Vol. 1, No. 7
March 2009
An Educational Guide
to Sustainability and Spiritual Well-being
Ringing Rocks dedicated to saving indigenous healing cultures
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INSIDE: AZGFD collars ďŹ rst wild jaguar Using biofuels: Three more airlines aboard
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Geodesic dome: designed for efďŹ ciency Calendar of events
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March 2009
Columns Vol. 1, No. 7
March 2009
News and Features
Cover Story: Ringing Rocks dedicated
to saving indigenous healing cultures
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AZGFD collars first wild jaguar in 4 United States dome: Designed for 6 Geodesic maximum efficiency gains, no losses for Mexican 7 No wolves in 2008 student teams compete to design 9 17 EcoCAR
13 Two AZ companies receive solar awards Place: New nonprofit promotes 20 Green sustainable living
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ranking of green vehicles 29 Annual shows progress By Christine Bollier
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30 Find your biofuel on the go
Columns and Entertainment 9 Sustainable Living by Shawn Dell Joyce 11 Staying Healthy the Natural Way by Leilah Breitler 12 What in the World is Happening? by John Hall 21 Yes! You Can Recycle That by Patricia Melchi 22 Puzzle Pages 24 Calendar of Events Prickly Pear offers potential as niche crop 28 Antiques or Junque by Anne McCollam 28 Green Minute by Jim Parks Always available at www.earthodysseyonline.com 30 Eco Living by Christopher J. Peacock
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ON THE COVER: Ringing Rocks Foundation Executive Director Arcania Blystone and Program and Communications Director Stephen DeNorscia discuss some of the cultural displays in the Healing Nautilus. Story begins on page 16. Photo by Pia Wyer March 2009
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By Mike Davis
Page 21 Movie Reviews by Jason Allen
Movies that won’t make you dumber
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An educational guide to sustainability and spiritual well-being
Our Mission The 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-being and recognize the symbiotic relationship between the two.
Magazine Staff
Courtesy photo In February, the Arizona Game and Fish Department collared a wild jaguar in the United States—the first-ever (not the one pictured here). While jaguars used to roam much of the Southwest, biologists thought they were gone from the U.S. landscape. Sightings in 1996 confirmed that jaguars still used Arizona and New Mexico as part of the northern most extent of its range.
Arizona Game and Fish collars first wild jaguar in United States aguar conservation has just experienced an exciting development with the first capture and collaring of a wild jaguar in the United States. The male cat was captured by the Arizona Game and Fish Department on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in an area southwest of Tucson during a research study aimed at monitoring habitat connectivity for mountain lions and black bears. While individual jaguars have been photographed sporadically in the borderland area of the state over the past years, the area where this animal was captured was outside of the area where the last known jaguar photograph was taken in January. The jaguar was fitted with a satellite tracking collar and then released. The collar will provide biologists with location points every three hours. Early tracking indicates that the cat is doing well and has already traveled more than three miles from the capture site. The data produced by the collar will shed light on a little-studied population segment of this species that uses southern Arizona and New Mexico as the northern extent of its range. “While we didn’t set out to collar a jaguar as part of the mountain lion and bear research project, we took advantage of an important opportunity,” said Terry Johnson, endangered species coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “More than 10 years ago, Game and Fish attempted to collar a jaguar with no success. Since then,
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The collared jaguar weighed in at 118 pounds with a thick and solid build. Field biologists’ assessment shows the cat appeared to be healthy and hardy. we’ve established handling protocols in case we inadvertently captured a jaguar in the course of one of our other wildlife management activities.” The jaguar plan, which was created in consultation with other leading jaguar experts, includes a protocol for capture, sedation and handling in the event a cat was captured. Biologists are currently working on an identification analysis to determine if the collared jaguar is Macho B, a male cat that has been photographed by trail cameras periodically over the past 13 years. The collared jaguar weighed in at 118 pounds with a thick and solid build. Field biologists’ assessment shows the cat appeared to be healthy and hardy. The species has been protected outside of the United States under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. That protection was extended to jaguars within the United States in 1997, the year after their presence in the Arizona and New Mexico borderlands was confirmed. “We issued a permit under the Endangered Species Act to radio collar a jaguar if
the opportunity presented itself,” said Steve Spangle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arizona field supervisor. “Gathering habitat use information and learning whether and how the cat is moving in and out of the United States may be essential to jaguar conservation at the northern edge of their range.” In 1997, a team was established in Arizona and New Mexico to protect and conserve the species. The Jaguar Conservation Team (JCT) began working with Mexico two years later, recognizing that the presence of jaguars in the United States depends on the conservation of the species in Mexico. Trail cameras and field monitoring are carried out by the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, a group that works in cooperation with the JCT. Jaguars once ranged from southern South America through Central America and Mexico and into the southern United States. By the late 1900s, jaguars were thought to be gone from the U.S. landscape, but two independent sightings in 1996 confirmed that jaguars still used Arizona and New Mexico as part of the northern most extent of its range. Jaguars are the only cat in North America that roars. They prey on a variety of mammals, fish, birds and reptiles. Individuals in the northern population weigh between 80 to 120 pounds. Females breed year-round and have litters of one to four cubs that stay with their mother for nearly two years.
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Publisher/Editor Ann Haver-Allen Photographer, Photo Editor, Web Master and PR Director Pia Wyer Advertising Art Director Distribution Manager Jason Allen Advertising Director John Dersom Advertising Representatives Bill Allen Kelly Shattuck Pia Wyer
Contributors
Maya Joy Angeles Leilah Breitler Mike Davis Cherlyn Fargo John Hall Shawn Dell Joyce Mike Marino Anne McCollam Sarah McLean Patricia Melchi Jim Parks Christopher J. Peacock Dominique Shilling Pia Wyer Earth Odyssey is published monthly by Pinon Pine Press LLC and is available online at earthodysseyonline.com. Send comments and suggestions to: editor@earthodysseyonline.com OR via U.S. mail to: Editor 1042 Willow Creek Road Ste A101-PMB 486 Prescott, AZ 86301 Phone: (928) 778-1782 The 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 pia@animistarts.com. Printed by Prescott Newspapers Inc. 8249 East State Rt. 69 Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
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March 2009
Using biofuels
Three more airlines complete test flights
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nder new collaborations with biofuel companies, jet engine manufacturers and aircraft companies, airlines around the world have started testing the use of biofuels in their aircraft. Virgin Atlantic set the pace early last year, when it flew a flight from England’s Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport that was fueled with biofuel produced from Babassu and coconut oil. In the past month, three more airlines have followed suit. On Dec. 30, Air New Zealand flew a four-engine Boeing 747-400 that fueled one of its engines with a 50:50 blend of jet fuel and synthetic paraffinic fuel. The synthetic biofuel was derived from the oil of the “Jatropha curcas” plant by Terasol Energy. Jatropha curcus grows readily on marginal lands, producing a nonedible oil. On Jan. 7, Continental Airlines flew a Boeing 737-800—a two-engine aircraft—with one engine fueled with a 50:50 blend of biofuel and jet fuel. For Continental, Terasol Energy again provided its Jatropha-based fuel, while Sapphire Energy provided a fuel derived from algae oil. And during the first week in February, Japan Airlines flew a four-engine 747-300, again fueling one engine with a 50:50 blend of jet fuel and biofuel. Japan Airlines blended three biofuels: Jatropha-based fuel and algaebased fuel from the same companies used by Continental, as well as fuel derived from camelina, an oilseed plant, by Sustainable Oils Inc. All three flights put the fuels through a number of tests, such as operation under maximum thrust, with the main fuel pump shut down, and during engine shutdowns and restarts, and the fuels performed well. The Boeing Company and Honeywell’s UOP, a developer of refining technology, were both involved in all three flights, along with the engine manufacturer for each aircraft: Rolls-Royce for the Air New Zealand flight, GE Aviation and CFM International for the Continental flight, and Pratt & Whitney for the Japan Airlines flight.
Photos courtesy New Zealand Air
The oils extracted from the seed pods of “Jatropha curcus” plants were converted into a jet fuel that helped propel a recent New Zealand Air The flights provided a preliminary indication that the synthetic jet fuel, derived from a variety of natural oils, can safely and effectively be used as a “drop in” replacement for petroleum-based jet fuel. However, all of the partners in the test flights planned to spend days or weeks ana-
lyzing the data to determine if there was any change in engine performance. Boeing and UOP have also formed the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, which will work with major airlines and environmental groups to accelerate the development and commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels.
flight. Above, seed pods of the jatropha curcus plant.
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Geodesic dome: Designed for maximum efficiency By Wes Ozier Earth Odyssey Correspondent
M
any people interested in a sustainable future for humanity have heard of a man named Buckminster Fuller, an engineer and futurist who achieved notoriety in the 1930s. In his 30s, Fuller’s life was essentially a disaster—his first child had died, he was bankrupt and unemployed with a wife and newborn to support. Under these pressures he retreated into alcohol and became suicidal. On the verge of ending his own life, Fuller instead decided to devote his life to “an experiment to discover what the little, penniless, unknown individual might be able to do effectively on behalf of all humanity.” From this goal, came more than 30 years of work that still affects us today and may yet still impact the future of humanity. Buckminster Fuller is probably most famous for his design of the Geodesic dome. Although Fuller had the patent, he is not exactly the one who designed it. A geodesic dome is a spherical structure composed of smaller repeating triangles. Geodesic domes are far more prolific in society than most people realize. While their most widespread use is in the construction of storage tanks for petroleum or other liquid chemicals, the Epcot Center at Walt Disney is perhaps the most famous geodesic dome; however, there is an impressive array of large structures that use the geodesic dome design. The physical geometry of the dome made of triangular sections provides a high, perhaps the highest possible, ratio of structural strength to material used, as well as the greatest ratio of enclosed volume. These two factors of the geodesic dome typify Fuller’s approach—one of maximum efficiency. He believed that by engineering the maximum efficiency of human society we would use the least amount of resources, while at the same time accomplishing the most. Not only did he believe that this quest for efficiency would provide the most benefit for mankind, but also at the same time we would live lighter on the Earth, providing the most benefit for nature as well.
Dymaxion home While the geodesic dome is Fuller’s most famous and ubiquitous contribution to the modern age, he had many other projects that gained him fame and notoriety as a brilliant thinker and futurist. At the core of Fuller’s approach was a concept he labeled as “Dymaxion,” a contraction of the phrase “Dynamic Maximum Tension,” which in the mind of Fuller implied the greatest possible efficiency in all technological endeavors. Fuller applied his concepts of efficiency to the issue of housing and designed the 1,000square-foot “Dymaxion Home.” In essence the dymaxion home was a round design made from sheet metal, cut and stamped into repeated forms that when assembled formed something like a small silo. The structural design was strong and aero-
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Courtesy photo Fuller’s Dymaxion house was based on silo architecture.
Photo courtesy Bettmann/Corbis Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) was an architect, engineer, inventor and poet. He developed the geodesic dome, a large dome that can be set directly on the ground as a complete structure. Courtesy photo The Dymaxion Car, built in 1934 by Buckminster Fuller and colleagues, is on display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.
Courtesy photo The geodesic dome at Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, houses the world’s largest indoor desert with about 42,000 square feet. The Desert Dome has geologic features from deserts around the world: Namib Desert of south Africa; Red Center of Australia; and the Sonoran Desert of the Southwest United States. The Desert Dome is also the world’s largest glazed geodesic dome.
dynamic (able to withstand near hurricane force winds). It was able to heat and cool naturally by harnessing the thermal dome effect and supposedly able to capture rainwater. The hyper-efficient bathroom used a waterless toilet and a steam shower, which would supposedly use only one cup of water per wash. Electricity would be provided by a diesel generator that could run off vegetable oils. The circular shaped house was designed to rest all of its weight on a single pillar in the center, meaning they needed a very small footprint for their foundation.
In fact, the whole structure could be lifted off the central support strut. Light enough to be lifted by a helicopter, Fuller envisioned that these hyper-efficient homes could actually be moved from one location to another, so if the family within had to relocate due to job or other factor, they could literally take their house with them. He envisioned that in cities dymaxion homes could be stacked on top of each other to create ad hoc skyscrapers where land was in short supply. All in all the design, which was the first modern off-grid home design,
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was extremely efficient, cheap to construct, mass producible and versatile. Enmeshing his engineering with social issues Fuller had intended for the post World War II industrial might of America to turn from the war machine to producing these homes en-masse, thereby providing efficient housing as well as jobs on a massive scale. There were only two prototypes made, and in 1948 a hybridized version of a dymaxion home was constructed. Despite all of the advantages of the dymaxion home the idea never caught in due to several criticisms of the design...as well as business mismanagement by Fuller and his partner. Many felt that as a home it lacked internal privacy and to many it lacked an aesthetic appeal, one description characterized the dymaxion home as “life in a biscuit tin,” and while highly efficient, the design allowed for little to no individual expression in its design.
Dymaxion car, map Fuller also designed a dymaxion car that was tear drop shaped for maximum aerodynamics, had three wheels, could carry 11 passengers, with a top speed of 120 miles per hour and able to get 30 to 50 miles per gallon. Only three of them were ever built. Unfortunately, one was demolished in a highly visible fatal accident that gave the impression the design was unsound. Of course there are those who believe the design was unpopular with the car industry and corporations because it would be a threat to high profit margins. While the dymax-
March 2009
Courtesy photo Courtesy photo The Epcot Center at Walt Disney is perhaps the most famous geodesic dome.
ion car never caught on, I believe there is a similarity between the dymaxion car and the ubiquitous VW bus. He even designed the dymaxion map that is said to represent the landmasses of earth in perfect scale, something many standard maps and spherical globes don’t do.
Buckyballs In 1995, when scientists discovered a complex carbon molecule that resembles a geodesic dome, the molecule was named the Buckminsterfullerene, or Buckyball. Due to their geodesic shape they are among the strongest molecular structures known, appear to be super-conductive and have a host of other dazzling molecular properties. Buckyballs may replace silicon in future electronic devices, are already finding a myriad of applications in the materials science, and in 1996 earned their discoverers a Nobel Prize. Fuller did not invent the Buckyball, but the physical reasons that his domes are so hyper-efficient is the same physical reasons (albeit on an atomic scale) that Buckyballs are such an amazing compound. He was definitely on to something.
Lacking beauty If you ask me, one of the main reasons Fuller’s designs didn’t catch on is because people felt that as an engineer he ignored aesthetics. “When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty,” Fuller said. “I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.” So it’s not that he was incognizant of the place of beauty in his work. I think there are few people who can find beauty in the type of technical aspects that entranced Fuller’s mind, and therefore, most people saw his works as producing cookie cutter designs that reduced the human environment down to sheet metal and exposed pipes. It is too bad that Fuller was never able to develop a middle ground, where his designs would be beautiful engineering feats as well as appeal to the common sense of aesthetic. Perhaps Buckminster Fuller ran afoul a common flaw of most visions of genius: The
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inability to share a vision of beauty with the common (wo)man. Perhaps if Buckminster Fuller had been able to articulate a more flexible approach, then there would be dymaxion homes and cars of varying aesthetic appeal (and various levels of efficiency) across out country right now. The ecology of our planet is very complex, and our solutions as to how to live in that ecology will be equally complex. As I have studied other concepts in sustainability, I came to realize an important perspective about the work of Buckminster Fuller—that it is not about the specifics that the one individual was able to manifest, but the logic behind it.
Use resources wisely It’s not that in the future all cars have to be three-wheeled teardrops, or that all homes need to be made of stamped sheet metal. The important thing to remember from Fuller is the Dymaxion ideal—accomplishing the most with the least. Fuller, being an engineer, applied the concept to engineering design. Being interested in sustainability and ecological design, I see Fuller’s concepts at work in living machines, passive solar design, recycled materials and even Paolo Soleri’s concept of arcology (see October Earth Odyssey). One of Fuller’s main beliefs is that by using our intellect, we as a society, could develop greater and greater efficiency so that we could have an ever-increasing standard of living despite the fact that we have limited resources. Not all of us are engineers or designers, yet this idea can be applied to any endeavor from how you get to work, how you grow your own vegetables, to which lights you turn on in the house at night. The dymaxion attitude may be a necessary philosophical component for our sustainable future. To learn more about Buckminster Fuller, you can visit the Web site for the Buckminster Fuller Institute at www.bfi.org/. If you are interested in building your own geodesic dome, you can visit www.domeplans.com/. Wes Ozier is a LEED-AP, formerly of Arcosanti and the Ecosa Institute. If you have any questions, e-mail him at wesozier@mail.com or join the MySpace eco-community.
The Mexican wolf population in Arizona and New Mexico is holding steady.
No gains, no losses for Mexican wolves in 2008
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esearchers counted 52 Mexican wolves in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico at the end of 2008. The survey, which is conducted each January, was done by the Interagency Field Team for wolf reintroduction. The number of wolves shows no change from the previous year. Pups born in the summer must survive to Dec. 31 to be counted as part of the Mexican wolf population. Fixed-wing aircraft and functional radio-telemetry were used to confirm five wolf packs on New Mexico’s Gila National Forest, five packs on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona, and six lone wolves—two in Arizona and four in New Mexico. The survey indicated that there were only two pairs that met the federal definition of breeding pairs at year’s end. Of the 52 wolves, 45 were born in the wild. One captive born female wolf (F836) was released to the wild in 2008. In 2008, one wolf was temporarily captured twice after dispersing outside of the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, but the animal was translocated back into the recovery area on both occasions. In previous years, wolves were removed because of livestock depredation, for dispersing outside of the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area or repeated nuisance behavior. No such wolves were removed in 2008. Illegal shooting was the leading cause of documented loss of wolves in 2008. “Our interagency partnership has made strides toward obtaining the biological information needed to manage wolves in a working landscape that also supports traditional livestock operations and public recreation,” said Benjamin N. Tuggle, Regional Director for the Service’s Southwest Region. “Except for the illegal shooting or suspicious demise of seven wolves, 2008 would have seen Mexican wolf populations on the upswing again.
