestive system; soothes, nourishes, tonifies--but not when consumed in excess amounts, as we often do)
* spicy (lungs; moves energy, expands, aromatics, mint)
* salty (kidneys; softens)

-Characteristically "warm" herbs--aromatics like cinammon and cloves--make the body warm. Use of them over time in teas or consumed with food can gradually make a person "warmer." The same is true with "cooler" herbs, like mint. Someone who is cold often or eats cold foods (vegetarians, raw foodists) should avoid "cool" herb teas on a regular basis, and should instead opt for "warmer" herb teas and spices.

The Herbology teacher, Darren Huckle, has a wealth of knowledge about plants and their uses. He has his own herbal medicine practice in town, and can talk for hours about plants. On Thursday evening, his final message was that it's important to always thank the plants we harvest. When a friend gives you a gift, you thank them. The same is true with plants. We must thank them for the gifts they provide--health, good flavors and beauty.

Yesterday, Ari and I collected yerba buena (which we thought was mint) on campus and made tea. It was really tasty, and so easy. The only time I've ever made tea like that was when I made pine needle tea in Twain Harte a few years ago. Ari crushing up the yerba buena leaves for tea

This morning was the second day of the class. We arrived at 10 AM, and Darren told us that we were making tinctures. Of three "theme" options for our tinctures, I chose "De-Stress," which included lemon verbena, rosemary, lavender, and skullcap. After choosing our tincture themes, we set off for the UCSC Farm and Garden.

As we walked, Darren pointed out various herbs along the path and in the garden. We stopped to listen to him share their properties and uses, and we always took a small nibble of leaf or flower before going on. Some plants we collected for our tinctures. My pockets were brimming with fennel, lemon verbena, lemon balm, and rosemary. When we came across fruit-bearing trees, we could eat only those that had fallen to the ground. I had my first pineapple guava today and enjoyed a crisp apple as I learned how to tell the difference between hemlock and fennel. Pineapple guava
Lavender

We returned to the little house where the class takes place and began crushing up our plants to make our tinctures. We filled 8 oz masen jars with herbs and then added vodka as a preservative. We used the blender to grind up the herbs better and extract their essences out into the mixture. I ended up adding fennel, lemon balm and sage to the list of herbs Darren had recommended for "De-Stress." I now wait two weeks, strain the tincture, and place it in a dropper bottle for use whenever I feel stressed. The best part is, it's completely natural and safe--and it smells delicious! My black bag of herbs, my notebook, the jar filled with my tincture herbs, and an interesting Chinese tea that Darren made for us in my unicorn mug.

We also each got a jar of salve, which has many actions, including protection against infection and healing. It can be applied to burns, cuts, dry skin and rashes. I will probably end up using it mostly as lip balm, but if the need arises, I will definiely use it in other ways. It has a base of olive oil, and it smells really nice.

I have learned so much in these two classes--and I still have one more this Thursday!--and it makes me feel a lot more comfortable with making my own teas or learning about herbs and their uses. One thing I definitely learned is how to learn about these plants: tasting, smelling and visualizing the plants really helps solidify their uses in my memory.

Today, Darren ended class with a message about his view of what medicine is. He said that while medicine is something that benefits the health of an individual, it should also be something that is healthful to the environment. Pharmaceuticals pollute waterways with chemicals and hormones. Herbal medicine, on the other hand, puts only natural substances into the waterways and can be obtained directly from nature, rather than created in a lab with chemicals. In this, of course, is the recognition of the damage herbalists and plant collectors can have when they overharvest a particular plant or a particular area. Darren's message was clear: make decisions that cause the least harm and be conscious of your impacts, both in everyday life, but particular when harvesting those delightful little sprouts of health called herbs.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Halloween!
Green Gal

Rain!

2010-10-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

It's been quite rainy here in Santa Cruz this past week, and tonight's rain has been quite talkative...whispering drip-drops and pitter-patters all over the ground for hours. In a world devoid of concrete, the noises rain makes would be quite different. Living in a small dwelling like an Ohlone tule hut would bring you right into the middle of the rain. We live in houses with hard, thick surfaces that create drumming noises and separate us from the world of rain. A tule home would muffle the falling drops' noises, and the damp earth all around would cushion the rain's landing. The smells would be so pungent. Imagine falling asleep in warm deerskin and furs, hearing and smelling the rain as it falls right outside the thin walls of your tule home. Many years ago, before students dwelled on this forested hill, people lived like this, closer to the rain and in some ways, more in tune with that cycle of rain, nourishment and growth. Many people see the rain for its wetness, for its inconvenience. See it for what it provides to the living beings of the soil, the living beings who grow from and live in the soil: the plants, the banana slugs, the worms. Reach down and touch the damp earth with your fingertips, smell the rain and stop what you are doing, stop thinking about our human world, and be in the world of our universe, of our planet, of the complex web of life that connects us to all things, all things that feel the rain on their skin or drink its sweet nourishment. Sometimes, you have to stop everything for a minute and find that primordial human being within yourself, within the being that you've created, before you can let yourself return to the strange, complicated world we've made (and when you return, ask yourself for what or whom have you created this other being, the one you breathe through most days and face society with).

Allow yourself to breathe, take a moment to feel, to see, and to simply be. It feels more natural to me to do this when it's raining.

Yesterday, while leaving my theater class, I smelled and felt the recently-fallen rain. I smiled to myself at my private ecstatic joy of being alive and walked down a hill, stepping upon the leaf-strewn earth. I started getting that poetry feeling in my mind that starts nagging me with phrases until I either let them play out in my brain and forget them, or grab my notebook and start scribbling. I dropped my backpack on the wet ground and pulled my notebook and a pen from its depths. Here are the human words I wrote to try and describe the natural wonderfulness that I beheld:

"Rain"
Damp earth
fed by rain
yielding to the touch
to new life

dripping trees
magic patterns
of drip here
drop there
patter on my head
pitter patter

gray sky
lets the trees and grasses
dominate the color palette
new sprouts fed
the magically sweet rain

that drops on their head
on the damp earth
on the verdant painted trees
from the canvas sky.

"Puddles"
something about the rain
sky
and its reflection in puddles

and the scents that reach
my human senses

makes me pause
to collect my feelings
into thoughts
and scribble them on paper
never giving justice to what's here

striving hard to preserve
these senses and this reality
which tomorrow will be
inkily blotted
like the rain drops on the
poem
that I write.

Thank you kindly for reading!
Green Gal

Right Now

2010-10-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

I am on a high right now for two reasons, from the coffee I had two hours ago, as well as (and more importantly) from the amazing evening I've been enjoying with my friend Tanya. We have History: The World to 1500 together and she lives two floors above me, so I've gotten to know her through early morning breakfast and time spent in the House. Every time we talk, we get into something REAL, and I gain insight into her perspective. Talking with her this evening, I realized how much I need to be involved in something with Native American cultural studies. It is my driving force; I am called to study the California Native culture, and I know I need to do something with that passion so I can benefit others. I went to a film screening of The Canary Effect last night, a film about the genocidal policies the United States government has had toward the indigenous people of this land. It hit home for me that Native American culture is not only the culture that developed before contact with Europeans, which is what I find so incredibly fascinating, but also the culture that exists right now and the issues that the Native peoples face because of oppression and injustice. I thought about how I want to teach what I learn about the Native culture to other people, and I've always thought it might be in a regional, state or national park setting, but why not in the Native American reservation setting? Why not teach it to the children whose ancestors I'm teaching about? I know right now that I need to study and learn as much as I can about the California Native cultures, and that at some point the right position will present itself. I believe that life opens doors when they should be opened, and it's up to us to walk through them and take those opportunities. I have so many opportunities on this campus to do things that I enjoy, but I need to find the ones that I feel most passionate about, and I need to leave time for myself to discover things on my own and read and draw and explore the natural world around me. Spending hours talking, listening to music and building friendships is so much more valuable to me than spending hours taking history notes. The history notes will get done when I have the pressure that I have to get them done, but opportunities of friendship like tonight don't happen every day, so when they present themselves I take them.

Earlier, Tanya introduced me to the quotations of Chuck Palahniuk. I love the quotes we read, and I'm interested in reading his work. Here are some that I found particularly worthwhile.

"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring."
— Chuck Palahniuk

^ Do not be boring. Noted :)

"We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will."
— Chuck Palahniuk

^ TOTALLY reminds me of Gilgamesh.

"Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I've ever known."
— Chuck Palahniuk (Invisible Monsters)

"The unreal is more powerful than the real. Because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. Because its only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles. Wood rots. People, well, they die. But things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on. If you can change the way people think. The way they see themselves. The way they see the world. You can change the way people live their lives. That's the only lasting thing you can create."
— Chuck Palahniuk (Choke)

Tanya just shared her blog with me, and I am in shock! She is very talented, even in the blog's most raw form without any editing or revision. I am definitely jealous. I need to write more, blog more, write poetry more, spend time with friends more. I love this evening and this life and being alive.

I feel the need to go do something outside, under the sky, barefooted, with no constraints or concerns. Beautiful, confusing, complex, happy life!

Green Gal

Sustainable UCSC, PTAGS & Gilgamesh

2010-10-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

Knowing me and my crazy involvement in clubs last year, it's no surprise that I joined the sustainbility club through Stevenson College, PTAGS (Path To A Greener Stevenson). Tonight was our second meeting of the year, and I have realized that I come back from the meetings with lots of great energy to be sustainable and spread my passion for nature to all the world!

I have homework I should be doing, so if this blog seems poorly-written, it's because I'm rushing! I felt a great need to write a post since I am bursting with so many awesome experiences.

I want to share with you some of the things UCSC does to be sustainable--it's truly a way of life for many students at this campus, which is an inspiring change from the peer group I had in high school. Here's a list of some things that I learned from a handout from the Sustainbility Office...and I added some of my own from my observations:

- All new and remodeled buildings on campus meet LEED criteria
- There's a zipcar program on campus
- The entire campus is one big hiking trail, really, so walking is encouraged
- Students have access to free public transit in Santa Cruz county, and there is a shuttle system on campus to get you from class to class (I try to walk whenever I can...great exercise with all these hills!)
- Native and draught tolerant plants and very few lawns
- Low flow faucets, toilets and shower heads
- No dining hall trays--conserves water and students get less food when they're browsing, so there's less waste at the end of their meal
- Lots and lots of recycling bins
- Organic, local food in the dining halls--I get salad at every single meal, and College 9/10 dining hall has the most delicious guacamole...I eat there every night.
- Compost of food scraps in the dining halls and signs encouraging diners to get only what they'll eat to reduce food waste
- I would imagine it feels worse to litter in a forest than it does to litter in a city. I never litter, but I feel like litterers would feel extra guilty in a forest...

Go UC Santa Cruz!

At our PTAGS meeting at 7 PM, we talked about the garden we're going to be building on the Stevenson Knoll, which overlooks the bay. I can't wait to get my hands dirty with Earth! In springtime, I'll be able to take a class that will work on the garden :-) I was just informed at the meeting that UCSC has a Natural History Club...three hours of exploring the campus with Environmental Studies majors, learning about plants and animals on campus? I'm definitely joining! I will be sure to update the blog with pictures and information from my adventures with that club.

In other news, I'm currently writing an essay on The Epic of Gilgamesh (the oldest literary text known to exist, set in the Sumerian city-state of Uruk in 2700 B.C.E.), which I am excited to say has an interesting message about humanity and nature! I had three different prompt choices and actually wrote one essay yesterday, analyzing the epic and the characters from a Jean-Paul Sartre existentialism perspective. I didn't like what I wrote, however, and decided to address one of the other prompts: if the story is relevant to today and, if so, how. Here's an excerpt from the new essay I'm writing:

In today’s overpopulated, urban, consumer-centric world where mankind rules nature and exploits the land for profit, we face consequences of a much greater degree than any other time in humanity’s past. We’ve always been exploiters, changing the land for our benefit and needs. As we’ve developed more and more technologies that require immense resources, and as we grow and spread our species into every corner of our planet, we’ve almost reached our limit of exploitation. It seems that if we continue at this pace of consumption, we may topple into an existence that is toxic, ugly and detrimental to life on Earth.

Living in this world on the potential brink of irreversible environmental destruction, it’s hard to remember that we emerged as a species from the womb of nature. Humans and our hominid ancestors lived similarly to animals for thousands of years before sedentary societies began to develop and technologies allowed us to live more removed from animals and nature. Realizing that we come from nature and that there will always be some part of that nature within us (perhaps both biologically and psychologically), is key, even if we no longer experience Mother Nature as intimately as we once did. When people feel that they are part of something larger, they tend to respect it because it becomes a part of who they are. Their connection makes them want to protect it; for in protecting it, they protect themselves. But once they lose that connection, the lack of emotional attachment to the larger whole removes the sense of respect and need to preserve it. This is what has happened to human society’s relationship to nature, when examined as a whole.

Our relationship with Mother Nature is represented by the character Enkidu in the Gilgamesh epic. When he is created, he exists as a man among animals. In an almost Sartrean existential way, he is awoken to his humanity after sleeping with a harlot from the temple of Ishtar, and he becomes self-aware, leaving behind his prior existence of animal consciousness for the human consciousness which allows him to make decisions toward his future, and create for himself a human essence. He enters civilization, the other side of the spectrum of human existence, which was a relatively newer form of existence at the time the epic was being told. Humans had been surviving in the wilderness and as nomadic peoples in a natural setting for thousands of years before civilizations emerged. Mesopotamian society was just beyond the edge of this transition, and Enkidu represents this. Civilization changes him, removes the wild from him. He and Gilgamesh go on their adventure to destroy “evil,” and end up destroying nature. Like a child betraying a parent, Enkidu destroys Mother Earth when he cuts down the cedar tree, which symbolizes the Tree of Life, with Gilgamesh. Humbaba is guardian of the forest, protector of nature, and Enkidu encourages Gilgamesh to kill him. Humanity has taken away his respect for what he was once a part of, and that says something about the human condition. We exploit; it’s something we inherently do. Sartre would argue that there is no human condition and that Enkidu cannot blame civilization for his actions. Enkidu initially does blame civilization, by blaming the harlot, but then he realizes that he is the one to blame. He dies because of his actions, his betrayal of nature. Almost five thousand years ago, people were aware of this problem. The poet of this epic is warning us of our own issue of exploiting nature from the most ancient literary past that we have access to. That is relevant, and even more so when one considers how long this exploiting has been going on. This is a human problem being addressed in the distant past, and it still follows us today, especially today. It couldn’t be more pertinent to our current environmental problem. Enkidu’s death could be the fate of humanity if we don’t pay attention to the Gilgamesh epic.

This is a very rough draft of the first point of my essay. It will end up being much shorter and probably better written by Monday when I turn it in.

Now that I've used up a good half an hour of homework time, I'll post a picture that I took this morning on my way to breakfast and then say adios.

College so far has been the best experience of my life, and I am SO excited to continue learning inside and outside of the classroom.
Thank you for reading!
Green Gal

"Kickin' ice plant bootay!"

2010-09-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, UCSC students who'd participated in Wilderness Orientation (and their friends and roommates) took vans down to
Younger Lagoon Reserve in Santa Cruz to volunteer. It was day one of WICKED Work Days, an annual tradition after WO. It was a day full of hard work, dirt, mice, and deliciously fresh sandwiches.

We met at 9 AM in Quarry Plaza on campus and had bagels, which brought me right back to Wilderness Orientation, during which I'd consumed many bagels. The dining halls weren't open yet, so I didn't have any coffee. I was concerned I'd get a headache, since I drink that delicious black goodness every morning. I had a drop of coffee left in my reusable mug, so I drank it and prayed that it would be enough.

Ari hiding his face from the camera in the early morning at Quarry Plaza

The vans drove us down toward the water to Younger Lagoon Reserve, which is used by UCSC for research. As UCSC students, we have open access to the reserve. After a brief introduction to the area, our group split into two.
Will giving an introduction to the Lagoon

My group headed over to a large patch of ice plant, which is an invasive plant originally planted to help with erosion along the coast. It grows very tightly and holds the soil in place, but it doesn't allow other plants, like natives, to grow there. It's also very heavy, which actually causes erosion. Ice plant = bad. We each grabbed a pair of gloves and started ripping those bad boys out of the soil. It was tough work, and I was covered in dirt and sweat within fifteen minutes. It was quite rewarding when you got a hugely long-rooted one and could just keep uprooting it until it broke. Mice living in the ice plant scurried away from us, though some students tried to catch them. The piles of ice plant behind us grew larger and larger. After a few hours, we'd mostly cleared the patch of ice plant, which was awesome! (And fortunately, I never got a headache!)
The plant covering the ground behind Will is ice plant. We ripped out most of it!

