The story goes that once upon a time, all plants and animals were people. One of them was Coyote, who created the world from the top of Sonoma Mountain. His village elders became the redwoods – crimson colored to remind everyone that we are all of the same blood. One only had to look west…
Category: World
Flying Solo: The Big Island + Its Sacred Mountain
I traveled to this island alone because I wanted to think; to explore a place where the people hold a special, spiritual relationship with their land; where indigenous islanders are keeping their culture intact, and what that looks like as they coexist with people from the mainland who crave a piece of their aloha.
9 Things to Read, Watch, Hear on World Water Day
Every day should be World Water Day. Here’s a collection of inspiration to stay connected to our No. 1 life-giving resource.
How to Rewrite History
A year ago on Thanksgiving Day was the eve of when everything changed for me. Things were stirring for a while before that. As my family went around the dinner table to say what we were all thankful for, I could think of nothing I was more grateful for than the generosity that I was…
Pics or It Didn’t Happen?
Around 4 a.m., Jeff and I crept out of our open-air bungalow. Our little stray jungle cat with the crooked tail and orange fur—we called her Naranjica (small orange)—scuttled around our feet along the gravel path to our rented Montero. The phrase “It’s always darkest before the dawn” seemed so true as we jounced over…
People Power Will Save Mother Earth
Mother Earth has been calling me for many years. I haven’t always been able to decipher her messages. A few years ago I started to understand a little bit better. I traveled to the far reaches of Southern Patagonia where I learned the story of the aboriginal Yaghan people, and it was the first time…
A Direct Update From the Oceti Sakowin Camp at Standing Rock
The Oceti Sakowin Camp has been flooded with emails for months. Here are some key updates addressed in an email I received from them today. At this point they’re only really requesting monetary donations and FIREWOOD. Firewood is a priority since it’s not easy to find and transport in the northern plains. If you can…
The Revolution is Happening at Standing Rock
The Oceti Sakowin Camp looked like the promised land after a grueling 25+ hour drive. The terror I felt about coming to a place depicted as a war zone on social media had already started to dissipate, and then I saw a beacon: a massive tipi with a large turtle emblazoned on it. This was…
Road to the Grand Canyon (Part 3): The Grand Finale
Around mid-morning I make my way to the Grand Canyon, about an hour-and-a-half west on the 40 and north via 64. I reach civilization in the form of some very generic restaurants and chain hotels that threaten to lead me into a tourist trap. There’s no hint at all that I’m actually approaching a gargantuan…
The Spirit of the Sea Turtle
I dipped into a hidden lagoon on the leeward side of Oahu, and right there, one of my dreams came true. Snorkeling in the coral, I felt something graze my leg. I looked over and found a sea turtle the size of Smart Car gliding by and saying “hey.” He had a much smaller friend…
Road to the Grand Canyon (Part 2): Welcome to Arizona
Eastbound on the 62, back on one of those idyllic two-lane highways surrounded by nothing but sweeping desert and distant mountains. A butterfly flutters by—what is it doing here? There are no colors to attract them, no wildflowers to suck sweet nectar from, nothing to even pollinate. It’s just a wanderer. I could stay on…
Road to the Grand Canyon (Part 1): Gateway Into the Wild West
When I see the windmills, it finally feels like I’m going somewhere. Leaving Los Angeles via the 10 Freeway is a monotonous precursor to the road ahead. Windmills seem like a highlight—a break from the picture of outlet shops and fast-food chains lining an endless interstate. The landscape opens to arid terrain—the first intimation of…
everything is nature 