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“These mortalities are an intolerable impediment to wolf recovery,” Dr. Tuggle continued. “We will continue to aggressively investigate each illegal wolf killing to help ensure that anyone responsible is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Seven of the 10 packs produced at least 18 pups, with 11 surviving until the end of the year. However, based on the definition in the final rule establishing the reintroduction project, the count only recognizes two breeding pairs because by year’s end, one or more of the mates in two packs had died. In addition, three packs had only a single offspring survive until Dec. 31 (survival of two or more pups until Dec. 31 in the year of their birth is required to qualify as a breeding pair). In two of these packs, one pup died under suspicious circumstances late in 2008, resulting in both packs not qualifying as a breeding pair. “We were fortunate this year—we did not remove any wolves from the population for management purposes under the AMOC Standard Operating Procedures,” Tuggle said. “In 2008, we received substantial public input on the wolf reintroduction effort as part of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. Completing the draft EIS, and implementing a wolf-livestock interdiction program, are priorities for us.” The Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project is a cooperative effort administered by six co-lead agencies: Arizona Game and Fish Department, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, White Mountain Apache Tribe, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, USDA Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These agencies function as an Adaptive Management Oversight Committee. This management approach provides opportunities for participation by local governments, nongovernmental organizations and individuals from all segments of the public.
March 2009
Horses teach us awareness and balance Calendar Markers of March
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he Saturday before the big February snowstorm came to Payson was a perfect day. The sun shone and a brisk wind flew through the trees. My canine companions and I went down to the stables and spent time with our Appaloosa mare friend. It had been a long while since I had ridden her and my saddle was at home, so I rode carefully without it around the stable grounds. Animals and nature in general have always been my greatest teachers, and this afternoon was a good example. I had been thinking of ways in which to talk about the upcoming Spring Equinox, and the several significant spiritual and religious markers of March. I wanted to make this column conversational and more personal rather than simply sharing facts. The deeper I go into my journey, the less I subscribe to the theory of independent fact anyway, human life being as subjective as it is and the mind enjoying its ability to edit and reinvent itself, clinging to a perceived “fact” frozen in time seems experientially counterintuitive. The people I know who seem more at peace and balanced enjoy a fluid outlook on reality, moving seamlessly from one state to another. And so it was, as my body remembered how to ride a horse bareback without calamity, my mind remembered that life is about balance, not holding on. For those of you who ride horses, you will know that the tighter one grips with one’s legs, bareback, the more one loses one’s balance and is propelled upwards and off the horse, like a low-tech ejection seat. It is an odd reality that human instinct so often leads us to grip tightly to life, ideas, circumstance, possessions, etc. when the healthy and balanced thing would be to loosen our grip and relax into the movement of the moment. Our culture makes it difficult to relax into anything. We are bombarded by negative and fear-based stimulation on a continual basis, from the collapse of the financial markets to sneaky asymptomatic life-threatening diseases we may have if only we knew. We hurry from task to task, looking over our shoulder at the spectre of a “pink slip” of some kind as tales of devastation travel along the media airways. Clinging to the idea that we invent our own reality and can therefore think things away isn’t much help either. Nor much consolation as we slide insidiously into what Victoria Castle refers to as “the trance of scarcity” (in the book of the same name published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc. San Francisco—highly recommended). To some extent, of course, it is true that we create our own reality inasmuch as our interpretation of what is going on and our response to it are within our control and that, energetically, we attract that which we focus on. But our western ways have a bad habit of concretizing metaphors and truths and turning them into ego trips and idols while losing sight of the deeper mystery. Which is why I chose the title “Liminal
March 2009
Lent (Feb. 25-April 11, 2009)
Mind” for this column, liminal being a threshold state, betwixt and between the worlds and layers of consciousness. It is a realm of possibility, mystery and insight, a place of transition where perception expands beyond the confines of everyday culture and the intellect. The point about relinquishing our deathgrip on life is that fear narrows our perspective such as we develop tunnel vision and are not able to see the possibilities on the periphery. The point about relinquishing escapist daydreams is that we can’t simultaneously avoid and solve a problem at the same time (much as that would be nice.) Abundance comes from the balanced approach of relaxing into the movement of the situation enough to become familiar with it, seeing inherent potential and opportunity, respecting the limitations, then taking action. Lean times teach us that, paradoxically, energy (life, love, resources) multiply when shared and diminish when hoarded. It is undeniable that we are all facing our particular challenges at this time. However, these challenges can lead us into a greater experience of freedom as they guide us to reprioritize our lives. We don’t really need all the things the culture of consumerism tells us we need. It is projecting its need to sell onto our supposed need to buy. The impulse to consume takes us out of the present moment and creates a sense of frenzied urgency, like any other addiction—a frenzied urgency that knows no satisfaction. The beauty of riding a horse bareback is that we are brought back to the present whenever we wander off into the past or the future. Horses are particularly intuitive and sensitive creatures who provide instant feedback on our state of mind and expertise. I am blessed by having a particularly forgiving “old soul” equine companion who has a great sense of humor and play without needing to be dangerous. I would like my mind to develop more of these same qualities. 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 Anamcara Project. She can be contacted through Earth Odyssey and her freelance business, Animist Arts (pia@animistarts.com).
In the Christian religion, Lent spans the entire month of March. Lent, practiced mainly by the Episcopal, Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran and Methodist churches, is a symbolic reinterpretation of Jesus’ 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness prior to returning to Jerusalem and, ultimately, crucifixion. It is a time of introspection, examination of conscience, taming a lifestyle of satisfying wants into a lifestyle of meeting needs. A time of appreciation and gratitude for all we have been given, individually and collectively, of discerning ways in which we may offer our own contributions to life. Evangelical Christianity has mostly dispensed with this practice, focusing mostly on the joy of the resurrection. However, the deeper message of Christian mythology is lost without the balance of both the crucifixion and the resurrection in context. The message of the cross is vertical and horizontal, encompassing both darkness and light, humanity and divinity. It is human nature to want to bypass the difficult, introspective and lonely times of the “dark night of the soul” and yet the integration of these experiences is necessary to fully embrace light and rebirthing. In nature, seeds germinate in the dark earth, babies grow in the darkness of the womb. Back to the nature of balance. Spiritual maturity is a lifelong practice that calls for the courageous facing of our fears and the willingness to illuminate darkness when possible. Lent ends on April 11, the day before Easter Sunday. In the two-year Anamcara (spiritual caregiving) program I graduated from last year (http://sacredartofliving.org/anamcaraproject.htm), we had a saying that became a mantra of sorts, known as “The Prayer of Fintan,” that illustrates the paradoxical truth that leaning into our spiritual pain, we are able to be healed, while running away from it or fighting it causes the pain to increase.
The Prayer of Fintan May you have the commitment to know what has hurt you May you allow it to come close to you And in the end, may it become one with you
St. Patrick’s Day—March 17 St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into the contemporary practices of growing shamrock plants, drinking green beverages and wearing green. St. Patrick is credited with introducing Christianity to the “Emerald Isle” (Ireland) and for “driving snakes out of Ireland.” People may not be aware that the snake is a metaphor for the early pagan/goddess faiths in Ireland that predated Christianity, not literal creatures. For this reason, many pagans and neo-pagans will not celebrate St. Patrick’s day.
Vernal Equinox/Ostara—March 20 The Vernal Equinox falls on March 20 this year and is the time when both the day and night are of equal duration. It is a time of balance, following which the days increase and the long nights recede. It is when we are most conscious of the advent of spring. A time of planting both literally and metaphorically. Also known as Ostara, one of the eight major pagan/neo-pagan festivals of the Wheel of the Year, Ostara honors the Goddess Oestre and is also known as Lady Day, Egg Day and, in Druidic circles, Alban Eiler. Christianity adopted the festival as Easter (celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the Vernal Equinox instead of on the Equinox) and some of its customs to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, (hence the ubiquitous and somewhat incongruous fertility symbols of eggs and bunnies that emerge around Easter in the marketplace.) Ostara also honors the divine marriage between the Goddess and the God (represented as Mother Earth and the Green Man and/or the Young Maiden and the Sun God). Pagan/neopagan faiths experience divinity as both masculine and feminine, rather than the exclusively patriarchal focus of the major monotheistic religious traditions. If you are interested in learning more about the myriad mythologies and practices of spirituality and religions, a good (and fair minded) resource is the Religious Tolerance Web site. They have a Google-based, site-specific search bar, together with a general menu of subjects on the left of the page www.religioustolerance.org. by Pia Wyer
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17 student teams compete to design EcoCAR
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he 17 student teams competing in “EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge” have a clear vision of the automotive future, as all of the teams are pursuing designs that incorporate lithium-ion batteries and the ability to plug the vehicles into an electrical outlet. All of the vehicles will also use renewable energy or renewable fuels to minimize their consumption of petroleum. Established by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors Corp. (GM), “EcoCAR” is a three-year competition that challenges engineering students at North American universities to re-engineer a 2009 GM Saturn VUE vehicle to achieve improved fuel economy and reduced emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance, safety and consumer appeal. GM is providing the vehicles, components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support for the competition, while DOE and its Argonne National Laboratory are providing competition management, team evaluation and technical and logistical support. Along with DOE and GM, “EcoCAR” sponsors include the Canadian government and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). “These students represent the future in automotive engineering, and the EcoCAR Challenge is providing them with the hands-on training and experience they need to prepare for advanced technology vehicle engineering,” said David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at
Tech University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Texas Tech, and West Virginia University, have designed Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles that are constructed with a large lithium ion battery. The battery can be recharged by plugging into the wall and the vehicle may operate without using the engine at all. Once the plug-in range of the battery is depleted the vehicle can still operate as a regular hybrid.
Full Function Electric Vehicle Only one team, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, chose to design a Full Function Electric Vehicle, which has an all-electric motor powering its drive train and has over 100 miles of range. It stores energy in batteries that can be charged using a home electrical outlet. Courtesy photo Photo of a crossover vehicle with an elaborate paint job, including the word EcoCAR emblazoned on its side.
the DOE. “These student designs are innovative and ingenuous. Rarely do we have the opportunity to compare such a diverse range of advanced technology vehicles with so much promise.” The 17 team designs fall into four general categories.
Extended Range Electric Vehicles Eight of the EcoCAR teams, including Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University,
Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin, University of Victoria and Virginia Tech chose to design Extended Range Electric Vehicles, which, like GM’s Chevy Volt, demonstrate full performance with an electric powertrain for all electric driving and an optimized combustion engine that can extend the range of the vehicle with its onboard fuel storage.
Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Six of the 17 EcoCAR teams, including Georgia Tech, Howard University, Michigan
Fuel Cell Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Two of the 17 EcoCAR teams, including University of Waterloo and Missouri University of Science and Technology, have designed a Fuel Cell Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle that uses an onboard hydrogen fuel cell to either propel the vehicle or recharge a battery pack. The battery pack can be charged using a home electrical outlet. The FCPHEV uses significant battery energy before relying on the fuel cell to extend the range of the vehicle. For more information about the EcoCAR competition, see www.ecocarchallenge.org/.
‘Smart grid’ part of economic stimulus plan
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resident Barack Obama recently asked Congress “to act without delay” to pass legislation to double alternative energy production in the next three years and build a new electricity “smart grid.” This smart grid would be an updated digital version of the electric wires strung across our country in the past century. What makes it “smart” is that the lines would be buried and more efficient and would give homeowners feedback on how efficiently they were using the power inside their homes. This new smart grid would cost about $400 billion over 10 years, but would save between $46 billion and $117 billion over the next 20 years by reducing inefficiencies and power failures, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It also would help to make us less dependent on imported energy and to reduce climate change. For example, if the smart grid were even 5 percent more efficient, it would keep as many carbon emissions from the atmosphere as eliminating 53 million cars. A smart grid allows power from residential solar panels, small wind turbines and plug-in electric vehicles to be fed into the grid. This would encourage the green energy industry by allowing small players, such as individual homes and small businesses, to sell power to their neighbors or back to the grid. It would
March 2009
By Shawn Dell Joyce provide another source of income for larger commercial businesses that have renewable or backup power systems that can provide clean energy for a price during peak demand, such as midday in July when the air conditioning is cranked. Another brilliant feature of the proposed grid is the potential to use cars to store electricity and then feed it back into the grid during times of peak demand. “Vehicle to grid,” or V2G, technology helps balance energy loads by “valley filling” (charging at night, when demand is low) and “peak shaving” (sending power back to the grid when demand is high). This would help utility companies keep voltage and regulation more stable. It would be especially useful when more of our power came from intermittent power sources, such as solar panels, which only produce power during the day. Power outages are less problematic for a smart grid because it quickly can isolate the problem and create energy pathways around
it. This makes a smart grid “self-healing” by reducing power outages and saving money. Buried power lines also would reduce outages caused by harsh winter storms, when tree branches are likely to down power lines. In my community, residents are concerned about proposed power lines that would stretch through the centers of many small downtowns and across lovely vistas. If these same lines were buried, there would be fewer objections from the community. The smart grid could help consumers use that energy more wisely and save money, as well. A sensor in your home can tell you the price of electricity when the demand is highest. This allows you to set priorities so that you use more energy when the price is lower and less during peak demand. You also can find out which appliances are energy hogs and identify energy vampires that you may not have known about. Austin, Texas, has been working on a smart grid since 2003, when its utility company first replaced a third of its manual meters with wireless smart meters. Austin currently manages 200,000 smart meters, smart thermostats and sensors across its service area and expects to be supporting 500,000 devices this year. Boulder, Colo., started a smart grid project in August 2008. The smart grid extends into homes through home automation
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network devices. These devices automatically set thermostats, reduce energy loads during peak times and shut off lights in rooms when no one is in them. By investing in our infrastructure, we also would stimulate economic growth and increase green jobs. Thousands of people would be put to work across the country designing, building and installing smart grid technology. Having the grid in place would make electric cars more feasible and affordable. Renewable energy would become more viable, and demand would increase as more electric cars were added to the grid. It also would bring the price of home- and business-scaled renewable power systems down because the payback periods would decrease. Businesses may make tidy profits by selling excess power back to the grid. Want to learn more about the smart grid? The U.S. Department of Energy has an easy-to-understand publication you can download online called “The Smart Grid: An Introduction.” The DOE is conducting a series of smart grid e-forums to discuss issues surrounding the smart grid, including costs, benefits, implementation and deployment. Shawn Dell Joyce is an award-winning sustainable activist and director of the Wallkill River School in Orange County, N.Y. You can contact her at Shawn@ShawnDellJoyce.com.
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Monthly horoscope from Dominique 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. Included this month, you will find the planet that rules your sign.
ting stronger at this time. Unusual dreams could give you ideas. Honesty in relationships is important. Do not believe everything you hear. This is a great time to start a new routine. Make a list of things you want by next year.
l Pisces—February 20–March 20 You gain more physical energy as the month goes on. You may notice that your intuitive ability is stronger now. Trust your feelings and your senses. Pay attention to the little things. Has anything changed in your life over the last six years? a Aries—March 21–April 19 Your focus may be on the recent past. Make the most of what you have. Romance, children and/or your ability to be creative, are areas you may get a chance to improve. If one of these is challenging you, don’t give up. It is in your nature to succeed.
f Virgo—August 24–September 23 Working with others brings opportunities. Someone you know well may seem like they are changing or growing away from you. Do not try to hold on. Say what you feel then let it go. With Saturn in your sign it is likely that you are learning a lot more about yourself. are highlighted now. You could be seeing things in a new way. An unusual turn of events could lead to something great. Discipline and work on financial issues will be rewarded later. Make sure your home is in good repair.
b Taurus—April 20–May 20 Which of your dreams do you want to come true? Pick one and do something toward making it possible. Spend time with friends, do something you enjoy. Opportunity comes to bring more romance and creativity into your life. Life is the way you see it.
d Cancer—June 22–July 23 Put some energy toward attaining goals. A short or long trip is possible this month. You may notice opportunities to start new things related to learning and spirituality. Instead of holding on to those you love, embrace them.
c Gemini—May 22–June 21 Your reputation and your life’s purpose
e Leo—July 24–August 23 You may find your intuitive abilities get-
g Libra—September 24–October 23 Your work could be taking on new meaning. Changes are for the best. Issues around communication can be transformed. Pick an area. Is there something you need to say? The more valuable you believe that you are, the more things you will attract. h Scorpio—October 24–November 22 Positive energy is around the areas of romance and creativity for you this month. You may find that you are spending time with children or doing childlike things yourself. Enjoy the feeling of freedom. Someone important to you expresses their feelings.