It may have been because we were starving from hard work, but the lunch they served us was so refreshing and tasty! Sandwiches with fresh tomatoes, avocado, sprouts, mustards, lettuce, and for those who eat it, cheeses and various meats. The oranges we peeled after stuffing our faces smelled and tasted amazing.

After eating, I saw a lovely yellow flower near the picnic tables and asked a guy who works at the reserve what it was. He said it's called Hiker's primrose, and he told me the scientific name, but I didn't write it down. (Today, I purchased a UCSC natural history guide and cannot wait to start learning more about the plants on and around campus!)

The day ended with a tour of the Seymour Marine Center. We saw the research dolphins that they have in captivity, and I instantly thought of The Cove. At the end of the tour, we all stood inside the Blue whale skeleton's mouth. That whale is enormous, like 60-something feet long!

It was a strenuous but rewarding day. We sure kicked some iceplant "bootay," as Ari put it. Quite, WICKED, indeed.

Now I'm off to do the homework I should have been doing while I wrote this post!
Green Gal

Life is AWESOME!

2010-09-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's definitely been way too long since my last post. Since August 5, my last time writing on Green Gal, I went backpacking, learned things about myself that will help me find balance during the new school year, made new friends, moved into my new home in the forest of UC Santa Cruz, learned how to become comfortable with co-ed bathrooms, and officially became a college student! No wonder I haven't posted for so long!

I just put my first load of laundry into the washing machine in my house's bathroom. Actually, it's my first load of laundry that I've ever done by myself (ok, so my roommate Monica helped me, but next time, I'll do it solo!). Since I have half an hour before it's finished, I figured I'd pass the time by updating the blogosphere on my life and happenings.

It's fairly well known that UC Santa Cruz is a pretty "green" place. Recycling and reducing and all that good stuff is really prevalent. Living in a forest helps maintain the respectful mentality, at least for most people. We have wildlife living among us--I see deer every day, raccoons most evenings, and squirrels are everywhere. We can also see Monterey Bay from many places on campus. I can walk for less than 5 minutes from my dorm room and see either the ocean or be completely surrounded by trees. Being that close to natural beauty is a good reminder of what we should aim to protect and keep wholesome. The other morning, my friend and I hiked into upper campus and explored the trails. The next day, we met at 5am on the Stevenson Knoll to watch the sunrise--the weather was awful, so we just sat in the cold for a few hours. But the ocean was right there in front of us and the forest was behind us. I live on the best campus ever!
Exploring upper campus

In late August, I went on Wilderness Orientation through UC Santa Cruz. The trip was hugely important in my realization of things about myself that will help me with college so I don't become overburdened with any one aspect of life. Balance, balance, balance. On the trip, I made some really awesome friends. It's so fun to see other kids from Wilderness Orientation around campus. We all have t-shirts from the trip and everytime I see one I'm tempted to shout "WO!"

Yesterday was OPERS Fest, the Office of Physical Education, Recreation & Sports festival. Various organizations from all over campus had booths with sign up sheets and free stuff (which is ALWAYS super wasteful, unfortunately). There was an entire tent area devoted to the environmental groups on campus. I had already signed up for many of their email lists, but picked up fliers and looked around. I hope to find one that I really enjoy, so I can become involved in the environmental effort on campus. My college, Stevenson, has its own environmental group, and it's starting a garden, which I may become involved with. Instead of dining hall food for dinner, the festival served local, sometimes organic vegetables, fruits and bread. I had some delicious tomatoes, and lots of strawberries. Yum!

Classes start tomorrow, which is terrifying and exciting. I'm looking forward to getting into a routine because this past week has consisted of a lot of little events scattered throughout the week and tons of wandering around trying to figure out something to do. Welcome Week has been fun, but it does feel like it's time for work to get done.

Yesterday my boyfriend Ari, whom I met on WO, trimmed my hair because it was getting too long and I refused to go to the barber. He did a nice job, and I didn't have to go to the salon and waste all that time and money and water. (At salons, they always wash your hair and use up shampoo and then waste energy drying it. Just find a nice boy with a pair of scissors!)

Last night, they closed the Boardwalk to the public and the whole place was filled with UCSC students. I hadn't been on rollercoasters in about a year, and it was definitely a thrill to get thrown around and up and down. Afterwards, I put my bare feet in the ocean and looked at the large moon resting in the cloud-blanketed sky. As the water pulled at my ankles and sunk me into the sand, I thought about how lucky I am to have places of solace where I can retreat when classes get stressful and I need to unwind.

Well, my laundry is probably just about finished washing. I hope to get back on track with posting to Green Gal, so I will try to make an effort to post at least once a week. Thank you for reading :)

Happy Fall!
Green Gal

Blogger on Break

2010-08-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have been spending time reconnecting with old friends and getting to know newer friends better this summer. As a result, I have less time to spend blogging. I've decided to take a break from Green Gal until I have more time. School starts in September and many of my friends go to school in mid-t0-late August, so I may return sometime in between.

I will be back, though!
Happy August!

Green Gal

Orientation and Camping/Backpacking Trip!

2010-07-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I attened Orientation at UC Santa Cruz! I met some cool people, learned a lot about classes and the school, and signed up for as many environmental group emails as I could find! I also signed up for classes and got a tour of my college, Stevenson. I originally signed up for Chicano Teatro and History 2A: The World to 1500, but today I decided to drop Chicano Teatro and add Theater 61-B: Tragedy. The Tragedy class is part of the theater minor requirement, so I decided to take it in case I decide to minor in theater arts! :) Unfortunately, the Anthropology 1 class I was hoping to take it supposedly very challenging and not worth taking first quarter freshman year. That's fine with me to not take a super hard class, and after reading on RateMyProfessor.com about the history professor I'll have, I can't wait to begin classes!

Tomorrow, I'm leaving for the mountains to go camping and then on Friday I'm heading into the wilderness for some backpacking with my dad! I've never been backpacking before, and I'm really excited for my first experience! Adios amigos!

Green Gal

Murphys

2010-07-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Last Friday while on vacation in the mountains, my family took a day trip to the town of Murphys. We make the drive from Tuolumne to Calaveras county almost every year when we're up there. Though historic like its neighboring towns, Murphys is a little more upscale. It's a big wine-tasting place: in the Sierra Nevada Adventure Co., I saw a shirt that said "Save the Earth. It's the only planet with grapes."

After lunch at Firewood, my family sat in the shade by Murphys creek, which runs through a park behind the main street. My sister and I waded in its waters, and we read our various books at a picnic table. The library is right across the creek from the park, so my dad and I ventured in, since we'd never been in before. They had the same Miwok book that my friend Alexys's grandmother let me borrow. It was printed at Columbia Junior College and can't be found online.

We spent some time in Sustenance Books, on the main road in Murphys. It's a delightful little new and used bookstore with aisles of books and encouraging environmental bumper stickers. When I told the owner that I didn't need a bag, she said "there should be more people like you." She had an adorable yellow lab puppy named Foster, who kept trying to unravel the rug with his teeth. My sister PawPrint had eyes only for the dog; she didn't even approach the bookshelves.

I bought two books at the store: It Will Live Forever: Traditional Yosemite Acorn Preparation by Beverly R. Ortiz, as told by Julia F. Parker, and Yosemite Valley, California (Images of America series) by Leroy Radanovich. I haven't begun reading the acorn preparation book, but I have looked through all the photographs of the Native Americans in the Yosemite Valley book. I've seen many of the pictures in my research of the Sierra Nevada tribes, but it's nice to have them all in one place.

Murphys has a wall called "Wall of Comparative Ovations." The entire wall is lined with plaques, pictures and descriptions, of various "clampers." I took pictures of people I recognized or interesting/funny plaques. The wall is maintained by members of the E Clampus Vitus of Murphys. (Click the photographs to enlarge them.)

Our real reason for coming to Murphys was to attend Murphys Creek Theater's production of A Midsummer Nights Dream that evening. After picking up some picnic food at Sierra Hills Market, we drove down the winding road into the little valley that contains Albeno Munari Vineyard and Winery (formerly Stevenot). On the grounds of the winery is a grassy area with a tiered ground. A stage sits level with the lowest tier, and the knoll is surrounded by trees. Most years we attend a performance here, arriving early to enjoy a picnic.

This production of Midsummer was creatively set in 19th century Murphys. The Athenians were Murphys townspeople. The fairies were Native Americans. Of the many performances and settings I've seen of this play, I have to say, this setting was by far my favorite--and not just because I'm interested in Native American culture. It completely worked with the play, especially having fairies as Native Americans since they live in the woods. Oberon, King of the Fairies, wore a replica feather headband, a traditional piece of Miwok dance regalia. The girl fairies wore the somewhat stereotypical Native American "deerskin" dresses, but it worked for the sake of simplicity. The one thing that bothered me was that one of the fairy girls had a bow and arrow. Women weren't allowed to touch or use weapons like that in traditional Native American culture, at least not in the native Miwok culture. Other than that, I found it worked quite well. The acting, directing and set were awesome! The familiar script came alive with allusions that took on new meaning with unique direction, and the director silently added new movement to the show, like a gun-twirling stand-off between Lysander and Demetrius. And as always with Murphys Creek Theater productions, the stars were twinkling at intermission and the cool night air was delightful throughout the performance!

Oberon and Puck
Titania with Bottom and the fairies
The Athenians Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena asleep on the forest floor. The fairies helping Titania and Bottom get to sleep. Notice the conical bark homes, considered traditional of the Miwok and Ahwahneechee. (However, they may not have been traditional before easy access to cedar when the white man came to the area. Traditionally, brush homes were built. Though less durable, they were easier to make and the materials were more readily available.)
If by random chance you're in the Murphys area today or tomorrow, I highly recommend seeing the show. You can buy tickets here.

Thanks for reading!
Green Gal

I'm Back!

2010-07-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I returned home from a little more than a week of vacation in the Sierra Nevada mountains. I had an interesting and enjoyable time venturing around Twain Harte, Sonora, Columbia, Murphys and Pinecrest. Here's a brief recap of the first few days of vacation:

Thursday, July 1 I drove up with my grandparents and their dog Simba.

We stopped at their favorite pie stand along Highway 120, at Jack Tone Road. My grandma bought two frozen cherry pies and a cantaloupe.

My mom and sister surprised everyone by showing up past dark at my aunt's cabin that evening! That night, my cousins and I slept on the deck on cots, under the stars. I woke up to birds chirping and their dog Chester barking. Delightful!

Friday, July 2 My cousins Ben and Nick, my cousin Ryan, his friends and I hiked around Pinecrest Lake, a moderate hike of 4 miles. Ben set a quick pace and we soon lost Ryan and his friends.

It was a great hike that definitely pushed me, which is good since I'm going BACKPACKING July 22 and then again in late August for Wilderness Orientation with UC Santa Cruz! (On another note, I just got my room assignment for Stevenson college! No word on my roommate yet...) We spent the rest of the day at the cabin. I read throughout the day.

Saturday, July 3 My mom, sister PawPrint, and I drove to Pinecrest to get Serene Bean coffee drinks. The Serene Bean is a little coffee stand that sells delicious java and various snacks, like the rice krispy treat I had for breakfast. It's the perfect place for campers, hikers and beachgoers who need their daily coffee treat. We walked to the lake and sat at the beach beyond the marina, where dogs are allowed. My aunt and uncle were on their way with their golden retriever Sierra. I collected some rocks, read Light in August, and then walked down the trail to take some pictures.

On our way out of Pinecrest, we stopped at the Summit Ranger Station (of Stanislaus National Forest). My mom spoke with two gentlemen who were just taking down a banner having to do with wilderness volunteers. I went into the ranger station and found three awesome books about the Miwok and California Native Americans. My sister came in to say that my mom wanted me to meet the two men outside. One of them, Brent, said I should contact Phyllis Ashmead of Interpretation. He said she has two college interns who work there in the summer, putting on programs. He gave me her phone number, and also suggested we think about taking his Leave No Trace class, which was the following weekend (unfortunately we didn't have a chance). We thanked him and went into the store to buy the books I'd found: California Indians and Their Environment (an ethnobotany guide to the California Native Americans), Indian Life of the Yosemite Region by Barrett and Gifford, and a plant use book by Brown Tadd, a local Miwok.

We drove down to Twain Harte to meet my dad and step-mom. My sister and I drove with them to the cabin we were renting, within walking distance to downtown. We unloaded our things, made a trip to the market, and had dinner at The Rock, a restaurant named for the large rock now partially covered by Twain Harte Lake that was once sacred land to the Miwok. A village there was called "Bald Rock," or Hung'ah. The Miwok were the first inhabitants of what is now a quaint vacation town that my family visits every July. After dinner, we walked to Twain Harte Miniature Golf (simply called Pee Wee Golf by my family).

It's so nice to have a tradition like we have with Twain Harte. Pee Wee Golf is so familiar since I've been going there since I was old enough to hold a small golf club. The lake is the same as it's always been, with a few additions to the snack shack every now and then. The town is the same; every year there's a new coffee shop, and every year the previous coffee shop is out of business. (Although hopefully the new Caffe Blossom at the Nest and Nursery will remain open...it's so delightful!) This trip, I definitely learned more about the area in terms of the Native inhabitants. I found many books in different stores that told the story of the Miwok, an often forgotten story that is quite invisible to vacationers in the area. Most people don't realize it is still being written by the current Miwok people who live in the area. There are people throughout Tuolumne and Calaveras counties who silently hold the knowledge of their ancestors' traditions. Some aren't silent, as I will share when I talk about the pine needle basketry class my sister and I took. Every trip to Twain Harte is unique, but it always feels like home when we settle in to whichever cabin we're renting that year.

This post is getting far too long, so I'll stop here. I will share more information about my trip in upcoming posts. Thank you for reading!

Happy Monday!
Green Gal

---

"You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves."

Chief Seattle

Gone to the Mountains

2010-07-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'll be enjoying the pine-scented mountain air for a week. I'll be back July 10.

Green Gal

Guest Post: 5 National Parks Everyone Should Visit

2010-06-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Interested in learning some quick facts about five of our nation's national parks? Read this informative guest post by Louise Baker:

The United States is home to an array of beautiful monuments and natural phenomenon, from Niagara Falls, to the Grand Canyon, to the Rocky Mountains. Beauty is what the United States is all about and the national parks are no different. The beautiful scenery, exciting trails, and family environment makes the country's national parks a must see. Five national parks that everyone should visit are Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Denali National Park.

Yosemite National Park is located in the eastern region of California stretching 761,268 acres and extends across the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. This beautiful park is known for its aesthetic waterfalls that include Yosemite Falls (2,425 ft), Bridalveil Falls (620 feet), Vernal Fall (317 feet), Nevada Fall (594 feet), Ribbon Fall (1,612 feet), Horsetail Fall (1,000 feet), Illilouette Fall (370 feet), Wapama Falls (1,400 feet), and Chilnualna Falls (about 2,200 feet). The Giant Sequoias of Yosemite National Park contain three groves: the Tuolumne Grove which spans about 20 acres and contains the Dead Giant (tree that is 29 1/2 feet in diameter), the Merced Grove which is the least reachable of the other groves and has about 20 trees, and the Mariposa Grove which is the largest of the three groves and contatins over 200 trees. The Yosemite Valley, which was formed by glaciation, is one of the most unbelievable sites in the park. Yosemite National Park was once home to Native Americans starting 10,000 years ago and they named Yosemite Valley "Ahwahnee" or "place of the gaping mouth."

The view from Half Dome, taken when Green Gal climbed that granite monster last year.

The Grand Canyon National park is located in Arizona and is one of the oldest national parks in America. Environmental conversationalists fought hard to make this park a national monument in 1908. This park has been a heaven of archaeological discovery for over a century. Fossilized evidence has been found from the following cultures: Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral Puebloan, Cerbat, Pai, Zuni, Hopi, Navajo, and Euro-American. The many different tourist attractions include the inner rim of the canyon, Hermits Rest, Desert View Drive, Yaki Point, and the Tusayan Ruin and Museum.

Yellowstone National Park is found primarily in the state of Wyoming but extends into Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone National Park is comprised of 3,468 square miles and is home to an array of different animals that includes grizzly bears, wolves, bison, fish, reptiles and elk. The plant life of Yellowstone ranges from wildflowers to Yellowstone Sand Verbana. This park was first inhabited 11,000 years ago by Native Americans.

