Earth Odyssey June 2009

A day of discovery along the Agua Fria 5 Spotlight on Arizona’s black-footed ferrets 6

An Educational Guide to Sustainability and Spiritual Well-being

Vol. 1, No. 10 June 2009

INSIDE:Schoolyard Habitat Program receives award 8 Great gardens need great garbage! 10

Page 16

Page 2 Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com June 2009

une 11, in conjunction with Sedona’s

first Festival of Native American

Culture, Ringing Rocks Foundation

will host a new exhibit in the Healing

Nautilus. The show will feature the

sacred healing art of Diné sandpaint-

ing. The Diné use sandpaintings as

a way of inviting the spirits or Yei into the

material plane in order to bless, heal and of-

fer guidance.

“The intention of this new show is to

educate people about this ancient healing

technique used by the Diné to interact with

the spirit realm,” said Arcania Blystone,

Photos by Larry Lindahl

A new show opening at Ringing Rocks Foundation features Diné Medicine Woman Walking Th under

and renowned photographer Larry Lindahl portraying the beautiful and deeply spiritual practice of Diné

sandpainting.

Sacred Sandpainting of the Diné exhibit opensExecutive Director of Ringing Rocks Founda-

tion. “When we learned that the Arizona Ar-

chaeological Society was planning on hosting

a festival to honor Native American culture,

we knew that we wanted to contribute to

the success of the event. We offered to host

a sandpainting demonstration by Walking

Thunder as a way of sharing this important

aspect of the spiritual life of the Diné people.”

To bring this beautiful Diné tradition to

life, Ringing Rocks Foundation has partnered

with renowned photographer, Larry Lindahl,

whose work appears in Arizona Highways magazine as well as many other publications,

to work closely with Walking Thunder as she

gathers the various types of stones and pol-

lens used in the paintings.

Lindahl will illuminate the prayers and

rituals used as the stones are ground into

sand and will chronicle the ceremony of

sacred sandpainting throughout the entire

process of a healing ritual.

The show opens with a sandpainting

demonstration and discussion of the spiritual

aspects of this ancient practice by Walking

Thunder on Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m.

In addition, Lindahl will discuss the artis-

tic process he went through to visually share

the story of the creation of a sacred sand-

painting. Admission is free and refreshments

will be served.

Ringing Rocks is located at 3190 West

State Route 89A. Hours are Monday through

Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

June 2009 Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com Page 3

Columns

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Page 20

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Vol. 1, No. 10 June 2009

Page 29

MovieReviews

by Jason Allen

By Mike DavisBy Mike Davis

By Christine Bollier

by Maya Joy Angeles

Sacred Sandpainting of the Diné exhibit opens

Reinvent, Recycle, Rejunvenate show through

June 13

Spotlight on Arizona’s black-footed ferrets

Woodworker turns discarded wood into treasures

2

4

6

7

Cover Story: Hiking and camping on the Havasupai Reservation is a worthy adventure

14

ON THE COVER: Havasu Falls, on the Havasupi Reservation, plunges 100 feet into a pool of blue-green water and is one of the

most photographed waterfalls in the world. Story begins on page 16. Photo by Ann Haver-Allen

News and Features

16

Columns and Entertainment

22 Staying Healthy the Natural Way by Leilah Breitler

22 What in the World is Happening? by John Hall

24 Puzzle Pages

26 Calendar of Events

28 Inward Bound by Sarah McLean

30 Green Minute by Jim Parks

31 Eco Living by Christopher J. Peacock

31 Yes! You Can Recycle That by Patricia Melchi

8

9

10

12

13

19

Schoolyard Habitat Program receives award

Global citizens choose new life in rural New

Zealand

Great gardens need great garbage!

Saguaros bloom ahead of monsoon rains

Spitzer Telescope warms up to new career

Taking a crash course in paper making

Always available at www.earthodysseyonline.com

Artist, illustratorDraws upon Native American heritage for inspiration

5 A day of discovery along

the Agua Fria


Our MissionTh e mission of Earth Odyssey is to encourage

individuals to develop sustainable lifestyles and

healthier well-being by providing educational

information needed to make wiser choices.

We envision an extended community of

individuals who care passionately about their

environment and their own spiritual well-be-

ing and recognize the symbiotic relationship

between the two.

Magazine StaffPublisher/Editor

Ann Haver-Allen

Photographer, Photo Editor,Web Master and PR Director

Pia Wyer

Advertising Art DirectorDistribution Manager Jason Allen

Advertising RepresentativesBill Allen

Jo Ann Johnson

Kelly Shattuck

Pia Wyer

ContributorsMaya Joy AngelesLeilah BreitlerMike DavisCherlyn FargoJohn HallShawn Dell JoyceMike MarinoAnne McCollamSarah McLeanPatricia MelchiJim ParksKimberley Paterson Christopher J. PeacockDominique ShillingPia Wyer

An educational guide to sustainability and spiritual well-being

Earth Odyssey is published monthly

by Pinon Pine Press LLC and is available

online at earthodysseyonline.com.

Send comments and suggestions to:

[email protected]

OR via U.S. mail to:

Editor

1042 Willow Creek Road

Ste A101-PMB 486

Prescott, AZ 86301

Phone: (928) 778-1782

Th e opinions expressed in this publication

are not necessarily those of the publisher

or advertisers. Copyright © 2008. Pinon

Pine Press LLC. All rights reserved.

Reproduction, in whole or in part, is

prohibited without written permission.

For photo reprints, contact Pia Wyer at

[email protected].

Printed by Prescott Newspapers Inc.8249 East State Rt. 69Prescott Valley, AZ 86314

Earth Odyssey is printed on recycled paper using soy inks.

The Prescott Fine Arts Gallery presents “Reinvent,

Recycle, Rejuvenate,” through Saturday, June 13. This

spectacular and unique show presents many artists new

to the gallery. Our juried artists from the quad-cities

have stretched their imaginations—come view the art

created by dumpster-divers, hard core recyclers and re-inventors.

Curators Stan Book, Saveria Judge, Maria Lynam and Barb Wills

invite you to bring a donation of food for the Yavapai Food Bank at

the opening and throughout the show. A sculpture of donated items

will be created in the gallery entry.

Among the talented artists is multi-media artist Jason Allen who dis-

plays a number of his works—Elephant Titled (candle holder), Spirit

Stand (created to hold Earth Odyssey), Candle Horse Power and two

tables made from recycled automotive parts. Jason and his work with

recycled materials is featured in a display in the gallery entrance area.

Royce Carlson, a Prescott sculptor, who specializes in recycled

materials, judged the show. Best of Show went to Linda Kay Ost for

“Mushroom Sally—The Hooker;” Welded/bolted recycled metal

objects; wired as a nightlight, switch on torso.

First Place 2-D: Judy Book, “Tea Leaves;” Tea stained tyvek mail-

ing envelope, used tea bags with leaf prints.

Second Place 2-D: Jan Fisher, “Sea Horse with Moon Phases.”

Third Place 2-D: Earth Odyssey columnist Patricia A. Melchi, “I,

Picasso and God.” This complex mixed media work contains re-

cycled leather, skeletons, seeds, corn silk, mixed paints, wax and toys.

A diary that accompanies the work has key to diary in tree. A copy

of the diary is in the gallery.

First Place 3-D and coveted People’s Choice Award (popular vote

by the guests on opening night): Carol Downing, “Starfoot;” saws,

hooks, a pulley and yard rake; MIG welded and Permalac spray lac-

quer to preserve the delicate

patina.

Second Place 3-D – Kate

Moody for Toy Assemblage

-“Pez Heads and Voo-

doo Dolls;” Third Place

3-D—Danielle Millard-

Wanner—“Mine;” Raku

Photos by Jason Allen

“I, Picasso and God,” by Earth Odyssey columnist Patricia Melchi, is about

stepping over the fence of reality and into the dimension of life after death.

In the left-hand corner is a key in the tree of life. “Th e key goes to a diary

that was written from the deepest places within my subconscious and makes a

connection with Picasso and God in a conversation that addresses the desper-

ate need to make changes on our planet by seeing inside ourselves fi rst.”

pottery, glass, wood, found objects, acrylic.

This is your opportunity to view masterpieces of Altered Art from

found, recycled, attic and thrift shop treasures. Come see how our

artists interpret “Reinvent, Recycle, Rejuvenate.” The PFA Gallery

and Gift Shop is located on Willis St., in lower level of the PFA

building, 205 N. Marina St., Prescott. The gallery

is open Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.

Reinvent, Recycle, Rejuvenate show now through June 13

“Mushroom Sally—Th e Hooker” by Linda Kay OstEarth Odyssey newsstand by Jason Allen Two candleholders by Jason Allen


By Walt Anderson, Jo Ann Johnson,

Joanne Oellers and Garry Rogers

Earth Odyssey Contributors

Arcosanti, overlooking the Agua

Fria River, was simultaneously

the destination, the stimula-

tion and the refreshment to

the spirit that we were able to

take away from the Agua Fria Open Space

(AFOSA) annual conference the first Satur-

day in May.

At 7:30 a.m., a band of bird seekers gath-

ered in The Café at Arcosanti to participate

in the Bird Walk. As we carefully made our

way out of the structure to the road below,

we sensed movement in the cliffs above, riv-

eting our attention and some cameras. When

a kitten emerged into the light, a voice from

the crowd inquired, “What species is that?”

The reply, “A catbird, of course.” The group

erupted in laughter, relaxed into the moment

and continued along the path to the road.

We hiked toward the Agua Fria River via a

road peppered with birds, identified by song

and sight, including many indigenous, some

rare, and some favorites of the group such as

Kingfisher, Killdeer, Yellow Warbler, Lazuli

Bunting, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin (at nest),

Bullock’s Oriole, Bronze Cowbird, Northern

Rough- winged Swallow, Red-winged Black-

bird, Cassin’s Kingbird and Rock Wrens.

A day of discovery along the Agua Fria

Agua Fria Open Space Alliance Inc. (AFOSA) presents an annual conference in May to

provide an educational opportunity for the public to learn about the value of open space

in keeping with their commitment to study/inform/protect. To learn more, visit www.

aguafriaopenspace.org or telephone (928) 925-7191.

For some first-time birders, here was a

unique opportunity to experience avian life.

When we arrived at the overlook of a peren-

nial reach of the Agua Fria River, discovery

awaited. As is usually the situation, all of na-

ture called out to us here. A packrat’s midden

was nestled in tumbled boulders decorated

with diverse lichen associations, including

mosses, while species of phlox and Desert

Star adorned the nearby area.

Ultimately, conference attendance grew

to a total of 29 enthusiasts searching for a

greater understanding of the Agua Fria River

Basin, environmental impacts on its habitat

and its value to humans. Ranchers, newly

hatched birders and world-traveled master

birders, ecologists, naturalists, botanists,

forestry specialists and interested citizens met

and exchanged observations and ideas.

Arcosanti, masterfully planned and sited

by Paolo Soleri decades ago with vision for

a time such as this when we have come to

the brink of our resources by living too large

upon the land, was the perfect location for

this conference.

A new AFOSA program, Stewards of

Open Space (SOS), aimed at public partner-

ship with federal land management agen-

cies, was announced and enthusiastically

embraced by many attending the conference.

The goal of SOS is to concentrate efforts

on specific parcels of public land to provide

enhanced care, inventory, monitoring and

education activities.

This SOS free membership program will

be launched summer 2009 with an explora-

tion of an area of U.S. Bureau of Land Man-

agement land east of Prescott. The area will

be toured to identify access routes, general

conditions, safety needs and areas in need of

trash removal. Those interested in participat-

ing should contact AFOSA.

The conference included an after-lunch

hike, which reiterated the fragility of desert

rivers. In the heat of the day, the amazing

refreshment of water poignantly taught us to

value this natural resource. Tadpoles, min-

nows, insects, Summer Tanagers, Northern

Mockingbirds, Desert Willow, Veronica,

Watercress and we wanderers sought cool

refreshment in the waters of the Agua Fria

beneath a sheltering cottonwood canopy.

In that moment of adventure and discov-

ery, we learned that Desert Willow is not a

true willow, but rather a close relative of ca-

talpa, a common shade tree. We also learned

that green, Freemont Cottonwood leaves

against a blue sky with brilliant white clouds

above a flowing river create a very desirable

impact on the human spirit.

The day, with its planned and serendipitous

moments, confirmed the need for diligence

in study, protection and better management

of open space in the Agua Fria River Basin for

the benefit of all habitats and species—includ-

ing humans. Nature is a wise teacher.

Photos by Jo Ann Johnson

Above, as the bird walk gets under way at the Agua Frio Open Space annual conference, the group spots

a “cat bird,” the day’s fi rst sighting. At left, Fern Ferwerda, a Prescott Valley student, charmed everyone

through her exuberant engagement with nature.


By Lili DeBarbieri and

Th eodore G. Manno

Earth Odyssey Contributors

Nestled in the Chino Valley

along what is now the I-40

corridor, Seligman is a

quirky “Route 66” town in

the middle of a vast North-

ern Arizona landscape. Main Street hasn’t

changed much since the 1950s, with hotels

lined up to catch tourists who find them-

selves sleepy between Flagstaff and Kingman.

Seeking provisions, we exit the Interstate and

make a pit stop at a Chevron station.

“Vacationing?” the attendant inquires.

“Not exactly.”

The black-footed ferret is perhaps the

most endangered animal in North America.

Thought extinct before an accidental dis-

covery of a few in Wyoming, the ferrets have

been objects of a major reintroduction move-

ment led by the National Zoo in Washing-

ton, D.C.

In 1996, black-footed ferrets from the

breeding program were brought to the Au-

brey Valley near Seligman, and dedicated vol-

unteers collaborate with researchers to closely

monitor the well-being of the population.

Doing so is an all-night affair—the ferrets are

nocturnal, feeding exclusively on prairie dogs

found during nightly burrow raidings.

“We’ll take this flashlight. You sell batter-

ies?”

At the Arizona Fish and Game field station

in town, we view an informational video on

the history and conservation of the species.

Then come the instructions on how to spot

a ferret (green eyes a’ shining), how to set

the ferret trap (no bait, directly in the hole),

and what to do if you catch one (drive to

the trailer at the site, get the team together

to process it, record everything on the data

sheet).

“And don’t stay in the car all night,” ad-

vised Jennifer, the wildlife technician on the

study, “you’ll miss the whole thing!”

After a 20-minute drive down Route 66 to

the reintroduction site, we are divided into

teams, provided with vehicles and instructed

in using the huge spotlights and GPS devices

in looking for ferret eyeshine.

Our mission is deceptively simple: find,

trap and document the rare, elusive mam-

mal. But after scattering our teams across

the site, spotlighting a ferret turned out to

be tremendously difficult with lots of false

alarms. Jackrabbits, deer, sagebrush, insects

and beer bottles are all culprits, and the night

fieldwork is disconcerting after a four-hour

drive to the area from suburban Phoenix. A

few hours patrolling a chilly two-mile stretch

of Route 66 in the van with no ferrets, and

we’re about to lose it. And then it happens—

our white whale.

The full moon illuminates a path of return

to the research trailer at 3:30 a.m. Face-to-

face with a real-live black-footed ferret, the

predatory creature seems surprisingly small,

unassuming, even harmless—hardly able to

devour a chunky prairie dog.

A repeat offender (i.e., trapped several

times before), the ferret’s innocent green eyes

blink and dazzle as he is urged out of the

trap, identified, weighed and processed. At

first, our ferret is eerily quiet. Then, sudden-

ly, our friend appears to call for his freedom.

“Click! Click! Click!”

It’s all been worth it—the cold, the lack of

sleep, the hours of spotlighting. We are now

in the presence of one of the rarest mammals

in the world, an icon of the American West

that has emerged from the brink of extinc-

tion to survive in a functioning population.

Our ferret is either a pioneer, the begin-

ning of a new generation that will contribute

to the perpetuation of his species, or among

the last of his kind. Either way is exciting

beyond belief—we have experienced a natu-

ral phenomenon and an ecological rarity for

which we have yearned and prepared. And

our furry friend, being administered with a

shot to protect from canine distemper, could

not possibly care less.


Our ferret and his compatriots are all

named after diseases by the crew. Yes—dis-

eases. Must be an inside joke. Wonder if the

ferret knows he’s endangered?


We return the ferret to his habitat, and

cold daylight opens like a gift. We say our

good-byes, and we’re off driving through the

site one last time on the way back home.

Return to our human one. After a night void

of sleep, our view of the area is altered.

For a few moments, we drive down Route

66 and imagine how it once was. Vast prairie

dog towns to supply the black-footed ferret

with prey. Bison herds roaming the desert

tundra of the Aubrey Cliffs. Native Ameri-

cans living off the land.

Only time will tell the meaning of the

changes to the landscape, but we hope our

experience has done something to help a spe-

cies on the brink of extinction. There is hope

for the ferrets, and as we drive along the I-40

corridor, our surroundings can never again

seem so frivolous.

Instead, we have an opportunity to experi-

ence an animal whose resiliency inspires us,

an ecosystem in all its glory and ancient relics

of the old American West. And it’s definitely

time to sleep when we get to Flagstaff.

Authors Lili DeBarbieri and Theodore Manno, Ph.D., are educators and freelance writers based in Mesa.

Photos by Lili DeBarbieri

Ferreting out the data: Black-footed ferrets are perhaps the most endangered species in North America. Volunteers and researchers collaborate near Seligman,

Ariz., to gather data on a reintroduced population several times a year. Th is ferret was captured and processed for data several times within a few days in

March 2009.

Green eyes a’ shining:

Spotlight on Arizona’s black-footed ferrets


By Ann Haver-Allen

Earth Odyssey Editor

ohn Gordon has turned his avocation

into his vocation. Gordon collects dis-

carded wood and turns one person’s

trash into another’s treasure.

His company, With the Grain

Woodworks, specializes in custom

craftsmanship for growing yards and

children. In other words, he builds things

for children and yards, mostly out of wood

rescued from the dump.

