Share & Voice: Roxaboxen

"Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill -- nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo -- but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged with the whitest stones, and two ice cream shops. Come with us there, where all you need to gallop fast and free is a long stick and a soaring imagination.In glowing desert hues, artist Barbara Cooney has caught the magic of Alice McLerran's treasured land of Roxaboxen -- a place that really was, and, once you've been there, always is." (here)

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran was one of my favorite books growing up.  It's a short book filled with beautiful illustrations, and a wonderful story about a group of friends who build their own town out of just nature and few boxes. 

I always wanted to build my own Roxaboxen - it seemed like such a special and beautiful place.

But I did have my own similar adventures created by imagination when I was growing up.  That is the beauty of nature - when kids (and adults) are unleashed into it, magical and amazing things come out of them.  We don't need the computer games, television shows, or even books to provide us with hours of fun. 

I recommend this book to anyone of any age, if you haven't read it already.  And also encourage you to spend some more time outdoors, building your own version of a Roxaboxen. 

Share & Voice: National Geographic

For this Share and Voice I chose to post about National Geographic.
Many of us are familiar with the name, either because of TV shows, the magazine or the photography.

I used to say I was going to be a National Geographic photographer when I grew up - travel the world, cover thrilling stories, and take spectacular photos.

National Geographic is an amazing source for current information on a wide range of topics - all related to nature, people, animals, the earth, our world.. the environment!

Since the photography is what really catches my attention, I'm going to share some National Geographic photos - famous and my favorites. (All found here)

"A lioness lets out a mighty yawn to shake away the sleep and be ready for the wildebeests which were headed in the direction of the pride. Soon after she walked away in the familiar swagger of a confident hunter and took up position under the bushes."

Lions are my favorite animal, and I loved this shot.

"The Cascade Room, some 80 feet (24 meters) beneath the surface, leads divers deeper into Dan's Cave on Abaco Island. Nearly seven miles (11 kilometers) of the cave have been explored since the mid-1990s."


It's amazing that places like this exist! Although I don't think I'd be brave enough to dive down there - good thing I chose a different career path!

King Tutankhamen’s Funerary Mask: "Icon of ancient Egypt, the teenage pharaoh's funerary mask immortalizes his features in gold, glass, and semiprecious stones. This and other treasures from his tomb, now in Cairo's Egyptian Museum, attract a constant swirl of visitors."


A piece of history. It is so interesting to read about discoveries like this one - and ones from around the world.

"Colorful shawls and flowered dresses accentuate these Bruneian girls as they practice for a traditional Malay family gathering. Their hands, folded together, symbolize humility and peace."


I love learning what other cultures do and value - using your hands and body to symbolize different things, and wearing garments that have been passed through generations. Sometimes I wish American's held things like this in higher regard.

"At an electric plant in southern Spain, mirrors as big as houses catch some of the 120 quadrillion watts of sunlight that constantly fall on Earth. Government subsidies for this pricey yet promising power source have made Europe the world's solar capital."


I wish the US would invest in more solar/renewable/clean energy. It might be expensive now, but it will pay off in the long run.

"I love all the empty space around the swimming platform. It shows how the lake is both huge and peaceful. The figures of the people become very small, and what makes the shot is the person jumping from the platform and appearing especially tiny surrounded by all that water."


Even our very own Lake Superior made the cut! Has anyone jumped of the ice house down by Canal Park?







If you are interested in learning more from National Geographic, you can visit their website here, which is also where you can sign up for a magazine subscription. I have one, and think it is definitely worth the monthly fee.
You can also follow them on Facebook! They often post current events, interesting facts, and of course beautiful photos!
And, if you use Netflix, they have a ton of documentaries and videos on instant-watch. I'm currently in the middle of The Photographers (of course), which uses a famous and stunning photo for it's cover.

Enjoy!

