Welcome to the Wild Wind. Autumn 2015 Part 1
IN THIS ISSUE:
A Note from the Office of Wild Wind
Music Specials
Thoughts from the Kid for the Wild Scholarship
Words to Ponder
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From the Office of Wild Wind
It’s rejuvenating to be a witness to this marked change of season – take the time to be outside, breathe deeply and be dazzled by your wild and wonderful surroundings! Here is another heartfelt newsletter to remind you that we’re still here in the Office of Wild Wind Foundation (Walkin’ Jim), promoting his soulful music and upholding the wonder of Jim’s passion for the Wild. Enjoy!
For the Wild Things, Erin
This season we would like to offer a special MUSE music opportunity. $30.00 will get you all 3 MUSE CD’s which are a compilation of many different eco- musicians.
Eye of the Hunter , One Land One Heart, and Song for the Earth along with 5 download cards.
Download cards will allow you to purchase any of Jim’s music online AND when you are finished with them, you can put them in the ground next spring and plant wildflowers with them…..
We are in the process of setting up another domain, wildwindfoundation.com. Newsletters will come from a new email address which is newsletter@wildwindfoundation.com
Please add this to your address book so you continue to get the Welcome to the Wild Wind News!
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Thoughts from Leslie and the Kid for the Wild Scholarship
“This Ol’ world keeps on turning, with its joy and in its pain.”
That’s a line from one of Jim’s songs, “Turnaround”, that goes on to say no matter what is happening on this planet, it keeps supporting us and providing us with what we need to survive.
If we take the time to observe ourselves and see humans really are the “earth tribe” who could not live without our feet deeply rooted to this place, we might have a chance of letting go of the “small stuff”. One of the strong connections Jim and I shared was time outside and soaking up the solace of the natural world. It was important, even necessary for both of us. Jim shared that with his music, writing, artwork and lifestyle.
I continue to share that with groups I guide and teach and how I continue to live my life.
We all know life is speeding up. Less time to do and accomplish more. Often less time for reflection. Much of my work is in National Parks, primarily in the West.
Even the parks are getting more pressure and less support, but they are still certainly “America’s best idea”. Within the constraints of humans shaping what a mainstream visit entails, parks offer a chance to get out into the natural world and experience some fantastic natural wonders.
I want to introduce you to this Every Kid on A Park Initiative that is offered this year, the centennial of the National Park Service. Think about it and if you can’t take advantage of this, tell friends, family and neighbors about this, so they can!
Enjoy the autumn and coming of the winter season. Time for “reflection”.
My best and appreciation to all of you, Leslie
…To help engage and create our next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates, the White House, in partnership with the Federal Land Management agencies, launched the Every Kid in a Park initiative.
The immediate goal is to provide an opportunity for each and every 4th grade student across the country to experience their federal public lands and waters in person throughout the 2015-2016 school year.
Beginning September 1st all kids in the fourth grade have access to their own Every Kid in a Park pass at www.everykidinapark.gov. This pass provides free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more!
The Every Kid in a Park pass is good for the 2015-2016 school year, until August 31, 2016. Information on obtaining the pass is available by visiting http://www.everykidinapark.gov.In support of Every Kid in a Park, the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, is raising funds to help connect fourth graders to America’s public lands and waters through transportation grants. As part of the Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program, the Every Kid in a Park transportation grants seek to remove barriers to accessing our nation’s public lands and waters, with a special focus on underserved and urban communities. With cutbacks in school funding for field trips,
this strategic funding will help provide comprehensive access to all federal sites, including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and public lands and waters.
Take advantage of this great opportunity to spend time with some kids you love in our National Parks…
Kid for the Wild Scholarship
The Traveling School mission: to enrich the lives of teenage girls with an enduring educational experience focusing on overseas exploration, academic challenges expanded outdoor skills, and a deeper engagement with the world.
Students leave for a semester (or around fifteen weeks), and visit three to four countries in a selected region during that time: Fall semester programs visit Southern Africa, while spring semesters visit South America.
The Traveling School also specifically emphasizes outdoor adventure skills in addition to traditional academics. This year, Chloe Loeffelholz was awarded the Kid for the wild Scholarship to attend the Traveling School program around southern Africa. Below are some comments about her experience.
Chloe would say that two of her more memorable moment on this amazing semester abroad would be the 3 day canoe trip on the lower Zambezi River and her long weekend volunteering at the Cheetah Conservation Fund. On the Zambezi River it was remarkable to be close to nature in a noninvasive way. In many ways there was a familiarity, as if she was home on the Yellowstone River. Although paddling on the Zambezi River she saw hippos, crocodiles, kingfishers, fish eagles and elephants.
Her long weekend with the Cheetah Conservation Fund allowed Chloe to experience, fully, how a passionate organization operates. She was struck by the organizations ability to clearly define their objective by saying, “Here is why we need to do what we’re doing…” and “This is how we are doing it…” In a multi-faceted way they are doing a lot for the Cheetah, farming people, communities, ecosystem and Cheetah habitat.
Chloe is gaining a greater understanding of perspective. Through her experiences she is discovering many angles to look at and appreciate an issue, a person or a new challenging topic. Chloe has learned about the global community- that there are no easy answers.
She says with excitement!”, “We have to communicate with each other”.
What a terrific experience. To learn more about the Traveling School and how they help young women become “Kids for the Wild” and more, go to: www.travelingschool.com
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Words to ponder:
“We inter-breath with the rain forests, we drink from the oceans. They are part of our own body”. Thich Nhat Hanh
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Gandhi
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I once knew a woman, and her ears were going bad,
but she knew how to listen, so it wasn’t quite so sad,
she could hear the flowers open, she could hear the
desert sing,
and if you start to listen, you can hear most anything!
So next time you’re feelin’ quiet, set yourself
right down, And listen to the Earth, but don’t listen for a sound,
You can hear the trees a-growing, and hear the sunbeam
fall, Yes, if you start to listen, you can hear it all!
Walkin Jim Stoltz
Look at Gary Lawless blog as he writes about walking with poetry:
http://mygrations.blogspot.com
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Wild Wind Foundation, LLC PO Box 160477 Big Sky, Montana 59716
www.walkinjim.com or www.wildwindfoundation.com Email: info@wildwindfoundation.com or walkinjim@walkinjim.com
Please also visit the website for Musicians United to Sustain the Environment at www.musemusic.org Don’t forget you can listen to EarthDay.Fm (click here!) – Powered by MUSE and founded by Walkin’ Jim, using the power of music to promote environmental awareness and protect our shared heritage of wild lands, water waters, and wildlife.
Look for Musicians United to Sustain the Environment and Wild Wind/Remembering Walkin Jim on facebook…and don’t forget to LIKE us.