Wangari's Trees Of Peace

Wangari's Trees Of Peace

Juvenile herstory
"We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the
process heal our own--indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its
diversity, beauty, and wonder."
Recall awhile back we discovered 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner
Wangari Maathai? I discovered a slightly older book about her. In
Wangari's Trees Of Peace Jeanette Winter combines eloquent text and
vibrant illustrations to fittingly celebrate her life.
I think my favorite aspect of Winter's narrative is its emphasis
on the small scale start and diligent building up of what became a
very large scale operation. Thirty million trees started out as nine
seedlings Wangari planted in her own back yard. The first people she
recruited were women in her village. In America we're so enamoured of
viral anything (except flu) we tend to lose sight of the potential of
small starting real grass roots change. It's what makes difference
making accessible to most of us if we can master the arts of patience
and dilligence.
I started this blog book by book with few people knowing about
it. This is my 1,347 book and my blog gets over 6,000 views a month.
I donate blood pint by pint and am working on my tenth gallon. I'm
attending graduate school part time and already making a difference.
What can you start small and stick with to make a difference in
our beautiful and fragile world?
On a personal note, I'm in the middle of what they say will be a two
day snow storm. The problem: over the weekend I'd finished my
40"x32" poster I have to present tomorrow afternoon.
It's too big for a garbage bag. I covered it with a blanket and
managed to get it in dry. I did my final paper and put it on
blackboard. Then I was confused. Suddenly I had no homework to do
and nowhere I have to be until the poster presentation tomorrow.
Could this be free time? Do I remember how to handle it?
A great big shout out goes out to my classmates who are presenting
their posters. Hopefully we'll all ace that.
jules hathaway



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