See Jane Do...

Jane Mail

Whether you participated in a peaceful gathering, spent time with loved ones, or simply took time to yourself, peace was a quiet undertone for many of us during Mother's Day this year. Following is a recent response we received from Kelley Johnson, one of our listeners:

One of the things I do when I visit with my mom is to go out into her flower garden and slowly meander around with her, spotting the latest addition, picking off wilted blossoms, inspecting for new growth.

 

We slowly make our way to the vegetable garden and see all the plants growing vigorously in the hot Chico sun. In the summer, my son and I get our pick of the vegetables, in the winter we raid the lemon tree, and in the spring I cut flowers or braid lavender wands. We don’t do a lot of talking out in the garden, lots of being and observing. Sometimes she’ll tell me about a funny garden story, usually about ducks or frogs in her pool…l and we laugh.

 

She will go on snail hunts with my son just so he can watch them crawl around, and she never has anything bad to say about them, though I’m sure she doesn’t like what they do to her plants. My Mother finds peace in her garden and she shares that with her family.

 

This mother’s day I will spend time in my garden, meandering, thinking as little as possible; just quietly observing and being the peace.

 

Kelley Johnson

 

Jane Mail: She's Creating a Legacy at Home

I'm a firm believer that being extraordinary means sharing your passion and going above and beyond the standard norm.   It's about doing your part and being exceptional at whatever your contribution might be.  We received this inspiring note from a mom who is creating a legacy at home.

I am a big believer that change starts at home. It is a part of our everyday life to recycle, recycle, recycle. We have begun doing such a good job that we had to request an extra receptacle from our disposal service because of the sheer volume of our bi-weekly "contributions".

We are also frequent contributors to Goodwill. Anything and everything that is still in good shape and can be used by another family is donated to charity to live another day without being tossed in the land fill. Because this is a way of life for my children, I feel very proud that our good habits are creating a legacy that will only expand with each generation that follows us. I am the CEO of my own grassroots operation!

Marlene Linke

What are you doing at your home to enhance the planet?  We'd love to share your story.

Check out Marlene's blog, Mom-O's Blog at http://mommosblog.blogspot.com/. 

Elisa

Jane Mail

Dear Elisa and Leta,

Thank you so much for writing in to DC Ecowomen.  What a wonderful opportunity for the women on our list.

1.  How do you put your passion into positive action to restore our planet?

Working at Endangered Species Coalition allows me to protect wildlife and wild lands.  As a coalition organization with more than 400 groups, I celebrate the successes and mourn the setbacks of not only the work of our staff, but also the many colleagues that we work closely with.  Every day, I learn something new about what is happening with wolves, lynx, red knots, black abalone, salmon and more.  And, while the news out of Washington, DC, in the past eight years, has not been good for endangered species, it hasn't been all bad for species, especially with some encouraging signs at the state and local level.  

Washington state was able to welcome in the first confirmed wolf pack in the state since the 1930s--complete with a litter of 6 pups!  Oregon will have one of its own running NOAA--the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Oregon professor, Jane Lubchenco--an outspoken scientist who has been a strong supporter of conservation.  In Maine, adult Atlantic salmon returned to the Penobscot River in numbers that haven't been seen in years.  In Montana, a lawsuit settlement provides hope for the Kootenai River white sturgeon--a species that has been around since the dinosaur age and can live to be 100 years old, growing to nine feet and 300 pounds.  (Imagine brushing up against one of these big fellas when you're going for a swim.)  A part of my work is helping to translate events such as these into policy positions in Washington, DC.

But, in addition to my interest in conservation, I have also been an advocate for women's rights.  And, for that reason, I co-founded EcoWomen with a couple of friends.  It allowed me to join two of my passions--environmental and women's issues.  We created a special place where women could get to know each other, build supportive networks, and be inspired by all that has been done by women to protect our planet.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that our community would grow to more than 1,000 women.  And, while I had been thinking of how this would be a great benefit for "other" women, I never stopped to take the time and consider how it might benefit me.  What a pleasant surprise it was for me to realize that my own circle of incredibly, capable, talented, and beautiful women friends has just exponentially increased.