i Sagittarius—November 23–December 22 Look around your home for things that need to be repaired or improved. Changes in and around your home are likely now. Pay attention to what others tell you, but do not believe everything you hear. Look for evidence that you are loved and you will find it easily. j Capricorn—December 23–January 20 There may be something important that you need to communicate about. It may be about you or someone else. Opportunities through relationships with those close to you. Pluto in your sign could transform you in the coming years. Think about it, what do you want? k Aquarius—January 21–February 19 Self value and finances are highlighted. Count your tangible and intangible assets. What you focus on will expand. Opportunities, change and communication are likely to be about your money or value to the world. See the beauty of you, just the way you are. 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 stars
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he month of March starts with the sun in the sign of Pisces, so this month we look at this astrological sign and the planet that rules it. Neptune is the ruler of Pisces. The sign of Pisces starts in February and ends in the middle of March. Pisces is a water sign and is mutable, which means changeable or capable of change. The mutable signs coincide with the change of the seasons. Pisces starts while winter is turning into spring. It is the sign that comes before Aries, which signifies the beginning of spring. Pisces is one of the three water signs that can be described as life-giving and are the vital forces of the Zodiac. Pisces is said to be a healer and a helper. Pisceans are intuitive, idealists, perceptive, compassionate, kind, selfless, sympathetic, adaptable and impressionable. They can also have these negative traits: vague, careless, secretive, easily confused and weak-willed. The ruling planet of Pisces is Neptune. Before Neptune was discovered Pisces was traditionally ruled by Jupiter. Currently, many astrologers use both planets and consider them to be co-rulers. Neptune takes about 168 years to travel through the Zodiac. Neptune represents the following: sensibility, psychic and mystical capacity, dream states, illusion or delusion, deception, divine compassion, spiritual beliefs, ideals, imaging faculty, elusiveness, nonmaterial pursuits, artistic gifts, enlightenment, mystical awareness, identifying with the whole of life and
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the urge to transcend personal ego. The constellation of Pisces depicts two fishes swimming in the opposite direction. The Greek myth says that Venus and Cupid were terrified by the giant Typhon, so they hurled themselves into the Euphrates and became fishes. Minerva (a.k.a. Athena) commemorated the event by placing the two fishes in the heavens. The Babylonians knew the constellation as KUN, or the Tails. This starry pattern was also known as The Leash; upon which were tied the two fish-goddesses Anunitum and Simmah. This month’s retrograde planets: In order to understand what the retrograde motion can bring up, we use the degrees to pinpoint where a planet is traveling through a horoscope chart. Saturn started into retrograde motion on Dec. 31 in Virgo and will continue retrograde motion until May 16. Its March trip takes it from 18 down to 16 degrees of Virgo. Venus stations retrograde on the 6th at 15 degrees of Aries and it will be at 4 degrees by the end of the month. It will not go forward again until April 17. Sunday the 1st, Mercury Aquarius continues its conjunction with Mars until the end of this week. This positive pairing helps to quicken the mind. It can also improve ability to be assertive. The 5th’s Mercury Aquarius conjuncts Neptune to bring together intuition and mental ability. Friday the 6th, Venus stations retrograde at 15 degrees of Aries. The beauty and harmony of Venus could seem to be undone while it is traveling backwards. Venus rules money
and the ability to attain the good things in life. Venus’ backward motion could bring up issues about debt. In a positive light, this can also be an opportunity to work through our own personal frustrations about the current state of the economy and help us find a viable way of coping. On the 8th, we have Mars and Neptune closely aligned in Aquarius. People work together more easily now. It can also benefit our creative ability, higher mind and our spiritual nature. Mercury moves into Pisces. Also on this day, we have sun in Pisces opposing Saturn in the analytical sign of Virgo. This is a good time for a reality check. Are you doing the practical things you need to do to make your dreams come true? Saturn teaches that most of the things that we want can come through our own hard work, determination and patience. On Tuesday the 10th, we have this month’s full moon in Virgo at 7:39 p.m. MST. The moon starts to wane the minute after it is at its fullest. This would be a great time to clean and to let go of things that you no longer need or want. We also have Mercury Pisces sextile Pluto Capricorn that can help us to go deeper and deal with deeper issues and things we may have been ignoring. We do best not to ignore our thoughts and feelings. Our thoughts create our reality. The world and our lives are changing. We can no longer take our environment and the physical things in our lives for granted. The combination of these two planets Mercury/ communication and Pluto/deeper thoughts,
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in their positive aspect to each other can help us to go deeper, to sort things out. Are the good things we have had in the past going to be gone? Is there anything that we could do to make the most of what we still have? It is all in what we focus on. What we focus on expands. Wednesday’s Venus in Aries sextile to Jupiter Aquarius is a good thing because these two planets are known as the “benefics,” meaning beneficial. These planets in this positive aspect can enhance opportunity and innovations. The 12th has Sun Pisces conjunct Uranus Pisces. Expect the unexpected. On Saturday the 14th, Mars goes into Pisces. Thursday the 18th, Mercury Pisces opposite Saturn Virgo could slow down thought process and communication. You may want to double check information and give yourself extra time when traveling. Mars Pisces sextile Pluto Capricorn augments our ability to work through psychological issues. Many will notice that it is easier to meditate and to go deeper into the subconscious mind at this time. Friday the 20th, the Sun goes into Aries; the sign of the Ram. The next day Mercury Pisces conjuncts Uranus. This combination is good for creativity and generating ideas. With Monday the 23rd’s Sun Aries square Pluto Capricorn, it could be hard to keep the mind on work or to get much done. On Tuesday the 25th, Mercury goes into Aries. The next day we have the new moon in the sign of Aries at 7:39 a.m. MST. The Aries See Stars, page 11
March 2009
Flush out the winter—spring is almost here Good Herbal Choices in March
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he beginning of spring is March 21, the time of the spring equinox, when the hours of the day equal the hours of the night. From now on—for the next six months—the days are getting longer. At this time, flush out the winter and wake up; spring is here!
Spring Cleansing Teas Drinking teas made with red clover, burdock, dandelion, chaparral or uva ursi can cleanse, energize and strengthen the liver, kidneys and lymphatic system. It is important to remember, you need energy in order to cleanse your body! Do you feel as your digestive system is showing signs of sluggishness? Are you experiencing constipation at this time? Winter season brings in a time when nature hibernates; this includes our bodies. Everything slows down; the body’s energy slows down, and therefore bacteria can collect in our digestive system, depleting our energy and making us feel lethargic. At the beginning of spring, a combination of echinacea, chamomile and mustard have shown to be helpful in cleaning out the “residues of winter” and increase vitality on all levels. Some teas and tea formulas are known to cleanse the body by rectifying the acid/alkaline balance. A slightly alkaline body is a healthy body. Viruses and bacteria cannot live in an alkaline system. Also, people who maintain a slightly alkaline body never gain weight. By eating more vegetables, thinking positive thoughts, expressing healthy emotions and drinking specific herb teas, the body can regain its balance. Ask your healthcare practitioner for an acid/alkaline balancing tea if you want to cleanse your body, loose weight, enhance metabolism and/or neutralize high acidity in the body. If you are interested in finding out what your body’s pH levels are, you can buy pH
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moon enhances impulsiveness and physical energy. The new moon is always a good time to start something that you want to grow or expand. Friday’s Mercury Aries square Pluto Capricorn could make it too easy to give in to temptations. The 27th’s Venus Aries conjunct Sun is very beneficial for creative endeavors. This is an excellent time for anything related to beauty. Many will want to get their hair done, shop for clothes or work on decorating projects. With Mercury Aries conjunct Venus on the 28th, we are more able to recognize the worth and value in things. Mercury rules communication and Aries can be assertive. Venus is about beauty, money and love. With these two planets paired in positive aspect, this could also be a great time to ask for something you have been wanting.
March 2009
strips at your local pharmacy to do your own tests.
Herbs For Energy Do you have spring fever? Are you feeling tired and unmotivated? Super foods such as spirulina, chlorella or wheatgrass are all well-known for their energizing and motivating action without stimulating the body. People taking these super foods have told me that they noticed an increase in metabolism, mental clarity and emotional well-being. Are you mentally exhausted? Or are you experiencing mental fogginess? Ginkgo biloba is known to improve memory and cognitive function. It increases blood supply to the body’s vital tissues and organs, such as the brain and heart.
Rejuvenating Spring Recipes In many cultures, greens have been a traditional part of the spring diet, cleansing, refreshing and building the body. They are plentiful at this time of the year in my neighborhood, especially malvas, sorrel and dandelions. If you are not familiar with these plants, find someone who knows and can show you around your area. Mix your greens with virgin olive oil, lemon juice and a little garlic, and eat as a salad. Drink freshly pressed lemon juice in a small amount of water first thing in the morning. Do not eat anything for at least 30 minutes after drinking it. Lemon is a perfect liver food and a great body cleanser. High in vitamin C, potassium and other minerals, lemons are a little astringent, meaning that they contract and tighten tissues, which loosens up and removes toxins from deep tissues and organs.
Courtesy photos A combination of echinacea, chamomile and mustard have shown to be helpful in cleaning out the “residues of winter” and increase vitality on all levels. Dandelions are among the plentiful greens available in the spring. In many cultures, greens have been a traditional part of the spring diet, cleansing, refreshing and building the body.
April 21, your astrological sign is Aries. Aries have a tendency to have problems with the head and face. Some herbs and foods for Aries are: basil, carrot, cayenne, garlic, nettle, onion and radish.
Spring Awakening Essence Some flower essences, such as Spring Awakening can enhance your attunement to the energy of spring, new beginnings, new growth, vitality, enthusiasm, creativity, beauty and hope. Go ahead, dance and play the tune that you are! The products discussed in this article can be purchased at the Herb Stop in Pine. The Herb Stop is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Sundays and Mondays. For classes, weekend seminars and consultations, visit or call The Herb Stop, 4004 N. Hwy. 87
in Pine. (928) 476-4144. You may also visit the store in Ruidoso, N.M., or the Web site at www.HerbStopOnline.com. The FDA has not approved these statements. The information given is not meant to act as a prescription, medical advice or therapeutic advice. Consult your healthcare professional prior to using botanicals discussed in this column.
Mood Elevating Spring Scent 5 drops Roman/or German chamomile 5 drops lemon/or orange These essential oils have shown to: Roman chamomile calms anger, tension and irritability, German chamomile stimulates liver regeneration and lemon and/or orange are refreshing, cleansing and uplifting. Add to your diffuser, bath, laundry’s final rinse cycle, on a cotton ball to tuck under your pillow or placed in the ashtray in your car.
March 21—April 21 Birthdays If your birthday falls between March 21 and
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Solving our problems is about more than technology
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es! We have the technologies available to solve all of our environmental problems…and we have all of the natural resources required to serve the needs of all 6.8 billion of us! For example, let’s consider one of our biggest needs: Power….Not the political and economic power (influence) that is needed to use many of our unused technologies, but the power to create the needed energy to light our buildings, run our vehicles, run our appliances, heat our water and turn the wheels of our industries. We are still using nonrenewable fuels to create this power. These fuels, such as coal, oil, natural gas and uranium become more and more difficult and expensive to find. They also lead to environmental nightmares, economic hardships and war. This practice of using nonrenewable fuels is unconscionable, especially when there are renewable fuels that are becoming feasible alternatives. One of the renewable sources of energy production is solar power. If we could capture the energy of all of the light that hits the earth during the course of only one hour, it would equal the amount of energy we use globally for an entire year. Of course, this assumes 100 percent efficiency in the creation and storage of this
power. Nevertheless, there is more than enough energy available from the sun, but the feasibility of efficiently storing solar power has been the problem with making this technology useful on a very large scale; until now. Until now, solar power has been viewed as a daytime-only source of energy. The photovoltaic panels on many of our roofs have been effective in capturing and using the sun’s energy during the day, but a back-up supply has been necessary for our usage from dusk to dawn. This requires everyone to also be hooked up to the local power grid. Breakthrough Technology: Daniel Nocera, Professor of Energy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and his team have recently developed a new method of storing solar power that is highly efficient, inex-
pensive and clean. This method promises to harness the virtually unlimited energy from the sun to the amounts required for all of our energy needs. Essentially, Nocera’s energy lab at MIT has simulated the process of photosynthesis, the process used by plant life to store solar energy and thrive. The scientists used a catalyst composed of cobalt metal, phosphate and an electrode placed in water. The electricity created during the day by photovoltaic cells is run through the catalyst resulting in the formation of oxygen gas. Simultaneously, the electricity is run through a different catalyst composed of a material, such as platinum, which emits hydrogen gas. Both the oxygen and hydrogen gases can easily be kept separate and stored indefinitely. When more energy is required, i.e., when the sun goes down, these gases can be used to fuel a household fuel cell, and a system could be tailored to the individual power needs of each family, business or industry. We will be able to use such individual facilities because the process is completely nontoxic, performed at normal room temperature and in neutral pH water. Once this new discovery is marketed into saleable units it could mean the end to all of our energy issues. News flash: The importance of this discov-
ery cannot be over-stated, and yet, I would venture to say that very few people have even heard of it. Why? It should have been frontpage news last month. But there are the interests of the oil companies, gas companies, coal companies and nuclear power companies to consider. Nevertheless, the technology is there and it is now the responsibility of private enterprise and our government officials to help make the shift to 100 percent renewable energy in a timely manner. We owe it to our grandchildren. Incidentally, this method of storing energy in the form of hydrogen and oxygen can be used in concert with any other form of power creation. It will be particularly useful with sources such as wind and bio-mass, where the power generation is not constant. Perhaps if we all write to our elected representatives in government, we can help in accelerating the implementation of this technology. Let us envision the day when we, as individuals, will be creating power by the use of our own self-sufficient units, charging up our electric cars, our electric heaters, coolers and appliances….no more electric bills, no more gasoline expenses! John Hall is a co-owner of the Crystal Lotus Gallery and Spiritual Life Center, located on Highway 87 in Pine, Arizona. Telephone: (928) 476-3410.
Listen to you intuition when making decisions
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hey say… “Sleep on it” is best for complex decisions. I say put the ego to bed. Complex decisions are best left to your unconscious mind to work out (read intuition, I say) according to a new study, and over-thinking a problem could lead to expensive mistakes. The research suggests the conscious mind should be trusted only with simple decisions, such as selecting a brand of oven glove. Sleeping on a big decision, such as buying a car or house, is more likely to produce a result people remain happy with rather than consciously weighing up the pros and cons of the problem, the researchers say. I say it is because the ego can’t get involved when we are asleep, neither can our habits
and the internal shouts of “You Should,” or “You Shouldn’t”… Thinking hard about a complex decision that rests on multiple factors appears to bamboozle the conscious mind so that people
only consider a subset of information, which they weight inappropriately, resulting in an unsatisfactory choice. I believe that the complex decisions are just that, complex, so there almost needs to be a more intelligent approach, a spiritual approach. First, by silencing the mind chatter, and getting very quiet, then, listening to you intuition. In contrast, the unconscious mind (read soul) appears able to ponder over all the information and produce a decision (I believe through intuition) that most people remain satisfied with. Scientists call it unconscious; I call it communication from the soul. Ap Dijksterhuis, at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and colleagues recruited 80 people for a series of lab-based and “real-world” tests. The participants were provided with information and asked to make decisions about simple and complex purchases, ranging from shampoos to furniture to cars.
Snap decisions In one of the tests, half of the participants were asked to ponder the information they were given and then decide which among similar products to buy. The other half were shown the information but then made to perform a series of puzzles, including anagrams and simple arithmetic. At the end of the puzzle session, the participants were asked to make a snap decision about the products. “We found that when the choice was for
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something simple, such as purchasing oven gloves or shampoo, people made better decisions—ones that they remained happy with—if they consciously deliberated over the information,” Dijksterhuis said. “But once the decision was more complex, such as for a house, too much thinking about it led people to make the wrong choice. Whereas, if their conscious mind was fully occupied on solving puzzles, their unconscious could freely consider all the information and they reached better decisions.”
Attention counts However, the unconscious mind appears to need some instruction to be directed to put attention on the situation. It was only when people were told before the puzzles that they would need to reach a decision that they were able to come up with the right one, Dijksterhuis reported. If they were told that none of what they had been shown was important before being given the puzzles, they failed to make satisfactory choices. So the moral of the story is, if we learn to listen to our intuition, or as the scientists say, let our unconscious mind handle the complicated things, the right choice, a choice we are happy with will emerge. Sarah McLean is the director of Sedona Meditation Training & Retreats and is certified and recommended by Dr. Deepak Chopra. She can be reached via e-mail at meditate@esedona.net, phone at (928) 204-0067 or fax at (866) 6541705. You can also visit online at http://www. SedonaMeditation.com.
March 2009
‘Fresh’ fruits, produce shipped from summery Chile
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ave you ever popped a blueberry into your mouth and it tasted somewhat like dryer lint? Chances are it was winter and you walked past a beautiful display of fresh Chilean berries in your local grocery store and just couldn’t resist. It’s summer in Chile, but it’s winter in Arizona and that blueberry was shipped more than 5,100 miles! Today’s global marketplace allows us to buy foods grown virtually anywhere in the world, all year round, but at what cost? With our economy in peril, we need to keep our money recirculating at home. You can help support our local economy by buying local or USA grown produce. One of the many benefits of purchasing local in-season foods is that your food dollar goes farther because foods in season typically cost less! Another is fresh fruits and vegetables are *most* nutritious and best tasting when they are picked at their peak. Locally grown fruits and veggies are going to be more nutritious because nutrients degrade during shipping and storage, according to a recent study by Yale New Haven Hospital. You also eliminate the environmental damage and reduce the use of fossil fuels from shipping foods thousands of miles. Eating seasonally is pretty easy when the
Colcannon Casserole
By Christine Bollier weather is warm and everything is growing, but it’s winter in Arizona. Right now we need to take advantage of the abundance of fresh citrus, dark leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower. This month’s recipe is a healthier version of an Irish dish called Colcannon and includes an in-season leafy green, kale. Not just a pretty plate garnish, kale is loaded with vitamins A, C and K. It combines with Russet potatoes in this dish to provide roughly 10 grams of protein per serving. We have also made it lighter than the original version. We replaced ½ C. of butter and 1 C. of whole milk with apple cider vinegar, broth and 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese. Buying seasonal produce provides an exciting opportunity to try new foods and to experiment with seasonal recipes and it simply tastes better!
