A Toast to Rainforest Partnership – remembering Wendell Berry
Last evening, I attended a wonderful, eye-opening event in Austin about the rainforests. Yes, I said RAINFORESTS! Rainforest Partnership held its 5th Annual Celebration Dinner Birds in Paradise: From Austin to the Amazon. An evening of South American inspired dinner and drinks, music and presentations for a completely packed space at Barr Mansion, Austin! Founded by Executive Director Niyanta Spelman, the organization’s mission is to partner with people who live in and around tropical rainforests to develop environmentally sustainable economies to protect and regenerate their forests. As merely the MC for the event, I was privileged to see how a team of devoted, humble, giving volunteers can assemble hundreds of folks in Austin to unite for a common goal and the greater good. OPEN YOUR MIND: learn how you can donate your time, talent or dollars www.rainforestpartnership.org I leave you with one of my favorite SOAPBOX® mini-motivations, which I tapped to toast the festive evening:
SOAPBOX® mini-motivation: Go green or be gone
“To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.”
~ Wendell Berry, philosopher, novelist and social activist
It’s about time we stopped snickering at Al Gore, the forewarning NPR folks and tree-hugging, hybrid hippies…because they might be onto something! It’s about time we stopped being so selfish and purposefully merged as Humankind for the simple Darwinian hopes of perpetuating our existence by strengthening our collective homebase – we call Earth! For, not seeing is believing. When a species of animal disappears, we must rescue braver. When a strain of plant disappears, we must think greener. When snowcaps are melting, swallowing up islands and life, we must conserve stricter. Amidst the chatter of economics, religion and war, don’t miss the underconversation of environment, culture and interdependent community. My fellow EARTH-lings, we must research cleaner, protect fiercer, commit firmer, explore broader, spend wiser, educate brighter. May we all look back after long, fulfilling lives to proclaim that we are survivors and all did our part. It’s our time to think globally…and act globally. ~ KD
Copyright by Kimberlie Dykeman
About Kimberlie Dykeman: Kimberlie Dykeman is a TV Host, International Spokesperson, Producer, Published Author, Entrepreneur for OPTIMISM!