Happy Tonics is running fourth at 8:10 p.m. in the Feb. 1 – 15 voting period for Climate Change Native Habitat and Community Garden Shell Lake grant proposal with Brighter Planet at http://brighterplanet.com/project_fund_projects/100

Let’s face it—some folks have big guns with bigger networks in larger cities with a bigger voter base. We’re in Northern Wisconsin, with a population base in Shell Lake of little over 1,300 souls. Is it any wonder we are falling behind?

Those of you who are watching the process can make a BIG DIFFERENCE. Please REGISTER and VOTE for Climate Change Native Habitat and Community Garden Shell Lake.

I feel honored when I learn who is a member of the Project Selection Team. To even think that our grant proposal is being considered makes me humble. Meet Gus Speth, Dean, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. From 1993 to 1999, Gus Speth served as administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and chair of the UN Development Group. Prior to this, he was founder and president of the World Resources Institute; professor of law at Georgetown University; chairman of the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality; and senior attorney and co-founder, Natural Resources Defense Council.

Dean Speth’s publications include Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment, Worlds Apart: Globalization and the Environment, and other journals and books.

To walk towards sustainability in adapting to climate change with giants such as Gus Speth makes me realize that Brighter Planet pays attention to all of us—no matter what station we hold in life.

Thank you, Brighter Planet!

Photo above, left: Butterfly weed with Monarch butterfly © Anna Martineau Merritt

Please take a minute to REGISTER AND VOTE at Brighter Planet here.

Happy Tonics needs your vote to help us do our work. Officers and Board members give of their time to educate and implement programs to adapt to climate change by promoting sustainability of native plants, Monarch butterfly and other pollinator habitats. Our mission is: Sanctuary for the Monarch Butterfly and Food Safety Issues. Left: Bumble bee on Autumn Joy sedum; photo by Mary Ellen Ryall

We are a small grassroots nonprofit that needs your help to win our Climate Change Native Habitat and Community Garden Shell Lake grant proposal.

This is not Happy Tonics’ first attempt to bring Adapting to Climate Change into national awareness. We were honored to participate in the Green Effect grant process with National Geographic, sponsored by Sun Chips in 2009. Although other worthy causes won, we believe that each of us must do our part to bring the message of adapting to climate change home. Right: Straw mulch protects a garden; the same garden invites pollinators in the spring and summer. Photos by Mary Ellen Ryall

Won’t you help us now? Please SIGN UP AND VOTE here.

The week of 18 January 2010, Matt Vaughan, of Brighter Planet, in Middlebury, Vermont, called to let Happy Tonics know that our grant proposal for Climate Change Native Habitat and Community Garden in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, was selected as a project for funding via the social media nonprofit organization. We are honored that our project is being sponsored.

We need your votes in order to win a grant of $999. Register at Brighter Planet to votes on Climate Change Native Habitat and Community Garden Shell Lake grant proposal between February 1 – 15. There are not that many days before the voting begins. Please get ready now. We will remind you again starting next week. Right: Habitat sign artwork by Elaine DeAnn Brevitz Brown

Conservation begins with action. Thank you for playing a part in helping species besides ourselves survive in a world that is changing because of climate change.

Happy Tonics, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) environmental education organization and public charity in Shell lake, Wisconsin. We ask that you tell all your friends to vote for us too!

United we can do anything from the grassroots movement upward. Let’s make this world sustainable from the earth up in the midst of climate change. Future generations of people, plants, animals and pollinating insects will thank us. Yes, even the bees buzz their affection. Left: Bumblebee on Blazing Star Liatris © Cindy Dyer

Thank you for your help.

Des Moines, Iowa, USA–-In October 2009, the Borlaug Dialogue and the World Food Prize Foundation hosted the annual World Food Prize. The World Food Prize Laureate is Dr. Gebisa Ejeta of Ethiopia for his discovery of a hybrid species of sorghum that is resistant to drought.

Happy Tonics was attending the 13th Annual Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) Conference in Des Moines at the time this event took place. Right: Windfarms in Iowa, a sustainable energy source

Bill Gates spoke at the Borlaug Dialogue event. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated a grant of $120 million to the “Second Green Revolution.” The money is being given to Africa in part to grow drought hardy corn that 300 million Africans are dependent upon. Gates said the grant will be used in part to train African growers in the science of biotechnology. You can listen to Bill Gates speech at http://www.worldfoodprize.org/symposium/2009/video/gates.html

Collaborative efforts are ongoing between Monsanto and the Federal Government and the decision is to allow genetic engineered crops to combat world hunger in developing poor countries.

Monsanto, with approval of governmental partners including the White House, USDA Secretary Vilsack and Dr. Rajiv Shah, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will seek to plant genetically modified wheat in Africa. Africa is besieged with environmental threats to their wheat crop due to drought and disease. Wheat is one of the four most important crops in the world. Above: Atteendees at CFSC conference talking about the other side of food security

Happy Tonics supports local grown and sustainable agriculture. Nonetheless, we believe that the public needs to be aware that GMOs are on the rise around the world and especially in poor countries.

Happy Tonics is honored to announce that Xeriscape Council of New Mexico, USA, has invited us to exhibit at the Xeriscape Landscaping and Water Conservation Expo on 27-28 of February as their guest. Officers plan to attend the conference on 25-26. Learn more at http://www.xeriscapenm.com/

Scott Varner, Executive Director of Xeriscape Council of New Mexico was published in USA Today at http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-07-15-xeriscaping_N.htm

Read all about the wonderful world of plant survival using less water. The world is facing climate change. Pollinators need our help. Insects are dependent upon reliable native plant species and crops are dependent upon pollinators. Happy Tonics promotes native crops.

