LCO Convention Center, Hayward, Wisconsin Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Environmental Film Fest
Schedule
11:30-12:00pm: Free Luncheon 12:00pm Speaker: Mary Ellen Ryall, Happy Tonics Inc. on Plight of the Monarch Butterfly and reasons why Happy Tonics creates native habitats for pollinators and migrating butterflies. 12:20pm Film: “Incredible Journey of the Butterflies” 1:20pm Community Discussion – Advocacy to Action
Visit Informational Booths Before and After Film:
How to Build Butterfly & Rain Gardens, Local Foods, Recycling, and more!
This nature documentary from NOVA follows the epic migration of the monarch butterfly over 2000 miles, providing a butterfly’s-eye-view as the two month journey passes over forests, swamps, desserts, and open water, eventually touching down at their destination in Mexico.
On 24 April 2010 Happy Tonics held the III Annual Earth Day Event in Shell Lake at the Native Wildflower and Butterfly Garden. This year it did not snow like it did in 2008 but it rained. Heaven smiled upon us in sending the rains in the 7th year of drought.
Ginger Wilcox gives sacred tobacco outThunderbolt Drum giving thanks for the rain
We all took a pinch of tobacco and offered our good thoughts along with tobacco to the Ojibwe birch bark basket. Then Dr. John Anderson offered prayers to the Creator in thanksgiving for the rain and we dedicated our ceremony “To honor the bees.”
Once a wild wolf now man's friend
John taught the audience that man once honored all the four legged, finned and winged relatives. Somehow we have become disconnected. He gave an example of how the dog dances when he sees you return safely home. Every one with loving smiles looked at the dog he was speaking about. The four-legged one just listened intently to John speaking .
Ginger Wilcox holds Eagle Feather to give message
Ginger Wilcox gave a message as she held the sacred Eagle Feather. We need to protect and honor the pollinators. The Earth will survive without human beings.
Mother Earth knows how to protect herself. We must reconnect to Mother Earth and respect her so that human beings can survive too. We need to protect the butterflies, bees and native plants and stop destroying the natural world or there will be no natural resources for future generations.
Paul Schaefer beekeeper and Mary Ellen Ryall with bee frame
Paul Schaefer spoke about beekeeping. He and his wife Beverly are beekeepers in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, USA. The pure and organic honey that they produce is absolutely delicious. There is an urgent need for younger generation to get involved in beekeeping. Without bees, we will have no food. Native bees are also in decline including four species of the beloved bumble bee. Xerces Society is a good start to learn about native bees and beekeeping. The local lunch was made possible by a grant from the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board.
Handmade Butterfly Quilt for Happy Tonics Fundraiser
The Wednesday Sit and Stitch Quilt Group made this handmade butterfly quilt as a Fundraiser for Happy Tonics. It took the senior ladies a year to complete the project and the quilt was on display for the Earth Day attendees to view. It will be auctioned off online or through a raffle later this summer. First the quilt is being entered into the 100th Anniversary Fair in Spooner, Wisconsin, this summer. We surely hope this beautiful quilt wins a ribbon.
Baby Eden
The last message of the day is that we must all do our part to protect Mother Earth for the next 7 generations.
Let us plant host and nectar plants for the pollinators so that Baby Eden will have a natural world when she grows up.
I am reading a book The Complete Book of Herbs by Emma Callery. I made lemon-chive butter and it was absolutely delicious.
Recipe: Squeeze a slice of lemon or lime into a bowl with 1/4 pound of butter. Let it sit until butter is softened to room temperature. Then add fresh snipped chives from the garden. Use scissors rather than a knife. Mix it well and refrigerate.
The softened herb butter can be transferred to a piece of freezer paper or plastic wrap and rolled into a log shape. I didn’t have either. Instead I transferred the herb butter to the pretty small container. It is fabulous on dark forest bread.
Creamy butter with chives
Eggs cooked in chive butter
Other recipes include a dab of herb butter to make scrambled egg or cheese souffle, on baked potatoes with sour cream dressing. The herb butter can be used when cooking chops or steak.