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the northern region of Colorado. Animal life in this park include the bobcat, black bears, puma, fox, coyote, elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, cougars, eagles, and hawks. The beautiful Bear Lake and Rocky Mountains personify the beauty of this national park.

The Denali National Park is located in Alaska. One of the world wonders of Denali National Park is the 20,320 foot tall Mt. McKinley. Tourists come from all over the world to take a glimpse of the massive mountain. Most of the mountain is treeless which offers a easier view at wildlife from the summit of Mt. McKinley. Animal life includes wolves, wolverines, moose, foxes, and countless bird species.

When she's not touring national parks across the country, Louise Baker is a freelance writer and online blogger. Her most recent work can be found at Zen College Life, where she blogs about online schools and the best online colleges.

A drawing & what I learned from a Me-Wuk "sopapette"

2010-06-29T01:12:00.000-07:00

I always forget that I know how to draw and that I actually enjoy it. When I was little I drew like crazy, but as I got older I drew less and less. Every once in a while I draw something and remember that I can. It's not that I can draw really well (as my sister PawPrint can), but I can at least get my point across sufficiently. So yesterday after I posted the drawings I'd made in December, I thought I might as well take pencil to paper and make another addition to my Miwok Picture Language Book.

I brought my Native American and Miwok books downstairs to our coffee table and began sketching, looking up words and images when needed. I copied the roundhouse from a drawing in a book published through Columbia Junior College called "Miwok" that Alexys's grandmother let me borrow. I collected the words from various sources: Alexys's knowledge of the Miwok language, the internet, Deeper Than Gold, the "Miwok" book, and a pamphlet from the Stanislaus National Forest titled "Shadow of the Miwok" about a re-created Miwok village in Pinecrest.

co-may: moon, molla: blue oak, nenga: man, oha: woman, haju: dog, lapisay: fish, suhssuh: firewood, umucha: cedar bark house, hangi: ceremonial roundhouse, walli: earth, chaw'se: mortar grinding stone, sykyineh: tattooed person, kiky: water, chuck-ah: acorn granary, wassa: Ponderosa pine

Over Spring Break, I had a chance to meet and learn some Miwok cultural information from Buddy, the sopapette, or dance leader, at the Tuolumne Me-Wuk Reservation. He is Alexys's uncle's cousin and we were lucky enough to have a chance to meet with him in his home on the reservation. He taught himself much of his culture by researching it, which is so incredible. He is teaching it to the children on the reservation. It's so awesome that he is keeping the Miwok culture alive. It was a unique experience to learn from him, but I haven't shared much of what I learned because it was so special and it felt like something that shouldn't just be shared with the world via the internet. I likely won't share the experiences I had, but I will share the facts that I learned.

I learned that acorns are stored for a year before they are consumed as ule, acorn bread, or as nupa, acorn mush. Sifting baskets that were used by the Me-Wuk had different designs that represented different things. Various colors were used in making baskets to give certain patterns. Acorns were ground, as most people know, in mortar cupules called chaw'se. Rock pestles, kawachi, were used to crush the acorns into flour. The chaw'se were arranged in the shape of a constellation or in a pattern to indicate the direction to the next village. I had never realized that before! One of the last times that I visited with city naturalist Eric Nicholas at the Alviso Adobe Community Park, he said he wished he had thought of arranging his grinding stone cupules in the shape of a constellation. At the time, I didn't realize that it was a traditional practice. (He is making his own chaw'se at the park so he can demonstrate how acorns were ground. When he teaches various programs, he has kids take turns pecking at the new depressions in the rock so they'll eventually become deep enough to be used. There is an ancient mortar cupule at the park, but it is a historic site that was actually used by the Ohlone, so it can't be practically utilized. For more information about the Alviso Adobe and the Ohlone, see this post.)

This set of mortar cupules, found at the Alviso Adobe Community Park, could possibly date back to 3,000 BC, according to a sign nearby. The sign states that it was used to crush acorns, but city naturalist Eric Nicholas believes it was used in ceremonial plant preparations. This bedrock mortar is listed on the California Historic Register.

I also learned that the Me-Wuk used lava rocks (found in the area from the volcanic activity in the past) to heat their water. The practice of heating rocks in fire and putting them in baskets to boil water is widespread, but I didn't realize the Me-Wuk used lava rocks. I learned from Eric Nicholas that the rock would be heated in the fire and then carried with a hoop stick to a basket of water to clean it off. The rock was then lifted into another bowl of water to boil it for tea or for food. As one rock cooled, another hot one would be added and the rocks were stirred in the water.

In the above picture, you can see a hoop stick on the right, with the rock on the hoop end. The large stone bowl is bedrock mortar and the stone in it is a pestle. Abalone shells on the left hold acorns. The brushes near the bottom of the picture are soaproot brushes made from the fibers of the soaproot plant. This display is set up at the Alviso Adobe Community Park.

I will later post the other information I learned.

Thanks for reading!
Green Gal

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You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.
St. Bernard

Miwok Picture Language Book

2010-06-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

In December, my friend Alexys and I spent some time at my family's cabin in the mountains. She taught me some Miwok words and I created a picture book that incorporates the words so I can better learn some of the language. Since then, I've learned some more words and have written many new words from various California tribes (Maidu, Konkow, Nisenan, etc.) in a language and culture journal I'm keeping. Here are the pages that I made in December. I hope to make more soon.

watu: sun, lama: tree, oha: woman, nanga: man, kiky: water, lapisay: fish, ohnem: to fish, haju: dog

nowehkowai: I love you, ohnem: to fish, nawa: love

Alexys drew this one. honon: bear, funawa: laughter

Learn how to count in Miwok using this picture.

If I make more, I will post them.
Thanks for reading! Happy Monday.

Green Gal

Wordless Wednesday: Tuolumne

2010-06-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

My Weekend in Nevada County

2010-06-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Photo from the book Deeper Than Gold

On Friday afternoon, my family drove up to Nevada County to visit my step-mom's parents in Grass Valley. Saturday morning we drove to Empire Mine State Park for a family portrait. I had never been to Empire Mine before, but unfortunately we didn't really get a chance to look around. We took the portrait on the well-manicured grounds and walked around the gift shop. While looking at the interesting rocks and knick-knacks in the shop, I spotted some carved rock hippos, which happen to be my sister's favorite animal of all time (no doubt, pictures of the various hippos she acquired this weekend will appear on her hippo blog soon!). Surprisingly, they had a variety of different stone hippos for her to choose from. She bought a pink-colored rhodonite one.

I found some bear fetishes carved from various stones with a description about what they signify. Bears are my favorite animals. The first time I saw a bear was while hiking with my dad near the Clark Fork trail head off Highway 108. I just knew I'd see one while hiking and I kept turning around, expecting to see one behind every tree. Then on the way back, after reading on some boulders in the middle of the river, we saw a bear cub pawing a log. My dad wanted to take a picture, but I suggested we leave in case the mama arrived. The second time I saw one was in Yosemite last June after hiking Half Dome. A big brown bear was on top of a set of boulders near a campsite. Some rangers came chasing after him as he crossed the road right in front of us and bounded into the forest. The third time I saw a bear I was with my aunt, uncle and cousin in their car on some backcountry road off Highway 108. A cub ran across the road and scampered up a tree. I hope to see more bears in the future, but not too close-up!

My dad pointed out a book in the gift shop called Deeper Than Gold: A Guide to Indian Life in the Sierra Foothills by Brian Bibby, photography by Dugan Aguilar. It tells the stories of different Native American tribes who once inhabited the Sierra Foothills (some still do, of course!), along with interesting anecdotes, myths and many beautiful black and white photographs. I've read almost half the book so far, and I've learned a lot! It was interesting to read it while staying in the foothills because it describes old Native American village sites and various cultural locations that are found throughout the area, including a village that used to sit right where Nevada City's downtown area is today.

I had never heard of the Nisenan ("nish-ee-non") people, who lived in the Grass Valley area. I read a myth in the book about Bear and Deer that offered an explanation for why a particular boulder in the foothills was so tall. The rock is called Aalam, which means "the tall/long rock." The myth can be found on page 61 here. The book says Aalam can be viewed from Lime Kiln Road off Highway 49, which we passed on the way to my step-mom's parents house. We planned to visit it when we left.

After leaving Empire Mine, we drove into Nevada City for lunch. The farmers market was about wrapping up, but we had a chance to walk through it. The people in Nevada City are interesting, "granola," as my step-mom said. It's a cool little mountain town. My sister and I decided we would live there.

The Nevada City Classic was this afternoon, so all over town, storefronts had bicycles and posters for the 50th anniversary. My dad loves cycling, as you can see by this picture.

We had lunch at South Pine Cafe, which has a vegetarian-friendly menu! I ordered a vegan BLT sandwich with tofu bacon. It was delicious!

Later that day, my dad and I drove back into Nevada City and walked to the theater. My dad had read the paper that morning and had seen that past winners of the Nevada City Classic would be at a reception in the theater at 5:30. One of the names listed as a past winner was his 5th grade teacher, Mr. Bob Tetzlaff, who actually won the first and second Nevada Classics in 1961 and 1962. My dad had him as a teacher in 1965. My dad spoke with him for a bit and told him that now he loves cycling, too. It was neat that he got to say hi to him and say thanks for being an inspiring teacher and cyclist. Another acclaimed cyclist, John Howard, walked up to talk to Retzlaff as we were about to leave. My dad was classmates with the famous Fred Markham, who was mentored by Tetzlaff. How cool!

Bob Tetzlaff, left, who won the first two Tour of Nevada City Classic bicycle races, talks with race founder Charlie Allert at the inaugural race in 1961. Photo by Bob Wyckoff.

My dad with his 5th grade teacher Bob Tetzlaff
Here's are some articles about the Nevada City Classic and Bob Tetzlaff:
- Past masters of the Nevada City Classic by Brian Hamilton
- A Classic from the start by Brian Hamilton
- Nevada City Classic History
- Coverage from today's classic, including an interview with Bob Tetzlaff and John Howard

This morning after breakfast at South Pine Cafe in Grass Valley this time, we walked around downtown and ventured into an antique shop. I found a book called Place Names of the Sierra Nevada by Peter Browning, which has explanations for various place names in the area. It seemed like something interesting to read while hanging out around the cabin with my mom's family, who has visited a lot of places near Pinecrest, so I bought it.

We drove out of Grass Valley down Highway 49 and turned right at Lime Kiln Road, hoping to see the aalam rock on the side of the road. We drove two miles before turning around. We didn't see it anywhere. I just looked on GoogleMaps to try and see if I could spot it, but no such luck. And it's not mentioned anywhere on the internet. Hmm... Here's a picture of the rock from the book, taken by Dugan Aguilar.

Thanks for reading,
Happy Father's Day!

Green Gal

Friday Visit to Terra Bella Family Farm

2010-06-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my family has joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program with Terra Bella Family Farm. I hadn't visited the farm until today when we picked up our fresh produce and bread. I had to take pictures of the quaint farm located right in Pleasanton.

On another note, I saw the Toy Story 3 midnight premiere in IMAX 3D early this morning and then again watched it at noon with my younger sister, and I have to say it is one of the best movies I've seen in awhile. It's a little stressful and scary at times, but hilarious and very sweet and definitely one of my new favorite movies. One thing that freaked me out was the depiction of the landfill. I won't give anything away, but it made me never want to buy anything disposable ever again! Which is a good thing, I suppose!

Happy Weekend and Happy Summer!
Green Gal

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"Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."
Lao Tzu

Kenyan chapati bread

2010-06-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sabore, a Maasai warrior I met two years ago (Photo credit: Asante Africa)

Today in AP Human Geography, my friends and I presented our end-of-the-year project, which our teacher calls Extreme Makeover: LDC (Least Developed Country) Edition. We chose the African country of Kenya because my good friend Taylor visited Kenya last summer with her church, so she knew about the culture already. As it turns out, I too know a bit about the culture, having read about the nomadic pastoral lifestyle practiced by many Kenyan people in Man on Earth by John Reader. I also met a Maasai warrior named Sabore and a teacher named Hellen from Kenya at a presentation by Asante Africa at my school two years ago. At the presentation, I purchased a hand-made bracelet and a piece of cloth which is typically worn as clothing. I use it as a table cloth in my room (see it in pictures on this blog post).

Here is the video of Hellen Nkuraiya (see it on the Asante Africa website here):

To prepare for our presentation, yesterday Taylor and I made Kenyan chapati, a type of fried flat bread made of white and wheat flour. We stopped by Safeway after school (finals week means school gets out at 11:40 am), and went to my house to make some delicious food. Taylor later told me that she expected us to fail and that she thought our bread would taste gross. I was a little concerned about how difficult it would be to make it. Here's the recipe Taylor found online here:

Chapati (Round Flat Bread)

Ingredients (6 servings)
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
2 tbsp oil or ghee
3/4 - 1 cup of warm water
Salt to taste

Mix the flour in a bowl and add salt and oil. You can mix with clean hands, or use a mixer or food processor. Add a little bit of water at a time and knead well for about 10 minutes until you have a stiff and smooth dough. Cover the dough and let it stand for at least 30 minutes up to two hours. Knead the dough well again and divide it into egg-sized balls. Dust each ball with extra flour. Flatten each ball and roll out thinly into sizeable circles. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle over a medium flame. Lightly grease the pan and slowly heat the first chapatti. Cook on one side for about 1 minute or until lightly brown, then flip and brown the other side. Press the sides of the chapati with a spoon until it puffs. Remove the chapati from the skillet into a warm dish or foil paper and wrap it to keep it warm. Repeat this process for every chapati, wiping the pan with greased paper every time a new chapati is to be cooked. Serve the chapatis warm with a meat stew and/or cooked vegetables. Chapatis can also be served with hot milk or chai.
Taylor measuring out the oil

We multiplied the recipe by five to serve the 30+ students in our class. My math skills aren't superb, so Taylor did most of the converting. We decided to mix with our hands, which I highly recommend as it is fun and connects you to the food you are making. It also made us feel more like we were making real Kenyan food because we sat outside on the ground and it felt more real than standing in the kitchen with a mixer.
Taylor and I mixing the chapati dough in my backyard

Taylor's hands mixing the dough

We split the dough into two bowls to mix, and mine turned out normal. Taylor's had a strange consistency--not unlike tuna fish--so we added more water and flour until it became normal. My sister PawPrint took pictures of us and brought us the water to pour onto the mix. My dog Misty started running around and dog hair was flying everywhere, including into the bowls. During class this morning, my friend Jon asked me if a I have a pet because he found some hair in his chapati. Good thing I'm posting this after everyone ate some and not before!
Kneading the dough

Taylor

PawPrint

We let the dough sit for awhile as we made a book for our Human Geography teacher Mr. Bull. His wife is pregnant with their first child, so this year he had the class come up with names for his future kid. Red Bull, Adora Bull, and other names of that nature were definitely brainstormed. So Taylor had the idea to make a book of joke names that he and his wife (Mrs. Turner, teacher adviser for Environmental Club) could have chosen for their son. Mr. Bull promised to send all of his students a picture of his son this summer when he's born, and we're supposed to respond with our AP score once we receive it in the mail.

After a bit, we returned to the chapati and began cooking it in a pan with oil. You can roll the dough with a rolling pin or flatten it with your hands, but we found that the flatter the better if you want to have it poof like it's supposed to. We ate the first one we made and it was surprisingly delicious!
The dough

Chapati!

We learned that adding salt to it as it's cooking makes it have more flavor, and too much oil makes them gross. We cooked the entire two bowls of dough and made enough that I still have some left over after most of my class had one and I ate about four during school. We served it with hot chai tea (we just purchased chai tea bags and brought milk, rather than heat them together), which was also a hit with our class. Our presentation was successful, as well. Being drama students, our group presented a play that explained how we would solve the issue of poverty in Kenya using non-profit organizations and investments from transnational corporations. Taylor showed pictures from her visit to Kenya, and we were able to show off some cool cultural items: my bracelet and cloth, Taylor's Kenyan flag and banner and her spear. We also had a jumping contest, a cultural game that Taylor told us about. Best of all, we succeeded in making chapati! Taylor said it tasted the same as the chapati she ate last summer. I definitely recommend trying it--it would be delicious served with a stew as the recipe suggests. Learning about other cultures and experiencing their food, music and traditions is so fascinating! I guess that's why I'm studying anthropology!

Thanks for reading! Next time I post, I'll be a high school graduate!
Green Gal

I Voted!

