​The Indiana Master Naturalist Program provides a statewide Gathering each year. This is a time to earn education points, practice new skills, network, and have fun. Each year the Gathering is held at a different part of the State. In 2024 the Gathering was held in Northeast Indiana. Sites included downtown Fort Wayne, Fox Island County Park, Eagle Marsh and L.C. Nature Park. The first pre-Gathering Day was held at downtown Fort Wayne and Fox Island County Park. The first full day of the 2024 Gathering was held at L.C. Nature Park. The evening had events and a lecture at Eagle Marsh and the last morning was at Chief Richardville House.
 
The first presentation at LC. Nature Park was on the use of Historical Interpretation. This is a technique in which the presenter dresses to reflect the time and location being depicted. The presentation is based on writing, logs, and histories. The goal is not to simply present “facts.’ This is more subjective and more dynamic. The goal is to present facts in story form that help the participants to generate their own questions. It is to help them wonder.
 
Bob Dispenza, Advanced Master Naturalist and the Park and Education Manager at Metea County Park presented on Canal Life in Northeast Indiana. This focus integrated all the sites of the Gathering. Downtown Fort Wayne was the center of the canal system in the area. The other sites were all withing the Little River Valley. The Little River was a portage area connecting Fort Wayne to Huntington and the Wabash River. The Wabash connected to the Mississippi River. Eagle Marsh is a continental divide connecting the Wabash to the West and the Great Lakes via Lake Erie to the East.
 
Bob used period dress, song, models, historical records, and lecture to make canal life and the specific life of one captain come to life. It was a powerful way of having the other Master Naturalists consider adding historical interpretation to their repertoire of educational tools. 

​Every year graduates of the Indiana Master Naturalist program gather to share, network, and attend education breakout sessions. Each year the Gathering is held at a different location in Indiana. The focus is on wildlife, plants, geology, rivers and watersheds, and local history.
 
In 2024 the Gathering was held in Northeast Indiana. The gathering day there were historical tours of downtown Fort Wayne. The walk focused on the canals, waterways, settlement, and Native Americans.
 
In the evening the Master naturalists met at Fox Island County Park. Jeff Ormiston, a retired naturalist for the county parks and a Master naturalist gave a presentation on the impact of the histoic derecho on the park. After the presentation there was a brief hike to view some of the damage and some of the regrowth. The hike was brief because it was raining, the wind was blowing, and it was almost as if Jeff had ordered the weather to help us appreciate the power of the storm he described.
 
All together the weekend highlighted several important locations. That included downtown Fort Wayne, Fox Island, LC Nature Park, and Eagle Marsh. 

Earth Day has always held a special place in my heart and memory. I remember the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. I was a sophomore at Kelvyn Park High School in Chicago and I made a decision to cut school, something I never did. I wanted to hear the speakers, I was moved and disturbed by Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring. The earth was in trouble. In Chicago there were days when the sky was rust brown. Lake Michigan was struggling with invasive fish species, The Chicago River was toxic. It was not safe to swim in the river or eat fish from the river. So I joined the crowd at the Chicago Civic Center (now the Daley Plaza) and watched history in the making. The galvanizing appeal of this event, along with the rising focus on the environment, would lead to the creation of the Environmental Protective Agency and the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. DDT would be removed as a pesticide and the American Bald Eagle population would eventually be restored. So, even with all the setbacks of today, that day gives me reason to hope and act.
 
So, this past weekend I again attended Earth Day 2025 at Eagle Marsh. This combines one of my keystone days with one of my favorite places on earth. The symbolism could not be more powerful. The Little River connected rivers and portages and watersheds. The water and the marsh were places of commerce, travel, food, and the mixing of cultures. It is also a place that manifests rebirth. The marsh had been drained, local forests were chopped down, wetlands became farmlands, and biodiversity shrank. And then hope began to blossom. The farmland was restored to wetlands, native plants were planted, migratory birds reclaimed old homes, and a large urban nature corridor was created.
 
