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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner Wild Parsnip & Black Swallow Tail Butterflies – Cornwall Ontario – July 26, 2010

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:48:16 +0000

Cornwall ON - Last week we talked about the Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) plant, sometimes referred to as the Poison Parsnip plant because of the painful blistering that can take place on human skin when the sap of this plant comes in contact with the skin in the presence of sunlight. Curiously further research uncovered that the plant of the cultivated parsnip that we purchase in our grocery stores can have the same effect.
I hadn’t planned to talk about this further except by chance on a recent walk I noticed a most beautiful caterpillar perched on a Wild Parsnip plant happily dining on its leaves and flowers. So this curious find begged a little research. The words ‘caterpillar’ and ‘wild parsnip’ were googled to find that this was the caterpillar of the Black Swallowtail. This butterfly is sometimes referred to as the Parsnip butterfly. The eggs from this beautiful butterfly are routinely laid on plants from the carrot family; the parsnip is from this family of plants.

It seems very evident that each living thing has a purpose, many of which we do not know. Although this plant can be harmful to us in certain circumstances it can also benefit us. Not only can it serve as home and dinner to the beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly through parts of it’s life cycle it can also feed us with its tap root during the fall of it’s first year of growth. Now before you go out and dig up some tap roots of this plant please do some research to insure you know how to properly identify this plant. The late fall of the 1st year growth plant is what you want to look for. It grows a rosetta clump of leaves from the top of the root. You will find these among the mature flowering plants which you do not want as the tap root of the flowering plant is too mature and woody to eat.
The wonderful discovery of this lovely caterpillar led to the discovery of a free food source and back to the heart felt words of Chief Seattle noted below.

“The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother. If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers. Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

Your commentary is welcome and appreciated. Feel free to comment here or to earthmatters@jmilner.com

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – WILD PARSNIP – Cornwall Ontario – July 19, 2010

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:47:30 +0000

Cornwall ON - Giant Hogweed which is big news these days has a relative plant which is prominent in our own backyards. Firstly, it is hoped that this information will help the general public identify the plant, especially the children who may decide it is a nice specimen to bring home for mommy. Secondly, that information is shared that will help you deal with the wild parsnip with respect to the other vital plants that share the same environment.

The challenges with Wild Parsnip

Wild parsnip (also known as poison parsnip) has a nasty reputation for causing burn like blisters on the skin wherever broken parts of the plants can leave their liquid chemicals called psoralens which triggers phytophotodermatitis. These blisters only develop 24 to 48 hours after exposure. Phytophotodermatitis is caused by the sun’s UV rays activating the psoralens that are absorbed into the skin causing burns (blisters) on the skin as a reaction. Sweat and humidity help speed the absorption of psoralens into the skin.

Each plant produces hundreds of seeds which can over populate and crowd out other species in a short period of time. Lastly, the seed may remain viable in the ground for up to five years. Vigilance and regular mowing at the appropriate time (before the plant blooms) is required to eradicate this species from a present growing area.

Controlling the growth of Wild Parsnip

Before resorting to the use of herbicides, it is of benefit to question whether there are more effective and environmentally friendly ways of dealing with the wild parsnip invasion. Spraying does not affect the seed. The plants can develop resistance to the chemicals being sprayed and can affect other beneficial plants, insects and animals. Wild parsnip in its first year of growth produces no flowers and just shows as a tuft of basal leaves. In the second year, the wild parsnip goes into bud generally in July.

They then go into flower, producing seed in midsummer to early fall. Plants can grow to over 5 feet tall. After producing seeds, the plants die. The best way to control the spread of wild parsnip and keep it at bay is to mow or “weed eat” it just when the buds are beginning to show (somewhere between end of June and beginning of July) depending on the geographical location and climate. To mow or use the weed eater later in the season actually may contribute to spreading the seeds and therefore increase the spread of the wild parsnip population.

Of Special note

Should mowing or weed eating take place after the plant has already flowered, the flowers will continue to grow and produce mature seed. Mowing before the plants flower is vital. For smaller isolated patches of wild parsnip, you may break the tap root with a shovel or spade in order to control these plants. Caution: Always make sure to wear clothing and gloves that provide protection from contact with these plants, especially in sunlight. If you have come in contact with wild parsnip wash and flush your skin and that of any animal with you with water immediately.