Share & Voice: Last Child in the Woods

A new term was introduced to me a couple of months ago: nature-deficit disorder.
This term was coined by a man named Richard Louv.
This new "disorder" really got me curious, and I wanted to learn more. So, this morning I checked out one of Louv's books from the UMD Library: The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

(richardlouv.com)

I'm only on page 41 of 310, but I'm already hooked (and have a page of quotes and notes I want to remember).

The things that Louv talks about in these pages are so startling, interesting, and right in front of you. 

First, I will start with a definition:

"Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them; diminished use of senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. This disorder can be detected in individuals, families and communities." (pg. 34)

One sentence instantly brought a scene from work to mind; one I had experienced only a couple of weeks ago.

"In 2002, another British study discovered that the average eight-year-old was better able to identify characters from the Japanese card trading game Pokemon than native species in the community where they lived: Pikachu, Metapod, and Wigglytuff were names more familiar to them than otter, beetle, and oak tree". (pg. 33)

I work at the First United Methodist church as a childcare provider. One little boy, Tommy, who is seven-years-old, brought his collection of Pokemon cards in to share and play with during a Wednesday night.  He was utterly shocked, almost appalled, that I couldn't name the Pokemon as he flashed the cards one after another.  Even then, I found it funny and crazy that he could memorize all of the names, skills and types of that huge stack of characters.  Looking back now, I wish I had a stack of my own cards... only with animals, bugs, birds and plants. 

I've barely even begun this book, but I have already been rocked by the reality of children's relationships with nature.  I would highly recommend this book: to parents, to educators, to aunts and uncles, and just to curious individuals (this disorder applies to us grown-ups too).  I am excited to keep reading and learning, and fully intend to read more of Louv's books. 

(sheknows.com)

Share and Voice: A Journey Through My Environment

For this first share and voice, I chose to post pictures that I have taken of the environment. I am very passionate about photography, and was excited to look back on the places I've been. I tried to post a spattering of old and new photos!

I took this photo during a hike through Torrey Pines, in San Diego. The trail brings you towards the ocean, and the sun was setting as we approached it. In the photo is a group of people standing on a cliff, across a canyon from me.

This is a picture of ice hanging from a branch outside my apartment building. I like it because it looks like a hummingbird to me. I took it in high school.

I love the sun rays in this one. I took it last year on my phone, from my car.

I love playing with the sun when I take photos - It usually lends some amazing light effects.

That's me IN my environment! :)

My roommate and I went out on the boardwalk behind Fitgers, then spent a couple hours exploring the amazing ice shards that had built up along the rocks. 

A shot from the same ice adventure. This is Hannah, showing off a huge ice hunk she found. 

I grew up visiting California, since I have family there. This is a shot of one of my favorite beach inhabitants! They are sticky and close up when you touch them.

Taken at Soundset two years ago. Meant to shoot the rainbow, and got a peace sign as a bonus!

Took the two above on a photo excursion for a photography class my freshman year. 

My roommate and I went up to Hawks Ridge - my mom's old college roommate lives up there (the awesome house in the background of the 2nd photo).

Lastly, and old crumbled castle I found in Duluth. I'd love to share it's location, but I haven't been able to find it again...

If you happen to stumble upon it, let me know! I'd love to visit again.

That's all I am going to add - I could post a bajillion pictures, but I wont. 

I don't have many/any pictures of environments that are in danger or dirty. But, I'd like to start looking out for that. 

Welcome to Sea-Air-Ahh!

(from my plane - leaving San Diego, California)

My name is Sierra, and I am creating this blog in the hopes of educating myself, and others, about the wide world we live in - and to pass my class ;)

There are 5 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Lifestyle Change
5. Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels. This post is has been labeled with all five kinds of posts. You will also see the number of each kind of post in my "Labels" gadget at the top of the page. All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my web group are:

1. Lindsay@Lindsay's Loving Land
2. Chnice@Eco Summit With Chnice
3. Duzong@Duzong's Treehouse
4. Dr. V/Kristen@Eco-Surfing With Amy and Kristen

You can also follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" in the gadget column. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile."

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you will return regularly to learn, watch, read, laugh, and share about our beautiful environment - from sea to sky!

(Lake Superior)