Just like the connectivity of the Little River and the plants and animals that impact and nourish one another, local agencies supported one another at Earth Day on Eagle Marsh. So, on April 27 artists, food trucks, a drum circle, educators, government agencies focused on the environment, and agencies that support preservation and restoration gathered around the barn of Eagle Marsh to celebrate Earth Day.
 
There were artist because one of the ways to make sense of the universe and to celebrate the beauty and the bounty of the earth is through the arts. James Taylor of Wandering James Photography displayed his photos of the marsh and spoke of his meditative hikes on the marsh paths. James is just one of many photographers who have captured the beauty and magic of the marsh. Others have included John Gevers, Becky Cummings, Tom Hetrick, Chuck Milledge, Jared Christiansen, John Dube, Brian Woods, and Joseph Geisler. Tjis is not an exhaustive list. Dr. Larry Wiedman has captured the life of the marsh through his wood carving, Aly Munger has used her art training to create murals, coloring books, and t-shirts. The marsh taps into creativity. Hike the paths and you will see artists with their easels painting the landscape and capturing the colors of the season.
 
Republic Service had a booth that focused on the challenges and importance of waste management. Government departments that focused on the environment included the Department of Environmental Management, Sustaining Fort Wayne, Allen County Partnership for Water Quality, and Northeast Indiana Water Trails.
 
The Hoosier Chapter of the Sierra Club, Save Maumee, and the Allen County Public Library highlighted local initiatives that impacted citizens of all ages.  The Fort Wayne Zoo and Science Central highlighted the many programs that have throughout the year addressed climate change, biodiversity, and stewardship.
 
Education, both informal and formal were also supporters of Earth Day and in helping  citizens become effective stewards of the earth. These included Little River Wetlands Project volunteers at education stations, Purdue University Fort Wayne and their Environment Resources Center, and Wild Roots nature education and learning. Merry Lea staff talked about the nature focused education for undergraduate and graduate students, continuing adult education, and activities for children. They talked about their restored land and their sustainable farm. Professor Louise Weber was selling ecology books. This included her ecology textbook which is the first such book writen by a women. Dr. Weber is enthusiastic and a friend of the earth.
 
Finally, it was no surprise to see ACRES Land Trust supporting Earth Day and educating people about their many projects and opportunities.
 
This is a difficult time. Funding is being cut for National Parks, National Forests will now face axes, pollution protections and wetland protections are eroding. Data is not being published; coal and oil production is increasing while climate change is being described as a hoax. And yet, I remember that first Earth Day and I remember how it motivated people, it changed behaviors. Politicians saw caring for the environment as caring for the building blocks of prosperity and health. I am not defeated by the present situation. I look at all the people who made this Earth Day an example of caring for creation and I am determined to continue to speak out and be a friend of our Mother Earth.

​During August of 2024 Kerri Pulley and I attended the 18th Protecting Mother Earth conference. It was held on the Qualla Boundary Land Trust of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. The conference was founded by the Indigenous Environmental Network. There were over 900 participants from all over Turtle Island. Speakers and teachers represented indigenous peoples from around the world.
 
I was happy to see Great Grandmother Mary Lyons speaking at plenaries and meeting with leaders. Mary Lyons is one of the original international Great Grandmothers or Keepers of Wisdom. I first met her at the 2015 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City. We again met up at the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. She is a member of the  Anishinaabe or Ojibwe people. I was excited when she agreed to be interviewed. I assumed she would talk about her work as a water protector, or as a prominent member of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, or perhaps her work with the United Nations. However, as is usually the case, Mary had other plans. She introduced me to two of her colleagues and provided a panel interview.
 