Key points to remember.

1. Keep the skin covered when dealing with this plant.

2. After cutting or contact insure clothing is immediately removed and washed insuring no further skin contact is made. If the juices of the plant make skin contact flush area immediately with water.

3. The best method for the average homeowner to eliminate/control the plant is to cut before flowering.

4. Share this information with your friends and family.

Your commentary is encouraged and welcome. You may do so here or at earthmatters@jmilner.com

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – Fairs, Exhibitions, and not resorting to plastic during the Summer Season – Cornwall Ontario – July 12, 2010

admin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:50:50 +0000

Cornall ON - Well the summer flurry of fairs and exhibitions is in full swing. These are wonderful events which offer the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and to meet new ones. Attending these events often includes purchasing a meal on site and everything always tastes better when someone else makes it so support your local vendors and take a break from cooking.

We can avoid the guilt of all the garbage such an extravagance offers by packing a container that your local vendor can fill with your purchased meal and your own reusable utensils. Chop Sticks are a great utensil to consider packing for just such an adventure because they also force you eat a little slower and enjoy the meal. Also, avoid the plastic trap by packing enough water in your own reusable container to keep you hydrated for the day. This small change over the year can eliminate a room full of plastic from our landfill sites.

If you are hosting a special event over this summer or next and are interested in ‘greening up’ your event you may visit http://drop.io/earthmatters and view or download documentation entitled “Greening Your Event” to help you do exactly that. Any journey begins with the first step so incorporating one small change can make a huge difference in the long run. Please feel free to share it with the companies and organizations you associate with.

I attended a Canada Day Celebration in South Mountain this past July 1 and sadly noticed no blue boxes on the premises for people’s recyclables. Your help and voices are needed to get these simple helpful measures in place. Come on people…it is 2010. Not having blue boxes in place for our community and municipal events is absolutely unacceptable.

My family has been doing rather well in staying away from plastic film and Styrofoam in our weekly grocery purchases. This has meant that we have had to bypass products that we would love to purchase such as corn or grapes which I have only seen in plastic over the past few weeks. Farm Boy has been our source for meat and cold cuts as they are willing to pack requests in paper or in containers we supply.

We have also discovered a second Grocery Store in Cornwall who has a meat counter, Gosselin’s Super Market which means we can avoid the plastic Styrofoam route for purchasing our meat products. With the abundance of locally grown produce available at our local farmers’ markets and produce stands plastic is easy to avoid as long as you remember to bring your reusable grocery bags.

Smart tip of the week: Consider using an insulated carafe to put your pot of hot tea or coffee in. We have used such a carafe over the last few years. The carafe of coffee stays hot for several hours and saves us considerable electricity in the process as we do not continually heat or might I say cook the coffee with the coffeemaker. A great energy and flavour saver and great when you are entertaining a house full of company. The stainless steel carafe was purchased for about $45.00; an investment that has paid for itself several times over.

Your commentary is encouraged and appreciated. Your message may be noted here or sent to earthmatters@jmilner.com

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – Get W.E.T. Free Water Efficiency Tools from the Raisin Region Conservation Authority – Cornwall Ontario – July 5, 2010

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:01:00 +0000

Cornwall ON - Get W.E.T. with the water efficiency team from the Raisin Region Conservation Authority this summer.

The goal of this team is to provide tools and information to make “homeowners in our community aware of water conservation and general environmental stewardship”. Call the Water Efficiency Team at 1-866-3611 or 613-938-3611 to reserve your appointment today. This service is absolutely FREE. I mean it! No strings attached.

Local Conservation groups and municipal governments want to help you save precious water resources in looking after your day to day requirements. The W.E.T. representative can help you save thousands of litres of water annually by providing your home with water conservation tools such as toilet dams, tap aerators and hose nozzles. These tools are provided and installed free of charge. Yes I know it may be hard to believe that it is free however it really is. This service is available on a first come, first served basis so call for your appointment today.