Free range farm fresh eggs
Flowers can be snipped, pulled apart and added to salads. Use flowers in soup.
Medicinally the leaves are slightly antiseptic and are said to be used to relieve rheumatism.
The Sisterhood of Planetary Water Rites by Tonya Whitedeer Cargill and excerpted from her email to share with women around the world.
Greetings:
Water is the first foundation of Life. Without it there would be no life upon our Planet Earth. We have been brought together through Spirit as a dedicated voice for our waters.
Our mission is to teach, to support and to be a unifying force for ceremonies to bless, purify and restore our planet’s waters and natural water systems, that there will always be clean and fresh water for all.
So many of us are feeling overwhelmed and devastated over what has been happening to our Mother Earth. We have found that through prayer we can make a difference. Prayer and ceremony has been used since time memorable. It is our hope to renew our faith and empower ourselves with our spiritual energies given to us since our first breaths as human beings.
Several prophecies and visions have been brought to the surface to educate us on the changing of times and how we can help. These messages all say to Turn to the Power of Prayer!
There has been a date brought to us from the Universe through the Planets that a day for a World Prayer for Water Day would be May 18th, 2010.
Mark your calendars and say a prayer for water on May 18th.
Without water there is no life. We are in a great global water crisis.
Capture rainwater where it falls. Don’t let it patter down the street.
Recycle water for gardens and insects.
Thank you insectamonarca friends where ever you are.
April 10, 2010 – I was so surprised to see a meadow fritillary butterfly and what I think may be a rusty-patched bumblebee. My neighbor Bobbie and her dog Bootsie were sitting outside and watching the nature show. Bobbie said, “Bootsie was barking at the bumblebee earlier.” She pointed out the futterbys. Check out Larry Webber’s Website at http://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly/species/70-meadow-fritillary to learn more about the meadow fritillary.
North of Mount Morris, Waushara Co., WI, August 21, 2002 copyright Wisconsin Butterflies OrganizationThis is the earliest I have ever seen a butterfly outside of the mourning cloak that was seen in March and is the first butterfly to show itself after the snows.
Bumblebees are another passion of mine. The rusty-patched bumblebee is in decline. I think this is the species I may have seen today because it had a rusty band around its middle.
Xerces Society rusty-patched bumblebee According to Xerces Society this species of bumblebee though found in the Midwest is not supposed to be in Washburn County.
I feel that I am on a treasure hunt because I want to not only document this bumblebee species in Washburn County. I hope at least I am fortunate enough to photograph it and other bumbles in 2010.
I did notice that viola (violet plant) grew as a ground cover beneath the nonflowering lilac.
violets growing under trees in Minong, Wisconsin
The fritillary host plant is the viola. The caterpillars overwinter and emerge as butterflies in the spring. It was near 60 degrees Fahrenheit today and perhaps the butterfly had recently emerged as a butterfly.
Think spring Insectamonarca friends and be happy where ever you are.
We are sad to report that the monarchs will be migrating back to the USA with the lowest numbers since the 1970s when they were first recorded. Read all about the floods and mudslides in Mexico. Chip Taylor, University of Kansas and Monarch Watch, points out that illegal deforestation has compromised the Mexican habitats for many years.
May we all pay attention to promoting biodiversity and reforestation for the monarch butterfly and pollinating species including native bees.
Happy Tonics has been selected again as a candidate for the April 1 – 15 VOTING PERIOD with Brighter Planet. Our Grant Proposal Native Habitats and Community Gardens in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, needs your VOTE at
We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Environmental Education Organization and Public Charity. Officers and board work for free.
Please take a minute to REGISTER on BRIGHTER PLANET and VOTE for our Grant Proposal. Thank you for helping us create a world of beauty for today and the future.
Native Bumblebees on coneflower
Our work is dedicated to helping the littlest of species the pollinating butterflies and native bees that need our help. We grow native habitat and crops to promote biodiversity which pollinators depend upon.
Water is the first foundation of Life. Without it there would be no life upon our Planet Earth. We have been brought together through Spirit as a dedicated voice for our waters.
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