2010-06-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

That's what the sticker says that they gave me: I Voted. How exciting that my voice has been heard as a voting citizen for the first time! I followed some Sierra Club recommendations and talked with my parents about the different issues and people to vote for. Sierra Club recommended No on Measure D, but I voted Yes because it makes way more sense, even from an environmental standpoint. (Don't know what that is? Check it out here: http://oakgrovepleasanton.com/ or on Pleasanton Patch.)

Today was my last full day of high school. Tomorrow and Thursday are half days for finals, and then Friday is graduation practice and senior assembly. Then, I graduate! :)

Happy Tuesday,
Green Gal

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Think of the sunset from the sun's point of view.
- Steven Wright

Fair trade Earths, CSA, barefooted seniors, and yearbooks

2010-06-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

With sadness and yet joy for the future, I attended my last Environmental Club meeting of high school on Wednesday. I stepped down from the role of publicist/secretary and said goodbye to my beautiful club members and fellow officers, with whom I have helped rebuild a fallen club. I will miss running meetings and sending emails, but it’s time for me to let someone else have that title and to let the other officers take the club in new directions next year, including food scrapping and other events that we brainstormed this year but never got around to doing. I wish them the best of luck next year and I will most definitely attend their events and visit when I have the chance. I hope to find an environmental club or group at Santa Cruz that I can join (I know it won’t be difficult!) and experience a similar, yet fresh community of activism for the environment.

I was pleasantly surprised when my dear friend Patricia (remember, the whole grain cookie girl?) presented me with a parting gift: fair trade chocolate Earth globes and a homemade card with a kind greeting. Thank you Patricia!

Today, I learned that our family has officially become part of the community-supported agriculture world. My dad and step-mom picked up our first batch of vegetables, fruit and artisan bread from our local Terra Bella Farms. We’ve already eaten one of the peaches and it was delicious! The bread they picked up is carmelized onion with Asiago—of course I had to try it, and avoided the Asiago as best I could. It is superbly yummy. We cannot stop slicing pieces of bread and eating them!

Also this week, I started an exercise routine in order to train for summer backpacking and my Wilderness Orientation in August. I started on Tuesday, fitting since it was June 1 and starting things on the first of the month always makes it feel more likely to be maintained. I jogged Wednesday and Thursday and then this evening after eating some bread, my dad, step-mom, Boston terrier Simon, and I went on a walk around our park. I went barefooted, which I love to do because then my feet become callused enough that I can go barefooted anywhere. It makes me feel more self-sufficient if I can take off my shoes whenever I want and not worry that my feet will hurt if I step on a rock.

Yesteday we got our yearbooks, and considering how many clubs I’m involved in, guess how many pages I’m either pictured in or quoted on. Go ahead, guess. Thirteen! A student in the yearbook class told me a couple of months ago that I wasn’t allowed to be photographed anymore because I am in the yearbook so much. Then I took a picture with the writing club. Later I was asked for a quote for two different clubs. No one’s surprised of course, but it is a little insane if you look through the club pictures section and see my face in five of them. Oh, and the best part is, I got to write an entire section on being “green.” In describing how I am “green,” I was able to list some easy ways for others to be more conscious. Hopefully, some students will read that and think a little bit more about their actions in relation to the environment.

In other news, my younger sister PawPrint is at her 8th grade Promotion Dance, a semi-formal dance for all the 8th graders who will be “promoting” to high school. She has only five more days of middle school, which means I only have five more days of high school. Absolutely raving mad, I tell you. It doesn’t even seem possible that high school is over. No way. But I guess it’s true, because there’s a purple gown in my closet and my Thespian honor cords are waiting on my dresser to be worn at graduation...

Have a great weekend, Blogosphere!
Green Gal

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And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
-- Anais Nin

"Into the West" series

2010-06-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

I was searching through On Demand Free Movies earlier this evening and I came across some episodes of a show entitled "Into the West." I was intrigued, so I looked at the details. I don't know how I manage to do so, but I always find the most interesting shows on television when I least expect them!

The show is a series through TNT that, according to its website, was the most Emmy-nominated program of the year when it came out in 2005--and I'd never even heard of it! It's about the history of westward expansion in the United States and it's incredibly fascinating! The storyline is fictional, but all the historical details are accurate. It's a U.S. history teacher's dream; I've been thinking to myself while watching this show how many opportunities a teacher would have to utilize this program as an interesting teaching aid. It is extremely violent at times; however, but there are definitely segments that would be perfect for reinforcing concepts learned in the classroom. The first episode that is available On Demand is episode three, so I jumped right in without getting some back story on the characters, which was fine. I'm tempted to buy the series on DVD; that's how good it is.
My favorite part is the story that we often don't see, especially not in school. The episode of this series that I have seen does an excellent job of showing the Native American (in this case Lakota) perspective on the historical events that occur during the course of the show. Because it is a movie, it allows for subtleties that books and school textbooks cannot show. One example is during the signing of the Treaty at Fort Laramie in September 1851, the Native Americans signing it wouldn't have had an easy time doing so; the Native people didn't have a written language and didn't use pens as the white settlers did. They likely wouldn't have had a signature with which to sign their names. (There were Native Americans who painted, so in that case they would have had an understanding of holding a pen, but in this case, they wouldn't have had a John Hancock like the others signing the treaty.) I had never thought about this before, but they were able to show it in the episode.

Another scene I found interesting showed the events that occurred at Brule in the Nebraska Territory in 1854. I just looked it up online, and apparently the incident was called the Grattan Massacre. Anyway, the part of the scene that I found valuable was realizing that in communicating with the Native Americans, white soldiers and white settlers needed a translator. In this scene, the translator is drunk and doesn't tell the white soldier what the Native American chief was truly saying. I had never thought of this scenario before, and especially had never considered that translators might mis-translate because of dislike of the Native Americans. Little things like this throughout the episode I watched made it such an informative show. It also reinforced my understanding of various historical events and provided some images of historical situations that I'd only ever read about in dull textbooks, which I can now picture with better understanding.

If you're interested in learning more (the website for the show is an amazing resource of information and if I were a history teacher I'd be going crazy with excitement over this discovery), visit the website here. If you're a teacher, or want to see the educator materials that go with the program, click here.Now to watch episode four!

Green Gal

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“Tell me, and I will listen.
Show me, and I will understand.
Involve me, and I will learn.”
-- Lakota proverb

Healthy Conversation

2010-05-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

I just want to quickly share with you a conversation I had with my Environmental Club friend about healthy food on Facebook Chat. It gives me hope that not all teenagers are junk food addicts:

Patricia
oh, are you planning on bringing anything for the env club partay on Wednesday?
I wanted to bring cookies but we only have whole grain flour
and I don't know if everyone would like that

Me
I'm probably just going to buy some cookies and bring them
I like whole grain cookies :) if you put enough frosting on them or something they'd be good lol

Patricia
Yeah my mom's a health teacher so I'm used to whole grain but I don't know if everyone else likes it!

Me
lol yea we eat pretty healthy at my house
most people end up liking healthy foods once they try them...I think it's just a matter of getting used to them
most healthy foods taste better than gross stuff if you really savor them...the bad foods often make you feel bad after eating them, but healthy foods taste good and make you feel good

Patricia
amen
I agree 100%!!!

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Doesn't that give you hope?

My last Environmental Club meeting of high school is this Wednesday at lunch. It's getting close to the end now, with only two more weeks of high school. Perhaps then I'll finally have time to post blogs again. I'm going to begin training for a Wilderness Orientation that I'm attending in August for UC Santa Cruz. I need to start exercising in general, and with that I am going to try to eat even healthier--no candy and junk food and fewer bagels :-) Getting on board with those goals and having freedom once summer arrives will bring plenty of blog post topics. Get ready for it!

Green Gal

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"If you were to leave the world tomorrow, would you be content with your obituary?"
-- Unknown

Native American Reservations

2010-05-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

For my second semester senior year Economics project, I was to choose an economic issue of interest to myself and find eight articles from various angles. I had to write an introduction to the topic, write paragraph analyses of each article, and then come up with my own solution to the economic problem. I chose Native American Reservations as my topic. Here is the opening paragraph of my project:

Games of gambling and luck are nothing new to Native American people; their culture includes traditional games of chance, so it's not entirely arbitrary that Native American reservations often maintain casinos that otherwise would not be able to exist in certain states, like California, where gambling is illegal. Along with casinos, other industries such as golf courses, natural resource mining, and sports facilities have generated a much-needed income for many tribes and have improved conditions for the Native American people themselves, as well as boosted the economies of local communities. The Indian Gaming and Regulatory Act of 1988 paved the way for many tribes to get their economic grounding, but many tribes are still suffering. Tribes need effective means of obtaining income to become less dependent on United States federal aid, but what's the cost to tradition, safety and the environment? Who should receive the benefits of the tribal revenue? And should the tribes have to adhere to taxation by the U.S. government even though they are technically sovereign nations?

To see the rest of the project, visit my new Green Gal site at https://sites.google.com/site/greenbeangal/ or click here to see the document directly.

Green Gal

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Treasure this day and treasure yourself. Truly, neither will ever happen again.
-- Ray Bradbury

Ice Age Bay Area - KQED Quest

2010-05-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Imagine the San Francisco Bay Area during the most recent Ice Age at the end of the Pleistocene epoch: a lush, green valley that San Francisco Bay now fills; coasts that extend 12 feet farther into the sea than they currently do; abundant wildlife and megafaunal mammals, like mastodons, short-faced bears, camels, llamas, saber-tooth cats, and mammoths; new human inhabitants who are fortunate enough to happen upon this eden of life, but unfortunate enough to have to deal with the fierce short-faced bears and cats that are larger-than-life and deadly.I just watched an 11-minute segment from KQED Quest about the Bay Area during the Ice Age. It centered on these unique "rubbing rocks" along the Sonoma Coast. These boulders, the narrator says, tell an "ancient story." There is some polish on these rocks that was not created by wind, water or other geologic causes, and some of the polish is found 10-12 feet above the ground, indicating that it was made by something large. E. Breck Parkman, the Senior Archaeologist for California State Parks, believes it was made by Columbian mammoths during the late Pleistocene, rubbing their coats against the rocks after covering themselves in mud to remove ectoparasites from their body. After generations and generations of mammoths rubbing up against these rocks, the rocks became polished.

Then Douglas Long, Chief Curator of Natural Sciences at the Oakland Museum of California, spoke about the various animals that lived in the area thousands of years ago. I never knew that our state's fossil is the sabertooth cat (Smilodon californicus, below), which was an animal that lived during the last Ice Age.So what happened to these large mammals? Overkilling by the new humans? Global warming that devastating the natural environment of the Bay Area and removed the animal habitat? A combination of the two? Understanding the Pleistocene epoch, the program says, can inform our decisions regarding present-day global warming and how and what we protect as our climate changes. I highly recommend watching it here, or below.

QUEST on KQED Public Media.

Thanks for reading,
Green Gal

P.S. I have one more AP test this week and then I'll have a lot more time to post on here. Senior year is crazy, for sure!

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When we contemplate the whole globe as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted with continents and islands, flying through space with other stars all singing and shining together as one, the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty.
-- John Muir

Dating Game: Neanderthals and Early Humans

2010-05-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

"Be careful whom you call a Neanderthal. You may be one yourself. Or at least you may have Neanderthal ancestors.

That's the conclusion of a study being released Thursday that examined DNA extracted from Neanderthal bones more than 35,000 years old."

I read this article saying to myself, well duh, haven't they read Jean M. Auel's The Clan of the Cave Bear and the Earth's Children series? Her book includes relations between the neanderthals and modern man. If you haven't read that series, I highly recommend it!

Check out the NPR article on the subject here: "Hey Good Lookin': Early Humans Dug Neanderthals" by Joe Palca.

Notice that one of the geneticists mentioned in the article is now working at UC Santa Cruz. Yeah Santa Cruz!

Earth Day 2010

2010-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I celebrated my 18th birthday as well as the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970. My mom took me hiking in the morning since school didn't start until 10:40 (thank you STAR testing!). At lunch, my Environmental Club had an Earth Day party and we ate leftover popcorn and had cookies from the night before when we'd shown the film FLOW to the public--at least 100 students attended (most for extra credit) and the event was a huge success.

Thursday evening, my family went out to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant and then at 7:00, we all attended a lecture titled "Sustainability: Then and Now." The City Naturalist Eric Nicholas spoke about how sustainbility was a necessary aspect of life for the Ohlone people who once lived in this abundant valley we now call home. (For more information about the event, see this article: Pleasanton Take Steps toward Sustainability.)

After the event, we went home for vegan, gluten-free cake and some presents, including a coffee maker for my dorm room, National Parks: America's Best Idea on DVD, and a beautiful slideshow presentation by my sister Kelsey of pictures of me from the time I was born until the present day.

I had a great birthday and Earth Day and am inspired anew to go outside and spend time with nature. Oh, and now I can vote :)

Berry-picking basket or some other sort of collecting basket, acorns and tree galls
Soap root brush made from the soap root plant, a very useful plant that grows on shaded hillsides. The glue made from the plant is used to hold the end of the brush together. (More information about the plant can be found here.)
Animal figurine made from tree galls (I think that's what those are called...can someone confirm that?)

My sister Kelsey with the display table on which the above items were sitting on. Eric Nicholas referenced some of these items during his presentation.
Here are some notes I took about what he spoke about:

He asked us to remove the buildings, towns, streets, and infrastructure of our town and peel back time about 500 or 5000 years into the past, when the valley was a more natural setting. At that time, sustainbility was not an issue as it is today. It came naturally to the Native Americans, the Ohlone, because it was such a necessary aspect of their lifestyle that was so deeply ingrained in their living that it didn't pose any barriers as it does today. Before European contact and before the valley was paved and built upon, the land was abundant with life. Forty thousand elk, a large grizzly bear population, and water trickling down to the valley from the surrounding hills. There were many lakes, ponds, and wetlands and thus many grizzlies, who thrive in wetlands and rolling hills. They were sustained by the steelhead trout populations living in the nearby rivers of the valley.

There is evidence, he told us, of humans living at Mt. Diablo 9000 years ago. It is now believed that humans lived in the Bay Area 13,000 years ago. Those people living here had to maintain that abundance the land offered if they wanted to subsist comfortably. It was an aspect of their religion to maintain a balance with the natural world. And they weren't just wandering people happening on berries and elk--they were highly trained in the lives of the animals they hunted and the distribution of the plants they relied on. They didn't move around a lot, but remained in the same area for most of their lives, highly aware of the location of what they needed to survive. They were "well acquainted with the land and resources." A major part of sustainbility is that understanding of how nature works and being able to fit into that natural cycle and way (just this moment I'm reminded of the Tao, which is something we're studying in my World Literature class. Sustainbility is also living according to the Tao, or following the path and not forcing anything, but letting it take you along in life. I love when different aspects of my life fit together!).

Eric then picked up the soap root plant and asked if anyone knew what it was. I did, of course, but I let someone else say it. He listed some of its uses: the ground bulb becomes soap; insect repellent; wound disinfectant; glue; bundles of the fiber become a brush and the glue becomes the brush handle; it's flammable so it was used to start fires; and the onion-like bulb could be cooked and eaten. He didn't mention this, but the plant was also used to stun fish in rivers so they could easily be caught. This was only done on occasion when a large quantity of fish were needed and this practice is illegal today because it kills off so many fish at one time.

With so much available to them, the Ohlone wanted to maintain it so they'd always have access to it. Thus, they sustained it by living so that they didn't ruin any of nature's offerings. To keep the land healthy and fertile, they set controlled burns, which removed the cluttered undergrowth that hindered plant growth, including plants that were used medicinally like yarrow. Today because we do not have such controlled burns, our wildfires in California are deadly and out of control. The land used to be more open underneath trees and in forests, but today it's cluttered. The people who once lived here truly knew how to safely manipulate the land in a way that didn't steal the abundance from other life.

Eric told us that when settlers first came to California, they described the landscape as that of an "English garden." There was color everywhere and such abundance of plant life that today we don't really see because of the non-native plants that have been introduced. We think golden hills are iconic California, but it didn't used to be that way. They used to be lush and colorful, but non-native species have taken over and left the beautiful hills brown. Today, we have our grocery stores, hardware stores, clothing stores, medicine shops, etc. But for the Ohlone, their stores were the land and the items that we now purchase were, in a more natural form, something the Ohlone could get from the land. They knew how to maintain their stores, too, so they could always have access to those items they needed. The Ohlone didn't practice agriculture as some other Native Americans did (the Native peoples who did use agriculture were those who lived in less abundant areas like the Southwest who needed to develop more complex tools and ways to survive in the harsh landscape...the Ohlone had everything they needed to live and didn't have to develop agricultural methods to have enough food), but they did shape the landscape so they'd have access to their needs.

