Deep in the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa flames were creating great billows of smoke in the sky that were spotted by the Springbok and the Giraffes. As they ran to the only watering hole for miles they were greeted by fearful Ch
eetahs and Zebras. Filled with worry for their little ones huddling close, they watched as the fire burned the beautiful land as it moved closer.
In the Sacred Baobab Tree, the frightened Sparrows and Starlings paced as they watched along with the Leopards bewildered by the flames leaping high in the African night sky. Soon the Elephants, the Reebok and the Black Rhinos thundered over to the group of animals growing larger every minute around the watering hole. The baby animals clinging to their mothers cried out, “Grandfather Rhino, what’s happening?”
The Drongo birds in the tree cried, “Elder Elephants, what are we to do?”
The animals were so consumed with worry they did not see the little hummingbird filling her tiny beak with water and flying swiftly to the fire. They were so overwhelmed with panic, they didn’t see her dropping the water onto the flames, flying back and forth filling her beak to speedily soar to the blazes. They didn’t perceive her little body never tiring and continuing to sprinkle her teeny gift.
Finally, the animals looked over and noticed their little flying friend so busily dipping her beak into the water. The wise Leopard in the Baobab Tree asked, “Little Hummingbird, with your beak so small and the flames so ferocious, what in Heaven are you doing?”
The little Hummingbird answered,
“I’m doing what I can.”
~ An African fable as retold by Sunny Chayes ~
*****
If our future generations could speak to us what would they say? What would they ask of us? A piece of “Hieroglyphic Stairway” recited to the U.S. Congress written by Dr. Drew Dellinger whispers:
It’s 3:23 in the morning
and I’m awake
because my great great grandchildren
won’t let me sleep
my great great grandchildren
ask me in dreams
what did you do when the Earth was unraveling
what did you do
once
you
knew?
When my grandkids ask me this will I be proud of my answer? I’ve been challenged by this poem ever since I heard Dr. Dellinger recite it. My heart vacillates from feeling that the personal eco-steps I take do matter like the hummingbird to fearing that the bio-issues are too big and the Earth is indeed unraveling faster than people are waking up. I can feel brokenhearted for what this generation is leaving for the next. Most of the time I find myself somewhere in between and continue to activate my “teeny gifts,” never giving up.
I sat down with some not so usual Eco-Voice Suspects and asked them to share their ideology and eco-practices in their dance with Mother Earth. We discussed how to “hold” in a responsible way our “place in the sun” and what we can do now that we know.
I’m so grateful that there are activists for the environment in places we may not see. Kenny Loggins has been a long-time impactful Eco-Friend in his community of Santa Barbara and beyond. He’s very knowledgeable about the science and the solutions. He embodies all of this in his heartfelt songs, as well as his life. Here’s a bit of our conversation:
Sunny: The Eco-alarms have been sounding, the evidence is everywhere, yet many still don’t seem to heed the call. What do you see as the challenge in shifting the disconnect to engagement, even better, activism?
Kenny: No matter what science tells us, for some it’s not “convenient” to turn away from the dollar. Some choose not to see what is obvious regarding our environment. The scientific proof is not convincing enough for those who choose not to feel the urgency. The disconnect happens too easily. The monetary lines blur our common sense. There is absolute logic to conserving. For example, in Santa Barbara there’s a serious water shortage. Most are not willing to do what it takes to shift this problem. The difficult ideology of taking whatever we want, whenever we want it, without consideration for our future generations is an issue of consciousness. The connection to each other seems too oblique. The hardship is that we forgot the connectedness of all things.
The relationship with Mother Earth is a matter of the heart. The Environmental crisis is a Spiritual Crisis and it’s a matter of waking up which I believe a number of us are doing. By feeling the conviction of our spirituality, recognizing our shortcomings, and truly awakening we can recognize we as a species connect to the Earth and each other. I live every day with hope.
