Celebrating Earth and Its Nature: Picnic For The Planet 2012

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and in the SHOPPING MALL by PAYVMENT on FACEBOOK

PICNIC FOR THE PLANET??

Now what does that mean??

The Nature Conservancy has an Earth Day Campaign this year (2012):  "Picnic For the Planet 2012" -- encouraging everyone to enjoy Nature by having a Picnic this Earth Day.

But "Picnic For The Planet" means, as I understand it -- a lot more than having a Picnic out in Nature on Earth Day.

From one of their emails about "Picnic for the Planet 2012", I got this link:

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/habitats/riverslakes/explore/balancing-between-food-water-and-nature.xml?e.nature 

The Key Phrase here is:

"Balancing Between Food Water and Nature".

I thought it was kind of funny -- and kind of great -- that it was about a place I have occasionally frequented, traveled through and written comment letters about:  Keeping the Santa Clara River of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in Southern CA a Free-Flowing River.

Actually, where I live now - in the Eastern Antelope Valley of Southern California - I live a little bit east of the eastern end of the Santa Clara River Watershed - as pictured in this photo, which I found on Wikipedia:

SANTA CLARA RIVER WATERSHED, SOUTHERN CA

I live some miles east of Palmdale in the Map.

But long before I lived in the Antelope Valley, I use to roam the more rural areas of Southern California for several reasons:

1. To do my Landscape Photography

2. Find remote, rural, open spaces with a variety of Nature for Walking and the Joy of it!

3. Buy Local Fresh Healthy Produce

--- and the Santa Clara River Watershed is one of the places I use to go to.

I do believe there were times when I would travel practically the whole length of it from Canyon Country into Ventura County, stopping at Produce Stands along the way or stopping along the way for a Walk (like at Lake Piru) -- sometimes ending up at one of my most favorite places in all of Southern California, just south of the Santa Clara river Watershed in the Western Santa Monica Mountains:  Nicholas Flat above Leo Carillo State Beach (there are no signs to Nicholas Flat - you have to get directions and just be good at going down Santa Monica Mountain Roads).

One of my days out in Nature - seeing and feeling some Wide Open Spaces!!

For me it is really true:  Every Day is Earth Day!!

Read about the Local Farmers in the Santa Clara River Valley Watershed at the above Nature Conservancy link.  You can really buy their Produce in the Watershed -- and have a great trip doing it!!

But there are some things, for me, that mean more than that as part of "Picnic For The Planet " in any year -- I started this blog article with a picture of my very own Rosemary Plant sitting outside my Front Door.  I went out this afternoon to cut off some Rosemary Leaves to put in my Salad I was making - oh, also got some Fresh Oregano and Fresh Basil from my very own plants -- part of "Picnic For The Planet" for me means growing my own fresh herbs to cook with.  The Rosemary Plant I have had for years -- the Oregano Plant is a couple of years old.  Fresh Basil plants I buy every year -- and I bought my first one this year on April 8th!!

My Earth Day Picnic this year:  I think I will take a walk through some local wild fields over to a local park and under some Cherry trees, have my own Picnic all right -- including some dishes made with Fresh Herbs I've grown myself!!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!

Nature Writings - Their Influence In My Life

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE -
 -- and in the SHOPPING MALL by PAYVMENT on FACEBOOK

I don't remember the exact time when Nature - or some part of Nature became so important to me.

Was it a vivid sky filled with Sun and Blue Sky and Billowing Clouds (I have always like dramatic skies)???!!

Was it loving to go see the Bear that I could throw peanuts at when I was a little girl?

Was it that day in Summer Camp (I was about 5 years old) when they took us for a hike in a Forest Preserve in Chicago, IL and the Camp Counselor showed us the different plants along the path, including the Poison Ivy and how to recognize it and therefore avoid it, which I have never forgotten to this day???

Was it hiking in the Northern Peninsula of Michigan with my Family -- and we saw Bears?

But by the time I was in High School -- found the book, SILENT SPRING by Rachel Carson, read it and wrote a paper on it -- I was a confirmed environmentalist and Nature-Lover!!

That was the first Nature Writing that really made an impression on me from reading it myself (versus hearing about it from an adult).

Since then, I have read various Writings which could be considered "Nature Writings" on and off in my Life.  But some have had a more profound affect on me than others.  So, I decided to make a Linking Book List of those "more profound ones" and put them here on my blog (lower right sidebar).

Some are about different subjects in Nature -- or preserving it.  Some I have read every word of -- some just parts of that I could really relate to.  

For instance, most American children at some point in their education get introduced to one or another of Thoreau's writings -- and I did -- but it was seeing Quotes from his Essay, "Walking" in the book, HEAVEN IS UNDER OUR FEET, that reminded me of what about Thoreau's writings that I had seen, that I really felt. 

Walking has been a major part of my life -- I have gotten a lot of Joy from various Walks - or Saunterings - down streets and under Trees, through Forests large and small, on Cliffs overlooking Oceans and Valleys, through Wild Fields with Birds and Road Runners and Snakes and Cottontail Rabbits with Hawks overhead.

The Books on Walks and Trails and Preserves in various places in California gave me a lot of Joy -- I was able to find some of those "hidden-away" places to go Walking or Hiking.

The Leopold books gave me knowledge and answers to questions I had on the Lands and the Wildlife -- and some concepts of what to do, as did the Books on HOTSPOTS (Biodiversity) and Forest Biodiversity from Conservation Scientists.

Every book listed below has had a definite influence on me -- so I thought I would share them in a "Linking List" on my blog, so others can find them!!  Every single one of them is available somewhere online these days!!

I just hope that maybe someone who finds them - will also have Joy like I have - and maybe learn about what they can do to keep the Nature that gives so much to us!

SILENT SPRING by RACHEL CARSON

DAY WALKS IN THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS

TRAILS OF THE ANGELES 100 HIKES IN THE SAN GABRIELS by JOHN W. ROBINSON

CALIFORNIA WILD LANDS by DWIGHT HOLING (Nature Conservancy Preserves)

HEAVEN IS UNDER OUR FEET - A Book for Walden Woods

WALKING by Henry David Thoreau

A SAND COUNTY ALMANAC by ALDO LEOPOLD

A WALK IN THE WOODS by BILL BRYSON

SUMMERS WITH THE BEARS by JACK BECKLUND

HOTSPOTS: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions by Russel A. Mittermeier et al. 

WILD CALIFORNIA VANISHING LANDS VANISHING WILDLIFE by A. STARKER LEOPOLD, RAYMOND DASMAN, TUPPER ANSEL BLAKE   


BOOKS I HAVE READ ABOUT -- TO READ NEXT:

CONSERVING FOREST BIODIVERSITY - DAVID B. LINDENMAYER & JERRY F. FRANKLIN

HOTSPOTS REVISITED: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions - Russel A. Mittermeier et al.

(Note:  the Photographs in this blog post are taken by me, Ruth Sandra Sperling - All Rights Reserved )