Truffula Tuft Mom

Under construction. Check back again soon.

"Solutions to our problems start with us. We must not wait on outsiders."
Wangari Maathai

TEOTWAWKI poll

(the end of the world as we know it)

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Truffula Tuft Blog

The latest entries from my blog which covers peace, justice, environmental action alerts and political bits and pieces from a variety of sources.

Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Manitongquat's Prayer

from Honoring Earth: A Seventh Principle Project Worship Resource

O Humankind, are we not all brothers and sisters,
are we not the grandchildren of the Great Mystery?
Do we not all want to love and be loved,
to work and to play,
to sing and dance together?

But we live with fear.
Fear that is hate, fear that is mistrust, envy, greed, vanity.
Fear that is ambition, competition, aggression.
Fear that is loneliness, anger, bitterness, cruelty

And yet, fear is only twisted love,
love turned back on itself,.
love that was denied, love that was rejected.

And love...
Love is life - creation, seed and leaf
and blossom and fruit and seed.
Love is growth and search and reach and touch and dance.
Love is life believing in itself.

And life...
life is the Sacred Mystery singing to itself,
dancing to its drum, telling stories, improvising, playing.

And we are all that Spirit,
Our stories tell but one cosmic story that we are love indeed.

That perfect love in me seeks the love in you.
And if our eyes could ever meet without fear
we would recognize each other and rejoice,
for love is life believing in itself.

So may it be.

Groups and programs that teach earth care

Some of these are local to Los Angeles, others are national or international. Suggestions welcome.

School of Self Reliance: Chrisptopher Nyergis has a wealth of wildcrafting and outdoor survival skills to share. If you live in Southern California check out his wonderful classes.
Habitat Work: A nonprofit action group carrying out volunteer projects to improve the habitats of endangered and threatened species in Southern California. Get on their mailing list to find out about their restoration field trips.
National Wildlife Federation: The National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. They have a backyard habitat certification program and some great kids magazines (like Ranger Rick). The wesbite has info on endangered wildlife, volunteer opportunities, and activity sheets on things like building a schoolyard pond and being a tree detective.
Spiral Scouts: SpiralScouts, for both boys and girls, is based on Pagan beliefs and practices and is designed to be adaptable by other minority faiths as well. Scouts learn traditional woodland lore, camping and outdoor living skills, and also about many mythologies of the ancient world. There are troops in 20 US States, Canada and Europe.
Coyote Mentoring: Coyote Mentoring, developed by Jon Young and Wilderness Awareness School, develops the capacities of students for learning, problem solving, and full expression. It uses exploration of the natural world to engage students in the learning process by awakening their natural sense of wonder. This links to the program in Washington State, but if you Google "Coyote Mentoring" you'll find other wilderness programs using these methods.

Earth Care Activities

Watch Silkworms grow and spin: Here's a great slideshow of the lifecycle of a silkworm, created by 3rd graders in Union City, CA

Homesteads

Urban, prairie, mountain or somewhere in between - these are people who have taken big steps toward living lightly on the earth. They have a lot to share and I find them inspiring.

Path to Freedom: Founded by Jules Dervaes in 2001, Path to Freedom is a not for profit, family operated, urban homesteading project. Their yard, a standard size city lot in Pasadena Californa, has over 350 varieties of edible and useful plants. The homestead's productive 1/10 acre organic garden now grows over 6,000 pounds of organic produce annually, providing fresh vegetables and fruit for the family along with a viable income.
They have chickens, ducks, rabbits and goats. They brew their own biodiesel from waste vegetable oil to fuel their car. Solar panels provide their electricity needs, and they often use their solar cooker or their cob oven (which I helped build!) to cook meals. This family has taken many steps to bring about a homegrown revolution.
Earthaven Eco-village: My family and I visited Earthaven this summer and were impressed with the natural beauty of the area and the depth of the culture evolving and being created in the eco-village. It is in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. They are dedicated to caring for people and the Earth by learning, living, and demonstrating a holistic, sustainable culture.
D Acres: D Acres aims to combine the benefits of tradition and technology to improve the health of the planet and its inhabitants. The mission of the organization is to function as an educational center that researches, applies and teaches skills of sustainable living and small-scale organic farming. Striving to improve the human relationship to the environment, the center functions as a demonstration farm to role model exemplars of healthy living.
Dragonfly Farm: Dragonfly Farm in Webster, NH is dedicated to raising the finest natural meat and vegetable products while protecting the land and treating all living things with dignity and respect.
Dancing Rabbit Eco-village: Dancing Rabbit is an ecovillage set amid the hills and prairies of rural northeastern Missouri. Their goal is to live ecologically sustainable and socially rewarding lives, and to share the skills and ideas behind that lifestyle.

Wild Food Recipes

wheat free, sugar free, tasty, and as local as you can get

Chickweed Pesto Recipe

Try this antioxidant-rich Chickweed Pesto recipe for a delicious, nutritious treat!

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
2 cups chickweed leaves
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pulse your garlic fine in a food processor.
Add nuts and blend til they're finely chopped.
Add remaining ingredients and process until smoothe.
When you've got your desired consistency stir in a pinch of salt.

*The trick to a good pesto is to make sure you blend the garlic first, then the nuts. Otherwise, you'll end up with big chunks that can't be reduced once you've added the other ingredients.
Dandelion Greens

Dandelions are nutritionally rich, high in magnesium, calcium, potassium, and Vitamins A and C. Choose tender leaves in the spring or fall, before the plant has set a flower bud. Pick enough to fill a two quart container when pressed lightly. Discard brown, bug-eaten or damaged leaves. Put into gallon container, cover with cold water, add two tablespoons of salt, and let set for half an hour. This will release dirt and any bugs. Remove greens and rinse briefly. Put them in pan with a tight lid, add two inches of cold water and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are well wilted. Do not drain until serving, but add a little vinegar and salt.
Flower Petal Timbale

Start with 3 cups cooked short grain brown or white rice (enough to fill a 12 muffin tin). Add 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock.

Flowers to try - dandelion, rose, violas, calendula, pansies, yucca, any of the alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) squash or pumpkin flowers

Pick approx. 1 1/2 cups of recently opened flowers (older ones can be bitter). Remove the green sepals then slice across the base of the flower to release the petals. For large flowers chop into 1/2 pieces. Mix with the soaked rice, rubbing with fingers to break up and disperse petals.

Lightly oil the muffin tin, preheat the oven to 350. Press the rice mixture into each cavity. Bake for 5-10 minutes, then turn out and serve.

The Keepers Series

These books teach important environmental concepts by telling traditional tales from many different Indian peoples, each accompanied by instructions for related activities that have a holistic, interdisciplinary approach. The activities have been extensively field-tested and involve children in creative arts, theater, reading, writing, science, social studies, mathematics and sensory awareness. Highly recommended.