2. What can everyday women do to participate in your mission?

There are always opportunities for everyday women to help us with our mission.  I would stress finding opportunities that fit in with your lifestyle and your own needs for personal enrichment.  A couch potato can become an incredible e-activist.  By signing on to our activist list, she'll be notified about opportunities to email and call her Member of Congress about the need for protecting endangered species.  And, by telling all of her friends and family about our work, she can help us expand our influence.  An outdoorsy woman can volunteer at a local nature center or wildlife refuge.  A super-mom can get her children's school participating in our annual Endangered Species Day.  See our website at www. stopextinction.org for the 10 Easy Steps at Home to Protect Endangered Species.

For women interested in networking with other conservation-oriented women, join our growing EcoWomen community at www.ecowomen.org.  Our DC chapter has been running for almost 5 years.  And, in 2009, we plan to add a chapter or two around the country.

3.  Why should everyday women be concerned and involved?

It is hard to take the time out of our busy lives to think far beyond our friends, our family, our work and our home.  However, helping to protect wildlife and wild lands has direct benefits to each of us--providing us with the air we breathe and the water we drink.  How is it possible that we have thought it was okay to put these things into jeopardy?

As a mom of a 20-month old, it is always striking to me that most of the baby and children's products sold--books, linens, tableware, clothes, flashcards, and toys--have animal images splashed all over them--giraffes, elephants, tigers, bears, birds, and fish.  While we surround our children with images of beautiful and majestic animals, we are simultaneously driving many of these species to extinction.  Obviously, these other creatures strike a strong a chord with us.  And, if we don't work to protect them now, there are no second chances with endangered species.

4. What does this inauguration mean to you?  Are you celebrating with other women? 

Clearly this inauguration represents great hope for any of us concerned about wildlife.  The department heads who have been chose so far by President-elect Obama have stressed the need to follow the law and to follow science.  It seems so simple, but for those of us working on conservation (or women's issues or health care or foreign policy, for that matter), it is an incredibly refreshing change.  We've all been holding our breath for 8 years, and now finally we can breathe again.  Given the excitement about the incoming President, the inauguration is being celebrated all week long.  People will have the opportunity to do a sort of bar-hoping celebration, going from one event to the next over the week.  So, I'll be going to a couple of different events to mark the occasion, raising a toast with men, women and children to a time that we hope will be guided by lawfulness, science and reason. 

5. Do you blog?

My organization has The Stop Extinction Blog at: http://stopextinctionblog.blogspot.com/ where our staff (including me), board and occasionally member groups post entries.  I can't wait to write about more positive happenings in 2009!

--

Leda Huta

Executive Director

Endangered Species Coalition

PO Box 65195; Washington, DC 20035

www.stopextinction.org

Jane Mail

Hi there Elisa and Leta --
 
I am impressed by the good work you are doing on behalf of the planet!  I am a mother of two girls (Elli, 6 and Bella, 3) and have been an environmental activist for 20 years, serving most recently as the deputy director of the Center for a New American Dream.  I quit that job in the fall so that I could dedicate myself full-time to promotion of the re-release of the New York Times' best-selling book Your Money or Your Life.  Although I didn't write the original edition of that book, I am a co-author for the current version and believe this book ties in very well to your latest project.  I am now in the process of creating a new non-profit, The MoneyLife Institute, which will encourage Americans to increase their savings, reduce their consumption, and benefit the planet by implementing the nine-step program in Your Money or Your Life.  The following are brief answers to the questions you posed below:
 
1.  I am currently putting my passion into positive action to restore the planet by participating in a national book tour on behalf of Your Money or Your Life.  I just got back yesterday from several talks in NC, and will be doing about a dozen radio interviews this week.  I am now creating study guide groups across the country to help people increase their savings and help their money reflect their values by practicing the steps in Your Money or Your Life.
 