Sunny: After the fire and mudslide tragedies in the Santa Barbara area, local teenagers became Eco-Activists. Three high schoolers co-produced with you a stunning concert singing the story of loss, sadness, tragedy, love, and hope in beautiful songs performed by a large number of local kids. You supported them very graciously with direction, inspiration, and a kick-ass band. Witnessing that concert, I could feel the many budding activists blooming all over that stage. Manifesting their power in front of a thousand-plus audience was truly magical.
Kenny: It was my honor to work with these young people who were so impacted by personal and community loss. I was there merely to support. It was pretty astounding to see their passion and profound desire to help others! We have a new generation of activists everywhere. I haven’t seen such powerful youth voices since the ’60s with the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war. Kids are putting their mind to change, and they are doing it!
*****
Another Friend of the Earth is Rickie Byars Beckwith known for her extraordinary global impact through her songs and outstanding performance chops. What is less known is that she is a grand friend to the Earth. Starting with her own life, she walks the walk sincerely. She shares her true heart with the beautiful Kuumba Shule School and Camp project. Here the children learn gardening, nutrition, music, arts, and connection with the Earth and each other. Another example of her Eco-creativity has been celebrated at her Rhythm and Joy (RAJ) eco-friendly music and arts festivals.
*****
One of the most successful writer-directors in Hollywood is Tom Shadyac. His wildly popular films include Liar, Liar; Bruce Almighty; and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In his deep-diving film I AM, much is revealed about the way humanity, science, and nature intersect. “Consensus decision-making is the norm for many species, from insects and birds to deer and primates. Cooperation may be nature’s most fundamental operating principle,” Shadyac offers. The ways we live our lives in the western world are questioned. Shadyac states in the film, “There’s a fundamental law that all of nature obeys that mankind breaks every day…. This is a law that has evolved over billions of years: Nothing in nature takes more than it needs and when it does, it dies off.” Shadyac supports youth and environmental organizations. Look for his new film coming soon.
*****
Mother of five children, Tamara Rose Roske, is the Founder of Earth Guardians and a Cross-Cultural educator for the past 20 years focusing on Earth restoration. She had a vision in Hawaii many years ago. “A large group of children created a circle around the top of a volcano. Their love and devotion were so strong, clear, and sincere. They were in sacred ceremony for healing all aspects of the Earth.” She knew at that moment that the future youth were going to be the ones to change the world and that she was to play a part. Years later she, her five children, and an ever-expanding community are doing just that. One of them is the environmental activist Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez.
Roske started Earth Guardians as an accredited high school in Maui focusing on environmental awareness and social movements. They took action to restore sandalwood forests and shut down the toxic practice of burning sugar cane. EG was expanding rapidly so they relocated to Colorado where political activism became paramount for the youth. They worked to stop the spraying of pesticides in public parks, established an environmental fee on plastic bags, advocated for the municipalizing of Boulder’s energy grid, and helped to achieve a moratorium on fracking.
Since Xiuhtezcatl became the EG Youth Director, the organization has spread to six continents. Being on Obama’s Youth Council honed his leadership skills but Xiuhtezcatl was born with the determination to dedicate his life to the environment and social justice. EG inspires youth to take action — not wait for others to take the lead. They are creating policy, pledges, campaigns, and useful ways to conserve at their schools. They’re demanding clean drinking water, “ask only” policies for single-use plastic, and projects for cleaner air.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and Dr. Drew Dellinger together performed their poetry at sold-out venues during the Paris Peace Talks in 2015. Here’s a question I asked Xiuhtezcatl, followed by the rap he performed.
Sunny: Intergenerational community and conversation mean a lot to me being a mom of two sons. Share your perspective with the rich gifts you’ve received having Mexican and Aztec elders.
Xiuhtezcatl: The youth has creativity, innovation, energy, entrepreneurship, and fresh, bright ideas. We need the wisdom, strength, knowledge, and experience of our elders to help guide us. Many of my generation don’t feel heard or empowered to make the changes we see so clearly. We need your support, your trust in us, and to be strong as elders to show us the way while honoring our contributions. Never has there been a generation with more potential to create change in the world and to shape the direction of our culture than our generation does. We are here today. We are the present generation and our voices matter!