Many Native cultures made pottery, but not the Ohlone. They were basket weavers, along with many of the other California tribes. The Pomo especially are known for their intricately beautiful baskets. Eric showed us an example, a willow basket. He noted the straightness of the individual willow branches used to make the basket. The Ohlone would actually prune willow tree branches to grow straight so they could use them in their baskets. How awesome is that!?

Like other Native peoples, the Ohlone utilized everything they gathered or hunted; nothing was wasted. They didn't take everything, for they didn't need everything and wasting it would mean there would be less of it next time they needed it. The Ohlone also had a much, much smaller population than we have now and because of this, they had great abundance in the valley.

The Ohlone were so well-off, they only had four-hour work days and didn't have to work very hard to survive. For example, there were so many water birds in the valley that if all the birds were to fly into the sky at once, they would blot out the sun.

A man asked about how the grizzly bear population affected the people living in the valley. Grizzlies avoid groups of people and the Ohlone knew it was not safe to travel through a forest alone. They likely had encounters, but both the grizzlies and the people were aware of how to avoid confrontation. Also, Eric said, because there was less undergrowth, the grizzlies couldn't hide, so people would see them more easily and be prepared.

Someone in the audience asked a question about the Alviso Adobe Community Park. They asked if the Ohlone actually lived at the site. There is a bedrock mortar there dating back to 3500 BC. Eric said that the cupules found at the site were not used to make acorn mush, which is typically what people associate mortar cupules with. There isn't a large supply of water, like a river, near the rock, but the cupules are also too small to have been used for acorns. He said the site was definitely frequented and was like an "inbetween place" for the Ohlone. To the southwest of the site where the park is there was an Ohlone settlement and northeast of the site there was a burial site. The site where the park is was likely a ceremonial gathering spot between these two places and the cupules were likely used in preparing medicine for ceremonial purposes. I never knew that before!

Eric spoke a little about the Alviso Adobe park itself. Some people in the audience had never been up there, and he encouraged them to visit. He talked about the experiment going on at the interpretive park. It's an "experiment in connecting with the land," he said. "Which is important." According to him, students seventh grade and down have grown up with recycling and sustainbility and for them it's the "norm." That's so great to hear because I don't know anyone that age, so I hope that's really true. That means in just a few years, there will be kids interested or trained in those areas who will be entering high school. Let me tell you, the high schoolers now are definitely not aware of those concepts, except very basically. He told us that at the Alviso Adobe, native plants and covercrops have been planted. Covercrops are vital and include nitrogen-fixing plants like wild peas. The community is participating in this experiment by volunteering to plant new natives and take out the non-natives. He hopes to transform the park to the landscape of the past.

I was actually at the park yesterday after school to meet with him regarding an article I wrote about the summer camp he runs called Ridge Runners. The park is so beautiful this time of year, with lots of color and green plants. This summer, I hope to be a counselor for Ridge Runners camp and, if not, I will definitely be up there volunteering often.

Thanks for reading! Happy Saturday.
Green Gal

---

Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods. Here grow the wallflower and the violet. The squirrel will come and sit upon your knee, the logcock will wake you in the morning. Sleep in forgetfulness of all ill. Of all the upness accessible to mortals, there is no upness comparable to the mountains.
-- John Muir

Happy Birthday, John Muir!

2010-04-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

As Spring really takes hold, with rainy days (like today) and then hot, sunny days that feel like summer, I'm getting excited for the end of the school year and for my post-high school adventures. Spring is always a rapid season in the school year, with testing and finals in classes speeding things along and then before you know it, the year's over.

I realized this morning that it is the birthday of John Muir, the famous naturalist writer, among other things he was. I don't know if this was done on purpose, but I find it perfect that his birthday is the day before Earth Day. I also think it's something like fate that my birthday is tomorrow, on Earth Day. I didn't really even realize this fact consciously until I started becoming something of an environmentalist and nature-enthusiast myself. My good friend Blue was the first person to tell me "Happy B-Earth Day." I'm glad he was the first to do so, because he's one of the people I was close friends with around the time I become more conscious of the natural world. Thanks, Blue!

Yesterday, I saw a blue jay (I'm not sure exactly what kind of bird he is, but I refer to him in my journal as blue jay, so I'll just call him that for now) standing in the grass in the rain. He was hopping around and he disappeared behind a pot. I ran for my backyard journal and grabbed a pen and rushed back to the window. He had jumped up onto a pot with wilting tulips and was pecking at the dirt. Then he did the same thing in the pot of alyssum. So I wrote a poem about my friend the blue jay, who I see often in our yard. (There are two of these birds. One time I caught them kissing on a fence!)

A blue jay in the rain
finding seeds in untended pots
where tulips bloomed.
What does he call the rain?

Before this past September, I've never been much of a bird watcher or backyard nature observer. I did some homework in the backyard earlier this year and realized how much fun bird watching can be--and how easily it can distract you from work! I felt it was fitting to share some of my observations today, since it is John Muir's birthday and he was one of the grandest nature observers I've ever read. So here are some observations I've made in my backyard over the past months:

September 5, 2009
Peculiar sparrows (?) eating seeds off the ground under the cherry tree, kicking up dirt to find them. Three of them shuffling around.

October 19, 2009
Delightful little shoots of grass and plants, the result of a recent downpour. Baby tears by the left bushes positively thick and luscious! I could live in that greenness! Some growing near Butterfly bush. Shed roof window slid down the other day during the storm. In there today, it's so delightful and autumnal to see the views from inside. Could live in there if more weatherproof! The spiders are none too welcoming, either!

Though this picture was taken March 25, this is what the Baby tears under the bush look like. Recently, they've been as thick or thicker than they were in October.

February 22, 2010
Tulip shoots in the pots! Leftover from last year, they've sprouted without my even realizing it! Watched a Blue Jay just now (1:40pm) in the yard, carrying a peanut. I saw him with the full shell go into a neighbor's yard. He hopped on the fence to the cherry tree with a single nut. He was looking for a place to store it on the branches. Found a spot. A bee frightened me and I ran inside and now I've no clue where he's gone. Our yard is overgrown, a perfect wild place. Oh here's Blue Jay! I watched him breathing earlier, his little chest puffing out. There are two! They've just kissed or shared food. Delightful! He rubbed his beak on the fence post. I've tried whistling but he ignores it. He's just puffed his chest feathers out. Both on the fence, apart. What do they see, I wonder? He's staring at me. So agile! Earlier saw a smaller bird dipping her beak in cherry blossoms. He got his peanut! There's a squirrel in a rear-yard tree. The birds rule the garden, up on their high tree perch. Here's the little bird come from her nest. Squirrel in the same place. The jays have flown off. So much for doing my Economic homework. Oh--huge fly! Buzz. Squirrel jumped away. Lucy, the little bird with the nest in the cherry tree, is out on the branches, blending in with the blossoms. She's on the branch--Lucy chirped! 2:10pm. Skinny brown bird flew to shed roof. Is now hiding on the fence where a bush shields him. Jerry is his name. Cleared some grass from around the tulip shoots. Told them why and made sure none were flowering (don't want to upset the fairies!). Jerry (or a friend) is on chair under Butterfly bush. 2:50pm. Is it possible I hear Lucy's babies chirping?
Example of how overgrown the backyard was. Now, there's mainly dirt with some leftover grasses. My mom pulled up all the "weeds," which I find pretty...though they do turn ugly when the hot weather hits.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of my dear bird friends. Next time I see them, I'll try to take some pictures.
Happy Birthday, John Muir!

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.
-- John Muir

2010 Goldman Environmental Prize Ceremony in San Francisco

2010-04-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, April 19, my dad and step-mom, four other Environmental Club members and I attended the Goldman Environmental Prize Ceremony. Here are some pictures from the inspiring event that took place in San Francisco:

The ceremony took place in the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center/Opera House. We sat in the top balcony with the other youth groups from the Bay Area.
The five of us in our seats at the event. My dad and step-mom came with us.
Peter Coyote was the Master of Ceremonies (he narrates The National Parks: America's Best Idea series...I knew I recognized his voice!). You can see him in the bottom left of the picture and on the screen. The man in the wheelchair is Richard N. Goldman, who established the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1990 with his wife Rhoda. With him is his daughter, Susan R. Gelman.
Six awards are given out to represent the 6 inhabited areas of Earth. The first award went to Thuli Brilliance Makama of Swaziland, Africa. From the Goldman website: Thuli Brilliance Makama, Swaziland’s only public interest environmental attorney, won a landmark case to include environmental NGO representation in conservation decisions and continues to challenge the forced evictions and violence perpetrated against poverty-stricken communities living on the edges of conservation areas.
For Islands and Island Nations, Humberto Ríos Labrada of Cuba: "A scientist and biodiversity researcher, Humberto Ríos Labrada promoted sustainable agriculture by working with farmers to increase crop diversity and develop low-input agricultural systems that greatly reduce the need for pesticide and fertilizer, encouraging Cuba’s shift from agricultural chemical dependence."
From Europe, Małgorzata Górska of Poland: "Małgorzata Górska led the fight to protect Poland’s Rospuda Valley, one of Europe’s last true wilderness areas, from a controversial highway project that would have destroyed the region’s sensitive ecosystems."
Before the prizes were awarded and following the third prize, Baaba Maal performed. The man on the screen isn't Baaba Maal, but his drummer. Baaba is in the center, playing guitar.
From North America, Lynn Henning of USA: "A family farmer in rural Michigan, Lynn Henning exposed the egregious polluting practices of CAFOs –concentrated animal feeding operations- gaining the attention of the federal EPA and prompting state regulators to issue hundreds of citations for water quality violations."
From Asia, Tuy Sereivathana of Cambodia: "Tuy Sereivathana worked to mitigate human elephant conflict in Cambodia by introducing innovative low-cost solutions, empowering local communities to cooperatively participate in endangered Asian elephant conservation."
From Central and South America, Randall Arauz of Costa Rica: "Drawing international attention to the inhumane and environmentally-catastrophic shark finning industry, Randall Arauz led the campaign to halt the practice in Costa Rica, making his country the new international model for shark protection."

"The Goldman Prize amplifies the voices of these grassroots leaders and provides them with:

•International recognition that enhances their credibility
•Worldwide visibility for the issues they champion
•Financial support of $150,000 to pursue their vision of a renewed and protected environment"

After the ceremony, there was a brief youth ceremony in which a poetry group called Youth Speaks performed a poem. It was very neat! There was a reception for youth following the event, but we didn't stay.

The event was interesting, inspiring and informational! For more information, visit the website at http://www.goldmanprize.org/

Knight's Ferry, Sonora and Tuolumne

2010-04-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

I returned from my best friend's grandma's house in Tuolumne on Sunday afternoon and was enjoying my extended time away from the computer, so I didn't post about what I learned at that time and still haven't gotten around to it. I've been mulling the experience over in my head and will eventually write about my time there and what I learned. For now, with so much going on at school and One Act rehearsals beginning tomorrow, I'm just going to share bits of it and let my pictures tell some stories, too...

Here are some photos from Thursday, April 8. We bought Strawberry-Rhubarb pie at a stand along Highway 120, visited Knight's Ferry (in which we walked to the Stanislaus River edge and explored the nature and history museum), and had lunch in Sonora before going to Alexys's grandmother's house. My mom and sister drove us up there.

One thing I learned while I was staying in Tuolumne is that in the Me-Wuk tribe, there are different clans, like the Turtle and Bear clans. There are many more than those two, but on Thursday, I only knew there were those two at least. On Sunday, I learned the other clan names and will share those with you when I post about Sunday some other time.

Thanks for reading and looking,
Green Gal

Gooooo Banana Slugs!

2010-04-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

It's official. I've posted it on Facebook, we bought the family t-shirts and sweatshirts, and my dad even bought himself a "Dad" mug. Oh yeah, and I accepted admission on the website. I am going to UC Santa Cruz in the Fall!

We visited the campus yesterday for their Spring Spotlight tour and I fell in love with everything about the school. I learned a lot during the tour and I'm now so excited for next year. Though I saw one in fifth grade at Outdoor Ed, I can't wait to see my first banana slug at Santa Cruz and give it a kiss! Their skin makes your tongue numb if you lick them and they have no known predators! Woohoo!

Here are some pictures from the visit. Credit for the photos goes to my dad, who snapped pictures during the entire tour!

College Nine. There are 10 colleges and every student is a part of one. They create smaller communities on the large campus. My first choice is Stevenson College, but a lot of them look interesting. The total enrollment at UCSC is 16,000.

At one point, the school's mascot was changed to the sea lion. Students were outraged and fought for their beloved Banana Slug mascot. Eventually, it was changed back. Every year, students paint these sea lions yellow and attach antennae, saying they're really banana slugs in disguise.

The campus consists of 2000 acres. For every acre they build on, they have to keep one acre of forest.

Our entertaining tour guide, Stephen.

Quarry Plaza, named for the limestone quarry that used to operate on the land where the campus was built

My dad with his new Banana Slug Dad mug

Thanks for reading!
Green Gal

Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians

2010-04-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned here before, my best friend Alexysjayd is Native American. Though she is Cherokee and Choctaw, her family moved to the Sonora area and her grandmother and family live with the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians (if you visit the website, be sure to turn the sound on!). The Tuolumne Me-Wuk are known for their annual Acorn Festival in September, which I hope to attend this year.

I plan on studying anthropology, Native Americans, and ethnobotany (also a some wildlife education would be cool) in college next year--likely at UC Santa Cruz--so I am very much looking forward to next week when Alexys brings me up to her grandmother's house to spend time at the reservation, learning about the Me-Wuk people and spending time in Sonora, possibly horseback riding, hiking and exploring. I've been going to Pinecrest since I was a baby, and Sonora is a town nearby that I love exploring. It can't be mere coincidence that Alexys and I became best friends within a week of meeting each other last school year and that we both have a connection to the Sonora area.

A map of Native American tribes of North America that my friend Taylor gave me. Alexys has the same map in her room.
Because we're going up there, I picked up some books from the library on California Indians. I'm reading the sections about the Miwok (which is the most common spelling I've seen, but varies depending on who you ask). Yesterday, my sister and I walked to Starbucks in the rain and spent some time reading and sketching. I took many notes from Before California: An Archaeologist Looks at Our Earliest Inhabitants by Brian Fagan. I copied down a Miwok creation story that he included within the first few pages:

"'Before the people, there was only water. Coyote looked among the ducks and sent one particular kind to dive. It went down, reached the bottom, bit the earth, and came up to the surface. Coyote took the earth and sent the duck to dive for seeds. He mixed the earth and seeds into a ball, which swelled until the water disappeared and the earth came into existence...'" (page 4).

I've also taken some notes from Stephen Powers's Tribes of California. It is a historical account of the tribes he observed in the summers of 1871-1872 and contains some interesting first-hand accounts and information about the customs of the different California Indian tribes. Because it was written for an American audience at the time, it does contain some stereotypes and racist terms, like "savages," but I've been trying to look beyond the stereotypes to get a better picture of the California tribes at that time. The desk in my room with book and notebook open. The table cloth is actually a Kenyan Masai fabric I purchased at an event during which a Masai warrior spoke. The flat stone on the right is some sandstone the city naturalist Eric Nicholas gave me at an ancient tools event last weekend. I have been working on carving a mountain scene on it. Near my Native tribes map, you can see some rabbit fur with a stone on top of it. I purchased the rabbit fur in Columbia, California when I was really young. I have a brown fur also. I have been waiting for the day when I figure out what to do with them. Any suggestions?
I can't wait to spend some time with the Me-Wuk people in Tuolumne. I've never been to a Native American reservation before, and will be sure to share with you all what I learn and experience.

On another note, Happy Easter!

Thanks for reading,
Green Gal

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"Everything in this world talks, just as we are now--the trees, rocks, everything."
-- a Wintun man from the west bank of the Sacramento River

The Week in Pictures and a Miwok Fact

2010-03-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

Alviso Adobe Community Park "Tools from the Ancient World"

Practicing with the atlatl and spear

Earth Hour March 27, 2010 8:30pm-9:30pm

my cousin Patsy, the newest member of our family
---

Miwok Fact of the Day: In traditional Miwok culture, when a village decided to have a dance, the lead elder (white people have named these people "chiefs," though the Native Americans did not refer to them by this name) of the village, would send messengers to surrounding villages to invite them. Each messenger would carry a string with a certain number of knots tied along it. The lead elder of the villages that had been invited would untie one knot each day after receiving the invitation. Once the last knot had been untied, the invited village people--men, women and children--traveled to the host village for the dance. This reminds me of an Advent calendar with the chocolates in the windows, or a modern-day online countdown timer. I'm trying this for my next party! (Powers, Stephen. Tribes of California. Berkeley: Regents of the University of California, 1976.)

