This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our Carnival coincides with the launch of Natural Parents Network, a community of parents and parents-to-be who practice or are interested in attachment parenting and natural family living. Join us at Natural Parents Network to be informed, empowered, and inspired!

Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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There are a lot of things that encompass natural parenting that resonate deeply with me, but none quite so much as embracing real food. My reason why is simple. It is a natural extension of breastfeeding. It is what our bodies were designed to eat because it is what nature intended for us to eat.

Real Food is Natural

When we are born our bodies are designed to drink breast milk for at least six months exclusively, and then with the addition of solid foods; at least until the age of one, but up to age two and beyond as long as mom and child desire.

The first solids we offer our babies are fruits, vegetables and rice cereal. These are all whole foods. (I have my opinions about rice cereal – you can read them here.) As they get older we feed them pieces of soft meats (or as I chose, soft lentils and beans and hard boiled egg yolk) and expand their selection of fruits, vegetables and grains. As new moms who want to do the very best for our children, we ensure that their first year is full of nutritious options.

However, a part of knowing what solids to feed our babies comes from seeing what is available on grocery store shelves. Alarmingly, to me, in the past few years new processed baby food products have emerged that are marketed as snacks but can easily become a replacement for real food at meal times for picky eaters. So long puréed squash with no added ingredients, hello edible food-like rice rusks and strawberry banana puffs with added sugar.

Just like formula companies know how to market to families to make them think their product is a normal and healthy food, so too do most other food companies. It is easy to find oneself in the middle of the grocery store being bombarded on both sides by foods claiming to be healthy. The trick to knowing what’s best and what to avoid? Try sticking to the outer aisles. That’s where all of the fresh produce, dairy, meats and often the oils and vinegars and bulk sections with grains and dried fruits and nuts are.

Somewhere down the line, maybe when they’re one or two, maybe later (or maybe never), our babies get their first taste of sugar and/or salt. If we aren’t careful with our grocery selections we can easily wind up with picky kids who refuse the healthy stuff once they know there are better tasting alternatives.

Finding Balance in The Real World

I wish I could tell you I am one of those real foodie, health nut moms whose children only ever eat whole foods, but I’m not. While I embrace whole foods as much as possible, my kids love Cheerios and Annie’s pasta. Once a week or so they get ice cream for a treat (and it isn’t homemade). I recently bought Girl Guide cookies and before the two boxes were empty, each of my girls had about eight of them. But, like a commenter recently told me about her own family, we too try to follow the 80/20 rule. If 80% of the time we can eat healthy whole foods and 20% of the time we eat more processed kind of foods, like Annie’s pasta or a frozen pizza, then we’re actually not doing too badly.

I grew up in a household where dinners almost always consisted of a piece of meat, potatoes or rice and steamed vegetables. Nowadays, my dinners don’t look like that because we’re a vegetarian household, but my mom and grandma lay down the foundation. At the end of the day, our philosophies are quite similar. Eat nourishing, healthy, whole foods prepared with love.

Children Learn What They Live

I embrace whole, real foods as much as possible because I want my children to grow up understanding why food is important and what it does inside their bodies. I want them to be able to distinguish a whole food from a processed food and know that whole foods are better. I want to take them to farms and grow our own garden and have them understand that this is where food comes from. And yes, sometimes it also comes from machines and laboratories but the food that’s good for us is the kind you can make yourself. The kind that is traditional. Eventually they will also learn the impact certain foods have on our environment. And in choosing their foods mindfully they will grow up to be responsible stewards of our Earth. And if I can raise my children to be those people, I think I’ve done well to embrace one of the best parts of natural parenting.

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Stop by Natural Parents Network today to see excerpts from everyone’s posts, and please visit a few to read more! Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants. Three of the participants below will instead be featured on Natural Parents Network throughout the month, so check back at NPN!

This list will be updated by afternoon November 9 with all the carnival links. We’ve arranged it this month according to the categories of our NPN resource pages on “What Is Natural Parenting?”

Attachment/Responsive Parenting

Attachment/responsive parenting is generally considered to include the following (descriptions/lists are not exhaustive; please follow each link to learn more):