Her colleagues included Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck. Crystal is an adjunct professor of Social Sciences at Salem College. She has extensive experience advocating for indigenous approaches to protecting the environment. She is the executive director of 7 Directions of Service. Dr. Cavalier-Keck is a member of the Occaneechi-Saponi people. She is partnered in her endeavors with her husband, Jason Crazy Bear Keck. He is also a strong advocate for protecting Mother Earth using traditional indigenous approaches to caring for the land. Jason is a member of the Choctaw people and the multiethnic Creole people.
 
Their topic was not about a specific ecology, extractive practice, or pollution. It was about an incident that interfered with indigenous prayer to 3000-year-old ancestors. It was about conflict with neighbors, police, and the initial presumption of guilt by the media. This may not initially look like a topic one would expect to hear about at the Protecting Mother Earth conference. However, the conference speakers often compared colonial extractive economies to indigenous practices of living in harmony and balance with Mother Earth. This is being in relationship with Mother Earth and all the inhabitants of our home. That relationship requires communication, it requires prayer. So, for these three people, as they told their story of one event in North Carolina, they also spoke of how powerful prayer is and how it must not be limited or interfered with.
 
So, as you watch the video, I suspect it will become clear to you why these three indigenous people are environmental and social justice leaders.

During August of 2024 Kerri Pulley and I attended the 18th Protecting Mother Earth conference. It was held on the Qualla Boundary Land Trust of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. The conference was founded by the Indigenous Environmental Network. There were over 900 participants from all over Turtle Island. Speakers and teachers represented indigenous peoples from around the world.
 
Kerri identified Bradley Angel as someone we should be interviewing, and she was right. Bradley is the executive director of GreenAction for Health and Environmental Justice. Between this grassroots advocating group and another multinational green group he previously worked for he has over 40 years of experience organizing, advocating, and networking for healthier environments for the poor, marginalized, and exploited populations. Green Action is a grassroots organization that was founded in 1997. They have had numerous victories in closing down polluting facilities and blocking harmful proposals. Green Action has been instrumental in encouraging changes in industry policies, participating in toxic cleanups, and improving environmental justice policies.
 
Bradley Angel talked about the early days of the Indigenous Environmental Network. He said the first Protecting Mother Earth conference had 200 participants and was deemed a big success. The second PME conference had 500 attendees. Bradley has attended all 18 of the Protecting Mother Earth conferences and was active in the creation of both the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Protecting Mother Earth conferences.
 
As you watch the interview you will get a sense of his effectiveness as an ally. This includes humility (he does not need to be in charge and follows the lead of the Indigenous leaders), he values diversity and inclusivity, and he shares a profound love for Mother Earth.

During the “18th Protecting Mother Earth Conference” in Cherokee North Carolina, I had the honor of interviewing Jesse Deer in Water. The conference was founded by the Indigenous Environmental Network and was hosted by the Eastern Band Cherokee Indians. The conference was held on the Qualla Boundary Land Trust.
 
Jesse Deer in Water is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. He is a Nuclear Abolitionist. Jesse has a long history of working to make Turtle Island safer by advocating for structural changes to nuclear facilities. Jesse is the director of Citizens Resistance at Fermi 2 (CRAFT). He works with allied organizations such as Beyond Nuclear. He views nuclear power, uranium extraction, and nuclear disasters as all threats to indigenous peoples and to citizens of the world. It was impressive to see his fund of knowledge and to learn of his body of work as an advocate. 

Jesse watched his mother as she evolved into an effective nuclear abolitionist. The construction of a nuclear reactor was proposed for Oklahoma. Jessie Pauline and others organized and advocated for the plant to not be built. They were successful. After that victory they found out that Kerr-McGee had applied to dispose of nuclear waste from the Sequoyah Fuels Corporation (SFC). Jessie Pauline and then Vice-Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma joined together to create the Native Americans for a Clean Environment (NACE). After ten years of advocating the SFC closed.  