Makes 4 servings 1 ½ lbs Organic Russet Potatoes (about 3) peeled and quartered ½ C. Organic Chicken or Vegetable Broth 2 Tbs. Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar 2 bunches Organic Kale (about 1 lb) stems removed, leaves washed and coarsely chopped 4 oz Organic Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated 1 large Organic Yellow Onion thinly sliced Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste 2 Tbs. of your favorite Cooking Oil Pre heat oven to 450°. Coat 8x8 baking dish with butter or your favorite cooking oil. Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring water to boil and boil for 15 min. until tender. Transfer potatoes with a slotted spoon to potato ricer reserving cooking liquid. (If you don’t have a potato ricer, mash potatoes with vinegar and broth). Force potatoes through ricer into a bowl and combine potatoes, broth, vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring reserved cooking liquid to boil, add in kale and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a skillet heat oil to medium and sauté sliced onions. Drain kale. Combine potato mixture with kale, onions and ½ of the cheese. Spread into prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 min. NOTE: This dish can be prepared one day in advance and kept covered in refrigerator before baking. All of the ingredients for this recipe can be found at VITA-MART, 512 S. Beeline Hwy., Payson, AZ 85541. Questions can be answered via e-mail: Christine@thevitamart.com; or by calling (928) 474-4101.
Two AZ companies receive solar assistance awards
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wo companies in Arizona were among those to receive technical assistance awards under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Program, Solar America Showcases project. These awards provide technical assistance from solar energy experts to high-visibility, large-scale solar installations. The two Arizona Solar America Showcases winners are: • The Hartman Co. This project involves a 115 kilowatt solar photovoltaic installation at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Scottsdale, which is part of a master plan to replicate
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a number of solar energy technologies at other Hyatt facilities. • Southwest Solar Technologies Inc. This Phoenix-based development at Riverpoint Solar Research Park involves a solar test and demonstration installation, providing 1 MW of combined solar and storage energy. Technical assistance to these award winners includes assistance in areas such as: • Regulatory and permitting assistance • Structural analysis of the existing building • Solar financing • Suggestions for structural upgrades to support the new solar system
• Architectural, mechanical and electrical design assistance to ensure compliance with state-of-the-art solar design principles and building codes In addition, technical experts will assist with overall project management and provide best practices and “lessons learned” from other solar projects. The Solar America Showcases activity is part of the Solar America Initiative (SAI), which seeks to make electricity generated from solar photovoltaics systems cost-competitive with grid electricity by 2015. Solar America Showcases are chosen through a competitive award process, and
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preference is given to large-scale, highly visible, highly replicable installations that involve cutting-edge solar technologies or novel applications of solar. Technical assistance is provided by experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, DOE’s Southeast and Southwest Regional Experiment Stations at the Florida Solar Energy Center and New Mexico State University, and the competitively-selected engineering firm CH2M Hill. For more information, see www1.eere. energy.gov/solar/solar_america_showcases. html.
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Prickly pear offers potential as niche crop By Maria Konopken Cronkite News Service
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he acres of prickly pear at Arizona Cactus Ranch in Green Valley produce nectar and fruit spreads that owner Natalie McGee sells over the Internet and through markets around Arizona. But those products offer only a narrow look at the cactus’ potential, she said. Consumers are drawn increasingly to the promise of prickly pear’s health and medicinal benefits, and McGee said more and more Arizonans will discover that prickly pears gracing countless landscapes around Arizona are more than just pretty. “We often take for granted that we have this plant in our own yard that is not only decorative, but also could improve the quality of life in medicine and even food,” McGee said. The cactus’ deep red, pear-shaped fruit, which usually is harvested in August and September, also lends its sweetness to candy, syrup, health drinks and even exotic margaritas. Its pads, removed of their spines, provide meat that goes in burritos, soups and other recipes. McGee, a former social worker, started harvesting prickly pear on her ranch in 1991. She said she’s learned over the years that the prickly pear is more than just a plant. “It is not an accident that it is growing everywhere—from someone’s front yard to the middle of nowhere desert,” she said. “It’s unique and a part of Arizona. It belongs here.” The prickly pear can reach 6 to 8 feet tall and thrives in warm, dry climates. Its many varieties are found predominantly in the Southwest, but it also grows in Mexico, parts of South America and even in southern Europe. Scott McMahon, curator of cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, said the prickly pear could have greater potential as a niche crop for Arizona. But he said that idea hasn’t received much consideration. “There haven’t been a lot of studies done because research tends to only be done on plants that have some economic value,” McMahon said. “Although the prickly pear
might to some degree, it has not been investigated enough; not enough is known.” Prickly pear have traditionally been harvested as part of Hispanic and Native American diets. It’s promoted in those cultures as offering health benefits, including helping diabetes and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and one University of Arizona study has suggested that prickly pear pectin could help with one type of cholesterol. But Fred Wolf, a UA professor emeritus of nutritional science, said there hasn’t been enough research to prove such health benefits. “There have been many testimonials that have said it has helped them or someone they know, and I do not want to take away from that,” Wolf said. “But without some more research, the claims may be premature and could be a disservice to the public.” Jesus Garcia, an educational specialist in evolutionary biology at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, said that research could follow as consumers become more aware of the stated health benefits of the prickly pear. “Little by little, the movement of people wanting to change their health is becoming louder,” Garcia said. “When they hear maybe a plant they have in their backyard could help them, the demand for the product and more research will go up.” Meanwhile, companies such as Amelio Casciado’s Phoenix-based Cactus Candy Co., which also makes cactus jelly, are capitalizing on the prickly pear’s niche appeal. “It is a specialty of the Southwest for tourists, even residents, who buy the candy, jelly and leaves to use,” Casciado said. “It helps not only our company but companies in Arizona to have a novelty item you can only get here.” McGee said Arizona Cactus Ranch’s experience shows that prickly pear has even more potential. “This simple plant grows in harsh conditions, doesn’t ask for much, but what it can give in return, the nectar and pads, could be the savior for us in either health or with the production of products,” she said. “We just need to discover all that it can do.”
Photo by Pia Wyer The desert comes alive in spring when the prickly pear cactus blooms.
How to eat and use nopales Nopales is a vegetable that can be eaten grilled or boiled. Over cooking may give them a slightly “slimy” texture you may want to avoid. Frequently the nopales are added to eggs, or as a vegetable in soups, chilies or a filling in a tortilla. One method of preparation is to grill nopales over hot coals till tender and slightly browned. Then slice into strips and toss with a squeeze of lime and a little bit of olive oil. They are delicious.
Photos by Ann Haver-Allen Prickly pear cactus bloom in the spring, at which time they’re covered by spectacular, waxy, yellow (sometimes red) flowers that usually disappear after only a day.
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About prickly pear cactus The plant is the genus Opuntia from the Cactaceae family, or what is commonly known as the Prickly Pear Cactus. Nopal means cactus in Spanish and nopales is term for “cactus stem.” The term nopalitos refers to the pads once they are cut up and prepared for eating. There are two food crops derived from the prickly pear cactus. One is the “nopalitos,” which are the cactus pads and the other crop is the prickly “pear” or fruit of the cactus. All opuntias bloom in the spring, at which time they’re covered by spectacular, waxy, yellow (sometimes red) flowers that
usually disappear after only a day. In the fall, “pears” develop on the plant where blossoms occurred in the spring. The fruit is ready for harvest from late September to—and through—October (and even into November, in some locales). Mature prickly pears are tawny green to blackish purple, depending on the species. There’s only one sure way to tell if a fruit is ripe without tasting it—pick it off the cactus and examine the pear’s damaged end (where it was torn from the parent plant). If the pulp is red at the rupture, you can be certain it’s ripe.
Recipes Basic cooking method Nopales pads, washed and prepared Salt Put the prepared and cut up pieces in a pot with boiling, salted water. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes without a lid. When the leaf-pads are cooked, pour off the water and then rinse with cold water. The nopalitos can now be used in salads, stews or as a vegetable.
Tunapple Crisp Fruit Pudding: 20-25 tunas (prickly pear cactus fruit) 2 Rome, McIntosh or Winesap apples 3/4 c. sugar 1 tsp. apple pie spice 1/2 tsp. mace 3 tbsp. flour 1/2 c. raisins OR pecans, chopped (optional) Topping: 3/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 c. flour 1/2 c. butter Peel and slice tunas and apples (as for a pie). Mix rest of pudding ingredients together and add to fruit. Mix all together. Mix all topping ingredients except butter together. Add butter and cut up or mix with fork until mixture has texture of cornmeal. Spread over top of fruit mixture. Bake in oven at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (until fruit is bubbly and oozing around edges of topping). For quicker preparation, cook fruit 10 minutes in microwave before adding sugar, flour and spice mix. Tunas are NOT user-friendly. Pick with leather gloves. Wash and scrub to remove spines (wear rubber or thick plastic gloves). Blanch for 1 minute in boiling water, drop in cold water until cool enough to handle. Remove and drain. (Don’t let them soak in water or they will get mushy.) Peel by cutting off top first, then rest of skin. Slice in half and remove seed sac with tip of teaspoon, i.e. scoop out as you would with a cantaloupe, starting at top (widest) end. Most of time seeds will come out all together with enclosing membrane.
Beef, Nopalitos and Bean Chili 2 lb lean beef cubed 2 medium onions chopped 15 oz nopalitos (cactus) diced, with liquid
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reserved 1 14 oz diced tomatoes (drained) 4 14 oz cans kidney beans (drained and rinsed) 1/4 cup chili powder 1 beef bouillon cube salt, black pepper, garlic powder, water After cubing the beef, rinse lightly in cold water and put in heavy 6-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid. Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Toss to coat the meat evenly. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes to marinate. Dissolve the beef bouillon cube in one cup boiling water and add to the reserved liquid from the nopalitos. After marinating, place meat over high heat and cook until just barely done (do not brown). Stir constantly to prevent sticking. Reduce temperature to medium and add onions and bouillon mixture. Cover and simmer 10 minutes until the onions are just soft. Add tomatoes, nopalitos and chili powder. Cover again and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans and a little water if necessary to prevent scorching. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes or until the meat is nice and tender. Serves 6
Prickly Pear Butter 1 lb. unsalted butter 2 each prickly pear cactus fruit or 1/2 c. of another fruit or berry of your choice, strawberries, or raspberries, etc. 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 1/2 c. honey Salt, to taste Let butter soften slightly in a mixing bowl or food processor. Peel and puree the cactus fruit; strain the juice through a fine strainer. Add the juice, cilantro, honey and salt to the mixing bowl or food processor; blend until smooth and all is incorporated. Put into the refrigerator until it begins to stiffen. Lay out a small sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap and spread out some of the butter in a small strip. Roll up the paper or plastic like a cigar and twist the ends until it becomes a tight package. Freeze until hard and return to refrigerator to soften slightly for easy slicing. Recipe from Fat Boy’s Recipes For more recipes, see www.Cooks.com. In the search box, type prickly pear.
How to harvest and prepare nopalitos (nopales) Two sizes of nopales pads are harvested commercially: small, (less than 10 cm long) or medium (less than 20 cm, about 100g). The Nopales leaf pads are usually harvested between spring and the end of summer. Select thin pads no longer than 20cm or 8 inches. Make sure to wear heavy gloves to harvest the pads yourself. The pads snap off easily or you can use a large knife to sever the stem. Beware, there are large and fine thorns, so be sure to keep your hands protected. To prepare the pads, remove the thorns and the “eyes” with a vegetable peeler or a small paring knife. Wash the pads well with cool water and peel or trim off any blemished or discolored areas. Slice the pads in long slices or in pieces or leave whole depending on the dish you will prepare. Fresh (not wrinkled) nopales may be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for up to two weeks.
Two ways to prepare prickly pear fruit One Prickly pear fruit should be picked using tongs or a piece of heavy paper. To prepare, rub the “pear” with a heavy cloth or peel with a paring knife. To make juice, unpeeled whole fruit can be cooked with just enough water to cover in a saucepan. Mash with potato masher and let cook 30 minutes. Strain through several layers of cheese cloth or cotton muslin dish towel. Two 1. Slice both ends of the prickly pear off. Discard them. 2. Make one long vertical slice down the body of the prickly pear. 3. Slip your finger into the slice and grab a hold of the skin. 4. Begin to peel back the thick fleshy skin that’s wrapped around the prickly pear. Discard the skin. You’ll be left with the prickly pear itself. The flesh is studded with tons of little edible seeds, if you like them, feel free to just chop the prickly pear up and eat, seeds and all. To extract the juice, place the “husked” prickly pears into a blender or food processor and pulse until liquefied. Place the juice into a fine mesh sieve and push out the juice into a pitcher or bowl. Discard the remaining pulp and seeds. Use the juice as you like. About four prickly pears will get you about 1 cup of juice.
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March 2009
Photo by Pia Wyer During a four-year partnership with the Rock Art Research Institute of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, more than 179,000 images of ancient paintings were digitally scanned and cataloged. The images will be published on CDs and made available to museums and interested institutions worldwide. Twelve digital photographs of the rock art, in conjunction with original art by Sedona artist Peggy Sands, are currently on display at the Ringing Rocks Foundation in Sedona.
Ringing Rocks dedicated to saving indigenous healing cultures By Ann Haver-Allen Earth Odyssey Editor have always been told that the best way to tackle a really big project is to break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Saving the world is definitely a really big project—even if you happen to be a super hero. Faced with the overwhelming task of saving our Earth, where does one start? Many organizations already have divided this enormous task into manageable pieces— from Green Peace, Friends of the Earth and the Nature Conservancy to Earth First, the Sierra Club and the National Audubon Society. These and countless other organizations work to conserve and restore the health of our Earth. But what about cultures and the ancient wisdom learned over the ages and passed down for generations by tribal elders? What will humanity gain if our Earth is saved but our ancient wisdom is lost? Ringing Rocks Foundation, headquartered in Sedona, works to ensure that we never have to answer that question.
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“Indigenous cultures have an understanding of the oneness of life,” said Stephen DeNorscia, program and communications director at Ringing Rocks Foundation. “They respect all different aspects of life, not just for themselves and other humans, but respect for the total unity of everything. “The Earth is a living organism and everything here is part of one living being,” he said. “We all have our individual parts to play, but we are all part of one big living organism. I think the indigenous shamans and leaders tend to know that and we tend to have forgotten. Unfortunately, right now, much of this ancient wisdom is in danger of being lost.” That “forgetfulness” is caused by a lot of different forces. “The handing down of information from one generation to the next has broken down either because of forced separation or because of the decimation of AIDS and other forces from outside the community,” DeNorscia said. “A lot of elders are realizing that they are going to lose that information if they don’t share it.” Ringing Rocks Foundation works with indigenous cultures to conserve healing prac-
tices and cultural traditions through educational programs, print and video documentation and grassroots partnerships.
Educational programs key component in Ringing Rock’s conserving healing practices and cultural traditions is monthly programs where healers come to the Foundation’s Sedona headquarters and talk about themselves or the ways of their people. Sobonfu Somé, Dagara Healer from Burkina Faso in western Africa, was the speaker in January. Sobonfu was destined from birth to teach the ancient wisdom, ritual and practices of her ancestors to those in the West. Sobonfu, whose name means “keeper of the rituals” travels the world on a healing mission sharing the rich spiritual life and culture of her native land Burkina Faso, which ranks as one of the world’s poorest countries yet one of the richest in spiritual life and custom. She shared many insights, including her
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tribe’s practice of “listening” to a baby before naming it. She told a roomful of listeners that one’s name defines one’s role in life, so it’s important to get it right. Roanna Kagenveama, a Hopi elder of the Sand Clan, was the speaker in February. Roanna, an artist and musician, shared stories of her life and the traditional ways of her ancestors. She told the audience of her experience making piki bread—a thin, dry, rolled bread made of blue corn meal mixed with water and burnt ashes of cedar trees. The thin batter is spread by hand over a very hot surface and then peeled away in thin, almost translucent sheets. Roanna said she avoided learning to make piki bread, but when she chose to marry, she had to learn that ancient art. Making piki bread is part of the Hopi courtship and marriage ritual. Diné storyteller Brian Bennally is the speaker planned for March. Brian grew up in the traditional way with his grandparents, from whom he learned the language and customs of his people. He is a singer using the traditional stories and songs to heal.
