Tiny increases in the amount of daylight we are witnessing in the southern part of our ancient land are somewhat overshadowed by an experience of winter not evidenced in our recent past.  The coldness brings with it an invigorating element should we choose to embrace it.  Green shoots are bursting through [...]]]>

Tiny increases in the amount of daylight we are witnessing in the southern part of our ancient land are somewhat overshadowed by an experience of winter not evidenced in our recent past.  The coldness brings with it an invigorating element should we choose to embrace it.  Green shoots are bursting through the soil, a reminderof the invisible preparation for life and growth which is carried out in the depths of things.  Some of our natives are flourishing in these conditions.  Any moment now  wattles will bloom in a stunning array of colour.  Earth takes us by surprise at every turn should we take the time to find our place and attend to her activity.  Perhaps her ways will create a path for us to walk.

We seek to learn new ways

Towards Earth Literacy

The  eucalypt appears to have a peculiar relation to the
cosmos, the greater universe.  The branches seem to follow
a thousand centres in the sky.  To be rinsed by the winds
of Neptune.  To share affinities with the moon and the
Magellanic Clouds.
An organic relationship.  Her limbs the bones of the
organism.  Paying less heed to the sway of the seasons in a
zone where the seasons are weaker and the stars are
thicker.  As if divining in the the stars the propitious time to
flower.
Attuned to a shifting rhythm.  Her branches informed with
stars. (p.73)

John Anderson’s poetic celebration of place and being provides the reader with an opportunity to enter deeply into the richness of our land’s story.
The wonder of eucalypts, casuarinas, the Merri Creek and the Grampians are but a few of the beings honoured in exquisite poetic form. (The forest set out like the night, Black Pepper, North Fitzroy, 1995)

Practices of Place: Being Present in the Land.  John and Vicki have moved from the Blue Mountains to Southern Tasmania discovering a new place of great natural beauty and elemental power, [where]everything has come under much closer scrutiny, including the very notion of spiritual practice and what spirit has to do with place (p.46). A deep attentiveness to where we are has the potential to transform fragmentation into wholeness. This thought provoking and evocative article can be accessed by subscribing to the online journal, PAN. John Cameron and Vicki King, PAN: Philosophy Activism Nature, PAN No 4, 2007.

We are being called into a new place

The Future of Renewable Energy In Australia: FREE PUBLIC LECTURE 6-8pm, Wednesday 14th July 2010, University of Melbourne.  Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan – to be launched at this seminar – argues that it is technically possible to reach 100 per cent renewable energy for Australia within a decade, and that the technology to achieve the transition is already commercially available. This event brings together key voices in the renewable energy debate to explore the state of the industry, survey the critical decade ahead, and discuss the challenges facing a zero carbon roadmap.

The Replace Hazelwood Campaign:  National day of action Saturday 17th July 2010. The campaign to Replace Hazelwood, Australia’s dirtiest power station, is going from strength to strength.
Community groups are invited to create one of the following activities:
·          Protest outside your Federal MP’s office or the local Commonwealth Bank branch (8% shareholder in Hazelwood)
·          Hold a local vigil
·          Go door-knocking
·          Host a Replace Hazelwood themed event in your local park
Even better, get creative and come up with your own idea of how to call on the government to Replace Hazelwood.
Please register you action here so we can help get the word out. http://www.climateactioncentre.org/nationalhazelwoodaction
As an individual we hope you can join one of these actions or at least make a call to your Federal MP and State Labor Senator and ask them where they stand on the Hazelwood test. There is a list of MPs here: http://www.aph.gov.au/House/members/memlist.pdf and Senators here: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/contacts/los.pdf

Friends of EarthSong are welcome to attend our Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 19th May, 12.30-3 p.m. (commencing with lunch)

We’ll gather at CERES Community Environment Park

Dr Caroline Smith, senior lecturer in science and sustainable futures education at ACU will be our guest speaker:

Friends of EarthSong are welcome to attend our Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 19th May, 12.30-3 p.m. (commencing with lunch)

We’ll gather at CERES Community Environment Park

Dr Caroline Smith, senior lecturer in science and sustainable futures education at ACU will be our guest speaker:

The link between EarthSong’s vision and the practice of sustainability.

RSVP Wed 12th May by email to Pat: info@earthsong.org.au

We seek to learn new ways:

EarthSong’s Annual Symposium is fast approaching and we’re excited about the presenters who will lead us through this event.

Karen Alexander has a long history in the environment movement starting with the campaign to save Lake Peddar, stopping the damming of the Franklin River and on to her work today with the victoria Naturally Alliance (nine environement groups) on the health of Nature in Victoria.  Trevor Gallagher, Gunditjmara man, with the permission of the local Boonerwrung and Woiwurrung people, takes visitors and students through Melbourne’s royal botanic Gardens and explains Aboriginal history and culture and the tradition use of plants.  Fay white, singer and composer will lead us in song.  Anthony James from CERES has composed a song for this occasion.  A Panel of passionate conservationists will share the wonder and needs of a ranges of species and ecosystems all inviting our protection.  with them you can share your own love of country and learn more.

All sessions:  $45     Friday evening only:  $15     Saturday only:  $30

Biodiversity websites: Biodiversity in Australia at http://australianmuseum.net.au/biodiversity

Biodiversity library at  http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ a partnership of the world’s 10 major natural history museums, botanical libraries and Harvard University to make available online their combined collections of two million biodiversity-related volumes collected over 200 years

Since the early 1990’s Jan has been composing songs that flow effortlessly through her. She sings of the sacredness and oneness of all, the unfolding Universe, care for the Earth, the awakening of a new and vast dimension of human consciousness, and the Still, Silent Presence within. Her music touches people of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. She also works as a retreat director and spiritual director.

• Tuesday 11th May, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.workshop (continued Wednesday 12th May, 9 a.m. – lunch) $140
  

• Thursday 13th May, 6.30 – 9 p.m. Edmund Rice Festival at the Treacy Centre

• Friday 14th May, 10.30 a.m. – lunch “Lunch with Jan Novotka”

Towards Earth Literacy:

Wildlife of Australia by Louise Egerton and Jiri Lochman is a new addition to the EarthSong library.

Magnificent photographs of the animals that live on the Australian continent including birds, frogs, reptiles, fishes, spiders, insects and mammals are a striking feature of the book.

Succinct descriptions of each of these beings provide the reader with an insight into the incredible diversity permeating our land and the quirky activities which delight the observer.

“About 840 species or 12 per cent of the world’s reptiles live in Australia and almost 90 per cent of these are found nowhere else on Earth.” p.246

“The body plan of crocodiles has barely changed in over 200 million years.   They were on Earth before the dinosaurs  and they survived the mass extinction event that occurred 65 million years ago.” p. 248 (Allen & Unwin, 2009)

We are being called into a new place:

5 June, World Environment Day
The major project this year is on protection of gorillas in Rwanda (see: http://www.unep.org/wed/2010/english/). More details on local activities next month.

6-12 June, Alfred Deakin Lectures: Brave New World? The Climate Change Challenge
You can book online now for one or more of these lectures which look at ” climate change from ten different perspectives, with a focus on ten different spheres of public life”. more: http://wheelercentre.com/calendar/program/the-deakin-lectures-2010/