The following is a 13 minute video that I pray you will take the time to watch and in my friend Nadine’s word’s is an issue affecting us all and even more dangerous and insidious than the oil spill that we are still dealing with. It is a heart-felt narration and appeal of a Saskatchewan farmer who is no longer allowed to gather seed, a practice as old as time. In short, he cannot farm organically and independently but must comply with enforced practices he knows to be dangerous. I hope he will be a modern day Rosa Parks.

If you have seen Food Inc. you are already aware that a handful of conglomerates now control everything we farm, prepare and eat, from seed to supermarket. Even that is of less concern to me than the irreversible contamination of our seeds and what it means for the health of our planet and the future.

It is time for us to wake up from denial and begin the change. For the 2020 Vision Initiatives, I believe in the One-Step Program, and that is “Stop It”. It is no different than any other addiction. Until we admit that there is a problem, the insanity and decline will continue while we party and rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic. Like the good seeds, and this farmer’s field, those who are awake cannot help but be entangled or contaminated while this abuse of power continues.

It is time for liberation. The biologist Sandra Steingraber of Living Upstream compares what is happening now to the time when the demolition of slavery was considered ruinous to the economy. It had to be done anyway. Doing the right thing is never ruinous but liberating for the common good. We do have the brainpower and creativity to do the right thing. Holding the sword sometimes begins with simply saying no.

Our thanks to Nadine for sharing this important information. Your commentary is encouraged and appreciated. Do take some time to enjoy the some of the many simple beautiful gifts of the season; black-eyed susans, daises, fireflies, bumblebees, the call of a Robin…simple blessings.

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – Stop the hemorrhaging please! BP Oil Spill – Cornwall Ontario – June 29, 2010

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:52:02 +0000

Cornwall ON - We are now in the third month of the hemorrhaging of our ocean floor since the initial explosion of The Deepwater Horizon oil rig, April 20, 2010.

Why are we facing the results of such an event? In addition to the people and businesses involved not being prepared for such an eventuality our demand for oil products and byproducts is the culprit. This disaster certainly is an eye-opener to what unbridled consumerism can produce.

It is time for a revolution. This is the time to innovate, develop and transform. Our present way of doing and thinking must evolve to insure we continue to have a sustainable planet for all life now and in the future. We are in this life together; each action or non-action we take, affects all life that shares this planet with us.

Are the products you consume and purchase necessary? Are these items produced by individuals and corporations that put the health of people and our environment ahead of profit? Are you buying into a product or service that has the potential to irreversibly harm a species or ecosystem? Are the businesses and people that you associate with only ‘talking the talk’ or ‘walking the walk’? If we begin to ask the questions and look for and insist on the answers we can begin the transformation.

We cannot continue to blindly consume for the sake of convenience or based on our own personal need without consideration of all the others that inhabit this spaceship Earth with us. Yes this will require an alteration in our way of thinking and it will require courage and an expenditure of our time to insist that our leaders, politicians, families, friends, schools and corporations conduct their day to day operations in a manner that is respectful to all life. It is clear that our planet, our home can only continue to sustain us if we sustain her.

Every journey begins with one small step. As I am writing this article I have a Township brochure on recycling in front of me that states that ‘it takes glass and plastic one million years to break down’. This information is difficult to swallow especially considering the amount of plastic we consume each day by the purchasing choices we make. Please do visit this following link on plastics to get a better understanding of how our penchant for plastic is affecting ‘The Circle of Life’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnUjTHB1lvM This is a very short two and one half minute video. Two and one half minutes of your life to comprehend how our daily choices affect the world around us. It is difficult to comprehend that we continue to use plastics and more importantly continue to put our precious environments at risk in our search and retrieval of oil to fuel our penchant for plastic.

Everyone is aware of a step they can take to insure the health of our planet. You can give each of us a gift by donating your time and words to let your friends, politicians and the corporations that serve us know that the hemorrhaging of our earth must stop now. We expect nothing less than respect for all life before profit. Our earth will flourish with nothing less!

Perhaps you have an idea which can help the world deal with some of these issues. Please do share it with us and with the corporations who can put them to use.

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – It Adds Up! – Cornwall Ontario – June 22, 2010

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:42:10 +0000

North Americans use over three million miles of it annually…what is it??