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Brian will be at Ringing Rocks Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m. No charge, but registration is required. Little Grandmother Selina, Mi’kmaq~Black from Nova Scotia, Canada, will be the speaker in April. Noogamijiij (Little Grandmother) Selina is a Traditional Grandmother’s Medicine Bundle Keeper, following the spiritual ways of the Ancient Ones. Her role as Healer~Teacher comes through her matrilineal lineage of the Divine Feminine. Little Grandmother Selina will be at Ringing Rocks Friday, April 17, at 7 p.m. No charge, but registration is required. Additionally, Ringing Rocks sponsors healers who go into the public schools and provide an introduction to their traditional ways. Diné Medicine Woman Walking Thunder introduces school children to sand painting. She talks about what the different colors and designs mean and engages students to create their own sand painting. DeNorscia said finding the healers with whom they partner is a lot of work. “We travel to places and meet healers and get a sense of them, find out if they would be right to bring out, if they are interested, if they want to share and if they are ready to share,” DeNorscia said. “We try to give the healer a voice, so what they do depends on what they want to convey. Usually, they talk about their life, how they became a healer and what it means in their culture. It’s about sharing a little bit of their wisdom and culture and hoping that the more people
understand about other cultures, the more they will respect them and ultimately will help protect them.” DeNorscia said Ringing Rocks has specific criteria for selecting the healers with whom it works. They first locate authentic indigenous healers who are willing and eager to share. The healers must be willing and wanting to travel and they must either speak English or have a translator. “A lot of people are healers, but they don’t necessarily fit into our very small category of what we are trying to do, which is to work with indigenous healers—and preferable indigenous healers who are still working within their own communities,” DeNorscia said. A room at Ringing Rocks Foundation, The Healing Nautilus, is dedicated to exploring healing traditions from nine selected cultures. Pictures, cultural ritual items and musical instruments are displayed so that visitors can walk through the curved exhibit and meet medicine keepers and holy people from all over the world. “As we share this knowledge and as people get exposed to different ideas and different cultures and find out how many similarities there are—as well as the differences—we ultimately develop a greater respect for one another,” said Arcania Blystone, executive director of Ringing Rocks Foundation. “To me, that is the hope for mankind. That’s what we are trying to achieve in our own small way. Come and develop a respect for everything
About Ringing Rocks Foundation inging Rocks Foundation believes that it is critically important to help protect and conserve cultural and healing practices, as well as facilitate learning about diverse wisdom ways. In 1995, the Ringing Rocks Foundation was inaugurated by Nancy Connor who recruited professor Bradford Keeney, noted psychotherapist, shaman and author. “For a number of years Nancy traveled extensively,” said Arcania Blystone, executive director of Ringing Rocks Foundation. “She decided to combine her love of healing and indigenous people. She connected with Keeney, who was our researcher. Initially, he would dream a healer and he would set out to find the person he had dreamt.” Originally located in Philadelphia, Connor relocated the foundation to Sedona six years ago. Connor and Keeney initiated the Profiles of Healing book series, created various cultural archive preservation projects and
organized special cultural events. For more than a decade, the foundation has supported cultural wisdom traditions throughout the world. The Foundation’s first special project was to help African shaman Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa. In 1998 Baba Mutwa received Ringing Rocks Foundation’s “Distinguished Artist and Teacher of African Traditional Culture” title and RRF facilitated a lifetime stipend to create and teach his wisdom to others. Mutwa is the acclaimed author of “Indaba, My Children: African Tribal History, Legends, Customs, and Religious Beliefs” (Blue Crane Books, 1964) and the subject of the fifth book in the Profiles of Healing series. Ringing Rocks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are always appreciated. The address is 3190 W. Hwy. 89A, Suite 100, Sedona, AZ 86336. The phone number is (928) 282-1298. For more information about Ringing Rocks and the work the Foundation supports, or to purchase any of the educational products produced by the Foundation, see www.ringingrocks.org.
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Photos by Pia Wyer Above, Ringing Rocks Foundation is located at 3190 W. Hwy. 89A, Suite 100. At right, the Healing Nautilus introduces people to some of the healers who have worked with Ringing Rocks.
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Ringing
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in the world. That’s what I see and that’s why I do it. That’s what feeds my soul and makes coming to work everyday a joy.” DeNorscia said the Healing Nautilus is a sacred space created to introduce people to some of the healers who have worked with Ringing Rocks. The objective is to educate people about the importance, vitality and crucial wisdom held by ancient cultures.
Documentation eNorscia said that when a healer is found, Ringing Rocks always initiates the relationship by asking what the elders and healers would like to share, how they would like to share it and how the Foundation can help. “We work to preserve the part of a culture that you can preserve,” DeNorscia said. “For example, the stories, songs, dances, rituals and the things that make a culture unique. “We’re not trying to keep people living in grass huts without access to television and other modern amenities,” DeNorscia said. “We’re not trying to keep people in the past. We’re trying to help conserve those parts of the culture that are beautiful and unique and add to this total fabric of the human spirit.” Ringing Rocks has published a 10-volume set of books called Profiles in Healing, which feature first-person accounts by indigenous healers from around the world who share how they became a shaman and what that means in their culture. In addition to that set, Ringing Rocks has published a number of other books, including “Milton H. Erickson, M.D. An American Healer” and have had their work compiled into one volume published by Sounds True in the book “Shamans of the World: Extraordinary First-Person Accounts.” “These publications are not us interpreting what the healers are saying,” DeNorscia said. “It’s their words. It’s them telling their story. We don’t try to filter it. We don’t try to explain it. It’s them telling their story. We also offer a DVD about Walking Thunder, Diné Medicine Woman, doing a healing.” In conjunction with Wellness Television, Ringing Rocks produced a short documentary film that follows Walking Thunder as she performs a sand painting healing. The film, shot on location at Walking Thunder’s home in New Mexico, begins with her discussing her life as a Diné healer and her role within the healing process. As she begins the sand painting she discusses the importance of the colors and symbols she is using to help her patient. Ringing Rocks has helped indigenous people keep their culture alive in many creative ways. The process starts by listening to what the elders want to achieve. Two good examples of this ingenuity are the projects Ringing Rocks supported in Bali and Namibia. “In Bali, the traditional healers are called Balians,” DeNorscia said. “The Balians would pass their wisdom on from generation to generation by writings on palm fronds called
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Photos by Pia Wyer The Healing Nautilus is a sacred space created to introduce people to some of the healers who have worked with Ringing Rocks. The objective is to educate people about the importance, vitality and crucial wisdom held by ancient cultures.
lontars. These palm fronds are in little stacks, like a Venetian blind. They are written in an ancient form of Sanskrit blended with Javanese, called Kawi. Because the language is only used for ritual purposes, it is slowly dying out and because the lontars need to be recopied every 50 years or so, if there is no one to recopy a lontar the wisdom on it will be lost.”
Ringing Rocks teamed with a university in Bali to digitally photograph and archive many of the lontars. Additionally, elders wanted members of the younger generation to again be interested in their heritage and culture. The idea for a contest was born. “Kids would take a lontar, translate
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it, learn to sing it and then perform it,” DeNorscia said. “It got the kids interested. Every other year, for about eight years, we’ve held this biannual contest and more and more kids are getting involved. The trophies have gotten bigger and bigger and the winning teams get so excited they dance through the streets with the trophy. It’s become a
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real source of pride with one village versus another village. It keeps alive the tradition of learning the lontar.” In Namibia, the bushman healers said their chain of knowledge was suffering under the toll of AIDS. Many elders were dying before imparting their wisdom to the next generation. Plus, many of the younger generations were going to the cities to get jobs to help feed their families. A total breakdown of the traditional passing on of knowledge was occurring. Modern technology was the answer to preserving ancient knowledge. They decided to film rituals, ceremonies and dances so that they could be passed on. A hut designed to hold a digital archive of audio and video recording of Bushman elders was created. The goal was to create a library of knowledge concerning their healing practices for future generations. The hut is solar powered, has a DVD player, DVD and CD recordings, photographs of traditional healers and material culture associated with their shamanistic practices. “This is completely accessible to the Bushmen themselves, so they can go and see their ancestors doing various healings and such,” DeNorscia said. “It’s called the Shaking House, which is the Bushman Healing Conservancy.”
Grassroots partnerships eNorscia said Ringing Rocks has worked with about 80 different cultures around the world. Ringing Rocks assistance is not about money. It’s about finding the most effective way to preserve the essence of a culture. “It’s about making sure the resources get to where they need to be,” DeNorscia said. “Learning what a culture needs and trying to find ways to make that happen. We do a lot of partnering with other organizations because we don’t have unlimited resources, so we look for partner organizations who are already doing certain types of work or who are working with a culture.” Ringing Rocks partnered with the Itgel Foundation in an effort to help conserve the traditional way of life of the Tsaatan people of northern Mongolia. More formally known as the Dukha, these reindeer herders are a nomadic tribe whose shamanic practices have allowed them to survive in one of the world’s most inhospitable climates. The Tsaatan are forced to relocate their camps every few weeks in order to sustain their herds of reindeer, who feed primarily on lichen and other high alpine vegetation. As a result of this necessity they must travel light. They live in ortz, what many think of as teepees, year-round, even as the temperatures drop to 50 below zero. “We helped bring in veterinarians and doctors because their reindeer had developed a modern disease that their shaman didn’t know how to deal with,” DeNorscia said. “So we helped bring in veterinarians who did some analyzing. BUT, it was done totally within the Tsaatan system so that the shaman could take over as the healer. It wasn’t like the vets were coming in to save the day. It was sharing knowledge with
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Photo by Pia Wyer Stephen DeNorscia is program and communications director at Ringing Rocks Foundation.
shamans so they could help things along in their own culture in their own way.” Another partnership was formed with the Rock Art Research Institute of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the preservation of rock art. The Bushman of Southern Africa have been depicting their spiritual understanding of the world in highly detailed cave paintings for thousands of years. “Some of the rock art they found in South Africa is 70,000 years old,” DeNorscia said. “So this is the oldest rock art in the world. Some images in this collection are thousands of years old.” Deteriorating ancient rock art images were digitally scanned and cataloged as part of this four-year partnership. During this project, RARI documented and preserved more than 170,000 images of ancient paintings throughout southern Africa. This collection has become the largest of its kind in the world and will be published on CD and made available to museums and interested institutions worldwide. Twelve digital photographs of the rock art, in conjunction with original art by
Sedona artist Peggy Sands, are currently on display at the Ringing Rocks Foundation.
Time has come eNorscia and Blystone said that more and more people are realizing the need to cooperate and understand that we are all part of a giant living entity. Development of the individual is a natural cycle of humanity. People develop their own individualities and learn what makes us separate and distinctly different. But individualism can move humanity only so far before focus must shift toward the collective. Things are shifting, DeNorscia and Blystone said. “It’s an evolution,” DeNorscia said. “We’ve gone about as far down this individual path as we can go. Others have been walking different paths and we are going to have to eventually learn their ways. It’s not that what we are doing is evil. It’s just that we are beginning to realize consequences that we didn’t consider in the beginning. So we have to adjust and move
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on. Systems have always done that.” We must all start seeing the consequences of our individual actions. “We are starting to understand what is uniting us, what brings us together and what will make us whole,” DeNorscia said. “It’s just part of the evolution. “We have, over the course of eons, experimented with lots of different wisdom and have learned lots of things about how humans interact with the natural world,” he continued. “We have learned about various medicinal properties of plants and how to live in harmony with nature—how to live within the scope of our areas. “We in the Western world have moved away from that. So, right at the time with humanity is waking up to the fact that we need to be living more sustainably on the Earth is exactly the time when a lot of the wisdom on how to do this is being lost. “Ringing Rocks is working to keep alive that knowledge. The understanding of medicinal plants, the understanding of how to live in harmony. Those aspects are what we think will be beneficial to everyone in the future.”
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New nonprofit promotes sustainable living
G
reen Place is a new nonprofit organized to make a difference in our communities one building at a time by reducing energy consumption and promoting smart growth. The Green Place mission is to promote and develop environmentally responsive, sustainable, healthy, energy efficient living, working and educational environments. “Global climate change begs us to transform the way we live on this Earth—the way we design and use space, affect ecosystems, use resources, produce goods and transport people and products,” said Green Place founder Kate Tittle. “The global warming crisis demands that we learn to balance the desire for money with the health of our planet and its inhabitants.” Statistics from the U.S. Green Building Council show that buildings use 71 percent of electricity in the United States and contribute 39 percent of carbon emissions. Green Place will help homeowners, businesses and schools remodel and retrofit buildings to be more green and energy efficient. The organization will raise money by providing building performance assessment services and selling EcoQuest products. Once financial resources are adequate, Green Place will concentrate on the development of affordable sustainable housing. “By promoting alternative energy and resource efficient renovations, Green Place can produce the funding necessary to develop affordable, green, sustainable and universal housing for lower-income and special needs residents,” Tittle said. The steps, in a nutshell, that Green Place has outlined are: 1. Fundraising via selling Ecoquest products, home energy audits and building performance assessments 2. Performing energy retrofits in low-income housing, including houses currently uninhabitable 3. Providing green housing for low-income residents 4. Building a community
Fundraising “As a nonprofit organization, I expect that a majority of our funds will come from chari-
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“Global climate change begs us to transform the way we live on this Earth. The global warming crisis demands that we learn to balance the desire for money with the health of our planet and its inhabitants.” Green Place founder Kate Tittle table contributions and grants,” Tittle said. “It is imperative, however, for the sustainability of any nonprofit to maintain diversified revenue streams as well.” Tittle, a distributor for Ecoquest products, said commissions from the sale of these products will be used to support the activities of Green Place. Green products available from Ecoquest include: water savers and purifiers, indoor climate enhancements, air purification products, natural nutritionals and personal products, “green” household cleaning products and a home energy management system to reduce electrical surgers and energy consumption. All these products can be viewed on the Web site www.ecoquestintl.com/greenplace. Additionally, Green Place will sell products for eco-friendly landscaping and gardening, for rain catchment and books about organic gardening, living green, energy efficiency and alternative and sustainable building.
Performance assessments Providing comprehensive building performance assessments—for a fee—will be another source of revenue. “The Green Place intention is to use funds to provide assessments, weatherization and rehabilitation to low-income homeowners,” Tittle said. “Building performance assessments will concentrate on energy efficiency, resource conservation and the entire environment.” They will be based on the following
criteria: 1. Use of native, drought-tolerant or other appropriate plants in landscaping 2. Size and species of turf area 3. Location of shade trees 4. Grouping of plants by water needs 5. Efficiency of irrigation systems 6. Use of mulch 7. Outdoor lighting 8. Rainwater collection 9. Existence of rain screens, overhangs and gutters 10. Indoor air quality 11. Insulation R-values and composition in ceiling and exterior walls 12. U-factor of windows 13. Exterior cladding 14. Roofing materials 15. Quality of door and surrounding encasements 16. Air barrier between garage and home 17. Existence of caulking and weather stripping 18. Insulation of hot water piping 19. Efficiency of water heater, toilets, shower heads and faucets 20. Efficiency of ventilation of bathroom fans 21. Efficiency of furnaces, boilers or heat pumps 22. Efficiency of air conditioning 23. Location, cleanliness, insulation and efficiency of ducts and filters 24. Efficiency of fireplace
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25. Test CO2 and formaldehyde levels 26. Energy Star rating on all appliances 27. Type of flooring 28. Type of lighting and controls Home and business owners will receive an evaluation report that will include recommendations for improvements, choices of local contractors who may provide these improvements and a list of tips for living green. “Many of the programs currently available are aimed at helping residents pay their energy bills, but little is available to assist them in making their homes more energy and resource efficient,” Tittle said.
Presentations, outreach Therefore, in its first year, Green Place will provide educational presentations and outreach programs to raise awareness. The organization will also explore opportunities to renovate currently uninhabitable properties that will either be sold or mortgaged for eligible low-income families. By year two, Green Place will be providing building performance assessments and energy audits for low-income homeowners. Improvements will be provided by local contractors who will be paid by Green Place. The organization also plans to pursue the purchase or donation of uninhabitable properties. “As building performance assessments, home energy audits and home improvements continue, we will have begun to reduce the negative environmental impact of buildings in our communities, while increasing the positive image of Green Place and what we stand for,” Tittle said. At that time, Tittle said, Green Place will begin to explore the development of a green affordable housing project. “Demographics will determine whether the project will focus on particular special needs groups or be open to all low-income residents,” she said. “There has been much controversy regarding affordable green housing—whether green can actually be affordable. With the myriad of new green building products on the market today and with a local concrete plant in our midst, I contend that it can be done locally.” For more infomation about Green Place, see www.greenplaceonline.org.
March 2009
Pain and illness are spiritual messengers
T
here is perhaps not a single one of us that hasn’t suffered from chronic pain or illness at one time or another in our lives. And if you are like most, you focused on the physical nature of that pain or illness, the outward symptoms. Indeed, you naturally defined that pain or illness by those symptoms. Chances are the health professional that you sought out did the same. And if you are one of the unlucky ones, that chronic pain or illness came to define you and your life. But what if there was something going on completely unrelated to those symptoms, a root cause, that was not physical, but which simply manifested through the physical? What if the true cause of your distress was at the level of subconscious mind, and that the only way the subconscious could communicate with you was through the body, as reflected in your symptoms? What if your body IS your subconscious mind? Then there would be a completely new way of viewing pain and illness, and that would be as spiritual messengers. Why spiritual? Isn’t that just granting even more symbolic power to pain and illness? Can’t we just say I woke up with a bad back this morning because I moved some heavy boxes yesterday? Or I have breast cancer because it runs in my family? This, of course, is the way most of us speak and think of these things now. But I use the term spiritual because there is growing evidence that pain and illness are nothing less than direct feedback, a referendum if you will, on the course and direction of your life. And, even more profound, they tend to disappear when the root cause—the emotional or energetic cause—is identified and resolved. Spiritual, then, is the only adequate
By Mike Davis description of such a messenger. Let’s start at the beginning. You probably think you are a physical being. But the last 60 years of quantum physics has established without much doubt that you are an energetic being, held together by electro-magnetic forces and “fields,” the likes of which we hardly can yet imagine, let alone comprehend. Quantum physicist Ervin Lazlo notes, “in the emerging concept of the new sciences there is no categorical divide between the physical world, the living world and the world of mind and consciousness. “Matter is vanishing as a fundamental feature of reality, retreating before energy; and continuous fields are replacing discrete particles as the basic elements of an energybathed universe.” As the eminent Jesuit scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin famously remarked, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Now, we can easily veer off course and begin to discuss the nature of our physical
reality and the role of consciousness, etc. But for now, let us take comfort in the fact that we are much more than just our physical natures. So what does this have to do with that pain in my back? Dr. Candace Pert concludes that “We can no longer think of the emotions as having less validity than physical or material substance, but instead must see them as cellular signals that are involved in the process of translating information into physical reality, literally transforming mind into matter.” Emotions take on an energetic life deep within you, and the only system designed to alert you to these repressed matters is your body. And the language of the body is “symptom.” Which is why that chronic back pain will swiftly disappear once the emotional basis of that pain is identified and resolved. And will do so in ways that defy the traditional laws of physical healing. Sound too easy? Such a mind-body communication system demands a level of brutal honesty, self-reflection and introspection that few of us possess, whether it be about ourselves or others. Many of our most repressed emotional traumas arise during childhood and may not even be within our conscious purview. Or the negative feedback may instead be about the direction of our life, our work, our purpose. This is where the spiritual or energetic healer may be required, to bring an intuited awareness to these issues and shift them from one’s field. But the exciting news is that pain and illness use a language to speak to us, and it is one that we can all learn. It is the language of location and function. The location of your pain or illness is no accident, and it typically concerns the basic function of the body part or organ that it
affects. Breast cancer has been described by Deb Shapiro as the “feminine wound” and likely concerns deep-seated inadequacies over one’s worthiness or sexual attractiveness. Lower back pain predictably concerns the carrying of an unfair or unwanted task or responsibility. Since your back is out of sight, it may concern issues you do not wish to see or confront. It may reflect resistance or conflict in some very fundamental direction of your life. It may be a simple as you not feeling supported in a time of struggle. If it is on your right side, then it involves male issues, and female issues if on the left. Perhaps this explains how we have all gone to bed with no symptoms, only to wake with severe back pain. What were we lifting in our sleep? While this is a very rudimentary introduction to the language of pain and illness, of symptom, if we can begin to discount or even ignore the physical symptoms and focus on the underlying emotional or psychological issue at its root cause, we will begin to bring our bodies under our conscious control. Direct awareness of what really ails us is the first step. Resolution of these issues or a change in the direction of one’s life will begin to bring a cessation of symptoms, for the message has been received. Make friends with your pain or illness. Listen carefully. It is telling you something that you cannot learn from any other source. It is a profoundly spiritual message. 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.
