True Success

One of my favorite poems came to mind recently and I’d like to share it with you. Although often mis-attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, this poem was actually written by Bessie Anderson Stanley. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or failed to express it;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.

The Art of Handmade Paper

Handmade paper is an ancient art evolved by the early civilizations of Asia. Even today the process of making paper by hand involves painstaking care, artistic skill, and great passion. An amazing amount of creativity, research and effort go into designing and developing our handmade paper gift wrap, stationery & journals. Besides being fabulous to look at and use, our papers are resilient and environmentally friendly. Most of our papers are made from 100% recycled textile waste, primarily cotton rag. Some varieties also contain recycled silk and jute. Additional materials such as bagasse, a form of waste sugarcane, provide special textures and enhance the appearance of some of our products. Every ton of traditional handmade paper saves an estimated 277 eucalyptus trees or 462 bamboo trees that would have been destroyed to make the same quantity of milled paper.

Preserving a Heritage for Generations to Come

Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations. When people grow and save seeds, they join an ancient tradition as stewards, nurturing our diverse, fragile, genetic and cultural heritage.

Seed Savers Exchange was founded in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy, after her terminally-ill grandfather gave them the seeds of two garden plants, Grandpa Ott’s Morning Glory and German Pink Tomato, that his parents brought from Bavaria when they immigrated to St. Lucas, Iowa in the 1870s. Today SSE is saving the world’s diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity. Few gardeners comprehend the true scope of their garden heritage or how much is in immediate danger of being lost forever.

What can you do? There is a very easy way you can help in the effort to preserve this heritage- Buy Heirloom Organic Seeds. Peaceful Valley has long been a supporter of this effort and offers a collection of the most popular and stunning vegetables and fruits available.

EcoKids: Reaching Them Early

For the past two years I’ve volunteered for a local literacy program, helping kids in kindergarten and first grade who were struggling with their reading skills. I was able to select the school I volunteered at but, being new to Portland, I wasn’t familiar with or connected to any local schools. So I made my selection based on school name alone and chose a school that seemed to combine the two things closest to my heart- kids and environmental conservation. I started reading with kids at Sunnyside Environmental School and my eyes were opened to a whole new way of educating our children.

Naturally, the curricula at Sunnyside meets all the state standards for education but what is special is that it does so with a constant eye toward sustainability and social justice. These principles permeate everything they do at Sunnyside and they’re reflected in the kids, even the youngest among them.

This became obvious in the hour that I spent with my reading buddies each week. There were several hundred books from which the kids could choose, but it wasn’t uncommon for them to select books about animals or conservation. One day my reading pal, Trinity, a beautiful little first grader, asked me to read three books that she selected: Environments of Sharks, Legend of Martin Luther King and the Tragedy of the Exxon Valdez. That’s some pretty heavy reading for a six year old! But she seemed genuinely interested in each story and we had a great time talking about the messages that each held.

I was especially happy to talk with her about the Exxon Valdez oil spill since I was in Alaska shortly after the spill and observed the tragedy first hand. It was amazing how interested this little girl was in knowing about the animals and how some of them were rescued. We talked about how the oil seeped into the smallest crevices on the shore and about how the otters and waterfowl were drenched with the sticky sludge. We talked about how the accident happened and about the special people that took many months out of their lives to help in the clean-up effort. As she stroked the picture of the oil covered otter on the cover of the book and told me how sad it was, I knew that Sunnyside was doing a good thing.

There aren’t many schools out there that hold such a strong commitment to teaching kids about sustainability and environmental justice. Sunnyside is truly special. But there are a lot of ways that we can help our kids learn to respect the planet and become sensitive to the need to preserve, conserve and restore. Dan Chiras’ book, Eco-Kids: Raising Children Who Care for the Earth, is a great place for parents to start when it comes to teaching kids in a positive and inspiring way. There are also a whole host of kids’ games like Xeko, Family Pastimes and Beautiful Place that teach kids- even when they don’t know it!

So I guess my point is this…it’s never too early to start instilling the values of conservation, sustainability and social justice in our kids. In doing so, we will send them into the world well equipped to carry on the work that many of us have started.