Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Thank You: Mother Earth day


Rynard Drozda 2009
18x36 inches
upcycled materials

This piece is inspired by last year's mystical and fleeting encounters with Red Fox.


I like this little poem from Jamie Sams Medicine Cards to go with todays Earth Day theme:

Fox...where are you? Under the ferns? Becoming the forest, So I can learn?
Are you watching, invisible to me? Trying to teach me, to become a tree?


                                                                                         My Favorite Tree

In honor of Mother Earth Day I thought to share with you a great program for artists to take part in at no cost and with wonderful inspiration provided  as a result. The National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. It can be accessed to register land at home, school, campus or business.

National Wildlife Federation certificate of participation

Once you download the National Wildlife Backyard Habitat application form and fill it out it's as easy as that. If accepted the land recieves a number designating its place in the national registry. The certificate pictured above is what you receive. For a small fee...you can also have a lovely metal sign to display in your yard. We installed ours on the post in the front yard and added the bird sculpture, nice touch don'tcha think? It's always quite wonderful to see how many people walking or riding their bikes past the house stop to read the sign.

 Wren House/Studio


We're fortunate to caretake an acre of forested land along the edge of a beautiful lake with eighbors who also appreciate and encourage conditions for good stewardship of the land.
We've had Red Fox living near us for many years. Catching a glimpse of their etheric beauty moving through in the low light of dusk or dawn is always a thrill. However this spring the gang has arrived and we are literally sharing the day with them as you can see from the pictures I took this morning.


 
Two of Four Drozda April 21, 2010

Wildlife Crossing Drozda April 21, 2010


Temporary Den Drozda April 21, 2010 

Mom Drozda April 21, 2010

 
Perhaps you will take a look around your homestead to see if you have habitat, food, and water available to support songbirds or larger critters. That can mean a small yard with feeders and a birdbath or something more.

Everyone needs a safe place of refuge and there is so much that we can each do, in our own unique artistic way, to help all sentient beings.

Happy Mother Earth Day all over the world.

~Sing the Day

16 comments:

  1. What a great yard. I was happy with my weed eater (a baby rabbit) who shows up outside the kitchen window late in the afternoon. We have squirrels, rabbits, birds at the birdbath, and herons on the lake. I'm envious of your fox family but I live in town.

    Beautiful photos

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  2. I miss our fox family. They haven't been here in 3 years. Your kits are darling!

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  3. How lucky you are to have foxes model for you! Wonderful sculpture!

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  4. I'm in love with your backyard and all your wonderful little "critters." And your blog is looking lovely.
    Meg

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  5. I do like your art at the top of the blog, rather than further down. Such an appealing rustic feel for your reynard! Your photos of the flowers, foxes, and geese are fabulous.

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  6. Thank you all so much...it really is thrilling to be able to report on the real 'Fox News' of the day.

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  7. Delighting, along with all your natural neighbors, in the refuge you've created!!

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  8. Thanks K...thanks to you eternally.

    :-)

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  9. oh yes, we have foxes too and prarie dogs, birds of all kinds and racoons in the summer, though they are pretty scary for mini doxies! we have lots of feeders and though the birds have their own bath, they prefer the fountain!!

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  10. Rynard is gorgeous and so are your pictures. I can't believe you were lucky enough to catch the babies playing. Beautiful blog - and I vote for the white background! xo

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  11. Thank you for your wonderful, inspirational, Earth Day post...the National Backyard Habitat designation is a wonderful idea...I love your little foxes...we used to have them here..I'd catch a glimpse every now and then at night...but they have moved on as more people settle in...hug, hug

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  12. Iona,

    Re: The Peace Walk: It is a gorgeous and sacred work. I also find an uncanny similarity in our impetus to create "shoeworks"; for you, the shrine and for me, a kind of walking testament to what I try to do. Thank you so much for sharing this. Would it be o.k. to share it on the class blog?

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  13. Iona, Thats a fun funky fox you have there and the foto of the 2 playing is priceless. Thanx for your comment on my blog.

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  14. Thanks for coming by!
    Cat~My ears really perked up when you added Prarie Dogs to your list...I will definitely pay close attention to where you live next time I stop over to see you.

    Karen~that's a high compliment coming from you!! I could give up all other pursuits right now and just hang out with a camera as these little scamps cavort...people were three deep yesterday running their cell cameras and the kits just kept tumbling on the lawn.
    Julie~ that's really all we've gotten, glimpses, up until this year's event...I'm so glad you came by for Earth Day!

    Hannah~ I appreciate you taking the time to check out my 'shoework' it was a wonderful experience watching those garden clogs turn into mediation caves :-)
    It would be fine with me to share them on the class blog.
    Kadira~Glad you like the pictures, they are a delight for me to share. I like visiting the blogs of those we are learning with and I've been making my way through the list...you're a magnificent colorist and I so enjoy seeing your blog unfold.

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  15. The foxes are beautiful..what a wonderful location...it's where you were meant to be. Thanks for sharing the great photographs. Unfortunately, I haven't seen our neighborhood fox for a long time.

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  16. The baby foxes are so cute! Your sculpture reminds me that Reynard is a trickster figure, like the raven, about which I rambled on in my last post. I'm definitely getting two of those signs; one for our 1&1/2 acre suburban yard, and one for our 60 acres in the country!

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Thanks for stopping '-)