Community recycling could answer challenge
W
ell, folks, after recently moving to Prescott Valley, I found that it was not such an easy task to recycle those items that are a detriment to our planet Earth. It seems that these out-lying communities haven’t caught up with the need to bring about more public awareness and a way to make it more convenient for society as a whole to recycle. People need to realize the impact we have on the land just by throwing out trash. I found out by moving here that it cost money to recycle your basic plastics, glass, paper, cardboard, etc. I also learned that the companies that do recycle are making little to no profit in recycling, so they charge you. Personally, I feel it should not be about profit, but about good stewardship of our planet. It’s about teaching our children to be more conscious and aware of the impact careless disposal can have on our Earth. It is
March 2009
staggering. So what can we do as a community to ease the burden of cost to recycle in these hard economic times? How can we come together to teach and participate in this effort to slow
down the process and hopefully one day end the pollution we so carelessly create daily with our use of products? Here are a few suggestions. Let’s come together as a community by creating neighborhood recycling bins. Everyone can put in a few bucks a month to have a bin set in place in your neighborhood where you can take your recyclables? Approach churches in your neighborhood and see if they will designate a place in their parking lots to place recycle bins and see if they, too, would participate in a project that will benefit the community. Approach big businesses, like large store chains, and see if they will donate toward the cause by providing this service to their consumers. After all, they are selling these products to us and everybody should be responsible. Just a thought. Build a recycling community that can be a good example to other towns that are rural. School teachers can get the kids to help.
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Hey, you city council members, take a look at the long-term impact of creating such a useful project. We can make a difference in so many ways, but first we have to care enough to make an effort. I found one free resource for Prescott and Prescott Valley that is great. Check this out for your recycle needs. Check out the Freecycle network at www.freecycle.org. It is a great resource and is available to everyone. One more little tidbit. If you would like to add a little color in your business to encourage your patrons to help recycle, check out this site to purchase colored bins.www. flexcontainer.com/. So, please encourage your family, friends and neighborhood to do their part in helping the community. If we all give a little, it will go a long way. Wherever there is a problem, there is a solution. Let’s work together for change.
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Sudoku!
Find 24 words relating to spring
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains numbers 1 through 9. The puzzle has only one solution. The solution is on page 28.
Word Power
Ant Bee Bettle Blossoms Bud Butterfly
Caterpillar Cricket Daffodil Dandelion Flowers Garden
Insects Kite Leaves Plants Roots Seeds
Showers Spring Stem Thunderstorm Tulip Windy
Lapidate (verb) Pronunciation: [‘læp-ê-deyt] Definition: To stone, to throw stones at, to stone to death. Usage: Lapidate, unfortunately, has a large family: the process noun is “lapidation” and someone who throws stones is a lapidator. “Lapidary” is the adjective meaning “related to stones” and lapidable means “may be stoned (for),” as a lapidable offense. This word keeps arising in Nigeria, Iran and a few other countries, where this Old Testament and
Islamic form of the death penalty is applied to adulterers, most often women. Suggested Usage: Fortunately, most of us live in countries that have long since abandoned this ghastly form of execution, freeing the word for other uses: “Those who live in glass houses should not lapidate others.” In fact, in civilized nations, lapidation is a game played mostly by children: “Nothing evokes lapidation from a child like a lake or other body of water.”
Introducing barter ads Earth Odyssey in
Send info (who, what, when and where) to: editor@earthodysseyonline.com. Provide a telephone number or other contact information. Put “barter ad” in the subject line. The deadline is the 15th of the month for publication the following month (March 15 for April publication). Page 22
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March 2009
Kyle, Kylie, Jacob, Morgan, Daniel and Sarah each went to the grocery store and bought a number (5, 2, 3, 9, 8 and 4) of some type of plant (carrots, pears, onions, tomatoes, walnuts and asparagus). They each only bought one type of plant, however they differed in how much they bought. They carried the items that they bought to class. What did each person bring to class? 1. Jacob said that his items come from the stem of a plant. 2. Daniel was not the one who brought in four items. 3. Kyle said that his items come from the root of a plant. 4. Morgan brought in the least number of items. 5. Someone brought in eight walnuts. 6. Daniel’s items are vegetable. 7. Someone brought in four tomatoes. 8. Sarah’s items are vegetable.
9. Kylie said that the edible part of her items are the seeds. 10. Sarah brought in less than six items. 11. Someone brought in three carrots. 12. Someone brought in five onions. 13. Someone brought in nine asparagus. 14. Morgan’s items are fruit. 15. Daniel brought in less than six items. 16. Someone brought in two pears. 17. Kylie brought in less than nine items.
Riddle Me This
A dead man is found in a locked room hanging from the ceiling 4 feet above the floor. The room is completely empty, except for a puddle of water below him. How did he die?
Solutions on page 28
Solution on page 28 March 2009
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Page 23
Recurring Events Celiac (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 at (928) 595-2379 for more info.
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. Mondays—Heart-Centered Transpersonal Healing with Marsha Rand, MS, CCT, at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info, call (928) 308-6400 or (928) 277-1230. Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.—Spiritual, Intuitive and Empathic Readings with the Rev. Lana V. Ante at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info, call (928) 717-4499. Tuesdays, March 17 and 24, 6:15-7:45 p.m.—Introduction to Astronomy. This classroom-based course introduces students to the fantastic objects found throughout our universe and the techniques used to study them. Topics include planets, moons, asteroids, meteors, comets, stars, nebulae, supernovae, galaxies and space exploration. For those 13 and older. Cost: $14. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www.chandleraz. gov/veterans-oasis.
Now through April 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.—Arcosanti Annual Art Show. A range of unique art pieces and crafts will be available for viewing and for sale from each day of the exhibit. This year, the exhibit will feature bronze sculptures, paintings, jewelry, household crafts, needlework, photographs and more. Each of the 12 artists and craftspeople are of diverse backgrounds and ages, all sharing a love for Arcosanti life in the high desert of Arizona. For more information, contact the exhibit curator, Cliff Hersted, at (928) 632-6200.
Tuesdays, March 31-April 7, 6:15-7:45 p.m.—Handson Astronomy— This hands-on course teaches students techniques for observing the heavens. Topics include naked-eye observing; selecting, using and maintaining telescopes; using digital cameras for astrophotography; observing the sun safely; and using other astronomical tools, such as star charts, software, binoculars, filters, and tracking devices. For those 13 and older. Cost: $14. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www.chandleraz. gov/veterans-oasis.
Monday nights, 7 p.m.—Self Search/Channeled 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,
Second Tuesday night through May, 5 p.m.-7:45 p.m.—Free nature-based activities for all ages. Activities change each month and may include crafts, hikes, movies, stories, music and science labs. Registration is not required; just stop on by and join the fun! Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 7822890 or visit www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis.
Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.—Spiritual, Intuitive and Empathic Readings with the Rev. Lana V. Ante at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info, call (928) 717-4499. Saturdays, 2 p.m.-6 p.m.—Astrology with Linda Myers at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info, call (928) 445-8545.
Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.—Intuitive Readings with Dona Elia at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info, call (928) 445-8545. Wednesdays in February and March, 6:30 p.m.8:30 p.m.—Soap Making Class, Rimrock (near Camp Verde). Learn how to make all natural handmade soaps from vegetable oils. Also, we will be making natural body balms, bath fizzies, and spritzers. All materials provided and participants will each take home products valued at $50 retail. Taught by Vyktoria Keating, owner of Pie Town Soap Co. Cost is $100 for four classes. Refreshments provided. For more info and to sign up, call or e-mail (928) 204-0537 or vyktoria@sedona.net. 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, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.—Spiritual, Intuitive and Empathic Readings with the Rev. Lana V. Ante at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info, call (928) 717-4499. Thursdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.— Tai Chi Class, Instructor, Rick Clark. Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N. Hwy. 87, Pine. (928) 476-3410. Thursdays through April 9, 6:15 p.m.-7:45 p.m.—Astronomy Lecture Series. This unique four-part lecture series by astronomer Howard Israel covers fascinating topics in the exciting field of astronomy, from the origins of astronomy to current and future research. Cost: $8 per class. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www. chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. Fridays—Intuitive Readings and Bodywork with Joseph Drew at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info, call (928) 830-4030.
Sundays through May, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.—Go Green Farmer’s Market, intersection of Craftsman Court and Fifth Avenue, Scottsdale. The Go Green market will offer local produce and products related to health, wellness and sustainable living. This market will feature artist demonstrations, guided meditations, yoga, music and story time in the adjacent Kiva Courtyard. For more info, call Phone: (623) 848-1234 or see http://arizonafarmersmarkets.com/pageScottsdaleGoGreen/ScottsdaleDTGoGreenSun.htm__. Sundays—Tea Leaf Readings with Sheryl Tilley at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info, call (928) 899-5064.
Nonrecurring Events March 1, 2 p.m.—How Astronomy and Science Helped Create the Ancestral Puebloan World: What Archaeoastronomy Tells Us about Puebloan Culture, Red Rock State Park. Join Bryan Bates, Archaeoastronomer, as he shares his research into the astronomical world of the ancestral Puebloan peoples from Chaco Canyon National Historic Park, Wupatki National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park. Here in the Southwest the ancestral Puebloan peoples created an intricate astronomy, which allowed them to plan for planting, hunting, the change of seasons and their religious ceremonies. This program is sponsored by the Benefactors of Red Rock SP. Reservations recommended, seating limited, in the park theater. (928) 282-6907. March 3, 6:30 p.m.-8:15 p.m.—Moonwalk. Explore
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Send info (who, what, when and where) to: editor@earthodysseyonline.com. Provide a telephone number or other contact information. Put “calendar submission” in the subject line. The deadline is the 15th of the month for publication the following month (March 15 for April publication). Page 24
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March 2009
Veterans Oasis Park at night and observe the moon through a telescope with the park’s assistant naturalist. Have a picnic (on your own) at one of the park’s ramadas ahead of time! Bad weather may cause this program to be altered or cancelled. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This program is perfect for scouting groups! Cost: $5. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www.chandleraz. gov/veterans-oasis. March 4, 6:30 p.m.—Film and Discussion: Live (on tape) from the DNC! Michael Belt presents “Our Response to the DNC,” a short film created to explore the relationship between the protests at the Democratic National Convention and their relationship to local community issues. Peace & Justice Center Spring Community Event Series. Prescott College Crossroads Center. For more info, e-mail JustPeaceAZ@gmail.com.
March 4, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.—Raising Urban Chickens With Myron Mykyta, Downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central, Phoenix. Chickens make great pets, efficient bug and weed eaters and excellent soil tillers, not to mention that they provide us with wonderful fresh eggs! For more info, see http://www. phoenixpermaculture.org. March 6, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.—In conjunction with Payson’s “First Friday on Main Street,” Down the Street Art Gallery, 703 W. Main St., is having a “Palette Madness” event, featuring live painting demos in several media including acrylics, inks, pastels and watercolors, with artists painting portraits, landscapes and still-life. Refreshments and fun. For more info, call (928) 468-6129. March 6, 6:30 p.m.— The local showing of LUNAFEST, the fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their communities. Elks Opera House, Prescott. Tickets are $5 in advance for students, $7 in advance for general admission/$10 at the door. For information and tickets please contact the Women’s Empowerment Breakthrough at (928)-350-2298. March 6-8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.—Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival. Fine art and the state’s largest wine tasting event, featuring first class wines from all over the world, live musical entertainment, gourmet food, surrounding specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants and outdoor cafes. For more info, see http://www.carefree.org/. March 7—Early Survival Methods, Red Rock State Park. Learn about some of the early survival methods used by the Sinagua Indians over 1,000 years ago. Join Roy Julian in weaving sandals made from yucca fiber at 11 a.m. Observe four prehistoric fire-starting methods demonstrated by Al Cornell at 12:30 p.m. Then at 1:30
March 2009
p.m. learn about the atlatl and dart, an earlier form of the bow and arrow and participate in throwing this instrument with Bob Sizemore. Reservations recommended. (928) 282-6907
March 7, 8 a.m.-Noon—Monthly Family Bird walk, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. Volunteers from the Desert Rivers Audubon Society will lead guided bird walks through Veterans Oasis Park. Participants will observe the many species of birds that populate central Arizona’s desert and wetland habitats. Bird walks depart from the Environmental Education Center about every 30 minutes. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 7, 8 a.m.—Ostrich Festival 5K Family Fun Run, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park East. Participants can run through the streets of Chandler on the course that will travel up and down Arizona Avenue. For more info, call (480) 963-4571 or see www.chandlerchamber.com. March 7, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.—Land Navigation with a Map and Compass (Basic), The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. GPS technology is great, but every outdoor enthusiast should know how to find their way using just a map and compass. This class is perfect for hikers, campers, hunters, anglers, and anybody who loves to get outside! Navigation skills aren’t just useful; they’re fun, too. For ages 16 and older. Cost: $28. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 7, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.—Energetic Tools for an Energetic Universe, a one-day experiential workshop with John English, Unity of Divine Love, Chandler. For more info, or to register, see www.mydreamtimellc.com. March 7, 10 a.m.—Ostrich Festival Parade. The parade travels south along Arizona Avenue, from Ray Road to Chicago Street. There will be floats, bands, equestrian units and community groups showing their community pride! For more info, call (480) 963-4571 or see www. chandlerchamber.com. March 7, 7 p.m.—Musical Performance: David Rovics. Songs of Social Justice with the activist singer/songwriter. Peace & Justice Center Spring Community Event Series. Prescott College Crossroads Center. For more info, e-mail JustPeaceAZ@gmail.com.
eco-friendly pack llamas. Reservation required. Call 8962425 for more details. Free with park entrance fee of $6 per vehicle; annual passes available. March 8, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.—Family Fun Hike at Javelina Canyon. Enjoy a family fun hike with Garden staff and volunteers at the world’s largest city park–South Mountain. Recommended for ages seven and up with an accompanying adult. We will discover the Javelina Canyon Trail, an easy two-mile roundtrip hike, starting from the Beverly Canyon parking lot south of Baseline Road at the end of 46th Street. This beautiful hike will feature interpretation of the diverse plants and wildlife that call South Mountain home. Hike includes plenty of hands-on learning and desert-themed activities. Bottled water and make-your-own trail mix kits are provided. Limit 15. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. March 8, 2 p.m.—Geology Hike at Red Rock State Park. Reservations may be required. Bring water and wear comfortable shoes. Call (928) 282-6907. March 9-11—Going Green East 2009, Four Seasons Hotel, Boston. Green Entrepreneurs Take on Big Business; Co-Presented by AlwaysOn and Morgan Stanley. This two-and-a-half-day executive event features CEO presentations and high-level debates on the most promising emerging green technologies and new entrepreneurial opportunities. For more info, see http://alwayson.goingon.com/ecom/productview/30326. March 10, 6 p.m-8:30 p.m.—Desert Botanical Garden, Green Series at the Garden, Seeking Slimy Green Solutions to Our Fuel Crisis. Review several exciting approaches to “slimy green” fuel production under way at ASU. Presented by Neal Woodbury, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Biodesign Institute at ASU. $20 per person to attend. For more info, see https://secure. asufoundation.org/pcep/course_listing.asp. March 10, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.—Beginning Bird watching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond. Designed specifically for beginning birders or anyone wishing to become more familiar with birds, this class combines interactive classroom sessions with fun outdoor field trips to great local birding hotspots. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. March 10-12—Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Connecting 5,000 renewable energy power professionals with 300 exhibitors for three days of networking, new business negotiation and the exchange of important ideas and information impacting the renewable energy industry today. For more info, see http://rewna09.events.pennnet.com.
