IN THIS ISSUE:
News from Wild Wind and M.U.S.E.
Words to Ponder
Greetings from “turn back time” day!
Wild Wind and M.U.S.E (Musicians United to Sustain the Environment) have gone through a few changes as we find ways to carry on. For a short time it was rebranded as “Listen to the Earth”, but we found M.U.S.E. was where we needed to continue our work. You will find more information about M.U.S.E on the Walkinjim.com website.
M.U.S.E. is and all-volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded by Walkin’ Jim Stoltz and Craig Wagner. Joyce Rouse (Earth Mama) has been instrumental though the years, both on and off the board.
It was, originally, a group of mostly professional touring musicians who had/have great concerns about the future of our planet. They are inspired by the land, and feel the need to give something back toward protecting the Earth.
Together, some powerful collections of music were released. Today, profits from MUSE sales go toward the Kid for the Wild Scholarship funds. Kid for the Wild is administered by the MUSE board and donations are tax deductible.
Kid for the Wild Scholarship 2022
This year we awarded 4 scholarships. Below are the recipients but if you want to read more about their experiences and see some photos, go to this link on the Walkinjim.com website: (scroll down)
Sarah Morse from Medocino, CA
Sasha Yada from Sequim, WA
Camp Habitat, located at Creamer’s Field Migratory Bird Refuge in Fairbanks, AK.
This year, the scholarship fund also helped 2 students from Tanzania with their school fees:
Hafsah Kindu in her first year at a medical school she is in the College of health science Bugando . As she was an environmental leader in high school,. Hafsa has achieved so much by keeping the school environment clean and green and teaching others in the important of “keeping our continent green by doing an the right things.” The scholarship will help her to carry on doing good things at her college planting more trees and working together with colleagues to educate others on environmental protection, trash management and tree planting around Lake Victoria .
Abigail Kindu in grade seven at Bahari school in Dar es Salaam. Abigail is a member of Tanzania youth scout which is known as centre of excellence for nature , environment and sustainability. The main goal is to educate the youth to protect the environment. The scholarship will help Abigail to travel to the areas of concern about huge environmental destruction especially a big hydro power project at Selous game reserve, where thousands of acres of natural forest was cleared to allow the project to take over, such a huge destruction. This tour will help to get a first-hand experience and later on share with the Tanzanian youth the important of conserving and protecting nature. There will be other ongoing scouts activities like cleaning the beach and help educate others not to litter the beach.
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This year, the Alaska Conservation Foundation awarded Susan Grace Stoltz (Jim is her “older” brother) a prestigious award,
The Celia Hunter Award for Outstanding Volunteer Contributions,
for her volunteer time. To read more about Celia Hunter, look at this link
It’s a great story of her courageous life and the impact she ultimately had protecting some of Alaska’s wild places.
Susan Grace
Susan has organized the Earth Day activities in Fairbanks for over thirty years. She has inspired generations with her Earth music and has been a defender of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has traveled to other states to talk about the Arctic Refuge and performed her music for benefits, testified, taught music in the bush, and inspires young people with her talents and commitment.
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Words to ponder
Recently I am reading Boyd Varty’s title called the Lion Trackers Guide to Life. One of Boyd’s tracking mentors is Renais. He is of the Shangaan people who are known as being the best trackers in Southern Africa.
Renais says: “you must train yourself to see the track. AND
“I don’t know where I am going, but I know exactly how to get there“ AND
“ Any pain, you can fix with walking. Just walk, you can be fine”
Boyd reflects:
“You have to follow the inner tracks of your feelings sensations and follow a deeper, wiser, wilder place inside yourself. We are a part of Nature, and inside each of us is a wild self that knows deeply what it is meant to do”
Thich Nhat Hanh “The Miracle is not walking on the water; the miracle is walking on the Earth. The miracle is all around us as the awareness of Life itself”
Thanks for continuing to read these newsletters. Best to you from Wild Wind the MUSE board.