“When I say custom, I mean custom,”

Gordon said. “If somebody wants something,

they’ve got to ask for it. I’ve got pictures

on my Web site, but they are there to give

people an idea of what I can make.”

It’s not like shopping from a catalog that

pictures items in inventory and you just pick

one. Gordon doesn’t have inventory. He

makes each item as the order comes in.

“One of the reasons that this line of work

suits me is that I have trouble throwing

things away,” he said. “Plus, I don’t like to

buy new things. So it’s a good combination.”

Gordon has used wood from pallets,

reclaimed wood from barns, salvaged wood

from various locations and scraps produced

by other woodshops that work on larger

projects.

“This is Douglas fir that was in a dumpster

at a job site,” he said, drawing attention to a

garden bench. “And these frames are made

out of pallet wood from right outside.”

A bookcase using reclaimed lumber is built

around doors that were salvaged. He crafted

a picnic table from an old fence. A potty

chair began as a high chair that broke and

was tossed out. Gordon took it, cut it down,

cut a hole in the seat and put a pot under-

neath to make a potty chair for his daughter.

He used the leftover legs to make a step stool.

Additionally, he makes child-sized tables,

chairs, benches and picnic tables. For the

backyard, Gordon makes picnic tables and

garden benches.

He recently expanded his line of custom

works to include cold frames and hoop

houses—miniature, portable greenhouses

that can be used in the backyard.

“Flagstaff is an ideal climate,” he said. “We

have such cold nights and warm days. It’s

such a short growing season. Cold frames

help extend that growing season.

“I built a huge cold frame last week and

delivered it,” he continued. “It’s 8 feet long

and 3 feet deep. It’s the fourth or fifth cold

frame for this guy.”

Gordon said it all really began with pallet

wood and his sister.

“She had heard of a program in New York

City where homeless people were working

at a shop and taking pallet lumber apart and

making furniture. So, that’s actually how we

started.”

But his inspiration came from his young

daughter. He made her a cradle of reclaimed

barn lumber—black walnut. Then came the

chairs, tables, potty chair and picnic tables.

“It’s nice to have the inspiration that my

daughter provides and the satisfaction of

using reclaimed lumber, but not having the

ambition of necessarily making really, really

fine high-end, very expensive furniture.”

Gordon said his prices are flexible, because

if someone really wants something that he

has made, he wants to work with them so

that they can afford it.

“More and more, using reclaimed lumber

is more common,” he said. “But working

with wayward wood just a few years ago was

not at all common. Now, people are happy

about it. At least they give thought to it.”

More of Gordon’s work can be seen at

www.withthegrainwoodworks.com.

Woodworker turns discarded wood into treasures

Photos by Pia Wyer

Above, John Gordon at work on a child’s bed.

At right, a coldframe and below, various items

Gordon has crafted, including a step stool and a

potty chair.


The Schoolyard Habitat

Program of the Highlands

Center for Natural History

received Channel Eight’s Be

More Knowledgeable Award

for Outstanding Achievement in Educational

Outreach on Thursday, May 7, at the Camel-

back Inn in Scottsdale.

Lisa Packard, Habitat Learning Coordinator

for the Highlands Center, accepted the award.

“It’s an honor to accept this award on be-

half of the hundreds of students that I work

with and their teachers and principals who

work so hard to make this program literally

come alive at each school,” Packard said.

“The program is unique because it brings na-

ture back to the schoolyard and works with

the K-5 grade levels to provide standards-

based learning opportunities.”

The Schoolyard Habitat program partners

with area elementary schools to establish na-

tive plant gardens on their grounds that are

used to provide a hands-on, science educa-

tion curriculum for students from kindergar-

ten to fifth grade.

A recent study conducted by the Ecological

Society of America found that more children

knew the characters of Pokemon (an elec-

tronic game) than could recognize an oak tree

or an otter. Science Education—especially

ecology and earth-based sciences—in America

is falling behind that of other countries.

Biological, health and economic data indi-

cate that children who connect with nature

perform better in school, have higher SAT

scores, exhibit fewer behavioral challenges and

experience fewer attention-deficit disorders.

In the December 2008 issue of U.S. News, it was reported that out of 30 industrialized

nations, American teens rank 25th in math

and 21st is science. The country trails at least

19 countries that produce more scientists

and engineers. These are just two examples

among many warning us of a dangerous

trend in education in our country.

The Highlands Center for Natural His-

tory hopes to reverse that trend, at least in

Prescott. Formed in 1994, the mission of the

Highlands Center is to help children and

adults discover the wonders of nature and

become wise caretakers of the land.

The Center believes that everyone has

a fundamental need to connect with the

natural world. This connection is fostered by

the Center though outdoor science education

based on observation and discovery of the

Central Arizona Highlands.

Two years ago, partnering with the

Prescott National Forest, the Center com-

pleted its multimillion dollar facility on

Walker Road near Prescott. The facility is

surrounded by the National Forest and the

forest is its classroom.

But the Center didn’t stop its education

efforts at the forest boundary. In 2005, under

the direction of Packard and partnering

with Coyote Springs Elementary School in

Prescott Valley, the first Schoolyard Habitat

Program was piloted. Since then, the Center

has added additional programs at Territo-

rial Elementary School in Chino Valley and

Miller Valley School in Prescott. In August,

a fourth Habitat Program at Washington

Traditional School in Prescott will begin.

Objectives of the Schoolyard Habitat

Program include:

• Design and create an outdoor learning lab

at each school

• Develop a site-specific, standards-based

science curriculum for each grade level

that will improve student performance on

future tests and increase their understand-

ing of the local ecosystem

• Provide professional development to

classroom teachers so that they can con-

tinue the program beyond the Highlands

Center’s direct involvement

• Create a “wildlife habitat” on the school

site that uses native plants. This not only

beautifies the school campus, but also

provides a rich learning environment.

To maximize the use of these unique

learning labs, habitat lessons are conducted

every week of the school year and include

every class in the school. This adds up to 750

students at Coyote Springs, 650 at Territorial

and 450 at Miller Valley.

Students observe and study seasonal

changes 12 times throughout the school

year. By comparison, many outdoor science

programs are limited to the fall or spring and

only one grade level.

Following the expectation that teachers

will continue using the habitat gardens well

into the future, the Highlands Center designs

instructional materials and professional

development workshops to motivate teachers

to continue the program.

Packard models the instruction throughout

the first year and begins co-teaching with

each team in the second year. At Coyote

Springs, in its second year of running the

Habitat Program solo, nearly 100 percent of

the staff participates in the program.

Feedback from teachers on the Schoolyard

Habitat Program has been very positive. In

an anonymous survey conducted at the end

of the 2005-2006 pilot school year, 100

percent of the responses showed that teachers

felt either positive or enthusiastic about the

program.

In that same year, the librarian at Coyote

Springs—who traveled between schools in

the Humboldt Unified School District—

noted a striking difference between student

responses to stories she read about bugs. Stu-

dents at schools without a Habitat program

would speak violently about insects, acting

out smashing them and tearing them apart.

By contrast, students of the same grade

from Coyote Springs Elementary School

who had experienced just two months of

the Schoolyard Habitat Curriculum lessons

responded to the stories with calm interest

and a desire to learn more about insects, not

destroy them.

A third grade teacher from Coyote Springs

similarly noted positive impacts that the

Habitat Curriculum had on student perfor-

mance. She compared student writing based

on experiences in the Habitat with those

based on teacher-generated prompts and

compiled the data in an essay for graduate

coursework. The teacher concluded:

“When students write about their observa-

tions in the Habitat, they exhibit a sense of

involvement with their environment. They

are open to expressing their feelings. Their

writing becomes personal and reflective…

they write with feeling, emotion, pathos and

a commitment to recording everything that

is happening in their special spot. Even the

most reluctant writers are anxious to enter

something in their journals.”

Four additional schools have expressed

interest in being the next Habitat Program

site. One of these schools will be selected in

the fall of 2009 to become the fifth site. The

Habitat Program is strong and growing.

Schoolyard Habitat Program receives award

Courtesy photo

Lisa Packard, Habitat Learning Coordinator for the Highlands Center, teaches a class at Coyote Springs Elementary School in Prescott Valley.


By Kimberley Paterson

Earth Odyssey Contributor

It’s a pristine jewel-like harbour in

a community where old fashioned

values like neighbourliness, raising

secure children and building a better

world still hold true.

It’s called the Hokianga, a pioneering

pocket of land in the far north of New Zea-

land that has seen the boom and bust of the

gold rush, then logging, then gum digging.

These days the area is seeing a new influx

of settlers ... people leaving big cities in New

Zealand, Germany, Britain, America, South

Africa and elsewhere to regain a life they feel

in control of.

There is much about the Hokianga that

makes it unique in New Zealand.

It carries the strong spiritual energy of a

long Maori ancestry; there is a flourishing

creative art colony in Rawene; the ethos of

the ’60s hippies who moved there can be felt

in strong community values—and the place

has stood up and fought hard for its rights,

retaining a free local hospital and dental ser-

vice that has been lost in less stanch areas.

It’s a place where there is plenty of time to

drop a line and catch fish from the harbour,

to stop in the main street and chat to an

old friend, sip a coffee ... or talk about the

madness going on in much of the rest of the

world.

Mass school shootings, desperate economic

crisis, fraudulent corporate entities all seem

like some strange mirage.

Now, with the rest of the world falling

into economic chaos and uncertainty, two

Northland men hope the Hokianga is the

perfect place to build a prototype of a new

community to model a more visionary idea

of how the world can be.

Terry Kennedy, a lifelong farmer with a

strong interest in permaculture (land prac-

tices that create a healthy and sustainable

ecology), and Sean Murrie, an accountant

turned boutique brewery owner, have been

putting in years of hard yard to claw back

pine forests into something special.

They say pine forests—which for years

have provided a strong export income for

New Zealand but which are now showing

poor returns—are “scars on the land” and

there is a much better use for the land.

Their mission is a place they call Rangiora

(it means “heavenly wellbeing” in Maori),

124 hectares of coastal land they are return-

ing to house sites and native bush.

In essence what the two men are doing is

taking the best of traditional rural New Zea-

land and combining it with an urban ethos

to produce a community where people can

live in a splendid natural world, but be wired

to do business with the rest of the world.

At Rangiora they have created swimming

holes where children can play, walking tracks

through native bush, house sites with views

of the Hokianga Harbour and opened up

a shop where Rangiora residents can barter

home-grown produce.

Kennedy is using his extensive knowledge

of farming to help guide each buyer into

the best use for their land block. Climate

change means the subtropical environment

of the north now grows good crops of coffee,

olives, papaya, bananas, cherimoyas and even

watermelon.

Surrounding areas are also due to be

turned into pecan forests or mixed use forests

of macrocarpa and swamp cyprus that are

sustainable and useful for residents (www.

rangioralifestyle.co.nz).

“This project is about showing you do not

need to be at the whim of market forces,”

Murrie said. “If people are at a point in their

lives where they want to swap uncertainty

and stress for a simpler, more positive, more

rewarding way of life…then this global

recession has now presented them with the

opportunity.

“Resources are running out and people

cannot count on having a job anymore; some

will see projects like this as the best way to

take some control of their destiny. People

can come here and create their own lifestyle

paradise based upon sound environmental

principals. In turn, we can show other com-

munities in New Zealand and around the

world how it can be done.”

Kennedy, who left big city Auckland with

his wife 16 years ago, said the boom and bust

history of the Hokianga has bred an inner

resilience and fervent community spirit in

people.

“Go to any function in a hall up here and

you’ll see people of all ages coming togeth-

er—grandparents through to young chil-

dren,” he said. “And we are especially proud

of the success that many young people from

the Hokianga are making of their lives.”

Kennedy’s job (he is also a former tutor in

agriculture at a polytechnic institute) is to

help pass on his knowledge of the land and

growing crops to the people who move there.

His own land block boasts 250 banana

trees, cherimoyas, olives, tree tomatoes and

coffee. The cherimoyas (an ox-heart size fruit

that tastes like ice cream) are turned into

commercial products and sold locally.

Both men are thoroughly focused on cost

factors. Using wind and solar energy is just

part of the picture: they’ve sourced building

suppliers that are at a fraction of city costs,

or people can move a relocatable house onto

their block for an even cheaper option. Land

prices start around $50,000, which means for

around $75,000 people can have a house and

a self-sustaining block of land in a beautiful

natural harbour.

Individual land blocks will be surrounded

by 73 hectares of communally owned native

bush, wetlands, spring-fed creeks and picnic

spots. Ultimately, following native reforesta-

tion, the land will resemble what the area

looked like prior to European settlement.

The local region council—the Far North

District Council—has taken an active inter-

est in what the two men are creating with

their new type of community.

“The world has been built upon some false

values where money was made and money

was lost in a market we invented,” Mur-

rie said. “Now, the real values are the more

important ones—a good honest living where

everything has real value.

“In the Hokianga, we can show the world

that there is another way to live ... where we

can be something of a blueprint in showing

how by going back to basic principals we can

create a new type of future.

“People don’t need to feel powerless, don’t

need to feel they have no control over their

lives or that they are living their life from

some kind of default position.”

Kimberley Paterson is a New Zealand author, public relations specialist, journalist, publisher, writer and photographer. She is the founder of Lodestar Media in New Zealand and can be reached via e-mail to [email protected].

Global citizens choose new life in rural New Zealand

Courtesy photos

For more than a century, the spiritually infused Hokianga in the rural north of New Zealand has seen

boom and bust ... fi rst it was gold mining, then logging, then gum digging. Today, a new infl ux of people

from around the world are making the move to this idyll with its pohutokawa trees, quiet harbour and

old fashioned values to begin their life again. Brits, Germans, South Africans, Americans are just some of

the people drawn to a place where organics, art, community values, aff ordability, free health care and a

safe place to raise children are the norm. Two men—permaculture expert Terry Kennedy, left, and

boutique brewer Sean Murrie—are at the heart of a new style of housing project they believe can be a

blueprint of how people might live in a simpler and more sustainable future.


By Mike Marino

Earth Odyssey Contributor

The great American garden

needs great American garbage.

Whether on the homestead,

suburban backyard or in a

reclaimed vacant lot in the

center of a major city, compost is the Lazarus

component that can be added to every deli-

cious garden of delectable delights.

Mother Nature provides us with all we

need on the planet to maintain a simple,

sustainable lifestyle. Composting is merely

our way of giving back in tribute, organically,

to our benefactress. Gardening and compost-

ing is not just in the province of farms and

homesteads, but now has become an urban

phenomenon, too, with projects such as the

Greening of Detroit, where community gar-

dens are proliferating in old neighborhoods

to create gardens, green space and greenbelts.

If you think a natural garden inoculated

by decomposed organic matter is just for

back-to-earth types, think again. In March,

First Lady, Michelle Obama, got down and

dirty in the Presidential White House back

40 with a trowel to begin a Beltway Green-

belt Greening of America project of her own

by creating a Pennsylvania Avenue backyard

garden.

Turning the soil with the help of lo-

cal children from a nearby center for the

underprivileged, the idea is a homegrown

seed that is morphing into a reality, and ac-

cording to the White House chef, there will

be plenty of Obama organic garden goodies

with most of it going to the center to feed

the hungry. The rest will be served at formal

functions to visiting dignitaries and at

private dinners. Serving greens to England’s

Queen. Right on.

Gardens are cornucopias of food and

plants, which are living forms taking what

nourishment they require from the soil to

grow and mature. As good stewards of the

planet, it is our job to replenish what we

have taken, and to do so in the most natural

way possible.

I look at a garden not as just a mass of

leafy matter, but as a Guggenheim gallery of

fine art, created by a composting community

of microbial artists. Composting is more

than art, as it reduces the mass loaded into

landfills, while improving the soil for further

gifts from the garden. Rich compost can be

plowed into the spring soil as an innoculant,

placed on top of the soil as mulch to ward off

the eco-evils of erosion and retain water that

might otherwise wick away and evaporate

from the one-two punch of wind and sun.

Compost is not only for the outdoors,

but can also be added to indoor plants as

an organic booster shot. Life is cyclical and

just as there is life and death, yin and yang,

composting is a cycle of life and death and

life reborn once again.

This article is not meant to be the de-

finitive how-to from How-Tao article on

composting. Some look at composting as dry,

mechanical and by the numbers, but com-

posting can be downright sexy in an organic

sort of way!

Composting is music, but unlike an

orchestrated symphony with parameters and

each instrument knowing its place in the

symphonic mandala, composting and gar-

dening are more likely to fall in the Charlie

Parker universe of freeform unfettered jazz

riffs, never the same, but always beautiful

to feel.

Composting veteranIn northern Michigan, where I lived in the

woods in a small cabin for years, I took up

composting early. The necessity of compost-

ing was compounded by the fact that there

was not easy access to the township dump

when you don’t own a vehicle.

Besides, you didn’t want the garbage you

were hauling to attract one of the black bears

that rule the northern forests and becoming

a carnivore’s happy meal. Northern climes

limit your time in the compost pile. By

winter, microbial activity, which requires an

ambient temperature of around 50 degrees,

goes into neutral until spring returns. On the

other hand, when I lived in New Mexico, the

season was longer thanks to the southwestern

sun that blessed the Land of Enchantment

with warmth, not to mention spectacular

sunrises!

I had been “greening” since 1968 after

living on and off the land in California. I

constructed makeshift portable cisterns,

created miniature greenhouses for seedlings

out of the plastic cookie trays, and created an

engineering marvel to rival the Golden Gate

Bridge building a mini-irrigation system for

my small garden out of beer cans, (yes, I had

a lot of spare time on my hands—not to

mention beer).

In my quest for further freedom through

self-sustainability, I began experimenting

with composting, especially in semi-sandy

soils that are more conducive to the growth

of small pine trees and the rare morel mush-

room in Michigan. Composting can be as

labor intensive as you want, or like me, as

intensely lazy as you desire.

