Current Headlines!
Louv’s latest book bears the self-explanatory title Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. After tens of thousands of years of children playing and working primarily outdoors, the last few generations have seen such interaction with nature vanish almost entirely. The implications — for children’s physical and mental health, and for the future of environmentalism — are immense, Louv argues.
But he stresses that there is hope — indeed, that response to the book has him more hopeful than he was when he began writing it. After all, in a world of intractable problems and social malaise, his encouragement to parents is simple and easily achieved: Take your kids outside. (Read part two of this interview in Gristmill
Michael Pollan has built a reputation as a sleuthing agro-journalist. In his latest book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he brings his investigative skills to bear on four meals. One is the typical American overprocessed fare; one is composed of what Pollan calls “industrial organic” — organic food grown on huge mega-farms alongside standard crops; one comes from a small organic farm that refuses to sell outside its neighboring community; and one is hunted and gathered entirely by Pollan himself. (His account of tracking and shooting a wild boar is bizarrely gripping.) Read the interview b at www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/05/31/roberts/
ITE in concert with UA Campus Health Service has opened the very first farmers’ market on the UA mall. “This has been an exhilarating experience!” according to Suzanne Dhruv. “This gives students the oppportunity to come face to face with individuals in their community who provide healthy foods that are locally grown or produced.”
Sustainability practices come in many forms and opportunities and farmers’ markets provide an important part of ITE programming. “Teens can taste foods that are supplied by people who they actually meet and with whom they speak,” says Eric Dhruv. “This is what we call food with a face and it is a far cry from the industrial systems that have divorced us from the land and the people who make a living while also nurturing the land.”
The Farmers’ Market at the University of Arizona is located on the UA mall on the east side of Old Main. The market is held on Friday’s from 9AM tyo 1PM, October through April, with the exception of holidays and specials events. If you have any questions please call Suzanne Dhruv at 861-1945.
FUND RAISER! The second annual Desert Kia charity Golf Tournament happened Saturday, November 3rd 2007 to raise money for Ironwood Tree Experience Eco-programs. The event was located at the Del Urich community golf course on 600 south Alvernon Way between Broadway Blvd and 22nd Street at the Randolf Golf complex.
This year ITE raised $17,500 - that is three thousand dollars more than last year! All proceeds go directly into ITE Eco-programs.
If you have questions about the tournament or want to volunteer or donate to Ironwood Tree Experience please call Suzanne Dhruv at 319-9868 or 861-1945 for information.