Articles for the End of the Year

 

If you find yourself with some down time this holiday season, here are a few articles that the Knight Owl would like to share.

First, a children’s book list for “future foodies”: http://foodtank.com/news/2013/12/fifteen-books-for-future-foodies These are great picture books about real food, school gardens, and farming.

Next, an article about how fast food is linked to poor academic performance: http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/12/21/fast-food-kids-learning.

And to end on an upbeat note: Good News for Mother Earth: Solar, Wind Power Becoming Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels | BillMoyers.com.

May your new year offer time for reflection and your best dreams realized. Happy Holidays.

Gardens for Humanity

Relatives of mine just introduced me to this amazing project in which they are both involved called Gardens for Humanity. It is in Sedona, AZ, so if you are near there you should check it out because there are incredible ways to get involved, and if you aren’t near Sedona you should still check out what they are doing because it is inspiring. I am especially impressed with the way they incorporate local professional artists in their garden programs who work with students to do art inspired by the natural world. This paragraph from their website says it so well:

“This program is central to our mission and serves as a model for how we develop other educational programs tied to school gardens. We provide activities that connect children to the environment, to develop awareness of where food comes from, and to give children the tools to make healthier choices for themselves and the environment. Art, as the means of environmental and garden education, helps students develop greater self-expression, creativity, experimentation, problem solving, in addition to enhancing their emotional relationship, appreciation and sense of responsibility towards the natural world.” (From Gardens for Humanity’s website on the Celebrating the Art in Earth page.)

Imagine every student being exposed to this kind of thinking, acting, creating, and honoring~

Happy Earth Day!

To all fellow earthlings

big or small

Happy Earth day to all!

 

All Smiles

Is it just me or is this mushroom smiling?

Trash Talk

This was news about a year ago, but I think it worthy of repeating:  Sweden has apparently gotten so good at recycling and reusing that they are forced to import trash from other countries to fuel their trash-burning energy plants. (That’s right, trash to energy~ so smart!) Here is a link to the story. Come on America, let’s be inspired to recycle and compost as well as the Swedes, and to use alternative energy! (Well done, Sweden.)