Just say “No” to synthetic fertilizers. Once

soil gets a taste of synthetics, you create a soil

junkie of the garden variety type. Chemicals

deplete, not replete.

Composting lets you go organic (not

narcotic) all the way to the finish line while

improving soil. The broken mixture also adds

to the porosity of clay soils for proper drain-

age, and in sandy soils helps retain water to

prevent early seepage before the plants have

had a healthy fill of liquid at the soil saloon

Photos by Mike Marin

Bob Stevens is director of agricultural research at the Irrigation District Experimental Facility, a part of the Washington State University agricultural program

in Prosser, Wash.

Great gardens need great garbage!


as their tiny roots belly up to the bar.

Once the compost is complete, it will have

a mighty mixture of microbes with the desire

and ability to extract nutrients from the

soil’s mineral parts and, in turn, pass these

nutrients on to the plants like a hand-off in a

football game.

Bin or no binTo bin or not to bin, that is the question.

Both work, but if you bin, you can buy one

or build one. I built one from old 2 x 4’s and

forest deadwood. Crude, but it did the job,

and I had the added rush of accomplishment

by constructing my own.

You can construct one from four old

wood pallets, cinder blocks, stacks of railroad

ties, or if in an agricultural area, barter for

some straw bales to build the bin. You’re only

limited by imagination.

Open piles take longer to ferment as a fine

wine would, and they attract critters and

varmints from voles to field mice.

Compost microbes need water, and

deciding the amount is an art form/science

in itself. Bin placement in composting, as

in real estate is all about location, location,

location. A well-drained dry spot is best, but

if water does collect in the area, you can dig

diversionary drainage ditches to move the

water away during rain storms, lining it with

pea gravel or other small stones to prevent

erosion of your miniature Panama Canal.

If your garden is nearby, the ditches can

divert the water to the garden. The moisture

level in the pile itself should be lightly damp,

not soaking, and when adding dry com-

ponents, water them lightly before putting

them in. If the pile is too dry, decomposi-

tion will go into slow motion, so balance is

crucial.

You can first line the bottom of the pile

with straw or twigs that won’t mash down.

This elevated state helps keep any water

overflow that gets past your irrigation efforts

from soaking directly into the pile during

rainy days, and a good old-fashioned tarp

overhead will do wonders in keeping nature’s

deluge from diluting your efforts.

The elevation also allows for proper air

penetration into the pile, which is another

balancing act you will have to contend with.

The garden compost galaxy requires air to

weave its way throughout the pile, in the way

that a fiber artist creates a tapestry.

Proper air flow will maintain a full-speed

ahead environment in which the heat-gen-

erating microbes function to maximum

capacity, turning garbage into garden gold.

Too little air will create anaerobic microbes

that not only work at a slower pace, but also,

the compost will raise a stench that may have

your neighbors storm the castle gates with

pitchforks and torches.

Water and air levels are a balancing act,

not magic, and can be mastered through trial

and error.

Greens and brownsThe compost “food” material is broken

down to “dry” and “wet,” kitchen and yard,

or in eco-terms, “browns” and “greens.”

When you think green, think wet. When

you think brown, think dry. When you’re

feeling blue, think of your finished compost

and it will put a smile on your face. Now,

back to the basics.

Greens can come from the yard or farm

as grass clippings, plants, manure (certain

types), green leaves, fruit and veggie scraps,

etc. They hold moisture in captivity, and

anyone who has tried to sun dry fresh fruit

or vegetables knows how much moisture

content has to be evaporated before the

dried edible product is ready for inclusion

in your backpack.

Coffee grounds, eggshells and depleted tea

bags are wonderful additions, too. The greens

are a source of rich nitrogen and an excellent

provider of protein for the proletarian like

microbes. They are great additives to the mix,

but as always with greens, mix them well

with dry browns so they don’t mat up space

to cut off air circulation.

Browns include old leaves, dead plants,

wood chips, straw, sawdust. These act as a

source of energy for the microbes and should

be moistened prior to inclusion to your

fermenting compost horn of plenty. The bal-

ance of dry and wet compliment each other

as the bulkier browns help with aeration, and

the wet greens maintain adequate moisture

levels.

Anyone who has spent much time in the

woods or on the road, knows that hardwoods

make for a long-lasting camp cooking fire,

while the pines flame up and burn fast for

quick hot fires. In the compost, the conifers

breakdown slower than hardwoods, perhaps

because of the water and sap (a great camp-

fire starter by the way) content in them.

Compost don’ts• Don’t add chemically treated woods.

• Human waste or humanure is an absolute

no-no. You may live the healthy lifestyle,

eat properly and live to be 100, but adding

humanure to the pile is dangerous and

potentially poisonous. If you think manure

just happens, think again. When it comes

to manure...get a horse! Or a cow or a

chicken even. Pet droppings from Fido and

Felix? Forgettaboutit.

• Meat fat and bones will take a millennium

to breakdown, so don’t waste your time

with that waste matter either.

• Diseased plants, and dormant, not dead

weeds that can regenerate in the pile and

end up in your garden along with your

plethora of plenty is also verboten.

Composting is a very personal endeavor

dealing with “browns and greens,” air and

water amounts and making sure you have

enough nitrogen and protein in the pile to

keep the workers happy. When compost is

complete, it’s ready for the garden or mulch.

Mulch prevents erosion, water evapora-

tion and the drying effect of wind and sun.

As it decomposes, the mulch will release

nutrients to the soil and the worms will have

the equivalent of a farmhand’s field day.

Completed compost is pure organi-poetry. It

has a feel and smell all its own. It also has a

magic and a power all its own when placed in

heaping harmonious helpings onto and into

the garden.

In martial arts, the goal is to attain a black

belt; in the garden, a simple “greenbelt”

along with a “green thumb” will do just fine.


Earth Odyssey donates a free quarter-page ad each month to a nonprofit organization.

To be considered, send e-mail to [email protected]. Put free nonprofit ad in the subject line.

Curators: Cynthia

Vidal, Patti Pearl

and Robbynne

Raupers

Art Exhibit June 19 – July 26, 2009

Opening Reception Friday, June 19, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Cattle Crossing” Cynthia Vidal

By Ann Haver-Allen


I can’t recall when my love affair with

Arizona began. My passion for this

unique state was well entrenched long

before I ever set foot on Arizona soil.

In fact, for years I hesitated to travel

here for fear that I would not be able to re-

turn to the dreary Northeast, where I had to

live to make a decent living for my family.

The reasons I love this state are many. Just

look around you at the sky, the fauna and the

flora and you will see my reasons. My 12-

year-old daughter describes it best. She says

living here is like living in a painting.

But that painting is constantly changing

with continuous and awe-inspiring beauty.

Saguaros are just one element that make

Arizona so special for me. These cacti, the

largest in the world, only grow in southern

Arizona and New Mexico and a portion of

northern Mexico. The Saguaro is the state

flower of Arizona and provides shelter for the

state bird—the cactus wren.

I never tire of seeing the majestic Saguaros.

I have photographed Saguaros at sunrise and

sunset and all hours in between. I am amazed

at how they grow; that they prefer to live

on the south side of the mountain; and that

their range stops at about 3,000 feet.

A member of the Tohono O’odham tribe

once told me that her people believe Sagua-

ros are the souls of the ancestors.

I accept that. I have always thought of

Saguaros as the sentinels of the desert. When

viewed from the base of a mountain, they

look like an army guarding their land.

Saguaros are individuals, each with differ-

ent characteristics, much like people. I have

photographed two neighboring Sagua-

ros whose “arms” were damaged by cold

temperatures. This causes the arms to bend

downward and these two Saguaros looked

like they were embracing.

The end of May and the first of June is

an especially important time, because that is

when the Saguaros bloom. I had never seen a

live saguaro in bloom until 2004, which was

my first spring as an Arizona resident.

I quickly developed a new tradition for

Memorial Day: a field trip to photograph

Saguaros in bloom. With a crown of white

blossoms, a Saguaro looks like it is dressed

for a wedding.

I am amazed at how many people here in

Prescott tell me they have never seen Sagua-

ros bloom—and yet they greedily consume

my photographs. I just can’t imagine not tak-

ing the time to appreciate first-hand some-

thing so majestic.

Saguaros bloom every year regardless of

rainfall. The blooming is timed so that seeds

can take advantage of the monsoon rains.

The flowers, although abundant, last only

one day. The blossom actually opens at night

and closes by early afternoon the following

day. The Saguaro produces sweet nectar that

accumulates at the base of the flower’s tube.

Birds, bees and other insects oblige the

Saguaros by providing needed cross-pollina-

tion services. These stately giants are not only

guardians of the desert, but also they are a

valuable food source for both animals and

humans during a time of year when food is

scarce because of the desert heat.

The Tohono O’odham traditionally harvest

Saguaro fruit starting in late June. A long

pole, made of Saguaro ribs, is used to knock

the fruit from the towering cacti. The Saguaro

fruit has a red, juicy pulp that is scooped out.

The skin is discarded. The pulp is mixed with

water, cleaned and then boiled down into

thick syrup for making jam and wine.

The harvesting of Saguaro fruit is the

first phase of the Tohono O’odham’s rain

ceremony, or wine feast, held in anticipation

of the coming monsoons.

Although each fruit can contain 2,000 or

more seeds, and these seeds germinate rapidly

(about five days once the rains start), a very

small fraction of the seedlings survive.

Those that do survive are usually strategical-

ly located near a “nurse plant,” which provides

shade and moisture during its early years.

Saguaros eventually kill the nurse plant

as they grow and consume more and more

of the available moisture. Saguaros grow

slowly—only about an inch a year, but some

are estimated to be 200 years old.

So the next time you are below 3,000 feet

in the Arizona desert, make sure you take

time to really look at the Saguaros. It will be

time well spent.

Saguaros bloom ahead of monsoon rains

Photo by Ann Haver-Allen

Th e blooming is timed so that seeds can take advantage of the monsoon rains.


Spitzer Space Telescope is beginning

a new era of space exploration.

Spitzer ran out of liquid helium

coolant last month after more than

five-and-a-half years of probing

the cosmos with its keen infrared eye.

Spitzer entered an inactive state called

standby on May 15. Scientists and engineers

will spend the next few weeks recalibrating

the instrument at the warmer temperature,

and preparing it to begin science operations.

“We like to think of Spitzer as being

reborn,” said Robert Wilson, Spitzer project

manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labora-

tory, Pasadena, Calif. “Spitzer led an amazing

life, performing above and beyond its call

of duty. Its primary mission might be over,

but it will tackle new scientific pursuits, and

more breakthroughs are sure to come.”

Spitzer has explored, with unprecedented

sensitivity, the infrared side of the cosmos,

where dark, dusty and distant objects hide.

For a telescope to detect infrared light—es-

sentially heat—from cool cosmic objects, it

must have very little heat of its own. During

the past five years, liquid helium has run

through Spitzer’s “veins,” keeping its three in-

struments chilled to -456 degrees Fahrenheit,

or less than 3 degrees above absolute zero, the

coldest temperature theoretically attainable.

The cryogen was projected to last as little as

two-and-a-half years, but Spitzer’s efficient

design and careful operations enabled it to

last more than five-and-a-half years.

Spitzer’s new “warm” temperature is still

quite chilly at -404 degrees Fahrenheit—much

colder than a winter day in Antarctica when

temperatures sometimes reach -75 degrees

Fahrenheit. This temperature rise means two

of Spitzer’s instruments—its longer wave-

length multiband imaging photometer and its

infrared spectrograph—will no longer be cold

enough to detect cool objects in space.

The two shortest-wavelength detectors

in the telescope’s infrared array camera will

continue to function perfectly. They will still

pick up the glow from a range of objects:

asteroids in our solar system, dusty stars,

planet-forming disks, gas-giant planets and

distant galaxies. In addition, Spitzer still will

be able to see through the dust that perme-

ates our galaxy and blocks visible-light views.

“We will do exciting and important science

with these two infrared channels,” said Spitzer

Project Scientist Michael Werner of JPL. Wer-

ner has been working on Spitzer for more than

30 years. “Our new science program takes ad-

vantage of what these channels do best. We’re

focusing on aspects of the cosmos that we still

have much to learn about.”

Since its launch in 2003, Spitzer has

made countless breakthroughs in astronomy.

Observations of comets both near and far

have established that the stuff of comets

and planets is similar throughout the galaxy.

Breathtaking photos of dusty stellar nests

have led to new insights into how stars are

born. And Spitzer’s eye on the very distant

universe, billions of light-years away, has

revealed hundreds of massive black holes

lurking in the dark.

Perhaps the most revolutionary and

surprising Spitzer findings involve planets

around other stars, called exoplanets. Exo-

planets are, in almost all cases, too close to

their parent stars to be seen from our Earthly

point of view. Nevertheless, planet hunters

continue to uncover them by looking for

changes in the parent stars. Before Spitzer,

everything we knew about exoplanets came

from indirect observations.

In 2005, Spitzer detected the first light,

or photons, from an exoplanet. In a clever

technique, now referred to as the second-

ary-eclipse method, Spitzer was able to

collect the light of a hot, gaseous exoplanet

and learn about its temperature. Further

detailed spectroscopic studies later revealed

more about the atmospheres, or “weather,”

on similar planets. More recently, Spitzer

witnessed changes in the weather on a wildly

Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech and University of Arizona

Th is infrared image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often

photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colors and eerie resemblance to a giant eye. Th e

nebula, located about 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, belongs to a class of objects

called planetary nebulae. Discovered in the 18th century, these colorful beauties were named for their

resemblance to gas-giant planets like Jupiter. Th is image is made up of data from Spitzer’s infrared array

camera and multiband imaging photometer. Blue shows infrared light of 3.6 to 4.5 microns; green shows

infrared light of 5.8 to 8 microns; and red shows infrared light of 24 microns.

Spitzer Telescope warms up to new careereccentric gas exoplanet—a storm of colossal

proportions brewing up in a matter of hours

before quickly settling down.

“Nobody had any idea Spitzer would be

able to directly study exoplanets when we de-

signed it,” Werner said. “When astronomers

planned the first observations, we had no

idea if they would work. To our amazement

and delight, they did.”

These are a few of Spitzer’s achievements

during the past five-and-a-half years. Data

from the telescope are cited in more than

1,500 scientific papers. And scientists and

engineers expect the rewards to keep on com-

ing during Spitzer’s golden years.

Some of Spitzer’s new pursuits include

refining estimates of Hubble’s constant, or

the rate at which our universe is stretching

apart; searching for galaxies at the edge of

the universe; assessing how often potentially

hazardous asteroids might impact Earth by

measuring the sizes of asteroids; and charac-

terizing the atmospheres of gas-giant planets

expected to be discovered soon by NASA’s

Kepler mission. As was true during the cold

Spitzer mission, these and the other pro-

grams are selected through a competition in

which scientists from around the world are

invited to participate.

JPL manages the Spitzer mission for

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in

Washington. Science operations are con-

ducted at the Spitzer Science Center at

the California Institute of Technology in

Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in

Denver, and Ball Aerospace & Technologies

Corp. in Boulder, Colo. support mission and

science operations.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

in Greenbelt, Md., built Spitzer’s infrared

array camera; the instrument’s principal

investigator is Giovanni Fazio of the Har-

vard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in

Cambridge, Mass.

Ball Aerospace & Technology Corp. built

Spitzer’s infrared spectrograph; its princi-

pal investigator is Jim Houck of Cornell

University in Ithaca, N.Y. Ball Aerospace

& Technology Corp. and the University

of Arizona in Tucson, built the multiband

imaging photometer for Spitzer; its principal

investigator is George Rieke of the University

of Arizona.


S.D. Nelson’s art illustrates

the convergence of real-

ity and the dream state.

Central images painted in

bold, strong colors are sur-

rounded by ghostly visionary symbols of his

Native American heritage.

Nelson is a member of the Standing Rock

Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas. Also known as

Sioux or Lakota, they were the renowned

Horse People of the Great Plains and the

People of the Buffalo, because the buffalo

provided food, clothing and lodging for the

tribe.

“As a boy, my mother told me stories about

Iktomi, the Trickster,” Nelson said. “I learned

that the stars were the spirits of my ances-

tors; that my great-great grandfather, Flying

Cloud, still road his snorting horse along the

White Road of the Milky Way. If I looked

carefully, mom said, I would see the Great

Bear and the Star That Did Not Turn—the

North Star.

“She told me the Life Force or the Great

Mystery is named Wakan Tanka and that all

of creation, the four-legged beings, the tall

standing trees, even the wind has a spirit and

is alive.”

Nelson enables viewers to visualize those

spirits in his paintings.

“In my paintings, I connect with Wakan

Tanka,” Nelson said. “I spread paint and

color so that you might share in my vision.

I have an artist’s vision of Father Sky and

Artist, illustrator draws upon Native American heritage for inspiration

Photos by Pia Wyer

Artist and illustrator S.D. Nelson’s “style” is directly infl uenced by Ledger Book Art, an art form devel-

oped by Plains Indian artists during the years 1865 to 1935 when they were imprisoned.


Mother Earth, of the Winged Ones, of our

four-legged brothers, of the little crawling

creatures and the two-legged human beings,

of the mountains and the forests all singing

the song of life, all dancing in a circle.”

Nelson said his “style” is directly influ-

enced by Ledger Book Art, an art form devel-

oped by Plains Indian artists during the years

1865 to 1935 when they were imprisoned.

He said the Ledger Book Art Form devel-

oped when, instead of throwing filled ledger

books away, someone started giving them to

the Indians, who drew and painted directly

atop the ledger contents.

“This is really two cultures,” Nelson said.

“There’s the culture of the white man with

all his writing and data and then there’s the

native culture superimposed on it. And the

two never meet. They don’t blend. They are

always in conflict.”

In addition to his art, Nelson has authored

and illustrated five children’s books and il-

lustrated six others. His book titles include

“Coyote Christmas—A Lakota Story,” “The

First Americans,” “The Star People—A

Lakota Story,” and “Gift Horse—A Lakota

Story.”