What weeds? Those are flowers and Nature's children.

2010-03-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

I went out into the backyard this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to see that a tulip had grown up out of a pot without my knowledge! I had tulips planted in the pot last year and this year have so far only seen green leaves, but no buds. I couldn't believe it! I can't wait until it blooms. Here some pictures from my backyard...

Click here for some information about the medicinal properties of dandelions!

Copyright 2010 Green Gal

What I learned in Economics class today...

2010-03-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

We're learning about externalities, or costs of production that affect people who have no control over how much of a good is produced. So far this semester, we've watched a lot of environmentally-related 60 Minutes videos, which I find interesting considering it's an economics class. Economy vs. environment, for sure.

This is the video we watched in class today:

(Click here if you can't see the above video.)

Makes me wonder where my e-waste ends up...

Green Gal

Sunday news

2010-03-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

I love reading the newspaper on Sunday mornings. I almost always find at least one article to cut out and save. This morning I came across a few:

"Ore. town is poster child for geothermal energy, toasty sidewalks during winter and all" by Jeff Barnard
- I learned what geothermal energy is and how it can be accessed. It looks like an interesting "green" energy source.

"With Cheap Food Imports, Haiti Can't Feed Itself" by Jonathan M. Katz
- Of the articles I read this morning, this was my favorite because it highlighted the issues involved with less developed countries importing cheaper food, reducing their independence and putting local farmers out of work. We learned about this issue in Human Geography recently. I'm going to send this article along to my teacher.

"High tech multitasking slows you down" by Jessica Yadegaran
- My English teacher was talking about this recently and it's made me more aware of how easy it can be to get distracted while trying to do multiple things at once. The quality of work goes down when you're spreading your thinking across multiple projects. I especially noticed this problem when working on a group essay this year. One of the students in my group was always listening to music when she wrote her sections of the essay and her writing was lacking in cohesion and grammar, in ways that were obviously due to a lack of attention. The only music that I've ever found to work when writing is non-lyrical music, but sometimes silence is really the best. When I write, I have to focus on just writing. I can't be on Facebook or chatting with someone. If someone is talking in the room, I have to ask them to be quieter so I can complete my task. I sometimes wonder if distractions are what cause my peers' writing to be lacking. They think they're bad writers, when it could be that they aren't giving it the attention required. I try to focus on one thing at a time so I can give it all my attention and do my best on it. Otherwise, I'm spreading myself too thinly and each project lacks in something.

"Calls ring out for cell phone warnings" by Tom Barnidge
- This article scared me a bit. Fortunately, I'm not one of those teenageers who's glued to the phone. I text on occasion, but I rarely "chat" on the phone for more than two minutes. My mom chats on the phone though (sometimes on our house phone, which is better), and there are so many people who do talk on the phone for long lengths of time. Many of them are teenagers, which the article says is worse because younger people's skulls are thinner. I vote they publish the level of radiation each cell phone emits as well as include a warning about the possible health risks.
"A starter program for green-minded businesses" by Elisabeth Nardi
- I thought this was a neat beginning for businesses who want to make the shift toward sustainability. Frequenting stores that are at least taking the first steps toward being green shows other stores that those are things we as consumers want to see happening. Even if the steps are small, they can lead to more sustainable steps in the future and can encourage other stores to follow.

Some other things I learned this week:

- You can use SaveWatts.com instead of Google to reduce energy used when searching the internet. The background is black instead of white, using less energy. The search is powered by Google, so you're getting the same results as you would using Google. Add the site to your Favorites Bar.

- KQED, the local NPR radio and television station for Northern California, has some awesome Earth-related radio and television programs scheduled for April, Earth Month. I read through their catalog and added them to my calendar. I can't wait! If you live in the area, check out their Earth Celebration 2010 site.

- Life premieres tonight at 8pm on Discovery Channel. It looks like it will be an amazing series with stunning footage. It's narrated by Oprah Winfrey.

Happy Sunday,
Green Gal

---

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.
-- E. E. Cummings

Happy National Agriculture Day and First Day of Spring!

2010-03-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

It's National Agriculture Day and the First Day of Spring! All week, I've been posting blog entries to my Environmental Club's blog with agriculture facts. Check it out here.

We owe the basis for our society's knowledge about agriculture to the first farmers of ancient civilizations who settled down and began experimenting with plant foods. See the below image of the major agricultural regions of the ancient world. Here is some more information.

For more information on the origins of agriculture, watch this video:

For every person who has ever lived there has come, at last, a spring he will never see. Glory then in the springs that are yours.
-- Pam Brown

Rocko's Modern Life R-E-C-Y-C-L-E and a '90s flashback

2010-03-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

I used to watch Rocko's Modern Life on Nickelodeon when I was growing up. Nickelodeon used to have the BEST shows and I've had so many conversations about how the new Nick is lame compared to the Nick of our childhood. KaBlam!, Aaahh! Real Monsters, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, All That, Clarissa Expains It All, Doug, Rug Rats, The Wild Thornberries, The Secret World of Alex Mac... the list goes on. There's even a website dedicated to '90s Nickelodeon.

But here's a video with a song from Rocko's Modern Life that was a hit in my household. We used to sing this song all the time. Somehow, we got the tune a little off over the years, so when I found this video and watched it with my family, we tried to sing it the right way. I still like our version because it's easier :)

I thought it was interesting that the focus of this song is the ozone layer, which I recall being the big environmental issue growing up. In elementary school science classes, we learned about ozone depletion (we still do), but now the major focus is global warming. If this song were made today, no doubt its focus would be greenhouse gases and a heating planet.

Captain Compost Heap is nasty looking in this video. If I didn't know what compost looked like, I'd be a little grossed out at the mention of compost if this is the only visual I had of it. Hmm... Well at least the once-popular TV show spotlighted environmental issues in an episode! :)

Take a look...

Coffee and a green tip

2010-03-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Coffee and I have a close relationship, I'd say. This morning, I was a little rushed to get out the door because I was riding my bike and thus had to leave a little earlier than usual, and I didn't have time to make coffee. I figured it would be no big deal--I've gone without coffee in the morning before with no issues. But today, my body knew that I hadn't had my normal routine interaction with coffee and it was mad. So, in retaliation, I got a headache. I guess if I want to go without coffee, I'll have to slowly reduce my dependence on my coffee routine and begin trading in some decaf so my brain doesn't freak out when there's no caffeine.

I was also really tired today after going to bed at 11 PM, which for me is late but for my fellow classmates is early; many of them go to bed routinely at 12, some 2:00 in the morning... I have no idea how they do it. My dad and I had studied poetry and Hamlet after St. Patrick's Day dinner until 10 PM and then my sister and I had to goof off for an hour before my mom finally made us go to bed. So I really should have had my coffee.

I decided to go to Starbucks after school, figuring that because I had endured a ridiculous Stat test with a headache and sleepy brain I deserved a treat. This nice weather we've been having is perfect bike-to-school weather and I rode yesterday and today, so after school I rode my bike to Starbucks and did some homework. But wait, I didn't have my coffee mug because I hadn't brought any coffee with me to school this morning. I had a few minutes of moral struggle about whether or not it was okay that I get a drink in a disposable cup--plastic, since it's hot out and I wanted iced coffee. And then I realized that Starbucks has "for-here" or "in-house" mugs and glasses for people who aren't taking their coffee to go. Aha! Perfect! So now I give you a green tip:

Green Tip: Forgot your travel mug and staying awhile? Ask for a glass or ceramic mug.
"Real" coffee shops, ones that aren't transnational with a mythical mermaid logo, often serve your coffee in mugs or glasses on default and you have to ask for a travel cup. But places like Peet's, Starbucks and other pop culture coffee shops serve you plastic or paper cups so you can take it to go, which makes sense in our fast-paced world of commuters. Most people stop at Starbucks to pick up their coffee and then they head to work or school. Of course they should use a travel mug, but they don't, so these shops supply disposable cups.

But let's say you're going to be sitting in Starbucks for a business discussion or to read a book or to chat with a friend. Chances are, you'll get a paper/plastic disposable cup, drink the entire drink while you're there, and then throw it away as you leave the store. If you know you won't be bringing the drink with you out of the store, ask for a glass/ceramic mug and then return it when you're finished. No wasted paper or plastic! (Check out this article I just found that relates to this tip!)

I was thinking about this as I rode home: wouldn't it be grand if places like Starbucks had a sign at the register that said something like "Staying for a bit? Ask for a mug or glass instead of a to-go cup." That would be awesome! This tip also applies to those of us who sometimes forget our travel mugs and then are forced to waste resources. If you're going to be there for a bit, get a mug and rest assured that you aren't contributing to a landfill or using up energy down the road when the plastic is recycled.

Happy Almost-Friday! :-)
Green Gal

---

It wasn't the Exxon Valdez captain's driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours.
-- Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

In Human Geography this year, we talked about ethnicity and how ethnicity is something we identify for ourselves. I had never really thought about my ethnicity, other than being white and American, so I started thinking about my heritage and which aspect of it I identify most with. I'm Norweigan, German, French, and, ah yes, Irish. I don't really celebrate anything German, Norweigan or French, but I definitely do celebrate my Irish heritage. So I decided that I consider myself American and Irish, if anyone were to ask me. I love St. Patrick's Day, especially the traditions my family has in celebrating it.

Today I decked out in my green shorts, t-shirt and shamrock earrings and told everyone I could that I'm Irish. I wish my last name was Irish, like my friends with last names like O'Leary and McGuinness. I told them that my grandparents are Daleys, which is definitely Irish. Anyway, every St. Patty's Day, my family has dinner at my grandparents house, the side from which I get my Irish blood. According to a family tree I made in fifth grade, my grandpa's family came from Ireland. My great-great-great grandparents, Bridget Dolan and Patrick Kelly, came from Fermanah and my other great-great-great grandparents, James Daley and Jane Drury, came from County Cork, Ireland. If I could visit any place in the world, I'd probably visit Ireland.

This year, however, my grandparents and my aunt and uncle are coming over to our house to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. My mom has had some corned beef cooking in the Crock-Pot since 8:00 this morning--it smells delicious! This will be my first year not eating any of the beef, considering I'm vegan. I'll be sticking with the cabbage and potatoes this year.

Some of my favorite things related to Ireland:
- potatoes (which actually originally came from South America)
- The Secret of Roan Inish
- Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley
- In the Woods by Tana French
- Irish mythology and folklore
- rich history
- the color green
- Celtic music, like Loreena McKennitt

Check out this informative video on the history of St. Patrick's Day from History.com.

Thanks for reading :)
Green Gal

Change the World Wednesday Challenge & Summit on the Summit

2010-03-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Water conservation was the theme of this week's Change the World Wednesday Challenge.

"This week, when using the faucet, turn it on at a trickle instead of full blast. Simple, right?"

I generally try to do this anyway, but this week I tried to be extra conscious. Brushing my teeth, washing my hands, washing my face, washing vegetables--for all of these things I tried to turn the sink on to only a trickle. Sure, it takes a few more seconds to get enough water for whatever you're doing, but it's not enough time that it's infeasible. I noticed that the kitchen sink is the faucet that most often gets blasted. Waiting for hot water, washing vegetables and washing plates each end up wasting a lot of water because of the high-blast faucet issue. I noticed the water issue most when I was doing homework and my parents were using the sink. It was almost always at full blast. It's just a matter of reminding people, I think, until it becomes a habit. I instinctively turn the faucet all the way and then have to adjust it.

I washed some potatoes this week before putting them in the oven and realized that you can totally scrub them with the water at only a trickle. Same thing works when scrubbing dishes (which isn't necessary for newer dishwashers apparently), but I don't know about the hot water thing. I never wait for the hot water, but then again I'm not the main kitchen sink-user in my house, so I don't know. If you turned it to a trickle and waited would it get hot as quickly? Hmm...

On the subject of water, on Sunday evening I watched the premiere of the documentary Summit on the Summit about the climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro that some famous celebrities took to raise awareness about unclean drinking water in Africa. They teamed up with PUR (who will donate a week's worth of clean drinking water to a child in Africa for every PUR pitcher or faucet mount system purchased in the U.S.) to get the word out. The documentary was on MTV, which as my sister remarked, is pretty cool. MTV is a widely-watched station by young people, many of whom aren't necessarily very informed about humanitarian issues. It was neat that they played the documentary on that channel.

I heard about the event through a Google alert. Actor Emile Hirsch participated in the climb, and because I get Google alerts for the phrase "Chris McCandless," it showed up on an alert referencing Hirsch's previous acting performances. (Hirsch portrayed McCandless in Sean Penn's film Into the Wild.) I'm quite enthusiastic (AKA a tad obsessed) with Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild. I managed to write about the book and McCandless in some of my college application essays, and last year I bought my friend the book and made sure he read it despite the fun he made of me throughout the year whenever I related McCandless to anything in our English class discussions. Anyway, the climb consisted of singer Kenna (who created the Summit on the Summit concept), rapper Lupe Fiasco, actress Jessica Biel, water expert Alexandra Cousteau, actor Emile Hirsch, Kick Kennedy (granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy), photographer Jimmy Chin, actress Isabel Lucas, photographer Michael Muller, singer/songwriter Santi White, UN humanitarian Elizabeth Gore, and others.

They posted Twitter and Facebook updates during the climb, as well as videos and pictures. The mountain is 19,340 feet high and took the group six days to climb. They created a pretty cool interactive website, too. Here's the trailer:

Alviso Adobe Community Park & Farmers' Market Saturday

2010-03-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

I could try and describe to you what a lovely Saturday morning I had with my mom and sister, but it probably wouldn't do. So instead, I'll post some pictures to give you an idea...

Happy Saturday!
Green Gal

---

Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.
-- Henry David Thoreau

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food

2010-03-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to watch Food Revolution once it airs! This is a long video, but definitely worth watching!

Photo Friday: Young Talent

2010-03-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

Last Friday my school's drama department had its second annual Cabaret Night. It was such a success and there was so much talent! Some of the songs were dedicated to Evelyn, the young girl who committed suicide a few weeks ago. The songs were beautiful and honest and many people in the audience were crying. There was also a hilarious improv competition on the other end of the spectrum, on the comedy mask side of theater. My dad, sister and I performed Hamlet's "To Be or Not To Be" as a dialogue after deciding to only about half an hour before the show! Singing, monologues, Bhangra dancing, a barbershop quartet, guitar, and keyboard were among the various performances that evening. There is so much talent in my community in so many different aspects of life!

Youth in Government Day 2010 Part II

2010-03-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

For my post about Youth in Government Day 2010 Part I, read here.

Following lunch on Tuesday, all students and the adults they were shadowing headed over to the school district offices to break into focus groups. This year's topic for the Youth Commission is "Life Balance," which can be described as how we manage to live with just the right amount of work and play, and the issues we sometimes face in trying to do so. Someone in my focus group mentioned Yin and Yang, which is a perfect way to explain it. The topics of discussion under Life Balance were Friends, Family, School and Extra-Curricular Activities. My focus group talked about School.

We started off by writing down on post-it notes our personal concerns about the four topics. Volunteers shared their ideas and then we posted the notes on different butcher paper sheets. Then we focused in on School.

My first concern was the issue of teachers assigning homework over the weekend and during breaks. I made the argument that those breaks are supposed to be time for us to relax and have time for ourselves. During the week, we are expected to focus on school, the job we have to do if we want to succeed, and homework is a part of that job (and is vital, to a certain degree). But on weekends, we need our time. During breaks, we need our time. Otherwise, there is no time for us to stop processing and just daydream. This daydreaming necessity is key--more about that later (as my English teacher often says).

One of the girls in my focus group was a junior at Horizon, a school for high school students who have children. I'd never talked with or met someone who went to Horizon and it was really interesting to hear what things she was concerned about regarding school. I had never really thought about the students at Horizon because I don't know anyone at the school, but I am glad I had a chance to hear her thoughts. She's a student just like every other student and she has homework and she's learning academic things, but on top of all that she has a child and her adult life is so much closer to her than my adult life is to me. Yeah, I'll be 18 in April, but I won't be fully on my own for another few years. In college, your parents are still supporting you and you're living in a dorm room with other students. For her, though, she has a baby that she has to take care of and she's learning things about life that most people her age haven't faced yet. Her concern was that school doesn't teach you many practical things, like how to do taxes and balance a budget, until you're a senior. Even then, you don't really learn it beyond a very basic understanding. Everyone has to deal with taxes and budgets eventually, but we never really learn how to manage that until we're faced with it outside of school. Others expressed the same concern about the practicality of some of the information we learn and how there could be more emphasis on skills that we will use outside of a school setting. It's so important that she was at Youth in Government Day because she most definitely represents a group of young people in this community. There were four or five other girls from Horizon who attended, as well. Along with Horizon there are three other high schools in Pleasanton: Amador Valley, Foothill, and Village, which is an alternative school. There were a number of students from each school, representing the four grade levels.