Cornwall ON - Dental floss! According to information read in an online Plastics and Resins report, North Americans use over 3 million miles of dental floss annually. Dental floss is made principally from nylon; a synthetic product that is derived from petroleum products. Petroleum is a non-sustainable resource, the production of which can and has had detrimental effects on natural resources and eco-systems world wide; proof positive is the current Gulf of Mexico oil saga which is still looking for a resolution. There are alternative products available made of silk however animal activists are not fond of this choice because the silkworm’s spun cocoon is what is collected to make silk. Farmers kill the cocooned moth before it emerges to preserve the cocoon to be sold to the manufacturers.

Then there is the coating of the floss to consider. Waxed or unwaxed? Plant-based coating or beeswax? Waxed floss is generally manufactured using a petroleum based synthetic wax. According to www.greenyour.com the one thing we should avoid is Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); better known as Teflon.

After the flossing comes the brushing. Most dentists recommend changing tooth brushes every 3 months so it shouldn’t be a surprise to know that 50 million pounds of toothbrushes are tossed each and every year. Wow!! And where do these end up? Your local land fills for the most part. Yes there are repurposing opportunities available for the toothbrush. They can be used for art projects, cleaning utensils for jewelry, tile and any other hard to reach area on an item with several small nooks and crannies. All this being said, we would not need another toothbrush in 3 months time to use for these alternative purposes.

What is a person to do? How can we look after our dental needs without purchasing an item whose ultimate resting place will be in our land fills and which could still be in tact during our great-great-grandchildren’s life time? EnterPreserve, http://www.preserveproducts.com an American Company who has come up with a tooth brush that they recycle. In fact each tooth brush that they sell comes with a self-addressed stamped envelope for you to return your worn out tooth brush for recycling. The tooth brushes can be purchased on line or through Mother Earth Natural Health, 747 D Richmond Road, Ottawa, ON. Perhaps a local retailer would be interested in handling this product? There could be great fund raising opportunities with this product…don’t you think?

So what threes things can we do immediately to make our daily dental routine a little greener? Use floss that is uncoated or manufactured with natural waxed coatings. Sadly recycling is not an option for dental floss at this time. Consider using a toothbrush that can be recycled. Look for the product that has the least amount of packaging and for packaging that is recyclable. Lastly if any of the packaging or product that you purchase is recyclable…recycle it!

There are definitely many things to consider when making every day decisions about one’s daily routine and health choices while keeping in mind the health of the planet. Remember the health of our planet depends on us and our health depends on the health of the planet.

Your commentary about this article is encouraged and appreciated.

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – Bits and Bobs – June 10, 2010

Moderator — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:38:03 +0000

For all you Earth Matters Aficionados; a little bit of this, a little bit of that!

Summerstown ON - I had received some information from a reader about a site which talked about clear cutting. My mind went to the subject of clear cutting when walking my dog this morning. It occurred to me that brush and trees serve much the same function as our skin. Our skin regulates our body temperature, allows us to absorb certain vitamins and basically protects our vital organs and keeps all our internal workings where they should be. Take away the skin and the opportunity for life is taken away. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that clear cutting is a loosing proposition. Completely removing trees and brush destroy the opportunity for life, regrowth, temperature control and leaves the soil susceptible to corrosion from the elements which takes away prospect for life, period.

Couldn’t help but notice all the tires people put out for collection for large garbage pick-up. Tires are not picked up for garbage collection. Please do take note that your old tires can now be taken to your local tire dealer for recycling. You may take in up to 4 tires per day and there is NO CHARGE for this service. The fee for recycling is now added to new tire purchases as of September 2009. Do share this information with your friends and family and call ahead to insure your dealer offers this service. Most do!

On that note a big high five to The Community Caring Hands of Joyce Payette, Dorothy Hamilton and Elaine Kennedy you get together annually to perform clean up behind the disrespectful individuals that think it is ok to dump their garbage where ever they please. Please do the world a great service and put your garbage where it belongs…in your garbage can.

Some time ago it came to my attention that plant material sent to landfill sites produced methane gas. Methane gas is more detrimental to our environment than C02 emissions. So this led to further questions. Is there any difference in the amount of methane gas produced by composting plant material or placing it in a landfill site?