Currently, he is working on writing and

illustrating “Black Elk’s Vision,” which is

scheduled for release in February 2010.

“I am really excited to be doing this book

about Black Elk,” Nelson said. “His story is

absolutely profound. He gets sick and has an

intense fever that lasts for days and he has

a vision. The vision is about people living

in harmony with all of our environment.

Not just people, but everything. He teaches

about the Circle of Life and the two-legged

creatures, us, living in harmony with the

four-legged creatures, the winged creatures

and the creepy-crawlers.”

Nelson shares Black Elk’s vision and be-

lieves the time of man having dominion over

every living thing on Earth is passing.

“We’ve done that…had dominion…and

you can see what it’s resulted in,” he said. “It’s

time for a new chapter. It’s time to live in

harmony. Christ speaks to living in harmony.

He speaks of acceptance, not of dominion.”

Nelson earned his bachelor’s degree from

Minnesota State University. He taught high

school art for one year and middle school

art for 27 years in Flagstaff. His artwork

appears on book covers, CDs, greeting cards,

in children’s books and in numerous private

and public collections. He is a member of

the Society of Children’s Book Writers and

Illustrators.

His work can be viewed online at www.

sdnelson.net.

Photos by Pia Wyer

Above left, S.D. Nelson works

on his forthcoming book, “Black

Elk’s Vision,” in his home-

offi ce. Nelson has authored and

illustrated fi ve children’s books

and illustrated six others. Th ree

are pictured here. See www.

sdnelson.net for more of his work.

Courtesy photo

Ledger Book Art is an art form developed by Plains Indian artists during the years 1865 to 1935 when

they were imprisoned.


By Ann Haver-Allen


Unquestionably, one of the

most beautiful hiking and

camping trips the world has to

offer is right here in Arizona.

In my opinion, hiking into

the Grand Canyon to see the magnificent

waterfalls on the Havasupai Reservation is

without parallel.

And while this adventure is not for those

weak in the knees, it is doable for most every-

one else—if they are properly prepared. I have

exercise-induced asthma, and while I can hike

indefinitely on flat terrain or going downhill,

uphill hikes are a real struggle for me.

I hiked the 10 miles down to the camp-

ground without any difficulty, taking about

four hours. Hiking out was another story.

I had to take the final 1,000-feet climb of

about a mile one switchback at a time. I

stopped after each switchback and allowed

my breathing to settle before tackling the

next one.

The 10-mile climb out took about five and

one-half hours—not too bad for someone

who gets winded running up a flight of stairs.

Open againWe made our adverturous hike into the can-

yon prior to the August 2008 massive flood-

ing, which prompted the Havasupi Nation

to close the Reservation to all outsiders. That

flash flood washed out several bridges and

sections of the path, and damaged buildings

in town and the campground.

The good news is that all repairs have now

been made and the reservation opened to

tourists again on June 1. But before you grab

your gear and head out, here’s some tips and

information that may make your trip more

enjoyable.

Photos by Ann Haver-Allen

At left, Th e trail into the village is a busy thoroughfare. A mule train passes every few minutes because all

goods into the village are brought in either by pack mules or by helicopter. Above, Navajo Falls, which

was named after a Supai Chief.


About the

Reservation

Traveling should be a culturally rewarding

experience as well as a fun adventure. Know-

ing something about where you are going

enhances your experiences.

The Havasupai Reservations comprises

185,000 acres inside Havasu Canyon, which

is at the western end of the Grand Canyon

where Havasu Creek meets the Colorado

River. Eight miles down from the trailhead

on the Hualapai hilltop is the village of Su-

pai. About 450 Havasupai live in the village,

which is the only incorporated township

within the Grand Canyon. The Reservation

was created in 1882 and tourism is the main

economic base.

Supai is accessible only by hiking, riding a

mule or horse or catching a ride in a helicop-

ter. The Supai post office is the only one in

the United States that is still serviced by pack

train and mail receives a special postmark

noting this. In addition to the post office,

the village has a school, clinic, church, café,

motel and a couple of “convenience” stores.

Havasupai translates to People-Of-The-

Blue-Green-Waters in English—a name

that refers to the four beautiful blue-green

waterfalls located within the canyon. Havasu-

pai consider the source of the water to be a

sacred place and in one version of their origin

legend, the waterfalls fathered one of three

children who became the predecessors of the

human race. The Havasupai were the first

offspring, followed by the Apaches, Huala-

pais, Hopis, Paiutes and Navajos.

Nature carved two stone pillars from the

red cliffs that overlook Supai. These pil-

lars are called Wigleeva and are the village’s

guardian spirits. The legend says that when

the god and goddess fall, it will signal the

demise of the Havasupai.

TrailsThree hiking trails are open to visitors of the

Havasupai Indian Reservation:

• Hike in from Hualapai Hilltop to camp-

grounds

• Hike from campgrounds to Beaver Falls

• Hike from campgrounds to Colorado River

The best advice is to start early—as early

as possible. Leaving the hilltop and starting

toward Supai early means that a great deal

of the hike will be in the shade. The trail is

rated moderately difficult and is rugged and

rocky.

The eight-mile trail down to the village

begins with a series of switchbacks and is

steep for the first mile. After that, the trail

descends more gradually for about a half mile

to the bottom of the canyon. It’s fairly flat

hiking—not enormous changes in eleva-

tion—from that point on into the village.

Overall, it’s about a 2,000-foot drop from the

hilltop trailhead to the village. The trail can

be hot, dry and dusty. Remember to carry

water with you—at least 2 liters of water or

more if necessary.

The trail into the village is a busy thor-

oughfare. A mule train passes every few

minutes because all goods into the village

are brought in either by pack mules or by

helicopter. Hikers should always keep to the

right and do not wear headphones.

Hikers should be alert and listen for the

pack mules and horses because they run this

trail on autopilot. Hikers are expected to get

out of their way…not the other way around.

Do not try to touch the animals.

The campground is two miles beyond the

village and this part of the trail can be really

tough. It’s mostly deep sand, which can really

suck the life out of you (think hiking in loose

beach sand). But waiting for you are the

beautiful, cool waters of the Havasu Creek.

The campground serves as a launching

point for hikes to Beaver Falls or on down to

the Colorado River and the Havasu Rapids.

WaterfallsThe waterfalls are spread out along Havasu

Creek, and have a relatively constant tem-

perature of about 70 degrees throughout the

year. The high mineral content and carbon-

ate precipitate account for the pools and

natural dams.

The first waterfall you encounter is about a

mile and a quarter out of the village—Navajo

Falls, which was named after a Supai Chief.


Pack mules and horses run the trail from the Hualapai Hilltop to Supai so many times transporting supplies up and down that they seem to run on autopilot.


Navajo Falls tumbles 75 feet into a refreshing

pool that is excellent for swimming.

Navajo Falls is not on the primary hiking

trail, so you have to be alert for the side trail

that leads back into the jungle. Be prepared

to get your feet wet just getting there.

Havasu Falls is the next waterfall you will

encounter—and it is visible from the primary

hiking trail. Havasu Falls is about one-quar-

ter mile from Navajo Falls, or about one and

one-half miles from the village. This waterfall

plunges 100 feet into a pool of blue-green

water and is one of the most photographed

waterfalls in the world.

Mooney Falls is the third waterfall and it

is the highest and most majestic, dropping

about 200 feet. Named for a prospector who

fell to his death while attempting to descend

the waterfall, access is still only possible by

climbing down a narrow ledge, which can be

slippery from the waterfall spray.

Beneath Mooney Falls is a pool similar in

size to the one at the base of Havasu Falls,

but without as many people. Mooney Falls is

about two and one-half miles from the village,

or about a mile beyond the campground.

The fourth waterfall is Beaver Falls, which

is a series of cascades at the conflux of Beaver

and Havasu Canyons and is comparable to

Navajo Falls in size.

To get there, you must climb down to the

base of Mooney Falls, then follow the stream

for about four miles. The trail crosses the

creek several times before reaching Beaver

Falls, but is passable. Be prepared to get wet.

If you continue hiking down Havasu

Canyon, you will reach the Colorado River

at Havasu Rapids. It’s about five miles from

Beaver Falls to the Colorado River, or about

10 miles (one way) from the village. There is

no potable water, so you must carry enough

water with you.

PreparationEverything must be brought into the canyon,

which means everything must be taken out.

No permanent services are available at the

Hualapai Hilltop, although vendors may of-

fer drinks and snacks occasionally.

Make sure you bring enough water for the

hike. Once in the campground, drinking

water is available from Fern Spring.

Fill your gas tank before leaving Route 66.

Parking is available at the Hualapai Hilltop at

the end of Highway 18, about 65 miles from

its intersection with Route 66.

All visitors to the Havasupai Indian

Reservation are required to check in with

the Tourist Office in Supai upon arrival. An

entrance fee of $35 per person is required for

those 13 and older. Children 12 and younger

are discounted 50 percent.

The campground can hold up to 300

campers, but reservations are required and

must be made via telephone by calling (928)

448-2141, (928) 448-2121, (928) 448-2174

or (928) 448-2180. The Tourism Office is

open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Arizona time.

The campground fee is $17 per person,

per night. Additionally, an environmental fee

of $5 per person is charged, but that will be

refunded if you carry a bag of garbage back

out with you to the Hilltop.

If camping is not your thing, the Supai

Lodge is an option. Lodge accommodations

include two double beds, private bath and

air-conditioning. No telephone, television or

roll-away beds are available. All 24 rooms are

nonsmoking.

Rooms accommodate up to four persons

and are $145 per night. Reservations are

required and must be made via telephone by

calling (928) 448-2111 or (928) 448-2201.

The lobby is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven

days a week.

final wordsBe aware that no alcohol, drugs or firearms

are allowed on the Reservation.

Wear comfortable shoes. My feet swelled

so much from the heat and hiking that my

shoes—which fit and were normally com-

fortable—no longer fit. Once I took them

off, there was no putting them back on. I

suggest the open hiking sandals with the toe

cover. These navigate land and water equally

well.

Take a supply of moleskin to prevent or

treat blisters. Also, we learned that nothing

beats duct tape.

One member in our group wrapped his

water bottle with duct tape in strips about 4

inches long. He just stacked the strips on top

of one another and pulled each piece off as

needed. Entire feet can be wrapped in duct

tape, which is really durable.

Finally, if you wimp out and decide to take

a horse or helicopter out of the canyon, you

should know the details of those options.

The horses tend to be booked in advance

and are not available at the spur of a mo-

ment. Horses roundtrip are $187. Mules

can be engaged to carry out your pack. Four

packs fit on a mule and the charge is $80.

Helicopter service is first-come, first-

served…after all the supplies and tribal

members. Cost is $85 per person each way.

The helicopters operate Sunday, Monday,

Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.,

weather permitting.

Supai really is an oasis in the middle

of desert country and is one of the most

special and unique areas in the Grand Can-

yon region. For more information, see the

Havasupai Tribe Web site at www.havasu-

paitribe.com.


Manipulating the camera and knowing a little physics captured this rainbow framing Havasu Falls. Th e

lush canyon really does seem like paradise at the end of the rainbow.


Th e Wigleeva, when photographed at sunrise, cast a shadow that brings the village’s guardian spirits to

life. Th e legend says that when the god and goddess fall, it will signal the demise of the Havasupai.


By Ann Haver-Allen


Oracle State Park, Center for

Environmental Education, held

a Paper making with Desert

Plants Workshop in May that

my daughter and I attended.

Taught by paper artist and instructor Val

Bembenek, the three-hour workshop was an

introduction to the art of making archival-

quality paper.

“I have been doing this for about five years

and have made paper from corn husk, chili

peppers, thistle down, yucca, bird’s nest,

oat grass, gourd and mint to name a few,”

Bembenek said. “A lot of stuff works, but not

everything does. Bear grass doesn’t work. It has

something in it that I just can’t cook out.”

Bembenek said she was very proud of her

chili pepper paper, but it turned to disap-

pointment when the red color left within six

months.

“Compare that with ocotillo flowers that

hold the red color for a long time,” she said.

“Some inclusions will hold their color and

others will not. Just experiment.”

For a successful paper making experience,

you must start with cellulose—that means a

plant-based material.

“Not all plants will give you enough fiber

to make paper,” Bembenek said. “Iris leaves

do. A bird’s nest does. But you can’t make

paper from lamb’s wool. You can’t make it

from dog hair.”

Bembenek said even though some paper

makers use dryer lint, she does not. It would

work, she said, if your laundry was all cotton

and other natural fibers. But usually it con-

tains synthetics such as polyester or rayon.

The result, she said, is that you end up

with paper that looks like dryer lint because it

doesn’t get any prettier through the process.

“Paper needs to be archival,” she said. “It

needs to last. If it’s not archival and you send

it to somebody in Florida where it is very

humid, spores, bugs and bacteria would sud-

denly grow on your paper.

“I always work for archival paper, which

means I test it after cooking with a PH strip

to make sure it’s neutral,” Bembenek contin-

ued. “Archival paper is going to last and you

will be proud to give it.”

Bembenek will be back at Oracle on Satur-

day and Sunday June 6 and 7 for a Journal-

making Workshop, where she will teach you

how to make different styles of stab-bound

journal notebooks to use as a diary, for

poetry, to record hiking field notes of wildlife

sightings and more. Participants will take

home three unique journal notebooks.

Reservations are required as space is lim-

ited. The $30 fee includes park entrance. To

reserve your spot, call (520) 896-2425.

For more information about Oracle State

Park activities, see www.azparks.gov/Parks/

ORAC/index.html.

About Oracle State Park

Oracle State Park, Center for Environmental Education, is located

on the former Kannally Ranch, which was gifted to the Arizona

State Parks Board in 1986. The Mediterranean-revival style

Kannally Ranch House is listed on the National Register of Historic

Places.

Oracle State Park is a 4,000-acre wildlife preserve whose mission is to

function as a wildlife refuge and act as an environmental learning center.

It is a day-use only park. Although evening events are held, the park

has no overnight camping facilities. Educational programs focus on

ecology and the need to preserve our natural resources. Interpretive

presentations highlight the plant, animal, geologic and historic character

of this Arizona region.

The park has environmental education programs that take place out

on the hiking trails. One program is 90 minutes in length and the other

is two and one-half hours. Both require reservations.

Oracle State Park, Center for Environmental Education, is currently

on a five-day schedule: open Thursdays through Mondays 7 a.m. to 3

p.m. The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays until further notice.

Getting thereOracle State Park is about 45 minutes east of Tucson. Take 77 (Oracle

Road) north. Turn right at the Oracle turnoff (American Avenue).

Travel about 2.3 miles to Mt. Lemmon Road and turn right. The park

entrance is on the left.

Contact infoFor more information about Oracle State Park, Center for Environ-mental Education, and to view a schedule of events, see www.azparks.

gov/Parks/ORAC/index.html. The phone number is (520) 896-2425.

Taking a crash course in paper making


Right, Paper artist and instructor Val Bembenek

led a three-hour workshop titled “Paper making

with Desert Plants.” Above, participants take their

turn making sheets of paper.


Standing in the soft rain around

midnight, I was overcome with

gratitude for this place in which I

live. A modest house, set among

tall stately pines, manzanita bushes

and a host of unruly plant creatures vying for

space. The birds sing all day, lizards, a toad or

two and many other creatures move through

this place and call it home. It is an oasis,

offering respite from society and an opportu-

nity for many hours of yard work.

Perhaps because it is the oldest form of hu-

man spirituality, some consider animism to

be a primitive phenomenon, that recognizing

spirit and consciousness in nature, place and

“inanimate” objects like rocks and mountains

is symptomatic of arrested development in

a person of modern times. It is often more

acceptable to believe in a god “out there”

somewhere, in the sky, a male human figure

metaphorically choreographing all the plays

on Earth’s stage.

The other day I saw a bumper sticker

that proclaimed, “I’ll take God and guns,

you can have your change.” I forget whether

God or guns came first as I was distracted by

the notion that somehow God and guns go

together. Surely this must be a more impov-

erished state of being than experiencing the

divine in trees and finding meaning in brief

encounters with wildlife?

Perhaps in response to the pseudo-reli-

gious, there is a growing niche of self-pro-

claimed atheists, pseudo nihilists, and those

who think it clever to plagiarize Nietzsche.

Many of us go through these phases to some

degree when we are adolescents–an early rite

of passage for those drawn to question ideol-

ogy and meaning.

These are, of course, polarities and extreme

oversimplifications but they point to the

rigidity and potential destructiveness of

positioning oneself against something rather

than opening to possibility and understand-

ing that the land and the sign that points to

it are not the same thing.

Living in a world devoid of enchantment

is a bleak way to get through the day, and

is a symptom either of human arrogance or

despair. If we divest everything of mystery and

meaning outside that which serves our own

agendas, or acquiesce to abandoning our truth

for someone else’s, we find ourselves in a state

ripe for all kinds of addictions and savagery.

Perhaps now more than ever, it is time

for us to wake from our “dominant species”

slumber and see—really see—the sacred

other who is not really “other” at all. We

need to recognize a god(dess) in creation,

who lives and breathes in every creature, the

wind and the rain.

Humanity emerged from the same celestial

event as all life on this planet. We are not

special because God uniquely resembles us,

despite our optimistic projections. We are

special as a small part of the complex divine

creativity that is life. This belief enhances my

faith rather than diminishes it, expands hope

and possibility instead of inviting a sense of

insignificance. If our consciousness is more

complex and evolved than other species, then

we have a greater responsibility to protect the

vulnerable (human and nonhuman), to nur-

ture those whose disposition or dispensation

render them casualties of the modern age.

World Environment Day is June 5 (www.

unep.org/wed/2009/english/) and, in honor of

this, I invite us all to take the time to examine

our relationship with the natural world and

determine ways in which we can become more

present to the consciousness of other species,

find ways to live in harmony with them.

If we learn to love the place in which we

live, and feel a deep connection to the life

forms who accompany us, we will be invited

into deeper relationship with creation in

a way that enriches our lives and gives us

insight into the needs of other creatures.