Mayor Hosterman sat in on our discussion and mentioned a movie called Race to Nowhere, which talks about the issue of over-scheduling and pressuring children and teens to achieve extradordinary levels of success that just aren't realistic. There's too much structure in our lives and not enough time for us to just be kids. School, soccer practice, homework, clubs, after-school drama, football practice, swim practice, music lessons, tutoring, math homework, practicing for the SAT, studying--list goes on. We rarely have time to slow down and let our mind wander. And that mind-wandering time is vital to healthy development. One girl in my group said her teacher has changed the way she teaches because of the movie. Instead of testing her students right after learning something and then having the students forget what they've just learned, her teachers has them take group tests in which they discuss the topic. She said she actually remembers what she learned now. I'm really interested in watching the movie. Here's the trailer:

My Aunt Laurie is really interested in the issue and was talking to my dad and me about it on Friday night. Here an excerpt from an email she sent to my dad:

"There is statistically significant, conclusive evidence from major health care experts and universities that the pressure is impacting well being while interfering with preparedness for college and life - the exact opposite of what kids, parents, teachers want or expect. One example: depression and suicide in upper middle class and affluent communities (like Pleasanton) is significantly higher than the national average; for girls, it is three times the national average."

Especially given the recent suicide in our community of a freshman girl at my high school, this concept is so vital for people to recognize. I see so much stress around me at school and sometimes I'm the one under stress because of my many committments which take up time I would be spending doing homework. This information makes perfect sense to me. Students fall asleep in class all the time because they stayed up late studying or doing homework. While there is a certain level of procrastination that occurs with the modern issues of Facebook and mind-melting television shows like Jersey Shore, there are students who do not procrastinate and still end up stressed because the mountain of homework we get each night is insane. And we should be able to calm down and watch half an hour of television and still be able to finish homework. If you're an adult, I'll bet you had time after homework to just hang out or explore a hobbie. For many students today, there isn't that time during the week because of the many expectations that we'll be the best in a variety of things, which is not realistic and not healthy.

Another issue is that there's such a vast quantity of homework, but often little quality in the work being done because there's not enough time to put effort into each assignment. If I were to put 100% effort into truly learning the full breadth of knowledge that each assignment I'm given has to offer, I would never finish my homework. I skim my reading pages, looking for bold words to write down. If I don't understand a math question, I often write down the problem and put a question mark, figuring I'll finish it later. Many smart students I know copy homework when it's something involving filling in the blanks or multiple choice worksheets. A lot of it is busy work that has very little value even if you were to put effort into it. A lot of the time the emphasis is not on learning and comprehension, but on test scores and letter grades. You learn the vocabulary in a quick burst of studying, take the test, and then move on, forgetting it later. People scrounge for points when they should be focusing on actually learning and enhancing their knowledge and skills. Large amounts of homework don't add to this; they hinder it. Add sports, clubs, jobs, social time to academic work and you've got some pretty stressed out teenagers who don't have time to daydream, let alone sleep soundly.

My aunt is an advisory board member for Stanford University's Challenge Success program, which aims to address some of these issues. (Check out this page of Facts on How Narrow Definitions of Success Adversely Affect our Children--pretty interesting.) My aunt also created a program called Board Room to Family Room, which "provides an intuitive approach to enhance and deepen the family experience in ways that will inspire and empower mothers, fathers, and children to live authentic lives of success, meaning, and joy at home, at work and in our communities." She does workshops for businesses, parents, and students on how to approach business leadership, parenting, school, parent-student relationships and other topics in a less competitive and more encouraging way. She's currently working on a blog for the program and even attended a Blogger workshop on ways to be succcessful at blogging. I encourage you to look at her website and at the Challenge Success website.

Throughout our focus group discussion there was a lot of criticism of things at school, but also a lot of suggestions for how to solve some of these issues. The focus group time is one of my favorite aspects of Youth in Government Day because it is a creative time for us to think about the issues we face as young people and how our city and school board might be able to help us and future students.

Following the group discussions, everyone came back together and shared out what they'd talked about. Some of the ideas were really interesting, and all of our comments will be submitted to the Youth Commission for possible implementation.

Mayor Jennifer Hosterman speaking to the group at the end of the day

Like last year, I found Youth in Government Day to be an inspiring opportunity. I'll keep in mind the different Parks & Community Services careers that I was introduced to--perhaps I'll end up in a position working for city government when I'm out of college. It is definitely something I'd be interested in learning more about and exploring. I am so fortunate to live in a town that values its youth and takes the time and effort to put on an event like this. Hopefully it offered inspiration, as well as knowledge about our city government and school district, to all the students who participated. I learned a lot throughout the day and hope my posting about it taught you some interesting things, as well.

Thanks for reading!
Green Gal

Youth in Government Day 2010 Part I

2010-03-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row, I found myself in my city's council chambers with many peers, government employees, principals, school district employees, teachers, and others, waiting for Youth in Government Day to officially begin. A continental breakfast of bagels, muffins, juice and coffee had welcomed us in the lobby, and the room was packed with people.

Julie Duncan, Coordinator of the Career & Technical Education and Apprenticeship Program for our school district, started off the day by talking about Youth in Government Day. For about fifteen years this program has taken place to bring high school students into the everyday work life of government and school district employees. This year there was a record number of student participants and employees to be shadowed.

After introductions from the city manager and the school district superintendent, each student stood up and said their name, grade, school and their aspirations in life. There were quite a variety of aspirations, but a lot of future lawyers, nurses and people who have no idea what they want to do. I said I want to study anthropology in college, a student from my school said she wants to be a foreign diplomat, and one girl said she wants to dissect dead bodies. Like I said, lots of variety. Then the employees who were going to be shadowed said their name and position, and then we broke up into our groups.

Also for the second year, the person I was shadowing was Susan Andrade-Wax, Director of Parks & Community Services for the city. This year, however, we visited three different locations than last year, each related to different aspects of Parks & Community Services. First stop, Callippe Golf Course and Preserve.

On the drive over, Mike Fulford, the city's landscape architect, talked about the positive and negative aspects of a golf course. It preserves the land from dense development, but there's heavy chemical use in order to maintain it. It an exclusive recreation activity and costs money, but it prevents an open space from being taken away. The golf course is named after the Callippe Silverspot butterfly, which created some issues when the course was being made.

From the Callippe golf course website: "The Callippe Silverspot Butterfly is a member of the Nymphalidae, or brush-footed butterflies. The Callippe Silverspot has a wingspan of approximately 4.5 cm...The name "silverspot" refers to silvery patches of scales on the undersides of the wings. Historically this butterfly inhabited grasslands ranging over much of the northern San Francisco Bay region. The type locality, or site from which the subspecies was first recognized, is the city of San Francisco. On the San Francisco peninsula, this butterfly is now only known from San Bruno Mountain (approximately10 miles south of San Francisco). In the East Bay, it was known from Richmond in the north to the Castro Valley in Alameda County. The only remaining population of this butterfly in Alameda County occurs in an undisclosed city park....The causes of the Callippe Silverspot's decline are fairly clear. The vast majority of potential butterfly habitat lies under the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. What open areas there are within this butterflies range are dominated by introduced plant species. Many of these areas are also grazed by cattle, mined, or subject to heavy recreational use. The Alameda County population is particularly small and vulnerable. The San Bruno Mountain population occurs on land that, although private, is largely protected from development. This area is also being managed for the conservation of several additional endangered species, including the San Bruno Elfin and the Bay Checkerspot." The land on which they built the course is a potential home for this endangered butterfly species. The ridges in the Bay Area all used to have this plant called the Johnny Jump Up plant (Viola pedunculata) that offered food for the butterfly. As the area has been developed, this plant has died off. The ridge where the golf course has been built is a place where the plant can grow, so when building the course, the city had to also purchase parcels of land nearby in order to preserve them for this plant species in case the butterfly ever flew over to the ridge and wanted to make a home.

From The Independent newspaper: "...Callippe Golf Course was developed as part of a cooperative effort to create an 18-hole golf course, hiking and equestrian trails, endangered species habitat, wetland establishment, and dedicated grazing land. The course site is a protected habitat for the federally endangered Callippe Silverspot Butterfly and the California Tiger Salamander, and the federally threatened California Red Legged Frog."

At the golf course, we met Lisa Hagopian, the Parks Maintenance Superintendent, who was pruning a tree in front of the golf building when we arrived. She talked about how she has to maintain parks and plants in the parks with both the plant's needs, the animals who utilize the plant's needs and human needs in mind in order to create a balance that is good for all. She oversees many different types of parks in our city, including the newly-acquired cemetery, which is a pioneer cemetery, meaning the grass is not watered. The rain keeps it green and when there is no rain, it turns brown. They do maintain the cemetery by picking up leaves and such and the city now has to arrange for burials at the cemetery.
Lisa Hagopian (left) speaking with Cameron, one of the students in the group

After she spoke about her background, Mark Spiller,Recreation Services Manager, spoke about his role in scheduling the use of the various parks in the city, including the tennis park, sports park and acquatic center.
Two students looking out at the view through the windows at the golf course

Our city has a lot of parks, a lot of trees and an emphasis on open space and greenery. Every person living in Pleasanton lives within half a mile of some park. We have trails and preserved open spaces on the ridge and surrounding the golf course. Grazing takes place on the preserved areas surrounding the golf course, which helps reduces the chance of fire. There is so much behind-the-scenes maintenance of the beautiful greenery in our city and I think most poeple don't realize how much planning goes into the landscaping in our town. If you pay attention to it, you realize how artistic the landscaping is. That's the job of the landscape architect, who plans where certain plants will go. He designs parks and works with a variety of different people to create natural, historic or recreational areas for people to explore. Susan Andrade-Wax speaking with some students at the golf course

Our next stop was the Alviso Adobe Community Park, one of my favorite places in all of Pleasanton. Mike Fulford designed this one, too, which I didn't realize when I mentioned that it's my favorite place. He talked about the park, giving the history of the Adobe structure, which was built by Francisco Solano Alviso in 1844. Then, in the 1920s, the Meadowlark Dairy stood at the same site and a recreated milking barn and bunkhouse can be found at the park, replicas of the originals, recreated using old photographs. Then Andy Jorgensen, Civic Arts Manager, talked about the park from a cultural arts perspective. He had us kneel and touch the ground and then he told us a story.

Back when Stoneridge Drive was being built, something was discovered in the ground that was being developed. When the big trucks had ground through the dirt where the road was to be built, they realized that they'd come across an old burial site. It was from the Ohlone people, the Native Americans who inhabited Pleasanton for thousands of years before the Spanish came through and took over the area for the missions. Mr. Jorgensen got to see the skeletons of the Ohlone people who had been buried in what was likely a sacred site many, many years ago. One was the skeleton of a child curled up, with beads wrapped around her little head. Beside her was a couple, buried together. These people, he told us, had lived where we live now, just as the Alviso family and the Californios had lived here with other Spanish settlers who had inhabited the area, and just as the people who lived in the 1920s when the Meadowlark Dairy was located in these same foothills. The Ohlone, the Californios and the dairy farmers each had the perfect set of technology required to live as they did. We have our own set of technology, but just because we consider ours "more advanced" doesn't mean it's better than the technology of those who came before. Our iPods and cell phones would have been of no use if we were living thousands of years ago in the marshlands of Pleasanton with the Ohlone people who used mortal and pestle to grind acorns and atlatls and spears to hunt animals. Even during missionary times and in the 1920s, you needed to have more than knowledge of a computer to survive, not that that is the only knowledge we have today, but if that was all you had, you wouldn't survive. All these different people have lived on the same land as the land we now live on, and though each group had different cultures and different beliefs, the people who came before us weren't so different from us today. We're all human, after all. The ground we were kneeling on and touching was the same Earth they felt.

We walked around the park, visiting the different buildings. Mike Fulford told us that when they had first begun work at the park, he had gone up into the attic of the Alviso Adobe. It had some sort of tree shavings as insulation, which was what they used back then, and he had found a hand-made, wooden carved toy horse for a child. He showed it to us in one of the small rooms of the Adobe. A child had once lived there, it seems.
The Alviso Adobe building
The doorways in the building are quite low because Mr. Alviso was a short man. The bricks used to build the Adobe are also quite small when compared to other adobe brick buildings. "Small man, small bricks," Mr. Fulford said, quoting someone he'd spoken to about adobe bricks. The city restored the Adobe building to the time of most use, which was the 1920s, so it doesn't look as it did in the 1800s when the Alviso family first lived there. That's how buildings are often restored--to the time of most use. If the Adobe was restored to Alviso's time, there'd be no electricity and there'd be dirt floors, most likely. We also took a look at the bunkhouse, which was built with custom-made, authentic two by fours.
Materials inside the bunkhouse.

The paved pathways at the Alviso Adobe park are made of ground granite combined with tree sap. It's cheaper than many other materials used for paving and looks very natural. It also is porous enough that rainwater is absorbed and the tree roots at the park can breathe through it.

In the milking barn we learned that the cows were brought in through one door, milked in a corner, brought back toward the door and fed and then led back out. There was a silo at the site, which they did not rebuilt. The grain supplemented the grass diet of the milking cows.
Mike Fulford (left), the city's landscape architect; Susan Andrade-Wax, Director of Parks & Community Services; Mark Spiller, Recreation Services Manager

The Parks & Community Services employees told us about their job and what career they thought they wanted when they were in high school. Each told us the journey they took to reach the job they have now. In the milking barn, Kathleen Yurchak, Human Services Manager, told us about her job and her background. She grew up in Sonora and spent her summers working at the Pinecrest Lake snack shack. I told her afterwards that my best friend had grown up in Sonora and that my family visits Pinecrest every summer.

As we walked back to the van to leave, Mr. Fulford pointed out some Mexican marigolds. He had us rub our palms on the plants and smell the scent of crushed marigold--quite fragrant! The marigold flowers, I remembered, are bright yellow and were used for dying cloth during the Californio period. He also pointed out thyme and bay.

Then we drove over to the Firehouse Arts Center in downtown. On the ride over, Mr. Fulford pointed out some beautiful elm trees, which had survived the Dutch elm disease because they are isolated from any other elms. He also talked about an old locust tree that was planted a long time ago. When they redid the landscaping on Main Street about fifteen years ago, they planted locusts along the sidewalks. They're still pretty young, but eventually they will become beautifully crinkled and gnarly, just like the old locust near Gay Nineties Pizza he pointed out. Andy Jorgensen, Civic Arts, Manager, walking toward the Firehouse Arts Center

The Firehouse Arts Center will be a performing arts theater with a gallery and classrooms. Andy Jorgensen spoke about it once we got inside the building, which isn't finished yet. It was dark and smelled of fresh paint. The elevators are merely scary, open shafts right now. There are cords and men with hard hats and unfinished walls all over the place. But it's completed enough to tell that it will be a wonderful asset for our community. The theater is very versatile and can be set up in a variety of ways, unlike our current Amador Theater which can only be viewed in a Proscenium style.

Ustairs, the classrooms can be divided into two rooms or left open. They will be places for rehearsals or classes on painting, acting or other forms of art. The building is half historic, half new. The historic aspect is the brick building that once housed the city's first fire station. The new half is painted with three colors: plum, brick red, and green. If you look at the historic firehouse, the plum and brick colors are both there. The green isn't, but it ties it all together nicely. The other side of the theater is wood paneling and that side opens to Lions Wayside Park, where Concerts in the Parks takes place in the summer. I can't wait for the Firehouse Arts Center to open in September--it will be an amazing place for the arts in Pleasanton.

The lobby at the Firehouse Arts Center

The performing arts stage from the balcony area

Unfinished classrooms being built upstairs

After the tour, Fan Ventura spoke about her administrative work for the Parks & Community Services Department. She once worked for a fire department and various other locations that have helped her in being creative when things come up with projects since she's encountered a variety of situations. Then we headed over to the Veteran's Memorial Hall for lunch, catered by Village High School. I brought my own food--tofu and rice from last night's Chinese food--because I figured the lunch wouldn't be vegan. I was correct. They had spaghetti with meatballs, cream-based pasta, caesar salad, and garlic bread. Okay, so I had some garlic bread. And some cannoli. Hey, it's a special occasion!