She then moved to Michigan with the goal of retiring from the hard work of being a nuclear abolitionist. However, that was not to be. On December 25, 1993, Fermi 2 had a malfunction of a turbine. The result of this was that 1.5 million gallons of untreated toxic, radioactive water was dumped into Lake Erie. Jessie Pauline was then contacted by locals to assist in a response. She was clear that she was not knowledgeable about engineering designs of nuclear plants, but she did know how to organize community. In response to the Fermi 2 malfunction the Citizen’s Resistance at Fermi 2 (CRAFT) was founded. CRAFT was active until 2001. At that time several central organizers left the area and CRAFT became dormant. 
 
Events once again resulted in the reformation of CRAT. In 2011 there was a significant nuclear accident at the Fukushima reactor in Japan. The reactor was the same model as the one in Michigan. Elders gathered to consider a reaction. The result was that in 2012 many of the original leasers gathered and CRAFT was revived. Jesse Deer in Water became the Community Organizer. He focuses on community engagement and education. He focuses on Extraction of radioactive material, transportation of radioactive material and radioactive waste, and then energy production and the safety concerns related to the reactors. Part of community education is helping citizens understand there are multiple avenues of contamination. These include Nuclear or radioactive contamination, toxic contaminations such as heavy metals and forever chemicals, and thermal pollution. Jessie’s concerns were not hypothetical. During a plenary session it was announced that the transportation of uranium through a reservation was to restart. For all these reasons Jesse collaborators with other groups whenever possible. This includes university law department, university biology researchers, and together they produce reports for the Federal Energy Regulatory Agency or FERC. 
 
Jesse was an active presence at the Protecting Mother Earth conference. He led two breakout session He was sought out by other participants. This is not surprising. His mother was his mentor and role model. He saw here in action, and she brought him to IEN conferences and other networking events. That impact was evident. Jesse brought a number of youths to the conference. He was not attempting to create junior nuclear activist. He was modeling community, culture, being a responsible member of the web of life. For the youths' part, they were just having fun while learning about life. 
​
The interview reflects his depth of knowledge, the complicated world in which he lives, and his decades of contribution to all of us.   ​

​The 18th Protecting Mother Earth conference, sponsored by the Indigenous Environmental Network was held in Cherokee North Carolina. There were over 900 attendees from all over Turtle Island as well as representatives from indigenous nations in the Amazon Basin and the South Pacific.
 
The focus of the conference was on addressing degradation/desecration of Indigenous lands, ceded and unceded. The focus was on how to use Indigenous energies and solutions to help heal a hurting planet.  It was a powerful conference. Members and speakers addressed nuclear waste, incineration waste, protecting water, and working with the United Nations. The sense of inclusion and hospitality was strong. Member ate together. We enjoyed indigenous foods from around the Qualla Boundary area. This included deer, elk, foraged greens and traditional breads. In the evenings there were dances and concerts. There were purifying seats at night and the day started welcoming the Sun as we gathered around the Sacred Fire. This was a powerful conference. This video simply introduces the viewer to the conference, the land, and the atmosphere.
 
Our hosts were the Eastern Cherokee of North Carolina. We met on the land of the Qualla Boundary, the ancestral land of the Cherokee. The sessions were in tents. There were also teepees for meetings. The Sacred Fire was nurtured and protected 24 hours a day. A sweat lodge was built on the first day and used the remainder of the conference.
 
A few of the speakers and leaders included the Executive Director and founding member of the Indigenous Environmental Network, Tom B.K. Goldtooth (Dine), Eddie Saunsoki, IEN Digital and Social Media Coordinator (Omaha Nation), Mary Missy Crowe, IJT Organizer (Eastern Band of Cherokee), Mona Polacca, Indigenous Water Ethics Organizer (Havasupai, Hopi, Tewa), Michael Lane, Indigenous Sovereignty (Menomonee), Justice Peche, Secretary IEN Board of Director (Oneida), and Mary Lyons, Great Grandmother, elder, spiritual advisor, international climate advocate (Ojibwe).
 