2.  Everyday women can participate in this work by reading Your Money or Your Life and talking to others about how their relationship with money was transformed as a result.  We are currently creating a nationwide network of volunteers whom we are encouraging to host study guide groups and to speak publicly about the book. 
 
3.  Everyday women should be concerned and involved because they need to be knowledgeable and sophisticated about money issues.  Women who do not have sufficient savings or a healthy understanding of money can easily become beholden to ill-suited jobs or mates because they are financially dependent upon them. 
 
4.  The inauguration is a time of incredible excitement because, for the first time in my adult life, we have elected a leader whom I completely trust and respect. 
 
5.  I just started blogging on www.yourmoneyoryourlife.info.
 
 Best!
 
Monique Tilford

Jane Mail

Hi, Elisa and Leta.

 

I saw your post on the DC EcoWomen listserv and wanted to share my story.

 

I've loved nature and playing outside for all of my life. But I didn't know much about environmental issues until a couple of years ago. I was dating someone who is very environmentally conscious, and he piqued my curiosity to learn more. I started by reading a lot on my own - books, blogs, news, nonprofits' action alerts, etc.  I'm still learning, almost every day.

 

As my awareness has grown, I've become convinced that we need to act quickly to change the direction the planet's headed. I believe we need to change both our lightbulbs and our leaders, and that we'll make progress most quickly if more people make the transition I did from being barely aware to taking action.

 

So late last fall I started a blog, Leafing Out (http://leafingout.org), to raise awareness and to communicate the many side benefits of going green. Written for everyday women and men, the blog explains environmental issues and shares practical reasons and ways to go green, with an emphasis on how the green lifestyle can make their lives better. Everyday women and men can participate by reading the blog, commenting on it to start a dialogue, sharing it with others, and taking it and similar communicatons to heart.

 

In addition, I have my own business doing writing and Web strategy and recently passed up an opportunity for a part-time job, partly so that I'd have time available to devote to work with environmental clients. I'm now spending a few days a week going to environmental-related networking events, seminars, and the like to continue learning about the issues and to make contacts. Ultimately I'd like to transition my work to online campaigns that encourage the general public to take environmental action.

 

In the past year, I've also started making lifestyle changes--taking public transportation and walking or biking more, making home improvements to boost energy and water conservation, switching to green cleaners, spending more food dollars on local and organic food, buying organic or recycled clothing where possible, and more. I've changed a lot and am still making improvements, heading steadily toward a greener way of living.

 

To me, Obama's election means two things - that the government soon will have a leader who leads on environmental issues rather than blocks progress, and that Americans have embraced the concept of change. This is an exciting time. I think (and hope!) the enviornmental movement will grow in leaps and bounds. A girlfriend and I will be biking to the inauguration; when Obama is sworn in, I want to be part of the great collective cheer that rises up to the sky! That night, three of us girls will celebrate at an inaugural ball.

 

Thanks for all that you are doing to spread the word. If you'd like any further information from me, you are welcome to contact me.  Thanks again, and welcome to D.C.  We are glad to have you here.  Enjoy the inauguration!

 

Best regards,

Donna Childress

 

Donna Childress
Writing & Web Strategy
Leafing Out, green blog: http://leafingout.org

Childress Creative, LLC: www.childresscreative.com

Jane Mail!

Dear Jane-Mail,

I have had the opportunity to work with Food for Thought and the Live Healthy Nevada County group which both work to improve the local school lunch program. One of the things we have been focusing on is developing and education portion to the program so that the students are able to make deeper connections about where their food comes from, who grows it and why these things matter.

My most recent project in regards to food has been opening In The Kitchen cooking school which is now open for business at 648 Zion St in Nevada City....across from Gold Run School. I am offering a kids baking class after school from 3:30-5:30 on December 17th. More information can be found at wendyvanwagner.com or you can call 478-0669.

I love working with kids and food and strengthening the connections between, health, self and community.

Thanks,
Wendy