April is my birth month! It is time to celebrate! The rock and roll of my moods from dark growling to bright ecstasy are reflected in all the activity of the sky and land--the silken smooth gliding of mind-grabbingly massive herds of sky clouds, the call and response of sun and hail, the bright trumpeting of azalea, cherry, and plum blossoms and the gentle, almost imperceptibly slow re-leafing of the trees. These natural rhythms are sure signs of our continuity with the natural world.
This is the month where I am gratefully stunned (and momentarily cured of the freight-train mind that loves to know, plan and do and have its way) by the tender miracle of a cherry blossom fluttering in the blue sky. For a brief moment it opens a door to another universe always present and always calling to us. And I am continually astounded that a twig all brown and rough has the knowledge and ability to give birth to a blossom so tender and transient. I can do nothing so shocking and good. May we all find within the grace to be able to stop for a few minutes amidst the rushing river to fall in love with a flower or bird. Such moments are essential refreshment.
Blessings to all and enjoy this weeks Dirt!
Tim
Spreading Roots, Spring Forth
Hello All - We at PlantNative are very excited to announce that we will have a Spring native plant sale upcoming on Saturday, May 13. This is a pre-order plant sale (though there will be some extra plants for your perusal). Order deadline is the Tuesday before the sale by midnight. This sale is being put on in collaboration with Livable Place.
Sale details and our availability lists are found at:
http://www.plantnative.com/plantsale_main.htm
Happy shopping, and let us know if you have any questions or need an on-site consultation.
On behalf of the PN staff, Steve
To learn more about our programs visit www.portlandpeeps.org
Hunger Exploration (June 26-30)
Explore themes ranging from hunger and poverty to organic vegetable production. In this week-long program youth will visit and serve on an organic vegetable farm, shop at the Portland Farmer’s Market and cook a meal with a local chef, prepare and serve food for low-income elderly members of the Portland community, visit an intentional homeless community in north Portland, and much more.
Nature Awareness (July 10-14)
Learn about nature both inside and outside of the city. Youth will spend the week developing nature awareness skills such as birding and tracking. They will also have the opportunity to contribute to their environment through service projects with Friends of Trees and Northwest Service Academy field teams.
What is Environmentalism? (July 17-28, weekdays)
In this special two-week program youth will learn about a wide variety of environmental issues. We will explore topics ranging from environmental justice, reuse and recycling, sustainable agriculture, green living and much more. Additionally, youth will engage in a variety of service projects including trash pick-up on Ross Island, a farm project with Friends of Zenger Farm, and restoration work with Metro. This exciting program will culminate in an overnight camping trip at Oxbow Park.