Additional issues addressed included Indigenous Feminism, Indigenous Principles of Just Transition, and the United Nations COP 16.

​Perhaps one of the simplest joys for me was that I attended the conference with my youngest daughter, Kerri Pulley. She was an active and helpful assistant and it was fun watching her connect with others and Mother Earth. 
 
This was a diverse, spiritually grounded, inclusive gathering that valued science, allyship, and measurable goals. Following posts will include interviews with a number of the speakers and attendees. I cannot wait for the nest conference.
 

The 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions, held in Chicago, provided two foci I followed. These were Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Justice.
 
The Parliament is the premier interfaith organization in the world. In 2023 the Parliament convened with over 8000 attendees from 95 countries and represented 210 religions and traditions. I covered the plenary session, the Climate Crisis Assembly, the Amazon Summit, Sacred Fires, and many breakout sessions on climate change. However, not everything can be placed in a simple category.
 
Therefore, this post and video focuses on Service and Joy. Some projects are done because they are needed, others because they reflect the pillars of faith. Still some work is done because it serves others, but it also provides joy.
 
The Sikh langar, free meals provided to anyone, around the world, 365 days a year is an example. At the Parliament the world Sikh community provided free, vegetarian lunch, langar, for attendees every day. As you entered the tent you removed your shoes, you washed your hands and covered your head. As you entered the tent you were greeted by kirtan, sacred chanting. All sat on the ground and while strangers became friends, volunteers served food and drink. It was wonderful.
 
Franciscans spoke about their connection with all of nature. They were clear that Saint Francis of Assisi was more than just the “bird bath saint.” He recognized the interrelatedness of all creatures. This is crucial and foundational knowledge to begin healing a hurting planet.
 
 Zoroastrians provided services and talked about sacred elements. The priest I spoke to is also an environmentalist. I look forward to interviewing him in the future. Earth, air, and fire are sacred elements to Zoroastrians or Parsi. I was informed that plants, animals and humans are seen as Ahura Mazda’s perfect creations and need to be protected.
 
This is the Parliament in action, where faith is a verb, and the actions provide joy for those who receive service but also for those who provide it. 
 

​It is that time of year again, the time when Master Naturalists and volunteers to preserves, land trusts, and state and national parks train to participate in Citizen Science projects. Citizen Science is a standardized way for non-scientists to collect data, record the data and then report the data to the assigned university or agencies responsible for the project. For naturalists this may include gathering data on ecosystems, plants, animals, or the skies. There are tools and apps for many of the projects. There are protocols on how to gather data without harming the environment or species being studied. Eagle Marsh has several citizen science projects they participate in.
 
On March 19, 2025, at the white barn at Eagle Marsh, Nancy Kilduski provided training on Nest Box Monitoring. The lead agency for providing protocols and gathering reports is the Cornell Ornithology Lab. The Cornell Lab also provides a Code of Conduct. Nancy provides this training yearly. The data collected changes. Together with information collected regionally and nationally, this provides a picture for the Cornell Lab to assess the declining, increasing, or stabilizing populations of birds in North America.
 
The beginning of the 2025 training video uses video from Nancy’s 2024 training. This is due to technological issues to complicated to explain to the average reader (I forgot to push the record button).  One of the first differences between the last two trainings was in the trail nest box monitoring. Last year the boxes had mice nests that had to be cleaned out. This year the boxes were completely empty and ready for birds to begin nest building.
 
Little River Wetlands Project has five trails that total 35 nest boxes. This includes a trail at Arrowhead Preserve and at Eagle Marsh.
 
If you are interested in becoming a Nest Box Monitor but were unable to attend the March 15th training then please watch these videos and then contact LRWP. They can also give you information on other Citizen Science projects including Monarch Monitoring, Butterfly Monitoring, Bat box Monitoring, Turtle Tracking, and assisting with the Hoosier Riverwatch Testing.