March 11, 6:30 p.m.—Movie Night: 7th Street (2003) Actor and filmmaker Josh Pais documents the life and history of the stretch of Alphabet City in NYC, where he grew up and the eccentric mainstays of the neighborhood who were eventually forced out via gentrification. Peace & Justice Center Spring Community Event Series. Prescott College Crossroads Center. For more info, email JustPeaceAZ@gmail.com. March 11, 6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m.—Introduction to Bird watching, The City of Chandler Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. This class covers the where, when and how of birding in central Arizona, including bird identification, equipment and birding opportunities. It includes two Saturday field trips with dates and times to be determined in class. Optional guidebooks will be available at a discounted price. For those 16 and older. Cost: $12. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit the Web site at: www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 12—Green Ideas, LEED-NC Exam Prep Seminar. The seminar covers an introduction to green building, overview of the industry, sustainable design principles and concepts, and application of the LEEDNC Green Building Rating system. The Phoenix Convention Center, as part of the Southwest Build-It-Green Expo, Phoenix. For more info, contact Education@ Egreenideas.com or call (602) 635-7926. March 12—Green Ideas, O&M Rating System Review. This seminar covers an introduction to green building, overview of the industry, sustainable design principles and concepts, and application of the O&M Green Building Rating system. This is accomplished by guiding participants through the use of the LEED project checklist, reviewing case studies of different project types from around the country, discussing the LEED registration and certification process and application of the new LEED programs. The instructor then provides a detailed analysis of the LEED Rating System, including a review of all categories, prerequisites, credits, points and submittals required for each credit. The Phoenix Convention Center, as part of the Southwest Build-It-Green Expo, Phoenix. For more info, contact Education@ Egreenideas.com or call (602) 635-7926. March 13, 7 p.m.—The Journey through the Medicine Wheel, DreamTime LLC presents guest speaker and Shamanic Healer, Stephanie Phelps, for a FREE presentation at Borders Paradise Valley, 4555 E. Cactus, Phoenix. For more info, or to register, see www.mydreamtimellc.com. March 13, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.—The Gift of Relationship. Hear John English speak during this FREE presentation at Kensho Awareness Center, 1438 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, Calif. For more info, or to register, see www.mydreamtimellc.com. March 13-14—Southwest Build-It-Green Expo and Conference, Phoenix Convention Center. The BuildIt-Green Expo s Arizona’s largest green conference with more than 500 anticipated exhibitors showcasing sustainable products and services impacting every area of life. For more info, see http://azbigmedia.com/content/ southwest-build-it-green-expo-conference.
March 8, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.—Build Your Own Rain Barrel With Chip Satterlund, 922 W. Pierson, Phoenix. For more info, send e-mail query to liz@phoenixpermaculture.net. March 8, 9 a.m.—Guided Hike with Llamas, Oracle State Park. Hike with ranger Cyn-d Turner and her
476-3410.
March 11, 6 p.m.—Full Moon Gratitude Drumming, Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N. Hwy. 87, Pine. (928)
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
March 13-15—Annual Ostrich Festival, Tumbleweed
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Park, 2250 S. McQueen Road, Chandler. Friday, 4 p.m.midnight; Saturday, 10 a.m.-midnight; and Sunday, noon-11 p.m. Carnival, ostrich races, history fair, musical entertainment, vendors and demolition derby. For more info, see http://www.ostrichfestival.com/. March 13, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.—“The Gift of Relationship.” Hear John English speak during this FREE presentation at Kensho Awareness Center, 1438 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, Calif.
Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 14, Noon-2 p.m.—Beginners GPS Class, 1750 S. Greenfield Road, Mesa. Join our Optics Team on an informative Beginners GPS Class. This class is FREE and GPS are not required to attend, however if you do have a GPS you are welcome to bring them. For more info, contact Tommy Valentino at (480) 558-1111, or see www.sportsmanswarehouse.com.
March 13-14—Go Green Expo, Philadelphia. For more info, see www.gogreenexpo.com. For sponsorship information or to exhibit, please contact: Seth Berk, Go Green Expo, LLC, (212) 655-4505 x244 or SBerk@ GoGreenExpo.com.
March 13-14—Southwest Build it Green Expo and Conference—Arizona’s largest green conference with more than 500 anticipated exhibitors. The BuildIt-Green Expo showcases sustainable products and services impacting every area of life. Topics covered in the Southwest Build-It-Green Expo & Conference will include: green awareness, solar power, water efficiency, sustainability, LEED Certification, etc. Phoenix Convention Center. For more info, see http://azbigmedia. com/content/southwest-build-it-green-expo-conference. March 14, 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.—Composting in the Southwest Desert With Jim Muir, downtown Phoenix Public Market meeting room, 721 N. Central Ave. Learn and understand composting from the expert—Organic/ Bio-Dynamic gardener, author and lecturer, Jim Muir. For more info, see http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org. March 14, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.—Your Relationships: A Pathway to Personal Power, a one-day experiential workshop with John English in Laguna Beach, Calif. For more info, or to register, see www.mydreamtimellc.com. March 14, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.—Plant to Plate: Herbally Speaking. Have you ever gone to a garden shop, taken home some big beautiful herb plants, and then asked yourself, “Now what?” Do you wonder about the right time to water or pick your herbs? Get the answers to these and other herb questions as we learn how to choose, plant, water, harvest and taste herbs in this starter class. Students under 16-years-old must be accompanied by a registered adult. Cost: $8. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 7822890 or visit www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 14, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.—Celebrate the Equinox Sun Science and Safety. Get ready for the Vernal Equinox on March 20 by learning about the sun, its connection with Earth, and the benefits and dangers of the sun’s powerful rays. For ages: 6-13. Cost: $8. Environmental Education
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tional uses of plants). Take a guided tour around Veterans Oasis Park to learn the many uses of desert plants. The tour will be followed by an informational discussion and a tasting session in which participants will get to sample some of the desert’s tasty and nourishing delights! For those 16 and older. Cost: $15. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 7822890 or visit www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. March 21, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.—Your Relationships: A Pathway to Personal Power, a one-day experiential workshop with John English in Scottsdale. For more info, or to register, see www.mydreamtimellc.com. March 21, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Opening the Energy Gates Chi Gung for Vitality Class. Learn Tai Chi health exercises used effectively in China for chronic fatigue, burnout, immune deficiency, cancer, degenerative diseases, arthritis, heart disease, pain, and high performance. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick St., Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426.
March 14-15, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.—Energetic Resolution Technique™ Level I Workshop. Learn to rapidly clear root causes underlying physical and emotional issues. Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426. March 14-15—2009 Archaeology Expo, Pueblo Grande Museum & Archaeological Park, Phoenix. The Expo provides a special opportunity for visitors to learn more about why it’s important to preserve archaeological sites and historic places; what archaeologists, historians, and tribal members do in their jobs; and about the prehistory and history of Arizona. Both days will feature workshops, craft demonstrations, displays and booths, living history re-enactors, storytellers, Native American demonstrators and entertainers, hands-on activities, free raffles and local ethnic food. FREE. (602) 542-4009. March 15, 2 p.m.—Soldier and Indian Trails of the Verde Valley, Red Rock State Park. Jerry Ehrhardt, 2007 award winner of the Governor’s Archaeology Advisory Commission’s Award, will present what started out as a proposal to scout and record several prehistoric ruin hilltop sites that had been spotted by an airplane doing an aerial survey of Sycamore Canyon, has turned into a major discovery of 125 previously unknown prehistoric Honaki Phase sites. Reservations recommended, seating limited, in the park theater. (928) 282-6907. March 17, 8:30 a.m.—Water Resources Research Center 2009 Annual Conference – Best Practices for Stakeholder Engagement in Water Resources Planning. The University of Arizona, Student Union Memorial Center Ballroom. Early bird registration is $55. After Feb. 16 cost will be $65. No charge for students, but registration is required. To register, see www.cals.arizona. edu/azwater/programs/conf2009. March 17, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.—Beginning Bird watching at Desert Botanical Garden and Beyond. Designed specifically for beginning birders or anyone wishing to become more familiar with birds, this class combines interactive classroom sessions with fun outdoor field trips to great local birding hotspots. To register, log on to www.DBG.org and click the education tab, or call the Desert Botanical Garden Registrar@ (480) 481-8146. March 18, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.—Ethnobotany (tradi-
March 21, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.—Energetic Resolution Technique™ Group Healing Session. Rapidly clear root causes underlying physical and emotional issues. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick St., Prescott. For more info call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426.
March 23, 7 p.m.—The Hazards of Unreclaimed Mines presented by Prescott College student Heather Glodek. Abandoned mines pose many hazards to community safety and health, including the risk of hikers falling into unmarked, open mine shafts and contamination of local water sources. This event will examine these and other hazards and will offer some possible solutions for mitigating the risks. Prescott College Crossroads Center. For more info, contact Glodek at (928) 533-6062 or hglodek@prescott.edu. March 24, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.—A.K.A. Green Events, Intro to Solar PV. Thinking of going solar? Solar expert Lee Feliciano can help you sort through the facts and fictions about using solar energy. For more info, see http://akagreen.com/workshop.php.
Crossroads Center. For more info, e-mail JustPeaceAZ@ gmail.com. March 26, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.—Poet Tony Hoagland, Founders Suite at Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St. Hoagland will present an informal dialogue at 2 p.m. and a reading at 7 p.m.. For info, contact Susan Lang at (928) 778-4970, or slang2@mindspring.com Free and open to the public. The Southwest Writers Series is sponsored by Prescott College, Prescott Public Library and Arizona Commission on the Arts. March 26, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.—A.K.A. Green Events, Green Foreclosure. An unfortunate by-product of the current economic situation is the many foreclosure homes on the market that have been stripped of anything that is removable. The silver lining is that this condition affords homebuyers the opportunity to invest some of their foreclosure cost savings into creating a more energy-efficient, healthier home for their family and the planet. Come hear from foreclosure specialist Ken Clark about the current state of the Valley's foreclosure market and from an a.k.a. Green expert on the green remodeling opportunities related to a stripped home. For more info, see http://akagreen.com/workshop.php. March 26, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.—Homelessness, a roundtable discussion hosted by The Ripple Project of Prescott College. Room 206, Crossroads Center, behind the College’s main buildings at 220 Grove Ave. For more info, contact Lianne Rydell, Service-Learning Coordinator, at (928) 350-1002, or lrydell@prescott.edu. March 26, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.—Complete Streets Town Hall: The future of bikes in Prescott, Prescott College Crossroads Center More info and updates are at Prescott Alternative Transportation (928) 708-0911and www. prescottbikeped.org. March 28-29, 9 a.m.—2009 Outdoor Expo at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in north Phoenix. The Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo provides the public with education and information through activities, demonstrations and exhibits in the areas of hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, archery, off-highway vehicle and watercraft recreation, conservation and wildlife education, camping and other outdoor recreation elements. For more info, see www.azgfd.gov/expo.
March 25, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.—Soap Making Class presented by Vyktoria Keating owner of Pietown Soap Co. Learn how to make all natural handmade soaps from vegetable oils. All materials provided, and participants will each take home soap! This is guaranteed to be a fun filled and informative class! Minimum of four students required for class so sign up early. Students must bring pen and paper for note taking and plan to arrive around 5:45p.m. Cost is $35. Held at Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N. Hwy. 87, Pine. (928) 476-3410. For more info or to register, call (928) 204-0537 or vyktoria@sedona.net. March 25, 6:30 p.m.—Musical Performance: Emma’s Revolution: Music of Hope! Peace & Justice Center Spring Community Event Series. Prescott College
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
March 28, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Butterflies and How to Attract Them to Your Yard. Snouts, hairstreaks, and dogfaces—Arizona has a fantastic array of butterfly spe-
March 2009
cies! Learn about the lifecycle of these amazing insects, from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly. Learn about all the obstacles they go through just to become a butterfly. Find out what plants you need as nectar plants and host plants to attract butterflies to your backyard. The class also includes tips on where to see butterflies in Arizona, suggested books for learning more about butterfly gardening and hands-on butterfly examples. Handouts are provided. For those 16 and older. Cost: $14. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www.chandleraz. gov/veterans-oasis. March 28, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.—A.K.A. Green Events, Soy Concrete Stain and Resurfacing System. Join our knowledgeable trainers for this hands-on educational workshop. Learn about the ecological benefits of soy-based concrete stains and resurfacing systems and why these products are much healthier for the environment, for you and for your home. Experience for yourself just how easy prepping, mixing and applying this eco-friendly product can be. $75. For more info, see http://akagreen. com/workshop.php. March 28, Noon-2 p.m.—Fire by Friction. There is something magical about making fire with tools crafted from one’s environment. Class participants will learn to procure fire with primitive methods. We will focus on using the bow drill method to make fire without the use of matches nor flint and steel. For those 10 and older. Cost: $25. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis.
April 1, 6:30-8:15 p.m.—Moonwalk. Explore Veterans Oasis Park at night and observe the moon through a telescope with the park’s assistant naturalist. Have a picnic (on your own) at one of the park’s ramadas ahead of time! Bad weather may cause this program to be altered or cancelled. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Cost: $5. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www. chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. April 7-14, 10 a.m.-noon—Medical Chi Gung & Tai chi for Vitality. For better balance, more energy, less pain, improved well-being. Yavapai College, Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426. April 11, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Longevity Breathing & Tai Chi Circling Hands for Vitality Class. Learn Tai Chi health exercises used effectively in China for chronic fatigue, burnout, immune deficiency, degenerative diseases, arthritis, better balance, more energy, less pain, and high performance. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick
March 2009
Register now for Verde Valley Birding Festival
R
egistration for the 2009 Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival began Feb 1. The festival will be held at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood April 23 thru 26. The theme for this year’s event is “The River is the Reason” and will feature field trips, guided walks and presentations focusing on the Verde River. Many favored events from past years will be included this year, such as the trip to the Grand Canyon to view the famed condors plus lunch at the historic El Tovar Restaurant or a guided canoe trip on the Verde River followed by a catered riverside brunch. New this year is birding on horseback on the state park trails and a just for fun kayak trip down the Verde. The keynote address and dessert reception will feature Jim Burns, Arizona birder, author and photographer. Workshops, exhibits and tradeshow round out the event. Workshops and field trips are led by experts who enthusiastically share their expertise in birding, geology, area history and other areas of specialization. Pronounced an “Arizona Tourism Treasure” by Arizona’s Governor Janet Napolitano, this is an extraordinary festival, with
Photo by Susan Beach The 2009 Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival will take place April 23-26 at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood.
something for everyone, from birding beginners to experts, lovers of nature and lovers of learning. Saturday is a free “Family Nature Fair” with activities for children and parents
alike. For more info about all the events and activities, or to register, visit the Web site at www.birdyverde.org/ or call Barbie at (928) 282-2202.
St., Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426.
info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www.chandleraz. gov/veterans-oasis.
April 11, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.—Group Healing Session. Rapidly clear root causes underlying physical and emotional issues. Backway’s, 250 S. McCormick St., Prescott. For more info, call Susan Kansky (928) 925-3426.
April 16, 7 p.m.-8 p.m.—Read Green. A new book club for anyone who likes to read about nature, the environment and the outdoors. For April, please come prepared to discuss “The Long Emergency” by James Howard Kunstler. For those 13 and older. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis.
pilgrimage welcoming Indigenous elders and future wisdom keepers representing the voice of Mother Earth beginning Earth Day weekend throughout Northern Arizona. The heart of the gathering will be the fourth reunion of the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas. The intention is to unite and share the invited wisdom keeper's visions and prophesized ceremonies for peace and harmony for Mother Earth and all humanity. For more info, see www. instituteforculturalawarness.com.
Tuesday, April 14, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.—Welcome to Arizona! (The Sonoran Desert for Newcomers). If you’re a newcomer to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert (and even if you’re not), you may sometimes feel like you’re on another planet. The goal of this program is to help you feel more “at home” in our desert environment. Join us for a discussion of the plants, animals, climate and scenery of this strange but wonderful land. For those 16 and older. Cost: $6. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 782-2890 or visit www. chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis. April 16, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.—Cost Efficient Steps for Home Energy Conservation. Free workshop. Do you have a plan to tackle increasing utility costs? OneSolar, a Green Energy Systems Consultancy, presents a step-bystep plan for making your home energy independent. You’ll learn to improve your home’s energy efficiency with multiple components, then transfer your home to renewable energy sources, starting with the most efficient solar energy available today’s solar water heating. Learn how to reduce your energy use and environmental impact without changing your lifestyle or utilities budget. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more
April 22, 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.—Celebrate Earth Day EEC style! After school crafts, games and other activities to learn how to protect our environment and make every day Earth Day! For ages 6 to 13. Cost: $8. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 7822890 or visit www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis.
April 18-28—The Return Of The Ancestors Gathering. The Institute for Cultural Awareness presents a historic International multicultural gathering and sacred
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
April 25, Noon-2 p.m.—Water: How to Find it in the Outdoors. Water is one of the most vital needs when enjoying the outdoors in Arizona. In this class, students will learn methods for procuring water in Arizona’s dry environment. The emphasis will be on finding and using water safely but with a minimal amount of effort. For those 10 and older. Cost: $9. Environmental Education Center, northeast corner of Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. For more info, call (480) 7822890 or visit www.chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis.