According to Mr. Ewen MacDonald, General Manager of Infrastructure Services in South Glengarry, ‘if a backyard composter is maintained properly (mixed frequently) no methane will be produced. We can therefore conclude that composting is a far better alternative to sending compostable (plant material) waste to a landfill site.’ We can also conclude that this is a definite pro for all individuals to start a little compost pile at home and this is definitely a pro for all cities to consider offering an organic matter pick-up or community composting program.

For you apartment dwellers perhaps consider some worm composting. Composting produces what some call ‘black gold’. Completely composted organic matter provides nutrition to your lawn, your flower beds, your house plants and garden.

According to The South Nation Conservation Watershed Update our three month average rainfall for for March, April and May was 80% of the historical average. They are urging residents to conserve water. Water conservation tip: Instead of throwing out your cooking water from vegetables; let it completely cool then use the water for your indoor or outdoor plants. Your plants will also benefit from the vitamins and minerals that have leached into the water from cooking. Bonus! Remember that The South Nation Conservation office is having an open house June 17. From 1 – 5 p.m. 38 Victoria St., Finch, Ontario. Everyone is welcome. Call 613-984-2948 for further details.

Your commentary and suggestions concerning this column are encouraged and most welcome.

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – Poppies, Turtles, and getting out for a Bike Ride! June 2, 2010

Moderator — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:26:01 +0000

Cornwall ON - What will save you time and money and give you a good workout? Get that bike out and be a little kinder to the planet in the process. Bike riding can give your wallet a well deserved holiday from the various parking fees and the rising gas prices presently just under $1.00 a litre.

Should you live within 10 to 20 kilometers from your place of work consider trading your routine commute for a bike ride. Swapping your bike for the time spent in your car a few days a week offers the opportunity for exercise in that timetable which is already packed with commitments to family, work and community. Biking offers the chance to incorporate overall well being (physical and mental) and provides the amazing opportunity of keeping your carbon footprint in check. Great gift to your community and your wallet.

If you have not biked in a while please do insure to equip yourself with the universal rules of the road and standard safety equipment such as lights, reflectors and a helmet. Local cycling associations, police stations or online information can be a great resource for this information. Be safe, be seen and help yourself and our community be healthier with this healthful, helping action.

The first poppy of the season bloomed in our garden this week…these delicate blooms do not last long so perhaps it is time to ‘stop and smell the flowers’. Time passes so quickly…unplug, stop rushing, take some time from work and just enjoy all the blessings right there in front of you.

We are experiencing a very dry Spring so far this year which means there are many areas on high alert for forest fires. I spend quite a few hours a week on the road so I have seen first hand the unthinking actions of smokers who throw their cigarette butts out their windows on the road. Please consider that this seemingly frivolous action has the potential for great harm. Please butt out in the ashtray of your vehicle. Kindly share this simple message with all the smokers you know.

Looking for a wonderful activity to share with your children or your own inner child? The fire flies are now out and active. Fireflies are such wondrous, captivating creatures. Take a trip out of the city, beyond the glare and buzz of street lights and traffic. A nice grassy field is the perfect place to set up a couple of lawn chairs and enjoy the tiny globes of flashing light traveling through their grassy universe. A simple magical adventure.

With the warmer weather upon us snapping turtles have been sited digging out nests along roadways for their eggs to mature to fruition. Use caution when traveling along or through wetland and waterway areas. These areas are ripe with the activity of waterfowl, reptiles and an array of animals looking to feed and nest. Turtle signs on the roadside indicate a high activity area. The roadways that we use were used as travel ways by generations of animals long before we paved them for our use.

Wanted new homes for 6 rogue maple tree seedlings growing in one of my flower beds. If any of you have room to plant some or all of these maple seedlings, I would be happy to get them to you…assuming you are in the Cornwall area. Drop me a line at trees@jmilner.com

Lastly, my experiment in avoiding plastic film in my shopping adventures has been surprisingly easy. Yes purchases have been made of items in hard plastic containers as these items are acceptable in the blue box pickup.

Your commentary and suggestions on this and future writings is encouraged and appreciated.

