Hello!
Are you also surprised that it is already May?!
Today, we want to share with you some of the cool happenings that we are up to and also share some resources!
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Last weekend: Beautiful time in the garden!
Thank you so much to all the lovely volunteers who joined us this Saturday to celebrate Earth Day. We had such a great turnout and beautiful weather. Our day started with the greetings of a local fox and throughout the day we had a hawk, salamander, plenty of birds, and a muskrat come say hello. We had around thirty people join us to volunteer including plenty of families from the area.
It was so beautiful to connect the community in one place. We were able to completely fill the boats down by the water with leaves and compost in order to grow flowers and other native pollinator plants. We dug tree circles, moved wood chips, drank tea, and ate bagels. We are so thankful for this great event and already have another event in the works!
Just starting:
Ashlei Laing and Maya Galimidi are engaging in a 2-week learning journey from May 6th to May 19th where they are asking questions in the Northeast and the Southeast about the future of (especially rural) education. We will let you know more as things unfold!
Community fire circle at ALNOBA on Saturday, May 18th, 7 pm, at 199 South Rd. Kensington, NH. If you’re interested in joining Rē and some of our incredible national and international partners send us an email at: admin@regenerativeschool.org
All are welcome!
Resources that are coming to our attention that you might also appreciate.
Cherokee Earth Dwellers: Stories and Teachings of the Natural World by Christopher B. Teuton (Cherokee Nation) & Hastings Shade (Cherokee Nation). Ayetli Gadogv—to "stand in the middle"—is at the heart of a Cherokee perspective of the natural world. From this stance, Cherokee Earth Dwellers offers a rich understanding of nature grounded in Cherokee creature names, oral traditional stories, and reflections of knowledge holders. Won second place in the 2023 Chicago Folklore Prize.
Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us Back into the Wild - Rev. Victoria Loorz takes readers into her own journey as a pastor of a church and finding Spirit in the "wild", including a family of deer in her own neighborhood, and her journey to starting "churches" outside of church walls. (You might also like this podcast that I did with her).
Myles Horton, We Make the Road by Walking Quotes: A classic that is always worth returning to! This book presents a 'conversation' between two imminent thinkers in alternative education: Myles Horton and Paolo Freire (known for his work on Pedagogy of the Oppressed).
The Land in our Bones: Plantcestral Herbalism and Healing Cultures from Syria to the Sinai - Earth-based Pathways to Ancestral Stewardship and Belonging in diaspora by Layla K. Feghali - a new release that explores what it means to engage with the traditional lands in areas that include Palestine, from the diaspora.
New Rules Damaging for US-based Coal Plants: Guardian article that looks at some new U.S. legislation that could seriously impact the continuation of coal plants.
BBC series: WITCH: The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries - from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture-driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch today? A fascinating series from the UK.
How Climate Change is reshaping New Hampshire Syrup Season: fascinating news item about local impacts of global climate change.
Mining for the Planet: A podcast series that dives into the harm of mining minerals, which, ironically, is often presented as a solution for climate change (such as for developing electric vehicle batteries and solar panels). Multiple seasons - the first follows the story of Piedmont Lithium bought up land in North Carolina - and how the community responded to it.
The Generous Wood: A May Almanac - from the Fair Folk podcast, this is a collection of European folk traditions and music around the month of May. Originally released in 2023, it is wonderfully relevant to the birds and blossoms of the season!
The World Is Ours to Cherish by Mary Annaise Heglar - A beautiful children's book by a truly talented writer who has been covering climate justice for years. The book is written in the form of a letter.
That’s all for this week!