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Cookie jar’s value exceeds storing dessert Q: The pictured “Miss Piggy” cookie jar was purchased 59 years ago in Wisconsin. Her cheeks, nose and collar are a peach color, while her ears, feet and dress are trimmed with red; she also has gold trim. She stands almost 12 inches tall and is in perfect condition. What can you tell me about my cookie jar? A: Shawnee Pottery, located in Zanesville, Ohio, made your cookie jar. They were in business from 1937 to 1961. Her name is “Winnie” and “Smiley Pig” is her male companion. Rudy Ganz, chief designer, created the Smiling Pigs cookie jars in 1942. A variety of accessory pieces accompanied the cookie jars, including salt and pepper shakers, pitchers and banks. Cookie jars decorated with gold or decals are prized by collectors. They were pieces with imperfections that did not pass factory inspection and then were sold to decorator firms. Gold trim, decals and other trim were applied to conceal the flaws. Sold at higher prices, they were marketed by the decorator firms as hand decorated. Today they continue to be highly sought after by collectors. Listed in “Shawnee Pottery” by Jim and Bev Mangus, “Winnie” is worth about $900 to $1,100. Q: This mark is on the bottom of my porcelain figure of a young woman. Dressed in 18th century clothes, she stands on an ornate base while wearing a hat and holding a basket. The overall height is 13 inches, and she is in mint condition. Anything you can tell me about the manufacturer, age and value of my figure will be appreciated. A: Sitzendorf Porcelain Factory made your figure. They have been creating porcelain figures and decorative pieces in Thuringia, Germany, since 1845. Much of their work was inspired by early Meissen porcelain. Your figure was made in the early 20th century and would probably be worth $175
by Anne McCollam Creators Syndicate
Solar Advances
Sitzendorf Porcelain Factory creates pieces such as porcelain figures. The company has been located in Thuringia, Germany, since 1845.
The “Winnie” cookie jar, created by Shawnee Pottery, would probably be worth $900 to $1,100.
to $225. Q: I have a blue and white ironstone-covered tureen that I inherited from my grandmother. She received it when she bought furniture in 1925. Approximately 14 inches
Puzzle Solutions
Logic Puzzle Solution: Jacob came to class with 9 asparagus. Kyle came to class with 3 carrots. Kylie came to class with 8 walnuts. Morgan came to class with 2 pears. Sarah came to class with 4 tomatoes. Daniel came to class with 5 onions. Riddle Me This Solution: He stood on a block of ice and waited for it to melt.
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long, it is an oval shape that is decorated with a castle scene. Marked on the bottom are a castle and the words: “Old Castles— Made in England by Johnson Bros.— All Decorations Under Glaze Permanent & Acid Resisting Color—A Genuine Hand Engraving.” Thank you for any help and information you can provide. A: Johnson Bros. has made pottery in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England, since 1883. They are now part of the Wedgwood Group. Their “Old Castles” scenes were decorated with transfer prints that were reproductions of original hand engravings. They produced complete dinnerware lines with the castle scenes in both blue and pink. Due to its popularity, the dinnerware is still in production. Your 1925 covered tureen would probably be worth $200 to $225. Q: In 1929, when I was 3-years-old, I was given a child’s Windsor rocker with a wood seat. The back is round and has six vertical spindles. It stands 23 inches tall and has never been refinished. Anything you can tell me will be appreciated. A: Windsor rocker and chair designs were first made in 18th-century England and are still created today. Antique children’s chairs always appeal to collectors. The value of your circa 1929 rocker would probably be $125 to $175. Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
With energy manufactured directly from the sun’s rays and requiring no moving parts, solar energy is among the most promising of the alternative energies. With all the attention it’s garnering, improvements in efficiency are coming thick and fast. Current panels are able to convert only about two-thirds of the sun’s light into electricity, but Shawn-Yu Lin, of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., says he and other researchers are now harvesting 96.2 percent of available sunlight. First, they’re capturing more of the color spectrum. Current panels often have a blue cast, indicating that the blue portion of the spectrum is not being fully absorbed. Second, efficiency goes up when sunlight falls directly on the panel—some current arrays turn mechanically. But Lin and his colleagues take another approach: They’ve built a coating for their panels that is seven layers deep. Each layer enhances the nonreflective property of the layer below so that light is caught from all angles. Great. Now what about those pesky clouds?
Take Back my TV! Watchdog groups keeping their eyes on companies that aren’t earth-friendly have popped up all over the place. One of these groups grades TV manufacturers on the quality and scope of their recycling programs. That’s the good news; the bad news is that more than half of the TV companies received an “F,” having no recycling program of any kind. The group doing the grading is the ETBC, the Electronics Take Back Coalition. They’ve put Sony at the top of the recycling class, yet Sony only earned a “B minus.” “We want to see a lot more collection sites and a lot more transparency about what the recyclers are doing with these products,” said Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the ETBC. The ETBC hopes that consumers visit www.TakeBackmyTV.com to learn about manufacturers’ environmental records and to purchase new TVs accordingly. Doesn’t it seem unfortunate that the mandate to phase out old TVs didn’t come with a better means of disposing of them? Questions can be sent to Jim Parks at jrparks@mac.com.
March 2009
Movie follows rise, fall of GM’s electric car
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ell, there’s a lot of talk on energy these days, and also big government bailouts for car companies, so this month’s movie illustrates the link between the two. “Who Killed the Electric Car?” follows the development, use and erasure of the electric car. In 1996 GM’s EV 1 began to be a common sight on the roads in California, soon followed by Honda and Toyota with their own versions of the electric vehicle. This new vehicle was quite, fast—and most importantly—clean, with zero tailpipe emissions. Inspired by this, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) passed the zero emissions mandate that would require a small percentage, increasing each year, of cars produced to emit zero emissions. This mandate didn’t make the car companies do anything they weren’t already doing, but would prohibit them from abandoning the program. People loved the EV 1, from celebrities to us common folk. It was affordable; but there was a big problem. When people tried to buy it, they were not allowed. And to lease it was an extremely involved process that excluded many people. Even Mel Gibson had to write a resumé and prove that he was worthy of the car. Despite these speed bumps, the demand grew quickly, with waiting lists for cars yet to
Movie Reviews by Jason Allen
Movies that won’t make you dumber be built (they were making four a day). Then it caught the attention of the oil companies—mainly Mobil and Chevron Texaco—who put out false studies generating doubt about the positive environmental aspects. One such study said that running the car on electricity generated by coal plants is more pollutant than gas. Besides the fact that that claim has been proven false several times, it does not take into account all the people who generate their own clean electricity. Soon after that, GM started to sabotage its own creation by making ambiguous commercials, claiming there was no demand for the product, shutting down production lines and
laying off salespeople, starting with the ones having the longest waiting lists and working their way down. Eventually GM sued the CARB to repeal the mandate, refused to renew leases, seized all the EV 1s and crushed them (in Mesa). Additionally, Toyota and Honda shredded theirs in an effort to erase the electric vehicle from history. Of course, this story wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Bush administration’s role: They joined the suit against the
CARB and shifted focus onto the hydrogen vehicle, which uses four times as much energy as an electric vehicle, has no fueling infrastructure and is ridiculously expensive. Arnold’s Hydrogen Hummer was the flagship of this dirty trick, considering that the EV 1 plant was shut down one month after GM purchased the Hummer from AM General, and considering that the tax break for an EV 1 in 2002 was $4,000 and the tax break for a vehicle of 6,000 pounds or more—a Hummer—in 2003 was $100,000. A dedicated group of former EV 1 owners kept watch over the lot where the last 78 EV 1s were being stored, and even raised $1.9 million to try to buy them back from GM in a last ditch effort, but GM decided instead to crush them in early 2005, eliminating the last of them. For $8,000, you can purchase a kit to convert your own car into an electric one, which is discussed all the way at the end of the movie. I plan on getting one as soon as I win the lottery. One fact I found interesting is that our average vehicle on the road today is less efficient than the average vehicle 20 years ago—and GM wonders why people aren’t buying their cars anymore? They made one that could’ve saved them from this recent trouble, but they decided to walk backwards into the future.
Annual ranking of green vehicles shows progress
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he American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has released environmental ratings for model year 2009 vehicles. Manufacturers are fine-tuning their engines and transmissions, improving materials and adding emissions control technologies to complete the phase-in of Tier 2 tailpipe standards and get a head start on meeting new federal fuel economy standards. “The economic downturn may put the brakes on technology investment in some sectors,” said ACEEE Transportation Director Therese Langer. “But unstable fuel prices and a domestic auto industry in danger of being left in the dust by its foreign competitors make fuel efficiency technologies an essential investment in this business.”
March 2009
This year’s greenest title goes once again to Honda’s natural gas-powered Civic GX. The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid claim spots two and three, while the Smart Fortwo Convertible, the Toyota Yaris and the Nissan Altima Hybrid complete the top six. Others on the Greenest Vehicles list include conventional and hybrid-electric vehicles from both domestic and foreign automakers. This year, the Chevrolet Cobalt/Pontiac G5 twins and Chevrolet Aveo land in the 8th and 11th spots, respectively, showcasing the improving performance of domestic vehicles in ACEEE’s annual ranking. Just missing out on a top-12 spot are the diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen, part of a new crop of light-duty diesels this year. These notable newcomers
mark the official arrival of “clean diesels” that meet emissions standards in 50 states, previously unachieved by diesel-powered vehicles. Widely regarded as the pre-eminent buyer’s guide to environment-friendly passenger cars, trucks and SUVs, greenercars.org provides the facts necessary to examine the eco-performance of any 2009 model. Vehicles are analyzed on the basis of a “Green Score,” a singular measure that incorporates unhealthy tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption and emissions of gases that cause global warming.
Mean Machines The Meanest Vehicles list is topped by the Hummer H2 flex-fuel vehicle this year. Following closely behind are the Lamborghini Murcielago, the GMC Yukon 2500, the Mercedes-
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Benz G55 AMG and the Lincoln Navigator. Large, diesel-powered vehicles, previously prominent on the annual Meanest Vehicles list, are completely absent this year. As a result, 2009’s worst-performing vehicle scores two points higher than 2008’s meanest. “With upward movement at the bottom and near the top of the offerings, it’s tempting to conclude that the U.S. is really greening its fleet,” said vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan. “Sales figures will tell whether we’re really turning a corner, but putting more fuel-efficient models out there gives consumers a real choice.” This is the 12th year ACEEE has published Green Book® Online, the organization’s environmental guide to cars and trucks, available at greenercars.org.
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The importance of awareness in our daily lives
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have been unsettled lately. The past 18 months have brought great transformation on a very personal level. Certainly not alone in this transformation, it has been a journey filled with forced change, amazing friendships and deep losses. The world is also in this transformation where frustration runs rampant and discouragement permeates society. Hope, however, exists—although difficult to see or feel much of the time, hope is what will guide us toward a brighter future. Without hope, our future will be dim—a future I choose not to ponder all too often. Eco-living is only a part of the transformation that must take place. Whether we seek it or not, living in a more eco-friendly manner will become a reality out of either individual choice or pure necessity. The other part of the equation, which is also a main driver of eco-living and hope, is increased awareness. Awareness not only of our eco-systems, both also at the macro and micro levels, but of ourselves. After my recent trip to the Yucatan, I must share with you something that screams to me of great importance. Awareness will be the gap that separates humanity in the not too distant future. This gap is a fundamental one in which people either are or are not aware. Those who are aware will find room to maneuver and succeed in the coming years. Those who choose to remain void of this awareness, an aware-
Eco Living By Christopher J. Peacock
ness we are all capable of experiencing, will be subject to the tyranny of the world and in bondage to someone else’s expectations. Certainly not a New Age prediction or soft and fuzzy “chore” that we can choose to ignore, or a function business, political and religious leaders can do without. Becoming more aware should be at the top of everyone’s list, especially for those who seek an authentic eco-living space. Max Simon is an instructor and leader for a movement whose sole purpose is to teach people how to meditate (www.getselfcentered. com). In a recent e-mail, he reminded me that of our 80,000 thoughts per day, 79,000 of those thoughts are the same as yesterday. This reminder reinforced the reasons as
to why I write, coach and work with businesses—not to mention the reasons for my own meditative practices: productivity, innovation and change comes from the space those 1,000 thoughts create that are distinct from the previous day. I am passionate about helping people and organizations find the space necessary to transform their lives and organizations. Increasing new thought patterns by reducing the redundancy where change gets lost, fear resides and inaction occurs increases our awareness. This awareness also has health benefits. Just ask an Ascension Master like my friend Yogananda Ishaya or my former mentor in college, Dr. Sullivan, who is publishing a study on the health benefits of Buddhist practices. The point is when we increase our awareness, our understanding of the importance of eco-living begins to solidify. Our ability to make changes in our daily lives seems a little easier. Our ability to take action (however small) to live a more authentic life increases. We become more acutely aware of those around us who already have this eco-lifestyle and have the opportunity to learn from them. Since I began writing this column I have been introduced to a number of individuals who are DOING something toward sustainable living. They live in homes completely off the grid, offer products that are eco-friendly, or promote change in their communities that
leads to sustainable futures. They all also have a common practice—they are active about increasing their awareness on a regular basis. With varying religious viewpoints and traditions they practice increased awareness through meditation, contemplative prayer or simply by being still. The point is that there are a number of methods with various names to find this quiet space. When was the last time you transformed your life and followed your dreams rather than following the expectations of others? Are you ready to break free from the path of humanity that leads to dull and bleak future? Do you want to make a change in your life? Make it a goal to be still a few moments every day. Find this space of awareness. If you don’t have the tools to find this space ask for help from someone who does. I guarantee the practice of increasing your awareness will help you cope with the continuous changes and deep losses that are going to persist well into the future. More importantly, you will consciously begin making changes to your life that meet your eco-living goals and help lead us all toward a brighter future. Christopher is an executive coach focused on sustainable business and life practices. He also currently serves as the marketing and business director for a civil engineering firm in the Prescott area. He can be reached at chris@ aeleader.com.
Find your biofuel on the go
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riving cross-country or even around town in an alternative fuel vehicle used to require drivers to do a little homework to find the nearest fueling station—but not anymore. Consumers on-the-go can now access the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Alternative Fueling Station Locator using their cell phone, BlackBerry, or other personal digital assistant (PDA). The Mobile Alternative Fueling Station Locator allows drivers to find the five closest biodiesel, electricity, E85 (ethanol), hydrogen, natural gas and propane fueling sites. This convenient tool uses well-known, easy-to-navigate Google maps to automatically generate maps to fueling sites and lists each
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station’s contact information and business hours. Detailed driving directions and an instant phone connection to the station can all be accessed at www.afdc.energy.gov/stations. The mobile station locator is part of the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) Web site developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which manages the AFDC. The tool is sponsored by the Clean Cities initiative, a government-industry partnership sponsored by DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program. Clean Cities’ mission is to reduce petroleum use in the transportation sector. The program promotes alternative fuels and advanced vehicles, fuel blends, fuel economy, hybrid vehicles and idle reduction technologies.
March 2009
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
WORKSHOP AND LECTURE TOPICS
April 18 – 19 (Mayan Daylords 13 Noj, 1 Tijax) Title: Honoring Earth Day Weekend There will be an opportunity to partake in storytelling, cultural music, dances and ceremonies. Location: Red Rock High School, Sedona, AZ April 20 – 22 (2 Kawoq, 3 Ajpu, 4 Imox) Title: Healing the Ancestral Memories Activities: Ceremonies will be the focal point at the gathering through which attendees can learn the wisdom of the ancestors. Attendees will also be able to witness councils sharing from their ancestors’ songs and dances. The intention is to bring inspiration to the world, thus birthing clear decisions and manifesting a conduit of hope for the future generations. Location: Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, AZ
• Learning the history and the origin of the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas. • Seeking the healing of their ancestral memories to enable humanity to move forward. • Uniting and sharing wisdom keepers’ vision and prophesized ceremonies for peace and harmony for Mother Earth and all humanity. • Sharing a harvest of harmonic wisdom. • Gaining understanding to enable the world to fulfill the prophecies of their ancestors. • Witnessing councils sharing wisdom from their ancestors, songs and sacred ceremonies. • Looking at the truth including the tree of life, the seed of life and flower of life. • Learning specific instructions and guidance toward the reconnection to the natural laws. • Exploring the mysteries of the seen and unseen from the past, present and future. • Learning of indigenous prophecies: Hopi, Mayan, Incan, Lakota, Kogi, etc. • More workshops and lecture topics to be announced.
April 23 (5 Iq’) Title: Global Council of Original Teachings Activities: Northern Arizona University will host an indigenous wisdom elders’ forum. There will be Youth/Elder educational programs and inspiration of oral and written traditions. Location: Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
The Institute for Cultural Awareness is sponsoring 72 or more spiritual and cultural leaders and 28 youth council leaders from around the world. Our goal is to raise $1.5 million to bring these leaders to Arizona for the Return of the Ancestors Gathering.
April 24 (6 Aq’ab’al) Title: Grand Canyon Speaks Activities: Those who attend will have the opportunity to connect with Mother Earth at one of the natural wonders of the world during a sunrise ceremony. This will offer the opportunity to be alone with the creator ’s splendor. Location: Grand Canyon, AZ
MAKE A DIFFERENCE R One-time contribution of __________________ R Sponsor an Elder ______ (quantity) @ $5,000 each for a total of __________________ R Check or money order enclosed R Online Paypal donation R Contact me
April 25 – 26 (7 K’at, 8 Kan) Title: Pilgrimage to Hopi Lands Activities: The Hopi Nation will host an indigenous wisdom forum, an opportunity for Youth/Elder cultural exchange programs, and traditional ceremonies, including the eagle and condor dances. Location: Hopi Mesas, AZ
Name __________________________________________________________________
April 27 – 28 (9 Kame, 10 Kej) Title: Inspiring a new life plan Activities: Closing ceremonies will include farewell songs and dances from the local tribes and presentations of the stone tablets. Location: Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, AZ
E-mail __________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________ City __________________________ State ______ ZIP _________ Country __________ Telephone ___________________________ Cell ________________________________ Mail completed form to: Institute for Cultural Awareness, P.O. Box 1502, Cornville, AZ 86325 Phone: (928) 646-3000 OR (928) 646-0299 Online: www.instituteforculturalawareness.com
Earth Odyssey is the official publication of the Return of the Ancestors Gathering. To advertise in next month’s special issue, call Pia Wyer at (928) 970-1266.
March 2009
The Institute for Cultural Awareness is nonprofit 501(c)(3) and donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
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March 2009