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 April 2017
Earth Day? Earth Daze, Earth Craze!
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Dear ,
Happy month of Earth Day! Here at the Conservancy we pretty much treat it as Earth Month, as we are simply infatuated with this lovable orbiting rock we all call home sweet planet. Since it’s such a great month, we thought this newsletter could encapsulate the unique qualities of our one and only. No, Earth doesn’t have fancy rings like Saturn, but did you know that globally there are 6,000 lightning flashes every 60 seconds? Stay tuned to learn more!
In This Newsletter:
Music of the World
by Gina Shearn
Earth Day was originally marked as the start of the environmental movement in 1970 and serves as a special day of reflection and action toward building a better future with the beautiful globe we call home.
With this movement came another wave of environmentally minded musicians ready to share their thoughts via lyrical brilliance. Let’s take a look at some of these creations and learn a little about the artists who released them to the world!
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Cascades in Phleger Estate, San Mateo County
Photo Credit Leor Pantilat |
Joni Mitchell: “Big Yellow Taxi”, 1970 (Hey, that’s the year Earth Day was initiated!)
One line from this song always pops into my head and it’s not the “Oooooh, bop bop bop” part from the Counting Crows version (although that does tend to stick). The line I refer to is “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
Joni Mitchell wrote this song during a visit to Hawaii – she said in an interview with the LA Times that from her hotel she saw “…beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then… there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart.” She referred to the parking lot as a “…blight on paradise”.
Other parts of the song refer to DDT and trees in museums, outlining many environmental concerns of the time that still strike a chord in listeners today.
Peter Gabriel: “Down to Earth”, 2008
You may have heard this song if you have a love for animated movies; originally written for Pixar’s film “WALL-E”, Gabriel takes a happier, more invitational stance toward ecological concerns. In the song he encourages listeners to “Redefine your priorities; these are extraordinary qualities to find on Earth.” Most of the song celebrates the beauty of Earth and asks that everyone comes back down to Earth and truly appreciate what it’s worth: “There’s no better place to go; we’ve got snow upon the mountains; we’ve got rivers down below.”
Ben Harper: “With My Own Two Hands”, 2002 (Later covered by Jack Johnson)
The meaning behind this song isn’t a hidden one. With lyrics such as “I can change the world with my own two hands” and “I can make peace on earth… I can clean up the earth with my own two hands”, I think his meaning is pretty clear. Change in this song comes from the individual and the power of good will. How fitting with the Earth Day movement!
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Hickman’s Potentilla
Photo Credit Bob Huettmann
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Talking Heads: “Nothing But Flowers”, 1988
Here’s a unique take on the movement to revamp the natural world; in this song, the speaker lives in a world that has reverted from a stage of convenience to straight nature, saying it’s all “nothing but flowers.” The narrator speaks of missing 7-11s and cherry pies, finishing the song with an abrupt statement of “Don’t leave me stranded here, I can’t get used to this lifestyle.” Thought-provoking indeed!
Nahko and Medicine for the People: “Mitakuye Oyasin”, 2014
Here’s a song that is a bit more modern and has a simple, folk-like melody and is composed of short, lyrical phrases. The piece is a celebration of being part of the earth and the wonders it holds, saying, “How could they have been bestowed upon me?” It’s an easy listen and I do believe the original intent was for the song to be used during meditation.
Earth Awareness – How Have We Changed?
by Gina Shearn
Wow, a whole day about the Earth can really make a person wonder… how has it changed? Has it actually? We can see a cliff crumble into the sea and think, sure, that happens all the time, but we often don’t step back to see the macro changes that build up little by little.
I’d like to be your guide in a look into the past at what the Earth once looked like and how it is today. Want to know more? Click on the highlighted words within to see original source articles!
I recently stumbled across a video put forth by National Geographic that shows changes in Earth from space. This wasn’t just a few slides of before and after photos (though they are in there), but this quick video interviews astronauts who watched the land change first-hand as we humans expanded our reach.
Wondering how drastically the Aral Sea (formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world) changed in 10 years? Are you curious to see the expansion of city night lights in Dubai? Check out the full video here.
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Cairo from Space
Photo Credit National Geographic
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My next research adventure begs the question of how coastlines change on Earth. We see this in sand dune movement as well as coastal cliffs. It’s funny to imagine a beach literally migrating around, but indeed that is what happens—satellites caught it on camera in Cape Cod over the last 30 years. Thankfully no one was sunbathing that whole time otherwise they may have ended up miles and miles away from their car….
Cliffs are also curious creatures as they seem to “retreat” or run away from the big, powerful ocean. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) put together a massive study of California coastal retreat over the last 70 years and found that on average coastlines move back 0.3 meters every year (17.7 m total in the course of the study). Of course, there are “hot spots” for erosion that sway the average—Cape Vizcaino experienced a whopping 223 m retreat over the time period!
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Snowfall in the Sahara
Photo Credit Karim Bouchetata/Geoff Robinson Photography
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Another large area of change on Earth comes in the form of crazy weather and seasons. Wondering why the spring bloom is a little early this year? Or why there was snow in the Sahara Desert? Or why reindeer can’t find food in the Arctic because of a heat wave? Weather is a malleable creature, shifting like a great ocean above Earth’s crust. Apparently the shift this time led to a very hot place receiving a frozen dusting and a very cold place taking a trip to the sauna. Oh, what a world!
Earth Day Events and Adventures
Have we mentioned how important Earth Day is for us at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy? To really drive it home we’re kicking off a bunch of special events, talks, walks, work days, and activities so you can come learn, enjoy, and engage! Here’s a schedule of some Earth themed events hosted by the Parks Conservancy and friends:
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Fog Break at Rancho Corral de Tierra
Photo Credit Gina Shearn
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Thursday, April 6
Friday, April 14 – Tuesday, April 18
Thursday, April 20
- Soulajule Jewels and Ghouls Field Trip – Hike in a beautiful and diverse area
Saturday, April 22
- Pacifica Earth Day of Action and Eco Fest! – Guest appearance by the Roving Ranger
- Mt. Tam Earth Day – In partnership with Friends of Mt. Tam
Sunday, April 23
- Stinson Beach: Create-with-Nature Earth Day Celebration
- Mt. Tamalpais Guided Hike – Pantoll Parking Lot @ 10 AM
Wednesday, April 26
Thursday, April 27
Friday, April 28
- Alcatraz Historic Gardens Care – Take a Tour After Helping Out!
- Crissy Field Evening Walk and Campfire – Member Event
Saturday, April 29
- Rancho Corral de Tierra Stewardship Program
Looking for more? Check out this web page that has all of the Earth Week events hosted by the Conservancy and friends!
Regular Volunteer Information and Work Day Schedules
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Volunteering at Milagra Ridge
Photo Credit Steve Wilson
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When you really think about it, isn’t every day Earth Day? We get everything from this great blue marble, so we park stewards love a chance to give back. Please join us on our drop-in volunteer programs; we’d love to see you there!
San Mateo Parks Stewardship Drop-In Dates
Saturdays, 10 am–1 pm
Work day events include a combination of hands-on service projects and short natural or cultural history talks. To learn more or sign up, visit our website by clicking here.
Rancho Corral de Tierra
- Saturday, April 1
- Saturday, April 29
Mori Point
Milagra Ridge
In the words of biologist Jane Goodall, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Thanks for choosing to make a difference for improving our environment! We’ll see you in the field!
Sincerely,
Team San Mateo
Georgia, Gina, and Steve 
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