By Jodi Levine The most frequent question I am asked by friends in the Earthroots community is “how are the oaks doing?” It’s usually asked with hesitation and hope. This past summer has been busier than usual at Big Oak Canyon. Over 30 volunteers, staff and two arborist companies have Read more…
By Karen Graham I wonder what that mama wren was thinking, as she circled Shane high up in the oak, flitting from branch to branch with a cranefly in her beak waiting to drop it into her babies mouths. Shane’s whole body was wrapped around the trunk of the tree, Read more…
Big Oak Canyon is a hidden oak forest wonderland in Orange County. Within its steep north-facing ravines and slopes is an extensive wooded area with clean mineral springs, ferns, and Coast Live Oaks, some of them probably as old or older than the California missions. Native people once likely camped Read more…
What was your favorite childhood nature moment? Jodi’s new blog explores how childhood experiences in nature can make a lifelong impact. There was a wild spot I visited often as a young girl growing up in Orange County. Well, technically, it was a golf course behind my childhood home. But Read more…
Author: Jodi LevineFounder and Executive Director of Earthroots Field School Being in nature and connecting with the elements of life has a nurturing effect on our nervous system. Our human physiology developed over hundreds of thousands of years while our ancestors lived outdoors, fully engaging with the living world on Read more…
By: Stacey Stormo Fall is my favorite time of year. The leaves change, the weather cools, and all of a sudden we just want to cuddle up and take it easy for a while. We settle down from the excitement of summer and give ourselves a chance to catch our Read more…
By: Angela Capps
By: Ashley Azzinaro Shinrin-yoku is a Japanese term that translates to “forest bathing” or “absorbing the forest atmosphere”. In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries created the term, encouraging people to simply spend time in nature. The focus being on immersing your senses in nature and present moment Read more…
Join us in welcoming back our Executive Director, Jodi Levine, who recently returned from a 3 month sabbatical. When people use the word sabbatical they are usually speaking about a teacher taking a school year off to pursue research, travel, writing, or some such professional growth. The fact is, however, Read more…
By: Staci Hansen I’ve been told by many people that being a grandparent is the best experience ever. My own mother used to tease us and say that if she knew being a grandparent would be such fun, she would have skipped having children and gone straight to having grandchildren. Read more…