Mayor Jennifer Hosterman, the first woman mayor of Pleasanton, spoke about the importance of making goals and having aspirations. She gave some examples from her life about the value of doing your best to get to the place in life you want to be. Then Valerie Arkin, a school board member, spoke about Barbara Johns who is one of the first people to organize a strike before the Civil Rights Movement even began. For more information about her, click here. Ms. Arkin encouraged us to be aware of the power we have to make change in our communities.

I will finish describing Youth in Government Day later in a separate post. Thanks for reading!

Green Gal

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

Comet the cause of megafaunal extinction in North America?

2010-02-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

Lately, my favorite thing to watch on TV has been Ken Burn's National Parks: America's Best Idea series. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to catch it when it's actually on TV, but many days I end up watching it On Demand. Last night, the only episode On Demand was one I've already seen, so I scanned through the other History & Nature shows on the Comcast On Demand menu and saw that there was something from PBS Nova called "Megabeasts' Sudden Death." I opened it to read the description and was so incredibly excited! It was an episode about the new theory of what killed off the megafauna (like mammoth, mastodon, giant sloth) at the end of the Pleistocene epoch, right around the time of the last ice age. If you recall, I wrote an entire research paper on this subject for my English class earlier this year, so I was very eager to watch the show. Short-faced bear and other animals, with mastodons in the background.

It focused on the new evidence that a comet is what caused the mass extinction, which I did read about while researching for my paper. The episode raises some interesting questions and the theory seems like it could be a valid potential cause for the extinctions. My paper focused on human-caused extinctions, so I didn't discuss the newly proposed comet theory extensively. Basically they've found concentrations of iridium, a very rare Earth mineral that is found in extraterrestrial matter like comets, in layers of sediment dating from the time of the extinctions around 13,000 years ago. A comet hitting Earth would have created deadly conditions: fires that would burn both the animals themselves and their available food source, blackened skies, "shock waves" of wind from the impact points (think nuclear explosion). The theory is similar to the theory of what killed the dinosaurs. No crater has been found to support this theory, but some scientists believe the comet may have exploded before impact, scattering the debris and leaving no trace of the impact on the landscape. It may have hit the giant glacier that covered most of North America. The evidence would have disappeared in that scenario as well.I was wondering what would have happened to the Clovis people, who had arrived in North America around that time. It is believed by some that these immigrants from the Asian continent (arriving via the Bering Land Bridge) were the cause, or at least a major factor, in the demise of the many large species of mammal living in North America. The animals were unaccustomed to humans, unwary of them, and so these tool-wielding men killed off the animals remarkably fast, devastating the ecosystems and wreaking havoc on species' survival. They certainly hunted some of these mammals, as is evidenced by kill sites where their famous Clovis points have been found lodged in the ribs of these great beasts. Evidence has not been found to suggest that they hunted short-faced bears or saber-toothed cats, which did go extinct, so something else must have caused them to die off. But what would have happened to these Clovis people if a comet struck? I recall reading that the Clovis culture disappeared from the record, leaving no trace after that point in North America. Some attribute that to the fact that their food source was too scarce, so they migrated south and continued their reckless killing spree on the megafauna of South America (which did appear to have happened). But couldn't they also have been killed off from the same comet-caused conditions that killed of their meat source? It seems that it would fit in with the theory. Some cultures following the Clovis appear to decline rather suddenly, like the Redstone people. They may have been the ones affected by the comet, if such a comet existed. After this period, many other Paleoindian cultures emerged, eventually developing into the Native Americans of more modern times.What about the other animals living in North America who survived? Grizzly bears, moose, bison...they weren't severely affected. In the case of the overkill theory, their survival can be attributed to them being immigrants themselves and thus wary of humans or that they weren't so large as to be easily hunted. But a comet would have damaged their species regardless of these factors.

Comet theory scientists also wonder if the comet conditions caused a resultant ice age that took place during this time. Climate has been considered a possible factor in the species' extinction, but perhaps the comet is what caused this climate change. It would help explain why these animals were affected by this particular time of climate change when in previous climate change instances they were not.

At this point, many people are skeptical of the comet theory. It definitely is intriguing, but further evidence will be necessary to really bring it to the level of validity that overkill and climate change have as potential causes of the megafaunal extinctions. I'm really glad I happened to find the program last night On Demand. NOVA has some great episodes. I will definitely be searching the NOVA website for more information on interesting topics. Giant ground sloth.

Some related articles:
- The end of an (ice) age (Oregon Daily Emerald)
- Comet theory collides with Clovis research, may explain disappearance of ancient people (University of Southern Carolina News)
- Comet theory proof found? (Canada.com)
- New Clovis-Age Comet Impact Theory (Space Daily.com)
- New Theory: Did a Prehistoric Comet 'Kill' North America? (Santa Barbara Newsroom)
- Diamonds May Offer Proof That a Comet Struck North America (Abazias.com)
- The Clovis Comet That Wasn’t? Mystery Deepens (Anthropology.net)
- The "black mat" theory (Newspaper Rock)
- End of the Big Beasts (NOVA)

Dire wolf and peccary.

Green Gal

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"Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it."
-- Henry David Thoreau

Wordless Wednesday: After the rain

2010-02-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

Energy Sources

2010-02-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

My Human Geography class this year has been a very useful source (no pun intended!) of education regarding environmental issues. It has, of course, taught me a lot about the world in general, such as different aspects of culture, religion, ethnicity, political geography, political conflict and many other things. But in regards to the environment, I've learned about agricultural practices and have become aware of terms like environmental determinism (how the environment can influence culture and human activities) and possibilism (the concept that the environment does create a limit on human actions, but that humans can overcome some limitations and change the physical environment to fit their needs). With the study of agriculture came a look at the issues of agribusiness, genetically-modified crops, feedlots, grain-fed cattle, etc. Right now, we're learning about industry, development and energy resources.

Last week, we watched Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days episode on coal mining. Spurlock is the man who made Supersize Me and has a television show in which people spend thirty days doing something they've never done before. A Retired NFL Cornerback spent thirty days in a wheelchair, keeping his legs immobile to simulate paralysis. An avid hunter spent thirty days participating in PETA activities and spending time with animal rights groups. I've never seen the show aside from the episode we watched in class, but it was very interesting and eye-opening. Spurlock spent thirty days living with the Lusk family in West Virginia, Spurlock's home state.

Spurlock spent most of the thirty days working in a coal mine with Dale Lusk, learning how to plaster the walls, hold up the ceiling with wooden beams, shovel coal and deal with nasty coal ash all over his face after each day he was in the mine. The episode brought you right into the coal mine. When a fan shut off, the crew in the mine had to evacuate fast to avoid a possible explosion from the gases that can ignite from any sort of spark in the air when there is no circulation. On another day, Spurlock wore a respirator. Few miners wear them and he wanted to find out first-hand why not. It can prevent lung diseases like black lung, which are common issues that coal miners deal with after decades spent mining. Unfortuantely, it was practically impossible for him to breathe with the mask on, and heavy lifting and movement with the mask made it difficult to function. Spurlock took it off before the day was done. The filter on the mask was covered in black soot. All of that soot goes into the miners' lungs every hour of every day they spend mining. Most miners spend upwards of thirty years mining coal. There's always a risk of explosion or collapse, and the risk of lung disease is prevalent.

Something that surprised me was the coal miner's view of their job. They enjoyed mining, but were aware of and cared about the environmental destruction their job causes. It's one of the only good-paying jobs in their region and for most, their fathers were coal miners so they became coal miners, too. It's their home they're mining in, and they do care about their environment. Of course they wish there was something else they could be doing that wouldn't be damaging their land, but for now it's the only financially-beneficial job in the area.The show also talked about mountaintop removal mining. An anti-mining activist who had once been a miner himself spoke with Spurlock and showed him a mountain that had had its top removed by blasts and excavation of coal. It was devastating.

I had never really thought about what the miners themselves thought whenever I thought about the problems with coal. I just looked at coal mining as a bad news business and never thought more about it. The people working in the mines work there because their local economy centers on the coal industry; it's where the good-paying jobs are. They want there to be an alternative, but there isn't a cheap, efficient alternative out there, and there isn't another good-paying job for them to turn to, especially for those who've been mining their entire lives. It isn't the miners who are the problem. The problem is that we don't have an equally-cheap solution.

Spurlock interviewed one of the executives of the local coal company for some perspective, and he also talked about how there isn't an alternative. They're just supplying a demand for cheap electricity that the American people have obviously asked for with all this electricity we use up. Coal accounts for 50% of our nation's electricty usage and we have a lot of it. The abundant coal reserves aren't just going to be left alone. There's profit there and there will always be someone willing to mine it.

We need to utilize alternative energy sources, but they won't compare with the efficiency of coal if they aren't cheaper. If we were to stop mining coal, there'd be many people without jobs. Somehow we need to create jobs for them, perhaps in the alternative energy field. In the meantime, to protect the miners, the government should create stricter safety laws so miners aren't at such a risk from explosions, collapses and lung disease. The industry needs to take better care of its miners, too, and listen to their needs. Mountaintop removal especially needs to be stopped with government support. It's so irrevocably devastating for everyone in the surrounding area and is such visible destruction. It creates coal sludge (as does all mining) that can't go into the rivers because it is damaging to ecosystems and can end up in people's drinking water. We really need to stop relying so much on coal.

Today we talked about nuclear power. I didn't think I was for it before the discussion, but I'm most definitely against it now that I've learned more. Yucca Mountain? I'm glad I live on this side of Nevada--that's for sure!

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On a related note...

In October, my Advanced Drama Class performed its annual AIDS Benefit. The show is free to the public, and all donations are given to UCSF AIDS Health Project.

The show features student-directed, student-performed vignettes that are basically movement pieces to different songs, each with a theme. Some do pertain to AIDS, but most relate to other current issues, like war, relationships, the environment, and, of course, there's always some comedy to liven the mood.

This year, I directed a piece relating to mountaintop removal coal mining, and was also in a piece relating to the environment. Of course I managed to participate in the two "green" pieces of the show; it's just what I do!

My piece focused on a young activist trying to stop a company from building a coal-mining plant on her favorite nearby mountaintop. The actor who played the activist was my close friend Jen. The antagonist, playing the company's president or spokesperson, was played by my other good friend Courtney. The piece was set to Eddie Vedder's "Rise" from the Into the Wild soundtrack. (That soundtrack is basically all I listen to on my iPod, along with the movie's score.)

Here are some photos from the performance:

Unfortunately, in the end of my piece the coal company won. A sign went up at the site of the future coal plant just as Jen was enjoying the serene vista from her special mountain. In the middle of the piece, I included a powerpoint with information about coal mining and encouraged the audience to visit EarthJustice.org to take action against mountaintop removal mining.

Green Gal

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"In America today you can murder land for private profit. You can leave the corpse for all to see, and nobody calls the cops."
-- Paul Brooks, The Pursuit of Wilderness, 1971

Wordless Wednesday: Picnics

2010-02-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day, computers vs. paper & why I don't like the Internet

2010-02-14T10:08:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! May you enjoy a simple, resourceful and non-wasteful day of celebrating love and apprectiation for others. Pesticide-free flowers, organic free trade chocolate, soy candles and organic dinner? I would hope! We're going to my grandparent's house this evening to celebrate with them and my aunt and uncle. Not sure that every one of those ingredients will be involved in our Valentine's Day celebrations tonight, but at least my sister and I made recycled Valentine's Day cards with old magazines, tattered books and scratch paper :-)

On an entirely different note, I've been thinking lately about the greenwashing that's made its way into our minds to think that using the computer is a green alternative to using paper. In some ways, it can be. For large corporations and companies who use up so much paper in documents and reports, using the computer for emails and virtual files rather than printing everything is "greener" than using and later recycling thousands of pounds of paper. But there's a trade off: energy is used whenever a computer is in use. Does the preservation of trees and the energy saved that would have been required to recycle the paper offset the negative effects of using electricity sources like coal, natural gas and oil? I don't really know.

What about school assignments where teachers have us email them the assignment and there's no paper involved? Does that really save any energy? Does it cost more energy to do it that way? Everything we do on a computer requires energy. Every Google search. Every time we click on a new link. Every word we type is taking up energy. And a lot of time it's coal energy or some other form of energy that is not sustainable that's been used to power our Facebook chatter and blog posting.

A computer, when awake, uses about 120 watts of energy per hour. A computer monitor uses around 60 per hour. A laptop uses 15-45 watts per hour. These numbers are obviously going to depend on your specific computer model. (More information.) How much carbon dioxide or other emissions are released per wattage of energy used? I couldn't find that statistic online, so if anyone knows, please let me know.

I can't say for certain which is greener: sending your paper by email or printing it out. I'm not great with numbers, so I will just say what seems to me would be the better option...

Computers are made of non-biodegradable materials. There are always new models to buy, so you recycle your old one and upgrade. Recycling those materials takes energy. It takes energy to create a computer, far more energy than to make paper. Computers are highly complex devices, requiring so many different resources. There are so many ways a computer can have an error. You cannot build a computer from natural resources without turning them into other physical capital. You or I could not go into the woods, collect some resources and create a computer from scratch. We depend on industry for our computers.

Paper has been around for a long, long time. It comes from trees, a natural resource, and it's biodegradable. You can conserve the amount of paper you use by being smart about how you use it (especially for school). There are no upgrades in paper. It's always just paper. Paper is a pretty simple concept. Yes, quality paper production isn't something everyone can do, so there is a level of dependence on industry for our paper. You can make paper at home to some extent. And paper is so ubiquitous you could avoid purchasing new paper for a long time before you'd run out if you conserved it carefully and didn't print long articles and reports.

Isn't one major aspect of conservation to simplify our lives? For those of us who conserve because we have a respect for nature (this should always be the purpose, but for many their purpose is to appease others who care or to fit in with the times or some other disillusioned purpose), simplification is a way for us to get closer to the natural processes of things. Paper is a lot closer to the natural world than a computer. Here's an article that has some more information on the matter.

While I love blogging and think Facebook is a great resource for staying connected to old friends, I think the computer is often used in a way that damages us. We lose ourselves in the Internet, we are sucked in and become addicted to checking email or playing computer games or chatting with people we see everyday. I was saying yesterday that certain movies (but also other things like books and stories from my parents and grandparents) upset me because it reminds me of how lost we have become in this world of technology. We feel we have to connect at all times to the entire world via the computer or television or our iPod or iPhone. We have to buy that new shiny gadget. We have to buy, buy, buy. We depend on others for our clothes and we fragment our thoughts by searching endlessly on the Internet and reading a thousand articles in rapid succession. We have seven conversations at once on Facebook and we think that makes us good multitaskers. We listen to music while we read and think that means we're skilled at reading. We divide our attention and never really give any attention to anything. I'm generalizing our population, but for many this is true and they don't even realize they're doing it. I know I'm going off on a tangent, but I think about this often.

Many days I want to just delete my Facebook and stop using the computer. But I myself am so trapped within the web of social networking that I have responsibilites involving Facebook. For the four clubs I run, I'm in charge of publicizing. Nowadays, publicizing means Facebook and emailing. I can't stop reading other people's statuses and conversations on Facebook because I don't want to miss something socially important. I look at other people's pictures and comment on their links. The network that's been created by Facebook is incredible and has such an interesting societal aspect: connecting to others, bringing things together and learning and interacting. But it doesn't make me feel good about myself to spend an hour on Facebook.

At least with blogging, I'm expressing some thoughts that may not have been expressed otherwise. But at the same time, I wish I could be true to myself and write this down in a notebook, rather than post it here hoping someone will read it. On Facebook I feel like I'm seeking attention when I post a status or a picture or a note. Isn't that the same thing I'm doing here? But no, I post things here because I want to remind others or teach others. It's the one place where I can talk about something and others will actually respond. My school population isn't really environmentally-inclined. There isn't much discussion there about this stuff, except for every other Friday at Environmental Club. But even then, I feel like I say a lot and it's absorbed by the club, but that we aren't really changing anything for our school. So to try and reach out to something, I blog about my observations and experiences and often people do read what I have to say.

But then I look outside and see the sun and my life that isn't being fully explored and realize how disconnected I really am from the world when I'm here posting something. In all honesty, I hate the Internet. It's a great resource and I enjoy utilizing it, but at the same time I hate it for what it's done to my generation and to myself.

Sorry to end on a rather pessimistic note, but I have to go outside and read now.

Green Gal