Festival of the Trees Returns to Via Negativa

I'm pleased to share that I have been invited to join Paul and Dave as a coordinator for The Festival of the Trees.

Most of you know how much I love this project, and I am excited to have the opportunity to contribute even more - all for the love of trees.

This month we return to Via Negativa where Festival of the Trees co-founder Dave Bonta will once again host your blog posts, podcasts, vlogs, photographs, and other tree-and-forest-related creations.

Here are a few words from Dave to help inspire you:

You remember the Once-ler, right? The bummed-out old narrator in Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, who gives the boy the last remaining truffula-tree seed at the end of the book? I’ve been feeling a lot like that lately. Probably many of us do, watching the world’s forests burn or succumb en masse to new insect pests, new diseases, and stronger and more frequent storms. Will the kids “care a whole awful lot”? Will they care at all?

The next edition of The Festival of the Trees will return to my blog Via Negativa for the fourth time, and while I’m not suggesting themed submissions — all tree-related blog posts are welcome — I do expect that my gloomy, yet still desperately hopeful outlook on the future of trees and forests will color my presentation. A lot of forest activists like to cast themselves as the Lorax: “I speak for the trees!” But I’ve never presumed to do that myself. For one thing, the trees are quite capable of speaking for themselves, if we were only inclined to listen. And also, like the Once-ler, I have no illusions about my own culpability in the desperate state of the global environment.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

You don't have to be a nature blogger to participate in The Festival of the Trees. Create a story, poem, article, photograph, or any other tree creation, post it online, and send us the link. It's that simple!

You can also send us links of other tree-related goodies that you find online. It doesn't have to be your own.

Email links to: bontasaurus [at] yahoo [dot] com – or use the Contact form.

Deadline: November 29, 2009

Important! Put “Festival of the Trees” in the subject line of your email.

Have fun!