We see beauty in the simplest gifts of nature.
We are a part of the Earth —
Not separate from it
We are the warriors of the land and the guardians of the Earth.
We connect with the sacred wisdom of our ancestors’ past
To set the people free —
We are rising at last.
****
As I neared the end of this article journey, my final stop was with the insightfully expansive Dr. Sue Morter. I asked her to speak to our great, great grandchildren.
“When we knew, we were among those to turn it around. We felt the tug on our hearts, we realized that it was time to learn from inspiration instead of through pain. We began to feel a different way. We felt the subtle cues and recognized that to protect nature we needed to connect to our full potential. We had to access our own self to create harmony within so that we could create it in our outer world. We found a way to tether our minds to heart-meaningful wisdom.
“We found ways to make grounding, caring choices so that everyone and everything wins. We began to act like nature acts — collaborative and cooperative. We felt into the sense of the ways that are complementary to that end. We awakened to the knowing that it’s the soul that saves the planet. It was our souls integrating back together that brought forward a higher-functioning human. We started operating like the high-level steward we became.
“So, my great, great grandchildren, you are the amazing, loving, and creative beings you are because of those who came before you. The glorious Mother Earth is so alive because of these awakenings we experienced in time. You are so astute in continuing to speak the language of nature that you are indeed experiencing in your lifetime the Heaven on Earth that was always meant to be.”
Until next time let’s feel into the words of poet Maya Angelou, “Each of us has a way to act now to improve the future. Plant the trees and the seeds for whose shade you may never stand.”
Sunny Chayes is the host of The Sunny Chayes Show airing on ubnradio.com Channel 1 Weds at 2 pm Pacific. Watch her full interviews with Rickie Byars Beckwith, Dr. Sue Morter, Tom Shadyac, and many other episodes filmed at Sunset Gower Studios Hollywood. Enjoy on iHeart, iTunes, and YouTube.
Photos: Carl Studna
ROCKIN’ RESOURCES
Places to find Eco-Friends to Collaborate:
BOOKS
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming (Paul Hawken, April 2017)
The Lorax (Dr. Seuss, 1971) The ecological cautionary tale years ahead of its time printed on recycled paper.
Love Earth Now: The Power of Doing One Thing Every Day (Cheryl Leutjen, 2018)
Lab Girl (Hope Jahren, Feb 2017)
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (Neil deGrasse Tyson answers basic questions about the Universe, May 2017)
Messages from Water and the Universe (Masaru Emoto, July 2010)
FILMS
The Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (Al Gore, 2017) The current news of our environmental journey — where we are and what we can do from here.
Kiss the Ground (Josh Tickell director) Documentary film on food justice, environmental responsibility. Organization by the same name. Also community garden in Venice. Kisstheground.com
Rooted in Peace (Greg Reitman, 2017) Film challenges our values and offers idea of global culture of peace. rootedinpeace.com
I AM (Tom Shadyac, 2011) Non-fiction film shows how trees teach us how to use Earth’s resources, and what is right with the world.
ORGANIZATIONS
The Pachamama Alliance: Awakening the Dreamer Symposium (This symposium can be “attended’ online or in cities around the world. pachamama.org)
The Climate Reality Project: Climate Reality Leadership Corp. (Al Gore personally trains passionate people in storytelling, social media, and personal outreach. climaterealityproject.org)
Tree People (Andy Lipkis, founder; great impact in L.A and nationally. treepeople.org)
Heal the Bay (Organization that holds beach cleanups and mobilizes L.A.’s many diverse communities to protect our coastline. healthebay.org)
Food Forward (Utilizes 300,000 pounds of surplus produce each week from trees, farmers, and markets and donates it to more than 300 hunger relief agencies. foodforward.org)
Sustainableworks.org (Activates sustainable behaviors through education and events focusing on the importance of healthy, equitable communities and natural resources.)
Waves for Water (Their mission is to “get clean water to every person who needs it.” Travelers can carry water filters in their luggage.) wavesforwater.org
This article is a part of the 2018 April / May issue of Whole Life Times.