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – Spring Fishing – Cornwall Ontario – May 23, 2010

Moderator — Sun, 23 May 2010 11:27:37 +0000

Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner

Cornwall ON - As the growth and renewal of Spring continues our minds drift to the days to come which will be spent outdoors; often including activities in or on the water.

Fishing is a pastime that many have enjoyed for generations whether for sustenance or sport. Please do consider the following when out and about on your fishing adventures. It is most important to clean and remove any plant or animal material from your boat before transporting it and placing it in another body of water.

Transporting and launching a boat without forethought could introduce a species into another area which could have detrimental affects upsetting the natural balance of an area. This also goes for live bait. Please do inform yourself before purchasing and using live bait for fishing.

Is the bait you are using permissible or advisable to use or free in the lake you are fishing? Fish bought at your local pet store are not meant to live in our lakes and streams. Again, the balance of any given area is at peril should a species be introduced that competes with a natural species. Please think and investigate before action is taken.

Are you in the habit of using lead weights? Please consider using weights made of other material such as steel, bismuth, tin or tungsten as lead is critical to life of waterfowl and water birds. CAUTION…Zinc weights are also sufficiently toxic to loon and aquatic birds according to website listed below. A loon’s ingestion of a lead weight can lead to death within 24 hours. According to an article on http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7908.html ‘nearly half of the adult loons found dead or dying on New England freshwater lakes submitted to the Tufts University Wildlife Clinic have been diagnosed with lead poisoning’. There are areas that have completely banned or restricted the sale and use of lead fishing weights because of its effect on waterfowl. It cost only cents more to use a product that will eliminate this needless poison and waste.

You can help to alleviate this potential danger by letting the fishing people that you know about this problem. Urge them to use and buy only lead and zinc free lures and weights. If you notice lead and zinc products in your local bait or fishing supply store…let them know about the problems associated with these products. Understand that once a bird has ingested this poison the potential life threat will be passed along to the animal that decides to feed on it.

When out on the water, do keep an eye out for the turtles who take advantage of the summer hot weather by basking on the surface of the water. You can eliminate potential fatalities and injuries by boat propellers of these species at risk of extinction by proceeding with caution at shallower depths.

Speaking of a helping action…while in attendance at a Cornwall Community Meeting this week Mr. Sylvain Diotte suggested that if neighbours within higher density communities agreed to place their garbage and recycling together on pick up day this could potentially reduce our carbon footprint. If every two neighbours did this, the collection agency would make half as many stops, hence less use of fuel, less stopping and going ergo less green house gases. Consider teaming up with a neighbour. A small change like this by many could make an amazing difference.

Do you have a suggestion to Share? Please let us know. We would be happy to share it with our readers.

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Earth Matters by Jacqueline Milner – The simple white title banner this week is a sign of prayer and hope!

Moderator — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:16:32 +0000

Cornwall ON - The simple white title banner this week is a sign of prayer and hope!

Weeks have passed since the April 20th explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The oil has been slow moving so the results of this unfortunate accident are yet to be determined.

Thousands of gallons of oil continue to spew into the Gulf of Mexico daily. I have purposely avoided the news as the images of such an event are difficult to view and digest. I join my voice with the multitude who hope and pray for speedy progress to those working tirelessly to resolve this incident.

The following letter by Chief Arvol Looking Horse was forwarded to me today by a dear friend in Toronto. It is the perfect message for sharing at this time.

To All World Religious and Spiritual Leaders
My Relatives,

Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from the Spirit of your Nations in prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island , have a great message for the World; we are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color, which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened, those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations, eventually all will be affect from the oil disaster in the Gulf.

The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we cannot afford to continue to make.

I asked, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of in their Prophecies.

I know in my heart there are millions of people that feel our united prayers for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue. I believe we as Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and prayers to allow the healing of the many wounds that have been inflicted on the Earth. As we honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our Unc I Maka).

We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.

As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that what we create can have lasting effects on all life.

So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us
make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our children’s future and well-being, and the generations to come.

Onipikte (that we shall live),

Chief Arvol Looking Horse

19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe
( Wolakota.org <http://Wolakota.org> )

Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders.

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