Wherever we live, whether we own our home

or not, we have an opportunity to care for

a small part of our beautiful planet and, by

extension, our own soul.

I am unsure whether the sudden trendiness

of the green movement is positive or nega-

tive. When things become trendy, they can

be trivialized, absorbed into the marketing

and consumption machine of our culture.

Attention is shifted from the authentic work

of individuals and organizations genuinely

striving to address complex environmental

challenges, toward a populist complacency of

form over substance.

Years ago, when I was in graduate school, we

were all talking about the environment, ways

in which to rescue the planet from destruc-

tion and pollution, and how we might realign

ourselves with the forces of nature rather than

those attempting to overpower them. Our con-

versations contained a deeply spiritual aware-

ness, as that was our focus, and we recognized

an urgent need for reconciliation between

spirituality and science in these efforts.

The absence of science in this conversation

renders ideas merely theoretical, while the

absence of spirituality obscures the depth and

purpose of environmental protection. We

should not “save the planet” because we need

it, rather we should cease our destructive

practices because of the inherent beauty and

worth of creation itself.

The superficial, somewhat cynical utiliza-

tion of environmental protection language by

companies whose products and practices are

part of the problem rather than the solution

completely misses the point. It is not enough

to buy brand x because it has a leaf on its

logo, just as it is not enough to drop a few

pennies in the Salvation Army box around

Christmas and continue on our merry way of

self absorption and consumerism. It is for us

to do our homework and remember that the

product with the lowest carbon footprint is

the one that is not produced.

What if we stop buying things we don’t

need? Is there a moment each day to medi-

tate on the beauty and creativity of nature?

Can science and spirituality inform and en-

gage one another? Is it possible to love what

we have without seeing it as a steppingstone

to acquiring something else? Can we put

down our weapons and open our hearts? Can

we cease treating the divine like an exotic

caged bird whose wings we have clipped so it

can no longer fly while we gaze at its remain-

ing feathers and claim it as our own? The

answer to all these questions is yes.

Originally from England, Pia lives in Payson, Arizona, and has been a part of Earth Odyssey

since the beginning. She has a master’s degree in Culture and Spirituality, and most recently graduated from the Sacred Art of Living’s Anam-cara Project. She can be contacted through Earth

Odyssey and her freelance photography business, Animist Arts ([email protected]).

Midnight rain, enchantment, getting things in perspective

Photo by Pia Wyer

Th e serpent is a deeply mythological creature, powerful and often misunderstood. I encountered this beau-

tiful Python at a recent wildlife fair


Ihave written much in these pages

about energy medicine and spiritual

healing. It has all been very philo-

sophical and conceptual. I thought

this month it might be time for a

more practical discussion.

I have a fascination with scars. They are a

direct result of our inner healing mechanism

to an injury, and as such, they can be critical

to our wellbeing. But scars are masses of

tissue that restrict blood flow, movement,

lymph and nerve supply. They remain long

after the injury and often become a problem,

not just cosmetically, all their own.

From an energetic perspective, scars are

blockages of the flow of energy throughout

the body. Energy systems such as the merid-

ian system (acupuncture) and the chakra

system are not visible and are difficult to

measure.

Along with other energetic systems within

the body—the “field,” they are ignored by

conventional medical approaches.

But scarring negatively impacts the flow of

energy in ways that are not obvious, creating

problems that are difficult to identify. We are

missing something.

Recall that one of the central contentions

of energy medicine is that so goes the energy

body, so goes the physical body. Imbalances

in one’s field is the precursor to physical

illness. By being focused on the physical, we

ignore the root cause of our dis-ease.

And by definition, scarring creates an

imbalance in one’s field. But why would the

innate healing wisdom of the body develop

a response to injury that later causes harm to

the very body it seeks to serve? This is where

my fascination begins.

Let’s get back to basics. The human body

is constantly replacing old cells. As David N.

Menton, Ph.D., notes: “In one sense, most

of the substance of our body really doesn’t

continue to get older during our life: a great

many of our body’s parts are constantly repair-

ing and replacing themselves. The epidermal

cells that cover the entire surface of our skin,

for example, never get older than one month.

New cells are continually produced (by cell

division) deep in the epidermis, while the

older ones continually slough off at the sur-

face. Similarly, the cells lining our intestines

completely replace themselves every four days;

our red blood cells are entirely replaced about

every 90 days; and our white blood cells are

replaced about every week.”

Ultimately, every so many months, we are

completely new.

So why does the body replace scar tissue?

Assume that the wound is healed and the

scar tissue is no longer needed.

Why doesn’t the body revert to the original

tissue at the site of the injury? I think we can

all agree that the innate healing wisdom of

the body is remarkable. So why the break-

down with scars?

Scarring is not a disease process or an

invading microbe, but is instead the very

purposeful response of the body to an injury.

Indeed, if the above analysis is correct, more

than just not being needed anymore, the scar

tissue is harmful.

It is possible the injury summons a re-

sponse that, once begun, cannot reverse itself.

Or perhaps we are witnessing an evolutionary

response gone wrong. But based upon my

work, I think something much more interest-

ing is happening.

Imagine that a large masse of scar tissue, a

C-section scar for instance, can completely

disappear in just moments, leaving behind

just a long thin line as a reminder.

Or that brain scarring, the result of a

stroke, can be dissolved painlessly, with no

invasive procedures, resulting in the restora-

tion of full left arm function, one of the

classic results of stroke.

By remedying the imbalance in the field,

physical change occurs rapidly, almost mi-

raculously.

Every scar would seem to have some nega-

tive impact on one’s health. But the place-

ment of the scar can be significant. C-section

scars cut across the midline, cutting the flow

of energy to the entire torso and pelvic area

and impacting several chakra centers. Breast

augmentation or biopsy scars are particularly

troubling because of their impact on the

heart chakra.

The seriousness of brain scarring is obvi-

ous, and we can receive scarring from a host

of seemingly insignificant head traumas. The

effect of these scars can be very deceiving,

but I have seen the results of working on

scars with dozens of clients, who have sought

out spiritual healing when nothing else

seemed to work.

I describe this work as “spiritual” because

no known medical or physical process can

account for the seemingly instant disappear-

ance of scar tissue and its harmful effects.

What is the explanation then? Scientists

have recently discovered that there is a pro-

tein that acts like a glue in the brain retaining

emotional and fearful memories.

This may unlock the mystery of post-trau-

matic stress syndrome. My suspicion is that

we will find that this “glue” resides in every

cell of the body. I have written elsewhere the

body may be the site of the elusive subcon-

scious; this discovery lends credibility to the

argument.

I would suggest that scar tissue retains the

“memory” of the cause and or trauma of the

original injury.

Thus, the body continues to replace scar

tissue because the need remains, like glue, at

an energetic level.

Far from being an evolutionary defect, the

innate wisdom of the body is acting quite

responsibly when it continues to replace scar

tissue.

The harm comes from not addressing the

field. And once the field is cleared of the

emotional residue of the injury, full healing

can occur. So goes the energy body, so goes

the physical body.

Mike Davis is CEO of Energy Medicine Foundation and a member of the Mountain Spirit Co-Op in Prescott. He is the creator of Vibrational Realignment, a unique approach to spiritual healing, and can be reached at 928-862-0594 or at VibrationalRealignment.com.

By Mike DavisBy Mike Davis

The emotional residue of scars can be problematic

Greetings, Earthlings. I have

come to bring you a mes-

sage of peace. Peace within

all hearts of humanity on

the planet Earth.

The time has come for the negative ways

of the past to end, and a new world emer-

gence of unconditional love to appear.

This new world of peace, love and har-

mony will be activated through the heart

center of each individual. An activation so

powerful that all discord, pain and fear will

be dissolved in a matter of moments.

When the conscious intention of the criti-

cal mass reaches its apex, a huge paradigm

shift will take place and the energy that

surrounds your planet will be uplifted to an

unprecedented higher vibration level.

You can assist in creation of this blessed

event by letting yourself feel the love and

peace that is in your heart and bring it to the

highest intensity of expression.

Living in the joy now present in your

heart will bring the presence of a peaceful,

loving world to full existence. Enjoy the feel-

ing. Live it. Love it. Let the laughter come

forth….

OK, so this isn’t what most folks are ac-

cepting as part of their reality. But really…

what are we expecting for our world? For

our lives? For our futures? Are we expecting

peace?

Are we imagining a world where we can

all live in harmony, love and joy? Perhaps

we have become conditioned to believe that

these ideals could never happen.

Most of the great enlightened spiritual

teachers have been telling us for eons that

we have to align our personal heart vibration

with the happiness we seek. That if we can

imagine it, we can create it. How true it has

been in my own experience that whenever

I hold my focus on positive aspects of my

heart’s desire, the path seems to open up to

achieve it.

And oh, how I have noticed that when

I feel skeptical, fearful or focused on what

might go wrong, my hopes and dreams seem

to vanish. I become lost in the pain and suf-

fering of doubt and worry.

But how do we go about experiencing our

joy every day? Is there a way we can hold

on to our happiness and mold it into a new

pattern of daily living? Of course there is.

Remember the expression, “Live, Laugh and

Love?”

Well that’s it, really. We don’t have to

spend huge amounts of time (and money)

trying to figure out what to let go of or what

needs healing in our past.

When we begin right now in this moment

to “live with love and laughter,” it is the

strongest healing energy for transmuting any

past or present issues we may have had.

And what a great way to get the most

enjoyment from our life.

As we experience our lives with love, and

joy (or laughter) we really begin to live,

rather than merely exist or worse yet, become

consumed by our real or perceived misery.

It may sound overly simplistic but isn’t that

what we all need?

A bit more simplicity…. Let’s all take a

deep breath and look around for the joyful

and amusing moments in our lives that have

perhaps become obscured from our view.

Smile in your heart and the feeling grows.

Share it with others. Feel the aliveness that

embraces us all when we choose to focus on

the positive.

Most of us have had plenty of practice ob-

serving and complaining about the so-called

negative aspects of our lives.

Why not give some energy to observing

what really makes us feel alive, uplifted and

happy? You’ll be glad you did!

And remember…. There may be hope for

us Earthlings yet!

Peace and Blessings, Maya Joy AngelesCo-owner of Crystal Lotus Gallery, in Pine,

Arizona. Phone (928) 476-4075. www.crystal-lotusgallery.com.

by Maya Joy Angeles

Living with love, laughter is strong healing energy


It always amazes me that in our era,

menopause very often is considered a

condition needing medical interven-

tion. Menopause is neither a medical

condition, nor is it a disease. It is a

time when a woman goes through great hor-

monal changes, just as she did in her teenage

years. Some women go through menopause

without discomfort and others experience a

variety of uncomfortable symptoms such as

hot flashes, insomnia, poor concentration,

acne, lymphatic congestion, water retention,

weight gain and mood swings. Herbal rem-

edies, as many menopausal women already

have discovered, can offer great comfort in

alleviating these problems. And, women who

do take ERT (estrogen replacement) or HRT

(hormone replacement) may be surprised

to discover that herbal medicine has a lot to

offer to counter side effects caused by these

pharmaceutical hormones.

Herbs for hot fl ashes, night sweatsMotherwort is a

favorite with meno-

pausal women. It

reduces the severity

of hot flashes, calms

emotions and re-

lieves heart palpita-

tions (and strength-

ens the heart).

Black cohosh is

high in phytosterols

and can effectively

relieve hot flashes.

Hibiscus, sage and oatstraw have been shown

to be very effective in reducing hot flashes.

Other useful herbs include any of the mints

and mallows (your hollyhocks growing in your

garden) have a cooling effect on the body and

can be helpful in relieving hot flashes.

Chasteberry is frequently recommended by

European doctors to ease hot flashes. Chaste-

berry has a marked effect on the functioning

of the pituitary gland, the master gland that

controls and balances hormone levels.

Herbs for insomniaValerian, pas-

sionflower,

lemon balm

or skullcap

before bed can

help promote

relaxation and

restful sleep.

During the

day, drink

calcium rich teas, such as oatstraw, shavegrass

or chamomile. Oatstraw baths are exception-

ally calming.

Herbs for tension, stress, fatigueEleuthero is my favorite herb to deal with

tension, stress and fatigue. Some of my

friends call it “the happy herb.” Eleuthero,

also known as Siberian ginseng, eases hot

flashes and calms emotional ups and downs

during menopause. This herb acts on the

adrenal glands to normalize stress hormone

levels. Normalizes blood pressure, immune

activity, reduces fatigue, stress, depression

and arteriosclerosis.

Panax ginseng has a potent estrogenic ef-

fect, helping in balancing hormones. Its main

value lies in strengthening the body, boost-

ing mood and mental alertness in times of

fatigue and stress.

Herbs for strong bonesHorsetail, shavegrass,

nettle, oatstraw and

dandelion are mineral

rich herbs to support

bone health. Meno-

pausal women are at

greater risk for osteopo-

rosis. An infusion keeps

the bones strong, forti-

fies the nerves, helps re-

duce emotional distress,

promotes sound sleep

and strengthens libido.

Herbs for a healthy heartHawthorn has long been celebrated for its

protective effect on the heart. This herb is

absolutely amazing. I have known many

people with serious and not so serious

heart problems who have taken hawthorn

and totally recovered in a short time. The

“emotional heart” too, can benefit from a

cup of “heart warming” hawthorn tea to ease

anxiety and panic attacks.

Wild YamWhenever both the liver and the reproduc-

tive system are implicated as the cause of

hormonal imbalances, wild yam has the

capability of regulating hormone produc-

tion. (Caffeine can cause hormonal imbal-

ances). Plant steroids in wild yam provide

building blocks needed in the production of

progesterone, estrogen and cortisone. Wild

yam is usually sold as a cream or lotion to be

applied on the body (make sure it reads wild

yam cream and NOT progesterone cream).

Can herbs replace ERT /HRT?More than three-quarters of women in

America over the age of 50 have refused

ERT/HRT. If you want to join them, taper

off your dosage slowly, while continuing to

use nourishing and tonifying herbs such as

dandelion, motherwort, red clover, oatstraw

and seaweed. And pick up a copy of “New

Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way” by

Susun Weed.

Ancient cultures viewed menopause as a

woman’s transition into her own strength

and away from her role as mother and family

nurturer. From this point of view, the ces-

sation of menses allows a woman to retain

more of her energy. Hot flashes, insomnia

and emotional ups and downs are viewed as

outward signs of a woman’s inner struggle

to find her own path in unison with her in-

creased mental, physical and spiritual power.

Don’t let your menopausal years be a mid-

life crisis. Let this be your time to radiate

your inner beauty, strength, courage, wis-

dom, creativity and love. A positive attitude

during this time of your life can help you

better cope with hormonal changes.

If you want to learn more about herbs for

menopause, please join us for a free class on

Saturday, June 13, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Call The Herb Stop in Pine at (928) 476-

4144 to reserve your seat.

The herbs discussed in this article can be pur-chased at The Herb Stop located in Pine, 4004 N. Highway 87. If you have any questions, Leilah can be reached at 928-476-4144 or by e-mail at [email protected]

The FDA has not approved these statements. The information given is not meant to act as a prescription, medical advice or therapeutic ad-vice. Consult your healthcare professional prior to using botanicals discussed in this column.

Comfort herbs that help ease menopause symptoms

World peace? Look to the

Internet!

One of the great-

est minds of the 20th

century, Albert Ein-

stein, was quoted as saying, “We can’t solve

problems by using the same kind of thinking

that created them.”

The need for mankind to change its way of

thinking was very real when Einstein made

this statement.

And today, some 50 years later, with the

Information Age changing at an exponential

rate, we must continually change our way of

thinking.

If you are not updating the thoughts

important to you on a week-to-week basis,

then your processes may become obsolete in

today’s ever changing society.

This is the computer age, the information

age. The amount of technical information is

doubling every year or two; and it has been

estimated that in a couple more years, the

amount of information will be doubling

every week or two!

Of course, the vast majority of all this

information is regarding things about which

you personally will never need to know. But

the information will be there for you.

The third generation of fiber optics can

push 10 trillion bits per second through a

single fiber. This is roughly equivalent to

1900 CDs of information per second. In

the future, the capacity to share and store

information is going to continue to improve

to unimagined limits.

The Internet is the new environment for

this Information Age. It presents us with a

universe of knowledge that is surprisingly

young. In fact, general public use of the

Internet is only about 14 years old! The

inventors of the World Wide Web (WWW)

refused to patent it because they wanted it to

be a free facility for humankind. This may be

the most important philanthropic act of the

modern era.

Now, in our lifetime, our planet has the

interactive potential to BECOME ONE. I’m

not talking about a “One World Govern-

ment.” In fact, let’s hope and pray that never

comes to fruition.

I am talking about a collective conscious-

ness of our species that transcends the poli-

tics of government and joins us all through

the free sharing of knowledge. I’m saying that

free access to all this knowledge can actually

facilitate the spiritual enlightenment of our

species.

Wow. What an optimist, eh? Many of you

may be a bit more pessimistic considering

that the majority of personal Internet usage

is for entertainment purposes only. Also, a

small percentage of what the Internet has to

offer includes a lot of unsavory items leading

individuals toward callousness to violence,

sex and horror. You know, like television—

and the American cinema.

Nevertheless, the potential is there for

the Internet to bring us all together as one.

Even the barriers of foreign languages will

be something of the past with the advent of

more and more efficient translation pro-

grams.

The tremendous interactive possibilities

are truly wonderful. Eventually, the people of

the world will become so familiar with those

of other countries that they will more easily

relate to all the similarities between each

other, while becoming blind to the relatively

insignificant differences between each other.

Then, when the powers of government

declare a war, perhaps no one will be willing

to participate. Think about it.

John Hall is co-owner of the Crystal Lotus Gallery and Spiritual Life Center, located on Highway 87 in Pine, Arizona. Telephone (928) 476-3410. www.crystallotusgallery.com.

