Now, if I lived in Southern California, here’s where I’d head on Wednesday, March 21. At the Big Bear Discovery Center in the San Bernadino National Forest in California, there’s an event my 5-year old (and I) would jump at the chance to go to. The Spring Equinox Celebration combines nature and Native American culture in a day long event of story-telling, crafts, animals from Moonridge Animal Park and two EarthHEALCeremonies. The ceremonies are in conjunction with Gathering of Elders in Titicaca, Peru, also with an aim to heal the earth, both spiritually and environmentally. The mix of nature and peace is appealing to me, particularly since it provides a thematic approach to activities geared to parents and their caregivers. The Big Bear Discovery Center is a prototype for an urban forest center operated in partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and volunteers of the San Bernadino National Forest Association. There are other urban forest service visitor’s centers around the U.S. This one was the beginning.
The Gathering of Elders, March 19- 23, is a convergence of indigenous tribal elders who will be taking advantage of the timing of the Spring Equinox of 2007 to bring healing and peace to the world. Somehow, 2007 is a significant year having something to do with 500 years of darkness and bringing the Eagle and Condor together. If this is true, I hope the elders are able to turn the tides. At any rate, it’s comforting to know that the various indigenous groups are watching the earth’s back. The event in Peru is also something non-indigenous folks can go to. Although these particular earth healing events are connected to the Spring Equinox, there are other events throughout the year. Here is a weekend I came across in Vermont that will be the end of July.