Thirty-eight persons from the community including the Gaia Women of the Great Lakes Basin, friends and members of the Canada South Land Trust and Essex County Field Naturalists's Club joined owner Bill Balkwill for a "Woodland Song and Walk" on Sunday, April 27, 2008.
The walk passed along the Old Logging Road, then to the Pond and Prairie Restoration site, along Lane 1 and returned along Lane 2. Spring ephemerals in bloom included Spring Beauty, Trout Lily, Dutchman's Breeches and a few early White Trillium. Other sightings included a large Cecropia Moth cocoon and a sleeping Raccoon. hroughout the woodland, maple leaves were emerging.
The photograph below provided by Jim Spinks shows the Gaia Women leading the walk participants in song. A photograph of the Cecropia Moth cocoon provided by Peggy Hurst is on page 6. The Women of Gaia sang four songs in the woodland and one upon return to the parked vehicles. The songs were lovely and everyone wishes to return next year to enjoy another wonderful afternoon. A summary of the songs is provided below.
The afternoon concluded with refreshments provided by Patricia Rhoads (cool drinks) and David Ainslie (delicious homemade cookies from Goldenrod Farm).
Thank you to Bill Balkwill and the Gaia Women of the Great Lakes Basin for a memorable walk.
Sacred Trust
The protection of Earth's beauty
vitality and diversity
is a sacred trust, a sacred trust.Join Together
We must join together to bring forth
A sustainable global community
Founded on these principles:
Respect for nature-universal human rights Economic
justice and a culture of peace.
(sing last line two more times)We of Earth
We of Earth, we declare our responsibility
to the whole, to the future
we of Earth declare.
We of Earth, we declare our responsibility
To the creatures, to the woodlands
We of Earth declare.
We of Earth, we declare our responsibility
To the ponds, to the prairie grass
We of Earth declare.O Beautiful Gaia
O beautiful Gaia, O Gaia calling us home
O beautiful Gaia, calling us on.
O beautiful Gaia, O Gaia calling us home
O Balkwill Woodlands, calling us on.
O Beautiful Gaia, O Gaia calling us home
O Spring Beauty, calling us on.Peace is the Wholeness
Peace is the wholeness created by right relationship
With oneself, with others, with Earth
And the larger whole.