The Internet can help build a sense of community


Read your Sun, Ascending, and Moon sign. An astrologer can help you find all of the planets places on the day that you were born.

c Gemini—May 22–June 21Look for things around your home that may

need to be fixed or replaced. Change around

your career is possible now. Someone shares

a secret with you. Do what you need to do

to make a dream come true. Connect with

someone from your past.

d Cancer—June 22–July 23Be careful what you promise yourself and

others. You could be held to your word. A

past relationship could be renewed or at the

least revisited. Trust your feelings. Now is a

good time to take a chance by trying some-

thing new.

e Leo—July 24–August 23Now is a great time to put energy into some-

thing that you have been wanting to accom-

plish. Trust your intuition about your health.

You have a chance to transform or to renew

your feeling of vitality. Communication will

solve a problem. A friend does something

nice for you.

f Virgo—August 24–September 23The area of romance could seem to be under

construction. Changes could lead to renewal

and positive outcome. Opportunities in ca-

reer are possible. Think about what you want

and where you are headed. In regard to your

health, be careful not to overdo.

g Libra—September 24–October 23Travel, spirituality and/or higher learning are

highlighted now. Changes around home and/

or security could keep you busy. Trust your

feelings about closest relationships. Look and

see how much your work has changed in the

last few months. A secret is revealed about

love.

h Scorpio—October 24–November 22 This could be a very good time for you. You

get more time to yourself. You may notice

that your connection to the power within

you is enhanced now. Communication on

the spiritual and physical levels comes natu-

rally. Take time to connect with nature.

i Sagittarius—November 23 –December 22Relationships with the other individuals in

your world are important now. Money could

seem to go up and down. Goings on around

your work could be more interesting than

usual. In your career, decide what you want

and then start working toward it.

j Capricorn—December 23–January 20You may find that it is easier to trust your

instincts at this time. Balance is very impor-

tant. Pluto in your sign could be very helpful

over the next few years. Romance is very pos-

sible. Watch for changes around your job or

work. Ultimately, they will be positive.

k Aquarius—January 21–February 19This could be a lucky time for you. At

the least you get positive attention. Venus

placement lends positive energy for improve-

ment and beautification of your living space.

Money could seem to be up and down. Show

someone close to you how much you care.

l Pisces—February 20–March 20You may feel like you are able to see and un-

derstand more than usual. Mid-month could

be a more emotional time for you. Speak up

and make your feelings known. There are

many who call themselves your friend. Be

a friend to yourself first, that is what makes

you valuable.

a Aries—March 21–April 19A loved one gives you something. It may

take some time, but later you find its value.

Some important lessons around health, work

and/or pets could require you to be patient.

Stick to the process and do what you know is

right. It is OK to ask for what you need.

b Taurus—April 20–May 20Acknowledge your value. Checking up on

or seeking information about your security

and finances could be very helpful. Infor-

mation you gain may prompt you to take

action and bring about change. Trust your

inner feelings about your career and/or

purpose right now.

Monthly horoscope from Dominique

Dominique Shilling, MAFA, is a counselor and

astrologer with a practice in the Valley. For an

appointment, contact her at Way to the Light

Within, (602) 279-2941 or check out her Web site

at www.way2light.com.

Dominique takes an in-depth look at the starsune is the month of Gemini the twins.

The Sun went into Gemini on the 21st

of last month. The constellation of

Gemini is dominated by two stars that

are very close to each other, known as

the Twins. Individually, the twins are

Castor and Pollux. The Sun and the

Moon are sometimes called the “Lights” as the

Sun shines the light and the Moon reflects the

light. They represent our individuality (Sun)

and emotional self (Moon).

Mercury, Venus and Mars are called the

Personal Plants. They are not as intimate as the

Sun and Moon. These three planets can show

how we relate to our home and immediate fam-

ily. Next, we have the Social Planets—Jupiter

and Saturn. These help us better relate to and

understand what is going on in our community

relationships. This can include work, or school,

and other functions out in the community.

Finally, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are the

transpersonal planets. These planets relate to

our relationship to the community at large,

the nation and the world.

This month we look at the Social Planets,

Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter has been in the

sign of Aquarius since this last January and

will be there until January 2010. Aquarius is

altruistic—it rules all types of programs for

the greater good—these include those doing

work toward improving our environment and

charities that help the needy. Aquarius tends

toward a progressive point of view.

Saturn went into Virgo in September 2007

and will be there until October 2009, when

it goes into Libra on the 30th. It will go back

into Virgo again from April 7, 2010, until July

21, 2010. Saturn teaches discipline, which is

in line with Virgo’s traits of discrimination,

structure and purification. With Saturn in

Virgo, this is not a good time to get married,

and we many notice fewer weddings. Virgo

rules work and Saturn can be limiting. We

have already heard about big businesses slow-

ing down and/or closing. Many people have

been laid off and will be very lucky if they can

get work again soon. Some of the negative

traits ruled by Virgo are worry and doubt.

The positives of the sign are intuition, serious

minded and detail oriented.

This month’s Retrograde Planets: Jupiter

stations retrograde on the 15th at midnight.

This will continue until Oct. 13. Neptune is

still moving backwards. It begins this month

at 26 degrees Aquarius. It will not go direct

until later this year on Nov. 3. Pluto starts the

month at 2 degrees of Capricorn and will end

the month at 1. It will go direct again on Sept.

10, when it starts to move forward again at 0

degrees Capricorn.

As the planets seem to be moving around

the Earth (they are really revolving around

the Sun) their relationships to each other are

changing continuously. This month we have

many more positive relationships of the plan-

ets to each other than usual. The following

paragraphs are broken down into weeks.

Tuesday the 2nd’s Venus Aries sextile Nep-

tune Aquarius could have us wanting to get

away from the mundane tasks of daily life. To

make it through the day, you might want to

make plans to go out to a movie or pick up a

DVD to watch after work. Also, we have Ve-

nus Aries sextile Jupiter in Aquarius enhancing

our desire to enjoy the good things in life. It

can help us to feel good about ourselves and

others. The next day, we have Mars in Taurus

trine to Pluto Capricorn. These planets in

positive relationship to each other can help us

to be more productive. Mars symbolizes physi-

cal energy and Pluto helps by highlighting our

ability to investigate and solve problems.

Friday’s Sun Gemini square Saturn Virgo

could make for a hectic or even chaotic day. It

could seem to be harder to focus and/or keep

track of details. Remedy this by taking short

breaks, get up and move around or go for a

walk. Venus moves into the constellation of

Taurus the Bull on Saturday the 6th.

Sunday’s full moon at 17 Sagittarius is exact

at 11:13 a.m. Sagittarius is about movement

and physical energy and likes to explore. It is

easier now to relate to the wild natural world.

Monday the 8th, has Venus Taurus trine Pluto

Capricorn making this a good time to trans-

form your personal space. Venus beautifies

and Pluto transforms. This would be an auspi-

cious time to clear out the old, refresh and

start anew. Tuesday the 9th, Mercury Taurus

sextile Uranus Pisces is good for writing and

communication, which are ruled by Mercury.

Uranus energy lends easily to the generation of

ideas and originality. Express yourself.

On this same day, we have Mercury Taurus

square Neptune Aquarius, which could make

it easy to get carried away with something.

Know when to quit. Wednesday the 10th with

Mercury Taurus square Jupiter Aquarius, you

may want to put off important decisions and/or

work involving a lot of detail for another day.

Mercury enters the sign of Gemini on the 13th.

Jupiter goes retrograde at 27 Aquarius on

Monday the 15th. The 17th’s Sun Gemini

trine Neptune Aquarius puts a positive focus

on intuitive ability and spirituality. With the

Sun in Gemini square Uranus Pisces, people

tend toward impulsiveness. Take extra care

when driving or operating machinery. Uranus

can bring out the unusual and unexpected in

a negative way. Also on this day, with Sun

Gemini trine Jupiter Aquarius, many could be

looking to entertain themselves in a way that

stimulates the mind. On Saturday the 20th,

the Sun goes into the sign of the Crab.

Sunday 21 Venus Taurus conjunct Mars

makes this a great time for love connections.

Get out there and have fun! Couples may

want to do something to spark their romance.

Venus Taurus trine Saturn Virgo puts beauty

and discipline together, this could be great

for creativity. This would be a good time to

decorate or improve around your home.

Monday’s Mars Taurus trine Saturn Virgo

lends physical energy and stamina to make

it easier to get practical tasks done. The new

moon in Cancer is exact at 12:36 p.m. on

Tuesday the 22nd. The Cancer Moon helps us

to reconnect with our intuitive side. Tuesday

the 23rd has Sun Cancer opposite Pluto in

Capricorn, it could seem like there is more to

a situation than meets the eye. Take some time

out to think things through before making

any important decisions. Friday’s Mercury

Gemini square Saturn Virgo could have

people complaining and criticizing more than

usual. What we focus on expands, so make a

list of what IS going well. Hold off on evalua-

tions or critiques until another day.


Sudoku!Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains numbers

1 through 9. Th e puzzle has only one solution. Th e solution is on page 28.

Word Power

BarbecueBicyclingBoatingCampingCarnivalFamily Reunions

Family VacationsFishingHeatHikingIce CreamLife Jacket

Find 24 words relating to Summer

ParadePicnicRodeoSandalsStarry NightsSunburn

SunglassesSunscreenSunshineSuntanSwimmingSwimming Pool

Diatribe (noun) Pronunciation: [‘dI-ê-trIb]

Definition: An unrelenting tirade of criticism,

a scathing verbal attack on someone or some-

thing comprising unbridled invective. Usage: If a tirade is an intemperate verbal attack, a

diatribe is a protracted tirade. A polemic is

an aggressive verbal attack by an opinionated

partisan of an opposing position that may be

on point. A harangue is a rambling, vitupera-

tive verbal attack that ranges way off point, if

not missing it altogether. Finally, a jeremiad

is an angry but cautionary verbal tirade while

rodomontade is a tirade of self-serving boast-

ing. Suggested Usage: We hope you never have

to use this word; the behavior it refers to only

aggravates a situation. You may find circum-

stances where it fits: “In the middle of his dia-

tribe on the evils of using office telephones for

personal use, his wife called to remind him to

pick up some pork chops on the way home.”

is f lying off the shelves An annual subscription of $36 guarantees that you will get your copy delivered in the mail. Send name, address and check payable to Pinon Pine Press to 1042 Willow Creek Road, Ste. A101-PMB 486, Prescott AZ 86301. Please include a phone number. Earth Odyssey is always available online at www.earthodysseyonline.com as a PDF in its original published format.


Solution on page 28

1375 S. Walker Road, Prescott, AZ 86303

highlandscenter.org

For more information, call the Highlands Center

(928) 776- 9550

Moo

nl

ight Over Manzanita

Sunday, June 7 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Live music on the patio • Starlight storytelling• Wine and Hors d’Oeuvres • Moonlight hikes

$25 per person

Jose, Andrew, Victoria, John, Nicole and

Alyssa each went on vacation with their father

(Michael, Joshua, Brandon, Caleb, Samuel

and Noah). They each traveled to a different

country (Denmark, China, Hungary, Canada,

Austria and Korea). Figure out each person’s

father and the country they visited.

1. Caleb went to either North America or

Europe.

2. Alyssa did not go to Hungary.

3. Samuel did not go to Denmark.

4. Victoria did not go to Hungary.

5. Alyssa’s trip was to a different continent

than Noah’s trip.

6. Brandon went to either Austria or Den-

mark.

7. Caleb went to either Canada or Austria.

8. Victoria did not go to Canada.

9. Nicole went to either China or Austria.

10. Victoria’s trip was to a different continent

than Caleb’s trip.

11. Before the vacation, Nicole and Jose saw

Alyssa’s dad, Joshua, at the mall.

12. Joshua did not go to Austria.

13. Andrew’s trip was to a different continent

than either Brandon’s or Joshua’s trip.

14. Andrew went to either Asia or Europe.

15. Joshua and Samuel went on vacation to

the same continent.

16. Noah and Michael went on vacation to

the same continent.

17. Michael went to either Asia or North

America.

18. Samuel did not go to Korea.

19. Brandon did not go to China.

20. Nicole went to either Europe or Asia.

21. Brandon went to either Europe or Asia.

22. Caleb did not go to Denmark.

23. John’s trip was to a different continent

than either Michael’s or Noah’s trip.

24. Jose went to either Korea or Hungary.

25. Alyssa went to either Europe or Asia.

26. Jose’s trip was to a different continent than

Noah’s trip.

27. Before the vacation, John and Andrew saw

Jose’s dad, Samuel, at the mall.

28. Samuel went to either Hungary or China.

29. Noah went to either Denmark or Korea.

30. Alyssa did not go to Austria.

31. Andrew did not go to Korea.


Recurring EventsCeliac (gluten free) Support Group now in Payson! We will provide important resources

and information for people on gluten-free

diets. Snacks will be provided from Gluten

Free creations bakery in Phoenix! Contact

Christine for more information (928) 595-

2379.

Monday nights, 7 p.m.—Self Search/Chan-

neled Readings, The Way To The Light

Within, Phoenix. This class has been going

on for over 12 years now. In the first part of

the class, Dominique uses her psychic ability

and StarWheel™ tiles to give each participant

a mini reading. Bring your questions about

anything you want to know, because in the

second part of the class Dominique connects

to her own as well as your guides, to get

answers and guidance for you. Dominique

is also a medium and can connect with and

give you information from departed loved

ones or friends. $20, Call (602) 279-2941 to

reserve your place.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.—Authentic Yang Style Tai Chi. Instruc-

tor A. Francis with 40 years experience at Big

Bug Station, Mayer, AZ. For more info, call

(928) 925-0154 or (928) 533-7555.

Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m.—Women’s

Sacred Dance with Su von Mazo. Call for

details Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N Hwy.

87 Pine, Ariz. Phone: (928) 476-3410.

Thursdays—Vibrational Realignment, a

unique form of spiritual healing, with Mike

Davis at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N.

Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info

or an appointment, call (928) 862-0594.

Thursdays, 6 p.m.–7 p.m.—Tai Chi with

Rick Clark. Beginning to advanced. Every-

one welcome. $10 per class. Call to reserve

space. Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N Hwy.

87 Pine, Ariz. Phone: (928) 476-3410.

Saturdays, 9 a.m.—Saturday Solar Seminars

presented by Arizona Solar Power. Learn

about solar energy for your home. Listen to

a presentation on the most up-to-date prod-

ucts, how they work and how they can save

homeowners and even businesses money!

Question and answer session follows. Call to

reserve your seats at either of our great loca-

tions. Cottonwood Store, 2825 E. Highway

89A, Cottonwood, AZ. Telephone: (928)

634-7341. Prescott Valley/Dewey Store, NW

Corner of Hwy 69 & SR169, Prescott Val-

ley/Dewey, AZ. Telephone: (928) 632-5525.

Saturdays, 11 a.m.–Noon— Yoga with

Jenny Kirgis. Walk-ins welcome. $10 per per-

son. Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N Hwy. 87

Pine, Ariz. Phone: (928) 476-3410.

Nonrecurring EventsJune 4, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.—Green Building

Lecture Series: GREEN Feng Shui. For more

info, see www.scottsdaleaz.gov/greenbuild-

ing/ or contact [email protected]/

or (480) 312-79420.

June 5, 2 p.m.–3 p.m.—Puppet show at

Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler by The Great

Arizona Puppet Theater. Appearing today

are Zoner and the Drip II—Zoner’s Water

Cycle, presenting a hilarious lesson in water

conservation. Directed at preschoolers and

above. Payment of $6 and pre-registration are

required for everyone 2-years-old and above.

For more info, call (480) 782-2890.

June 6, 8 a.m.–10 a.m.—Discover the fasci-

nating secrets of dragonflies and butterflies at

The Nature Conservancy’s Hassayampa River

Preserve. ASU’s professor of environmental

physiology, Pierre Deviche, will explain the

behavior, ecology and life histories of these

little understood insects and why they are of

increasing interest to conservationists and

biologists. $5 per person; $3 for Conservancy

members. Kids under 12 and Friends of the

Hassayampa members are free. Space is lim-

ited and reservations are required. Call (928)

684-2772.

June 6, 10 a.m.–10:45 a.m.—Nature Walk

at Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler. Discover

nature as we explore the hilltop viewing

areas, wetland habitats and the shores of

the urban fishing lake. Pre-registration is

required and space is limited. Cost: $6. Chil-

dren under 6 are admitted for free and need

not register, as long as they are accompanied

by a paid participant. Participants under 18

years old must be accompanied by an adult.


June 6, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Meditation

101 in Sedona. Learn a lifelong meditation

practice in only 2 1/2 hours! We’ll review a

variety of meditation techniques and you’ll

learn to use an ancient, universal, silent med-

itation technique as a vehicle to release stress

and truly experience inner peace. To register,

or for more info, call (928) 204-0067, or e-

mail to [email protected].

June 11, 5:30 p.m.—“What is Psych-

K?” Prescott Public Library. Psych-K is

a technique designed to re-program the

subconscious. Come join Mike Davis and

learn about these fascinating tools to banish

phobias, quit smoking, etc. There will be

hands-on demonstrations. Free. For more

info, contact Mike at (928) 862-0594.

June 13, 7 a.m.–10 a.m.—Walk with the

Butterflies and Dragonflies at Veterans Oasis

Park in Chandler. While bird watching slows

down in the summer heat, insect popula-

tions increase. Learn to identify Painted

Lady, Giant Sulphur, Queen, Buckeye, Giant

Swallowtail, and Pipevine Swallowtail but-

terflies; Desert Firetail, Blue-ringed Dancer,

Northern Pondhawk, Flame Skimmer and

Bluet dragonflies and damselflies. Bring

binoculars, water and hat. Meet at the

Curve-billed Thrasher Ramada just north of

the main parking lot. This program is free,

and pre-registration is not required. (There

is a suggested $5 donation to support the

Environmental Education Center.) For more

info, call (480) 782-2890.