Walk on the wild side and learn from nature. She is our best teacher.

Below: Native sunflowers growing in Damian Vraniak’s native prairie, Springbook, WI, USA

LCOOCC James “Pipe” Mustache Auditorium, Thursday, January 28, 2010

Free event—public welcome!

Pre-Activity; LCOOCC Ice Fishing Event, Friday, Jan 22, 9:00 a.m., Grindstone—South Landing

12:00 p.m. Potluck (remember to bring your plate!)

12:30 p.m. Speaker: Gladyce Nahbenayash

1:00 p.m. Film: Flow

Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st century—The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwingling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. (64 minutes)

Save the dates for Upcoming Environmental Films and Sustainable Living Education!

Thursdays—February 18, March 11, April 22, and May 6. For more information, contact Amber Marlow, GIS Lab/Rm 508 or #534-4790, ext 156.

Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st century—The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwingling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. (64 minutes)

Save the dates for Upcoming Environmental Films and Sustainable Living Education!

Thursdays—February 18, March 11, April 22, and May 6. For more information, contact Amber Marlow, GIS Lab/Rm 508 or #534-4790, ext 156.

Shell Lake, Wisconsin, USA—A year ago, in January 2009, the Sit and Chat Quilters of Friendship Commons Senior Center began stitching a butterfly quilt as a fundraiser for Happy Tonics, Inc. The nonprofit 501(c)(3) environmental education organization and public charity implemented a Monarch Butterfly Habitat on city land in 2007. Right: Quilters Mary Olsen, Marian Brincken, Myrna Atkinson and Mary Rachsler

The elders wanted to donate a quilt for a fundraiser to help maintain the habitat. The restored remnant tall grass prairie boasts native wildflowers and grasses for pollinating insects including butterflies, moths and bees.

The quilters celebrated their one year anniversary this month. It is hard to believe that the ladies are about halfway finished with the project. They meet weekly and work on the quilt for three hours at a stretch. Can you imagine having the patience and diligence to work on a project with this time requirement? I am amazed by their dedication and persistence. Left: Mary Olsen shares the history of the fabric used in the quilt.

I visited them yesterday, January 11, 2010. I asked where the fabric came from. Mary Olsen looked up and said, “We brought in fabric from our homes and matched colors we wanted in the quilt.” Each butterfly has a story of course because each has a fabric history. Nothing goes to waste when one is thrifty. The quilters have lived through the depression, recessions and the booming 90s. They know the value of sustainability and raising milkweed for the monarch butterfly. The quilters surely know the value of not throwing things away.

Curt Atkinson drives Myrna to the center each week because his wife doesn’t drive. He helps her unload the frame each week and then the frame is setup by the quilters. Myrna explained that the long boards for the frame were donated by Angie Klopp, a quilter up to a few years ago. No longer able to get about, Angie now resides at Terraceview Living Center in Shell Lake. Even the frame has a story. Above: A long wooden frame holds the quilt

Myrna called me last night to say, “The quilt is 93 inches x 103 inches. There are 42 big butterflies in the middle and 28 little ones around the edge.”

Stay tuned. The Butterflies are Free quilt will be auctioned off after it is completed. Happy Tonics members and friends will have an opportunity to help support the Monarch Butterfly Habitat in Shell Lake with an online auction in our eBay store. Be sure to visit the Happy Tonics store where we sell milkweed seed, books, and clothing that supports our mission.

Good news—New York City is turning heads. Here’s an article about an old railroad bed that is now a garden. Bravo!

http://mediacompost.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/old-train-tracks-become-green-area-and-public-park-nyc/

Happy Tonics did the same thing in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, USA. We created a Monarch Butterfly Habitat, a restored remnant native tall grass prairie, where once buffalo roamed and tall grasses grew.  The habitat is alongside of an old railroad bed on a narrow strip of land, on one half acre. The railroad bed is now a trail for foot travel, bicycle and horses. (Photo of Blazing Star liatris at Damian Vraniak’s Prairie in Springbook, WI, USA)

Dennis Van Engelsdorp spoke about the importance of helping the pollinators especially honey and native bees including the beloved bumble bee. He suggests letting meadows grow. You can view the video on our recent blog posting: A Plea for Bees.

Let’s get beyond the written world. I would love to hear from you and learn what you are doing right now to help Green Up your corner of the world. Let’s turn the abandoned wasteland into something beautiful as a Pay it Forward act of kindness for generations to come.

We all need to see the movie, FRESH.

Just when we thought the global food battle was lost to genetic engineering (GH) in Washington, D.C., along comes hope. I am thrilled to speak about the Good Food Movement. The movie FRESH will be out this spring. Happy Tonics, Inc. promotes the importance of local grown and organic crops and grass fed animals for dairy, poultry and meat. (Photo, right: Lacinato kale; Italian heirloom dates back to the 18th century)

FRESH the film is already marching forward with screenings in Wisconsin. You can view the film in Hayward, on January 31, at 2 p.m. at the Park Theatre. The film features Joel Salatin from Polyface Farms, Shenandoah, Virginia, and Will Allen, of California’s Growing Power. Both of these extraordinary people have been instrumental in the Good Food Movement. Allen says, “The Good Food Movement is now a Revolution.”

If each of us take this message home and practice it, we can change the global food marketplace one plate at a time. Margaret Meade said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Watch the movie trailer here at http://www.freshthemovie.com/

Visit Will Allen at www.growingpower.org/blog

Visit Joel Salatin at http://www.polyfacefarms.com/

Let us know how we can work together to promote food sustainability in our own neighborhoods right where we live. Home is where the heart is. Let’s hear from yours.

Good day,
Mary Ellen