June 16, 5 p.m.–7:30 p.m.—Open House

at the Environmental Education Center at

Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler. Fun, FREE

nature-based activities for people of all ages.

Activities change each month and may in-

clude crafts, hikes, movies, stories, music and

science labs. Registration is not required; just

stop by and join the fun! For more info, call

(480) 782-2890.

June 19-July 26—Prescott Fine Arts As-

sociation Gallery celebrates summer with the

art exhibit, “Under Western Skies.” Opening

reception is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, June

19. Show runs through Sunday, July 26. Ari-

zona is well known for their beautiful cloud

formations, sunsets, sunrises and mountain

silhouettes. The essence of our panoramic

views will be captured in both 2-D and 3-D.

This is a show you will not want to miss!

Prescott Fine Arts Association, 208 North

Marina St., Prescott, Arizona 86301. (Gallery

and Gift Shop entrance on Willis St.). For

more information call: (928) 445-3286 or

visit: www.pfaa.net.

June 20, 8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.—Father’s Day

Breakfast with the Snakes at Veterans Oasis

Park in Chandler. This program is designed

for fathers to enjoy a light breakfast with

their children while sharing an experience

with nature. Participants will learn about

Arizona’s snakes and have a chance to pet

the live snakes. We’ll get to watch the snakes

eating breakfast, too! Mothers and other

caregivers are welcome. Payment of $14 and

Earth OdysseyEarth OdysseyCalendar listings in

$10are

Send info to: [email protected]. Provide a telephone number or other contact information. Put “calendar submission” in the subject line. The deadline is the 20th of the month for publication the following

month ( June 20 for July publication). Payment, which is due at the time of submission, can be made online via PayPal, or mail a check to: Editor, 1042 Willow Creek Road, Ste A101-PMB 486, Prescott, AZ 86301.

for five or fewer lines.

The Pyramid is for RENT

Second floor office

or apartment

850 sq. ft., including

kitchen and ¾ bath

$650/mo. + APS+ deposits

Near corner of Gurley

and Grove, Prescott

(928) 443-0043


pre-registration required for all adults and

children 3 years and older. Children under

3 are admitted for free, as long as they are

accompanied by a paid participant. For more

info, call (480) 782-2890.

June 20, Noon–1 p.m.—Reptiles of Arizona

at Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler. Join the

Arizona Herpetological Association for an

intriguing presentation about the fascinat-

ing reptiles that call Arizona home. Cost:

$6. Children under 6 are admitted for free,

as long as they are accompanied by a paid

participant. Participants under 18 years old

must be accompanied by an adult. For more

info, call (480) 782-2890.

June 26, 5 p.m.–7:30 p.m.—Fourth Friday

Art Walk, Prescott.

July 3, 6 p.m.—Artist Jorge Moreno will

teach the step-by-step basics of oil painting

at the Prescott Fine Arts Gallery, 208 North

Marina St., Prescott, Arizona 86301. Gallery

and Gift Shop entrance on Willis St. For

more information call: (928) 445-3286 or

visit: www.pfaa.net.

July 9, 2 p.m.–3 p.m.—Puppet show at

Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler by The

Great Arizona Puppet Theater that focuses

on Arizona’s environment. Appearing today

are Jack Rabbit and the Desert Tortoise, who

put an Arizona twist on the “tortoise and

the hare” fable. Directed at preschoolers and

above. Payment of $6 and pre-registration are

required for everyone 2-years-old and above.


July 11, 10 a.m.–10:45 a.m.—Nature Walk

at Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler. Discover

nature as we explore the hilltop viewing

areas, wetland habitats and the shores of the

urban fishing lake. Each walk will feature dif-

ferent routes, themes and activities. Pre-regis-

tration is required and space is limited. Cost:

$6. Children under 6 are admitted for free

and need not register, as long as they are ac-

companied by a paid participant. Participants

under 18 years old must be accompanied by

an adult. For more info, call (480) 782-2890.

Cordes Lakes, AZ

(928) 925-0154 OR

(928) 533-7555

Cordes Lakes, AZ

For more information, call

(928) 925-0154 OR

(928) 533-7555

By Ann Haver-Allen


For those who may not know,

June 5 is World Environment

Day. What’s that, you ask? World

Environment Day is one of the

principal vehicles through which

the United Nations stimulates worldwide

awareness of the environment and enhances

political attention and action.

In 1972, United Nation’s General As-

sembly created The United Nations Envi-

ronment Programme (UNEP) and World

Environment Day.

In essence, UNEP acts as the environmen-

tal conscience of the UN system. The UNEP

mandate is to coordinate the development of

environmental policy consensus by keeping

the global environment under review and

bringing emerging issues to the attention of

governments and the international commu-

nity for action.

One way the UNEP does this is with

World Environment Day, which is hosted

by a different country each year. This year’s

activities, hosted by Mexico, will celebrate

the theme “Your Planet Needs You—UNite

to Combat Climate Change.”

The day’s agenda is to:

1. Give a human face to environmental is-

sues;

2. Empower people to become active agents

of sustainable and equitable development;

3. Promote an understanding that com-

munities are pivotal to changing attitudes

towards environmental issues;

4. Advocate partnership, which will ensure all

nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more

prosperous future.

Mexico’s selection as host, a country at the

crossroads of the green economy and one in-

creasingly in the center of regional and global

affairs, reflects the growing practical and po-

litical role of the Latin American country in

the fight against climate change, including its

growing participation in the carbon markets.

Mexico is a leading partner in UNEP’s

Billion Tree Campaign. The country, with

the support of its President and people, has

spearheaded the pledging and planting of

some 25 percent of the trees under the cam-

paign. UNEP has now launched a new and

more ambitious phase—the Seven Billion

Tree Campaign.

This aims to see more than one new tree

planted for every person alive before the

United Nations Climate Change Conference

in December in Copenhagen. Organizers

said this is one empowering symbol of the

global publics’ desire for action by their

political leaders on the greatest challenge for

this generation.

It reflects the urgency for nations to agree

on a new agreement at the crucial climate

convention meeting in Copenhagen, and the

links with overcoming poverty and improved

management of forests.

“Undoubtedly this decision further un-

derlines Mexico’s determination to manage

natural resources and deal with the most

demanding challenge of the 21st century-

climate change,” Merico’s President Calderón

said.

“Mexico is at the cross-roads of the green

economy politically, physically and practi-

cally,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secre-

tary General and Executive Director of the

UNEP.

“Firstly, it still has many challenges, from

high air pollution in cities and dependence

on fossil fuels to land degradation and the

need to fight poverty. But Mexico is also

emerging as one among a group of devel-

oping economies who are bringing much

needed leadership to the need for a new,

comprehensive and decisive climate treaty.”

Steiner commended Mexico for becoming

second only to Brazil in wind, solar, biogas

and other Clean Development Mechanism

(CDM) projects.

“Mexico is set to be one of the big econo-

mies of the 21st century along with nations

like China and India,” Steiner said. “Thus,

its ability to encourage the greening of the

economy of neighboring nations-both North

and South of its borders-will be significant.”

For suggestions on how you can participate

in World Environment Day, see www.unep.

org/wed/2009/english/.

June 5 is World Environment DayUnited Nations

stimulates awareness

of environment and

enhances political

attention and action


Logic puzzle answer: John went with his father, Caleb, to Canada (North America); Andrew

went with his father, Michael, to China (Asia); Nicole went with her father, Brandon, to Aus-

tria (Europe); Victoria went with her father, Noah, to Korea (Asia); José went with his father,

Samuel, to Hungary (Europe); and Alyssa went with her father, Joshua, to Denmark (Europe).

Puzzle Solutions

Dispelling myths and misconceptions about meditation

These days we are constantly

stimulated—mentally, emo-

tionally and physically. Not

surprisingly, taking a break

from this stimulation actu-

ally improves your health, your work, your

relationships and your life.

That is why meditation is becoming more

and more popular. It is a great way to take a

break, unplug and reduce stress that builds

up and causes disease.

Did you know that more than 60 percent

of all doctors’ visits are due to stress-related

complaints? Meditation is the perfect anti-

dote for stress. And it is a great way to find

out who you really are.

Meditation is a time-tested practice that

benefits mind, body and spirit. Through in-

ner exploration, meditation awakens creativ-

ity, healing and transformation.

Quieting the mind, or meditation in

general, can seem impossible to do—espe-

cially for a beginner. The mind is used to

wandering and being focused outward, and

focus inward might not come easily at first.

Through the practice of meditation, the ner-

vous system grows used to turning inward.

Here are some myths about meditation.

And information to set you straight.

I’ll have to stop thinking.Well, good luck with that. You can’t—it is

impossible. The nature of the mind is to

think, like the nature of your eye is to see.

The purpose of meditation is to enliven the

space and silence between the thoughts, not

to stop the thoughts from coming altogether.

Over time, as you practice meditation cor-

rectly, you’ll find that you can easily access

more and more subtle levels of thinking, and

eventually, more and more silence.

It takes years of practice and requires super-human powers of concentration.This is totally false. Meditation is a skill that

anyone can learn. It takes the ability to sit

still, close your eyes and focus on something.

Some meditations have you focus on an area

of your body, or a color, a candle flame, a

sound or a thought. You’ll need to spend a

few minutes every day to practice turning

your attention inward, but anyone can do

it. Most people can do it easily the very first

time.

I’ve tried it and I can’t do it.As long as you can sit down and close your

eyes, you can meditate. You’ll need profes-

sional instruction in meditation and perhaps

someone to do it with you the first few

times—so you’ll be confident that you can

actually do it. You probably couldn’t ride

your bike the first time you tried, but did

that stop you? Meditation is no different.

I’ll have to wear unusual clothing.You don’t need to wear a turban or love beads

You don’t need to chant silly incantations

either. But then again, you can if you want

to. Meditation is a personal experience: You

do it the way you want to by following the

techniques that suit you and your lifestyle.

I’ll lose my edge.You won’t lose your edge; in fact, you’ll

probably gain some focus, clarity and ability

to concentrate. Most people are used to func-

tioning while being tense or stressed, and

they feel it’s the only way to get something

done. You know, Red Bull, caffeine, perfor-

mance under pressure. In reality, stress can

lessen your ability to concentrate or make

good decisions. With meditation, you’ll learn

to be more relaxed and you can do less and

accomplish more. Nice!

I’ll experience strange things—like fi nding my spirit guide, or leaving my body.Yes, you might. But you probably won’t. The

real reason to meditate is to have a better life.

There are so many experiences you can have

in meditation: You’ll have thoughts (lots of

them), get distracted by noises outside, feel

uncomfortable, see colors, feel relaxed, feel

restless, feel bliss, etc. But the real measure of

how your meditation is working is by taking

a look at your life. Are you happier, healthier,

more relaxed? Are your relationships more

fulfilling; are you making better choices?

I’ll have to change my religion.Meditation is a practice, not a religion. It

is about closing your eyes, sitting still, and

reconnecting with who you really are. You

can meditate if you are atheist, Christian,

Muslim, Jewish, Quaker, Buddhist, Hindu,

anything. Regardless of your background or

beliefs, you can meditate. It might even make

you more connected with the religion you

already practice.

I am so busy, I don’t have the time in my day.How long do you wait in line for a latte?

How much time do you spend checking your

e-mail? Think of meditation as a refueling.

You’ll find that taking time out for a time

in will give you more benefits than killing a

few minutes in front of the TV or surfing the

Internet. It’s all about priorities.

It is for weirdoes.No. It is for everybody. Some people who

meditate are definitely weird and have odd

beliefs. Think about it, isn’t that true in

general? It might just seem strange to see

someone sitting up with their eyes closed for

an extended period of time. Many people who

have it together meditate, and they do it for

many reasons. Some might meditate to find

out who they really are, while others meditate

to help them relax and get rid of stress.

I’ll have to sit in a lotus position (crossed legged) and my knees don’t bend like that. Even though sitting like that is the tradition-

al posture for meditation, it’s certainly not

required for you to sit in any special way. If

crossing your legs is uncomfortable, it won’t

help you to turn your attention inward. You

can meditate while you are sitting down

almost anywhere—as long as you are not

driving. It is best not to lie down (you’ll fall

asleep and that is NOT meditation.)

There are many different types of medi-

tation. Some examples are following the

breath, repeating a mantra out loud or

silently, chanting, walking meditations or

gazing at a candle. Each individual has a

unique experience with each one. You’ll find

what works for you.

Just for a few seconds, notice the way

the breath is flowing into and out of your

body. There are many little things to no-

tice about the way breath feels, and if you

start paying attention to it, you can settle

into meditation.

Anyone can learn to meditate. Don’t have

any experience? Don’t worry. If you can think

a thought, you can meditate, and you don’t

have to change a thing—not your diet, your

religion, your beliefs—nothing. You just have

to have the desire to do it and then take a

short time out every day. You’ll notice the

benefits unfold naturally and effortlessly.

Sarah McLean is the director of Sedona Med-itation Training & Retreats and is certified and recommended by Dr. Deepak Chopra. She can be reached via e-mail at [email protected], phone at (928) 204-0067 or fax at (866) 654-1705. You can also visit online at http://www.SedonaMeditation.com.

• Between 1950 and 2000, the U.S.

population nearly doubled. In that same

period, however, public demand for wa-

ter more than tripled! Americans use an

average of 100 gallons of water each day

—enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses!

• About 75 percent of the water we use in

our homes is used in the bathroom.

• The average bathroom faucet flows at a

rate of two gallons per minute. Turning

off the tap while brushing your teeth can

save up to eight gallons of water per day,

which equals 240 gallons a month.

• Letting your faucet run for five minutes

uses about as much energy as letting a

60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.

• A full bath tub requires about 70 gallons

of water, while taking a five-minute

shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons.

• Americans throw away enough glass

bottles and jars every two weeks to fill the

1,350-foot towers of the former World

Trade Center.

• Most bottles and jars contain at least 25

percent recycled glass.

• Glass never wears out—it can be recycled

forever. We save more than a ton of

resources for every ton of glass recycled

—1,330 pounds of sand, 433 pounds of

soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone and

151 pounds of feldspar.

• States with bottle deposit laws have 35

percent to 40 percent less litter.

• Americans go through 2.5 million plastic

bottles every year.

Recycling can make a difference


Movies that won’t make you dumber

MovieReviews

by Jason Allen

When I heard that Fox

News was the only

“News” network that

refused to air Obama’s

100th day speech, I

thought of “Outfoxed, Rupert Murdock’s

War on Journalism,” 2004. Not that I really

care what Fox News airs, I only turn it on for

amusement, and then only rarely. It satisfies

that really depressing want to cry and laugh

kind of humor. But, I find it important that

people know that Fox News is not a news

network; it is an entertainment network, or

as Roger Ebert put it “A Republican propa-

ganda machine.”

Rupert Murdoch owns nine satellite televi-

sion networks, 175 newspapers, 100 cable

channels, 40 book imprints, 40 television

stations and one movie studio, that reaches

4.7 billion people globally. Murdoch idolizes

Reagan and the people who controlled Wash-

ington during that era, who also controlled

Washington during our last regime, and uses

his networks to foster support for whatever

they did and still do.

Fox is the only “news” network that has

daily memos of what stories to highlight and

what to minimize. In essence, the staff is giv-

en a daily agenda of what to say and their job

is to figure out how to convey that message,

which is not journalism—it is propaganda.

“Outfoxed” is well researched and features

several interviews with former Fox News pro-

ducers, reporters and contributors, along with

a few who appear anonymously, fearing the

wrath of Murdoch. These interviewees reveal

the inner workings and tactics of Fox News,

which include repetition of misrepresented

data—so that they become fact in the mind

of the viewer—pandering fear to make people

susceptible to believe anything from the gov-

ernment if they say it will make them safe, how

they simply kick off any guest who says any-

thing non-right wing, and their use of “Some

people say” as a qualifier, whereas journalism is

the practice of referencing a specific source.

At the time this film was made, Bill

O’Reilly was the craziest thing on Fox News

(and, therefore, on TV) and one of his guests

was the son of a 911 victim, Jeremy Glick.

Due to O’Reilly’s gross misrepresentation

of what Glick had said, Glick sought to sue

O’Reilly; however, because O’Reilly is such

a pathological liar, a lawyer advised Glick

that it would be unlikely he could prove that

O’Reilly knowingly lied.

So, if a “news reporter” has a history of

repeatedly telling crazy lies, then they can’t

get in trouble for it. That brings to mind the

film “The Corporation,” which I reviewed

in January, where the Florida State Supreme

Court ruled that it was not illegal for Fox

News to falsify the news.

There’s just way too many things in this

little world of ours that would be really

funny if we could watch it from somewhere

else, but they really make you want to cry

when you realize that this is our reality.

“Outfoxed” is a few years old and evolu-

tion has occurred since. A few weeks ago,

I was at a friend’s house who likes to be

educated about what the opposition hears,

and he put on Fox News. He introduced me

to Glenn Beck, who puts Bill O’Reilly to

shame. Beck doesn’t even bother inviting a

guest on the show who he will have to tell

to “shut up.” He simply has one guest who

agrees with every crazy thing he has to say.

As one interviewee states in the film, it’s not

their perspective that’s the problem, “It’s the

consumer fraud of calling it fair and balanced.”

Murdoch is politically interested and uses his

massive news networks to shape news to favor

his interests and those of his allies.

At the time “Outfoxed” was made, the

other news networks were emulating Fox.

Recently, I’ve gotten the impression that they

have abandoned that path and seem now to

be more of the stance, “We don’t know what

they are talking about, or where they are get-

ting their facts,” which is very relieving, and

is what the end of the film pleads for.

“Outfoxed” is thorough and entertaining,

and it’s only a little more than an hour long.

Definitely worth an hour of your life, espe-

cially if you are under the false assumption

that Fox News is a news network.

When entertainment is disguised as news

I’m trying to make a shop which will house several art studios, which will be available to artists living under the poverty level

Caiomhin ShireyJason Allen, Founder (928) 460-0467

Studios will include Ceramics, Painting, Photography Darkroom and Lighting,

Framing, Steel Sculpture and Patina, Glass Blowing, Woodworking, and more.

Backhoe digging Cut trees for roofing

Concrete blocks and slabs (Trash) General physical labor

...and of course patrons

Needed:

Looking for something to do over the summer? Volunteer to create “Green” buildings, and learn valuable skills.

Prescott Fine Arts Gallery cel-

ebrates summer with the art

exhibit, “Under Western Skies.”

This exhibit will commence with

an opening reception on Friday,

June 19, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and will run

through July 26. Three pieces of artwork by

the artists and curators—Cynthia Vidal, Patti

Pearl and Robbynne Raupers—will be raffled

off during this exhibit. Winners will be an-

nounced on July 24.

Be sure to visit “Under Western Skies”

during the 4th Friday Art Walks, June 26

and July 24 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for

entertainment by Granite Creek Bluegrass.

A special event, “Presentation of Oil” is

planned for July 3 at 6 p.m. with artist Jorge

Moreno teaching the step-by-step basics of

oil painting. These events are free.

Arizona is well known for its beauti-

ful cloud formations, sunsets, sunrises and

mountain silhouettes. The essence of our

panoramic views will be captured in both

2-D and 3-D. PFA Gallery and special events

and art walks are free and open to the public.

Prescott Fine Arts Association is located

at 208 North Marina St. in Prescott. Gallery

and Gift Shop entrance is on Willis Street.

For more information, call (928) 445-3286

or visit: www.pfaa.net.

The painting at right, by Cynthia Vidal, is

one of the pieces which will be in the exhibit.

‘Under Western Skies’ art exhibit opens June 19


Being in the business of good

health through proper nutrition,

we are constantly reading up on

the latest nutritional trends. We

take a lot of recommendations

from our customers who also seek knowledge

regarding the foods we put in our bodies.

A few months ago, one of our customers

went a step further and brought in a book

called “Buffalo for the Broken Heart.” I’ll be

honest. The book sat on our desk for about a

month before I took it home one day when I

had to wait for a repairman.

Once I started reading, I was sorry I hadn’t

made time sooner.

“Buffalo for the Broken Heart” by Dan

O’Brien is more than just a book about how

healthy buffalo meat is. It’s one man’s journey

though life in the Black Hills of South Dakota

transforming his ranch from cattle that had

been overgrazing the land for almost 100 years

back to native buffalo.

O’Brien, a falconer, wild life biologist and

rancher, has always been passionate about

wildness and nature.

Preserving land for wild things has been a

focus of his life and bringing buffalo back to

their native land has been the centerpiece of

those preservation efforts.

“I would never have imagined that I would

be a meat purveyor but, in 1997, in an effort

to keep the ranch alive, I started a small meat

company called Wild Idea Buffalo Co. The

idea was simple: supply delicious, healthy,

humanely harvested, red meat to consumers

interested in sustainability” O’Brien said.

That turned out to be a sort of a begin-

ning. The business continues to grow and

now they have a nonprofit organization

called “Sustainable Harvest Alliance.”

With their new moveable harvest facility,

buffalo ranchers on and off the reservation

can harvest their free-roaming buffalo hu-

manely in the field, under inspection.

In an effort to keep buffalo hides from

being hauled to dump sites, they started a

sister company called “Broken Heart Buffalo

Leather.” Now, instead of a waste product,

hundreds of buffalo hides are turned into

fine buffalo-leather articles.

In the United States, 92 percent of all

buffalo is raised in the cattle feedlot way—

meaning confined for the last three months

Buffalo Fajitas1 lb buffalo fajita strips

2 bell peppers sliced

1 sweet onion sliced

2 portabella mushrooms caps thick sliced

2 tbs salt free chili powder

1 tsp Redmond real salt onion salt

2 tbs lime juice

1/4 C Sunflower oil + 2 tbs for sautéing vegetables

8 heated corn/flour tortillas

Serve with:

Sour cream or Greek yogurt

Salsa

Avocado Slices

In a glass bowl combine buffalo strips, chili powder, onion salt, lime juice and 1/4 c

sunflower oil marinate for 30 min or up to 2 hrs.

Heat a large skillet to med heat. Add Buffalo mixture and cook about 5 min (do not

over cook or it can become tough). Transfer to plate. Add 2 tbs sunflower oil to skillet

with vegetables sauté for 5 to 7 min. Add Buffalo back to skillet to re-heat. Serve with

tortillas, sour cream avocado slices and salsa.

By Christine Bollier

Know the source of the food you consume

Cuba Eats LocalWhen it comes to eating local organic food,

Cuba is miles ahead of the United States—

mainly out of necessity. Back in 1991, when

the Soviet Union collapsed and its food sub-

sidies for Cuba dwindled, Cuba responded

by setting up thousands of urban cooperative

gardens. Now, after a string of hurricanes de-

stroyed a third of Cuba’s crops, these gardens

are returning to operation.

These gardens are seen wherever there’s

an undeveloped spot of soil, such as empty

lots and rooftops—86,000 acres of land are

devoted to the gardens. Because the food is

grown near population centers, there’s no

need to truck produce over long distances.

Therefore, prices are stable and less carbon is

released into the air.

Another benefit: Fertilizing chemicals have

been replaced by natural manure, and benefi-

cial insects are used instead of pesticides.

How ironic that organic food in the United

States is pricier than conventional food, while

organic food in Cuba is more affordable.

Rock storageGeologist Peter Kelemen and geochemist

Juerg Matter have their eyes on a certain

rock—a rock that has the ability to turn

carbon dioxide into solid minerals. The rock,

called peridotite, is prevalent just beneath

the Earth’s crust. The two scientists are

envisioning a process to slow global warming

by increasing peridotite’s CO2-transform-

ing process a billion times and storing excess

carbon dioxide underground.

Many power companies are considering

ways to siphon carbon dioxide off of their

coal power plants and sequester it under-

ground, but Kelemen and Matter argue that

turning it into rock would be cheaper and

safer, with less likelihood of leaks. They pre-

dict boring down into peridotite and inject-

ing it with hot water that contains the CO2.

The technology is promising, but there’s

a snag: The scientists think they can store 2

billion tons annually, but every year human

activity produces 30 billion tons.

Social greenworkingSocial networks like Facebook and LinkedIn

provide people with a remarkably effective

means of staying in touch, so it’s no surprise

that a network organized around green

knowledge and green activities has sprung up

on the Web.

Greenwala.com is set up to put green-

minded consumers in touch with the goods

and services that foster a sustainable lifestyle.

Chief “Wala” Rajeev Kapur noticed that

“online and offline green communities are

and fed an unnatural diet of corn and other

grains.

This practice greatly deteriorates the

nutritional value and taste of the meat. It

also caused health problems for the animal,

such as stomach ulcers that require the use of

antibiotics to keep the animal alive.

Not only is grass-fed buffalo a naturally

leaner meat—which means lower in calo-

ries—it has also been found to be lower in

“bad” saturated fat and higher in “good fat”

or omega-3 fatty acids; it is also higher in

selenium, which may reduce the risk for

cancer. O’Brien and other farms who have

joined Wild Idea Buffalo Company do things

differently.

“Instead of trucking “feeder bulls” to a

feedlot, we let them mature with our herds

on native grass pastures,” O’Brien said “and

then, instead of trucking them again to the

slaughter house for processing, we dress them

in the field under the supervision of state and

federal meat inspectors.”

The meat is fine cut and packaged at a

local packinghouse and shipped directly to

restaurants and retailers.

O’Brien’s grass-fed, humanly harvested

buffalo can be purchased on www.Wildide-

abuffalo.com or at VITA-MART.

It is also available at two Valley Restau-

rants—Gilbert House and Vincent’s’ on

Camelback.

fragmented and disorganized.” He saw an

opportunity to create a delivery network to

showcase products and ideas—and where

“walas” could share their enthusiasm for a

sustainable world.

Sampling the six channels the site offers,

we found videos on a new wind turbine, the

all-electric Aptera car and a strategy for turn-

ing fly ash into building materials.

Good stuff.

Questions can be sent to Jim Parks at [email protected].


Eco LivingBy Christopher

J. Peacock

This is the first of two articles

focused on sustainable leader-

ship. This first article defines

sustainable leadership and

its implications. The second

article will outline some actions you can take

in becoming a sustainable leader and profile

a few of those who are making an impact in

the field of sustainable leadership.

These are remarkably awesome times. Al-

most every one of you has been impacted one

way or another by the multitude of events

in the past few years. Every one of you also

has amazing opportunities to challenge and

change the status quo.

Things obviously need changing. Sustain-

ability is now a requisite aspect to every deci-

sion we make, both collectively and individu-

ally. Sustainable living, as we have discussed

in previous issues, is about more than the

environment.

It’s about how we approach ourselves, our

community and our planet. It’s about mak-

ing decisions that will minimize our carbon

footprint. It’s about making sound financial

decisions for our organizations and commu-

nity. It’s about building a healthy relationship

with ourselves and society.

In short, it’s about building sustainability

into the core of our individual, organization-

al and societal operating systems. This can be

accomplished, and is being accomplished by

those who have seriously taken on sustainable

leadership practices.

Sustainable leadership is the carrying out

of individual, organizational or social visions

in a manner that produces a healthy balance

between society, ecology and economy.

In other words, sustainable leaders inte-

grate the 3-Ps of management (people, planet

and prosperity) with the 3-Ss of success

(systems, strategy and sustainability.)

Individuals who are successful in integrating

a healthy balance into their decision making:

1. Are acutely self-aware;

2. Are passionate about their role in sustain-

ing success;

3. Understand the impact of their decisions

on ALL stakeholders;

4. Understand that future success depends

on building sustainability into the core

operating system of any endeavor;

5. Are transparent in their actions;

6. Continuously learn and act upon their

knowledge;

7. Sustain others’ success;

8. Embrace diversity;

9. Address issues of economical, social and

ecological imbalance;

10. Develop rather than exhaust resources;

11. Act immediately!

Sustainable leadership is not just a theory;

it’s a way of behaving, acting and holisti-

cally improving our world. This is an area of

leadership that anyone can implement into

their lives. In fact, I challenge each of you

to build sustainable leadership practices into

your own core operating system.

I will not certify that this process is easy,

however. There are challenges. Challenges of

balancing financial resources, social endeav-

ors and ecological impacts can be extensive.

Sustainable leadership is an emerging trend

that requires individual action and collec-

tive movement. It begins with your own

self-awareness and identifying your passion;

building your vision and a sustainable strat-

egy for success; and making decisions that are

congruent with your strategy to integrate a

balance of the 3-Ps.

The next article will present to you ways

in which to incorporate sustainable leader-

ship into vision, outline practical strategies

to balance decisions, and share with you the

profiles of some individuals who are leading

us into a sustainable future.

In the meantime, take my survey on sus-

tainable leadership at www.aeleader.com.

Christopher is an executive coach focused on sustainable business and life practices. He can be reached at [email protected].

Sustainable living is about more than the environment

Iwas recently given a large bag of

lemons and wondered what I could

do with so much of this yellow fruit.

A friend suggested that I squeeze the

lemons or get a hand juicer and make

ice cubes.

This was one of the greatest solutions I

ever heard of for so many lemons. I filled ice

cube tray after ice cube tray with all my extra

lemon juice. I did the same for my extra

grapefruit.

What a great way to recycle the over

abundance of these Arizona freebies. What

a delightful refreshment to add to a glass of

water on a hot day.

I used the fruit skins for compost in my

garden.

Did you know that food scraps emit more

methane than any other material in the land-

fill? By removing organics from the landfill,

we reduce methane production. Methane

gas is 23 times more potent a greenhouse gas

than carbon dioxide (CO2).

Food scraps take up a large space in our

landfill. Yet, most food is a resource, not a

waste. All food will turn to compost, which

can be used to renew the soil’s nutritional

value.

Landscapers and farmers have known this

for centuries. All food scraps, leftovers, fruit,

vegetables, cereal, breads, meat, fish (includ-

ing bones), dairy, coffee grounds, tea, tea

bags can be used to compost.

Paper napkin, food soiled paper plates,

paper towels and pizza boxes will break down

and decompose into compost that can enrich

our soil.

By composting you feed the worms in our

soil, which in return multiply and help our

soil for healthier plants and crops as well.

Did you know by composting you can

conserve water, or use your compost for ero-

sion control?

Seeds mature and grow readily in healthy

soil; compost holds moisture. There is a

stability that comes from composting.

It is a win-win for growing healthy foods,

healing our Earth’s soil and relieving our

planet of unnecessary gases.

I believe multifamily gardening will

become a part of our future in sustainable

living, as well as the need to create compost

to improve our quality of food and nutri-

tional value.

By practicing today that which will posi-

tively impact our future, we will help instill

hope for our children and their children.

This is just one more simple way that we

can make a difference.

To find out more about composting, go

to http://www.homecompostingmadeeasy.

com. On this site you can find very helpful

information, books, bins, how to build your

own composting bin and more.

We are the stewards of this planet. We

must take an initiative to keep our home, our

sanctuary, healthy.

Without this Earth we would all be home-

less, we would all have nothing, nothing at

all.

Don’t forget to plant one tree and drink

your refreshing lemon water. Don’t take

anything for granted. Help yourself by help-

ing our Earth by recycling your food. Happy

composting.

Patricia Melchi is a writer, artist and avid recycler who lives in Strawberry, Ariz. She can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

Recycle food for thought


New locations added every month!

Ash Fork, Ariz.Ash Fork Public Library

Anthem, Ariz. Anthem Public Library

Beaver Creek, Ariz. Adult Center Express Stop Gas Mart

Black Canyon City, Ariz. Office of Tourism

Camp Verde, Ariz.Camp Verde Chamber of Commerce

Camp Verde Public Library Artisans Gallery and Bookstore

Chandler, Ariz.Environmental Education Center at

Veterans Oasis Park

Chino Valley, Ariz.Chino Valley Public Library

Chino Valley Senior Center

Christopher Creek, Ariz.Creekside Restaurant

Double D Store, Café & Bar Kohl’s Ranch Tall Pines Market

Congress, Ariz.Country Corner

Congress Library

Cordes Junction, Ariz.Arcosanti

Over the Hill Coffee Shop

Cottonwood, Ariz.Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce

Cottonwood Public Library Habitat ReStore Mt. Hope Natural Foods

Dewey, Ariz.Dewey Public Library

Dewey Senior Center

Flagstaff, Ariz.Animas Trading Co.

Arizona Music Pro Coconino Center for the Arts Coconino College, Lonetree Campus Crystal Magic Flagstaff Public Library Flagstaff Visitors Center Habitat ReStore Sacred Rites

Glendale, Ariz. Main Library Foothills Branch

Jerome, Ariz.Firehouse

Jerome Gallery Jerome Public Library

Mayer, Ariz.Mayer Chamber of Commerce

Mayer Mercantile Mayer Public Library Mayer Senior Center

Mesa, Ariz. Mesa ReStore

Paradise Valley, Ariz. Whole Foods

Payson, Ariz. Bashas’ Gila Community College Fiesta Business Products Fireside Espresso Café Majestic Mountain Inn Payson Area HFH ReStore Payson Center for Spiritual Awareness Payson Feed Store Payson Public Library Plant Fair Nursery Re-Runs Rim Country Chamber of Commerce Town of Payson Municipal Building Vita Mart

Peoria, Ariz. Habitat Home Improvement Store

Phoenix, Ariz. Downtown Phoenix Public Market Phoenix College North Gym Phoenix ReStore

Pine, Ariz.Ponderosa Market

Public Library The Crystal Lotus The Herb Stop

Prescott, Ariz.Cat’s Meow

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Library Habitat for Humanity Restore Hastings Books Music & Video Highlands Center for Natural History La Fonda Mexican Restaurant On The Mesa Pangaea Partners in Healthcare Prescott Chamber of Commerce Prescott College Library Prescott Public Library Raven Café The Art Store The Catalyst Wild Iris Coffee House Yavapai College

Prescott Valley, Ariz.Claycomb/Rockwell Associates Inc.

Dippin’ Dots Healing Essentials Pony Expresso Prescott Valley Public Library The Honeyman Natural Food Stores Yavapai College

Prosser, Wash.Sixth Street Art Gallery

Something Groovy Records

Sedona, Ariz.Crystal Castle

D’lish Vegetarian Café Ravenhart Café Ringing Rocks Foundation Sedona Arts Center Sedona Center Sedona Public Library

Scottsdale, Ariz. Civic Center Library Mustang Library Whole Foods

We encourage our readers to patronize the merchants who support Earth Odyssey. Earth Odyssey can be found in the following locations:

“I love Earth Odyssey, where can I find it?”

If you would like to see Earth Odyssey somewhere you frequent,

send us the information at [email protected] and

we will see what we can do.

Sierra Vista, Ariz. Sierra Vista Area Habitat ReStore

Skull Valley, Ariz. Skull Valley General Store

Star Valley, Ariz. Kelly’s Sweet Revenge

Surprise, Ariz. El Mirage Northwest Regional Library Northwest Regional Ligrary

Tempe, Ariz. Ejoy Internet Café

Tonto Basin, Ariz. Aunt Becky’s Restaurant Butcher Hook Store Jake’s Corner Market Tonto Basin Market

Tucson, Ariz. Epic Café Food Conspiracy Hippie Gypsie Joel D. Valdez Main Library The Other Side Third Eye Arts Tucson HabiStore Whole Foods Worldwide Wraps

Wickenburg, Ariz.DQ/Jack in the Box

Ginny’s Vitamin Village Habitat ReStore Quarter-Horse Antiques Wickenburg Public Library

Wilhoit, Ariz. Wilhoit Public Library

Williams, Ariz.JD’s Espresso

Williams Public Library Williams Visitor’s Center

Yarnell, Ariz.McGerk’s Mercantile

Realty Executives Yarnell Public Library

Always available at www.earthodysseyonline.com

Documents

Earth Odyssey June 2009