1. PREPARE FOR PREGNANCY, BIRTH, AND PARENTING:
   • “Preparing for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting” — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes knows better now how to prepare for her second baby, focusing on attachment rather than nursery curtains. Watch for her post, which will be featured on Natural Parents Network on Tuesday, November 23. (@sheryljesin)
   • “Begin at the Beginning” — Alison at BluebirdMama examines the first type of natural parenting she experienced: birthing at home. (@BluebirdMama)
2. FEED WITH LOVE AND RESPECT:
   • “Going With the {Tandem Milk} Flow” — Despite being told she would never be able to nurse her toddler through pregnancy, Jessika at Job Description: Mommy successfully nursed through her entire pregnancy, and she continues tandem nursing her two little ones fifteen months later! (@JobDescMommy)
   • “Breastfeeding with Love and Respect” — Resisting the pressure to give up, breastfeeding was the way Dionna at NursingFreedom.org persisted in nourishing her son. (@NursingFreedom)
   • “Why Should I Call It Extended?” — Amy at Toddler In Tow provides scientifically based research to support child-led weaning.
3. RESPOND WITH SENSITIVITY:
   • “Attachment Parenting Chose Us” — For a child who is born “sensitive,” attachment parenting is more a way of life than a parenting “choice.” Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares her experiences. (@CodeNameMama)
   • “Parenting in the Present” — Acacia at Be Present Mama parents naturally by being fully present.
   • “Parenting With Heart” — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment parents naturally because healthy attachments early in life help our little ones grow into healthy, functioning adults.
4. USE NURTURING TOUCH:
   • “Nurturing through touch” — Lauren at Hobo Mama finds that loving touch is a thread that runs through all her natural parenting practices. (@Hobo_Mama)
5. ENSURE SAFE SLEEP:
   • “Sometimes I Wish We Coslept” — Sheila at A Gift Universe has started to add cosleeping into her sleep routines and has found frequently unspoken benefits. Watch for her post, which will be featured on Natural Parents Network on Tuesday, November 30. (@agiftuniverse)
6. PROVIDE CONSISTENT AND LOVING CARE:
   • “Attachment Parenting . . . and Nanny Makes Three?” — When Jen at Grow with Graces first started interviewing nannies, she was looking for practicalities. After a few months with her first nanny, she’s going to hire someone new, and this time, she’ll make sure the nanny believes in AP principles. (@growwithgraces)
   • “Do You Have This?” — For Rachael at The Variegated Life, natural parenting is about love and giving, rather than the alienation and longing present in so many in our Western culture. (@RachaelNevins)
   • “What Natural Parenting Looks Like in Our Family” — Sybil at Musings of a Milk Maker shares what natural parenting is like as your little ones grow up.
7. PRACTICE GENTLE/POSITIVE DISCIPLINE:
   • “Unconditional Parenting” — The philosophy of Alfie Kohn resonates with Erin at Multiple Musings, who does not want to parent (or teach) using rewards and punishment. (@ErinLittle)
8. STRIVE FOR BALANCE IN PERSONAL AND FAMILY LIFE:
   • “Reducing Screen Time” — How does Mrs. H. at Fleeting Moments meaningfully connect with her kids every day? She turns off the TV.
   • Also see our October Carnival all about finding balance!

Ecological Responsibility and Love of Nature

• “Healing Through Elimination Communication Part 1” — Amy at Innate Parenting explains how practicing elimination communication has helped her whole family gain awareness and healing in many areas of their lives. (@InnateWholeness)
• “Growing Out of Little Potties” — Stacy at Mama-Om is proud to be the “weird lady” who practices elimination communication with her babies. (@mama_om)
• “Let’s Talk Diapers” — Lindsey at Mama Cum Laude started using cloth diapers because she felt they were a safer choice for her child; she stuck with them because they are convenient.

Holistic Health Practices

• “Supporting Natural Immunity” — If you have decided against the traditional vaccination schedule, Starr at Earth Mama has some helpful tips for strengthening your children’s immune systems naturally.

Natural Learning

• “Acceptance as a Key to Natural Parenting” — Because Mrs. Green at Little Green Blog values accepting and responding to her daughter’s needs, she was able to unravel the mystery of her daughter’s learning “challenges.” (@myzerowaste)
• “Let Them Look” — Betsy at Honest 2 Betsy makes time to look at, to touch, and to drool on the pinecones.
• “Why I Love Unschooling” — Unschooling isn’t just about learning for Darcel at The Mahogany Way — it is a way of life. (@MahoganyWayMama)
• “Is He Already Behind?“Ever worry that your baby or toddler is behind the curve? Danielle at born.in.japan will reassure you about the many ways your little one is learning — naturally — every day. Watch for her post, which will be featured on Natural Parents Network on Tuesday, November 16. (@borninjp)
• “How to Help Your Child through Natural Learning” — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now offers tips on how to understand and nurture your child’s natural learning style. (@DebChitwood)

Healthy Living

• “What ‘Healthy Eating’ Means to Me” — Wonder how a family of five makes healthy eating a priority? Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings shares some common sense tips. (@sunfrog)
• “What is Natural Parenting? Embracing Real Food” — Melodie at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! has always wanted to give her children the most nutritious foods possible: first through breastfeeding, and later through healthy, whole foods. (@bfmom)

Parenting Philosophies

• “Natural Parenting — Lazy Parenting” — To Olivia at Write About Birth, natural parenting isn’t about a fixed set of ideals, but about what is instinctual. (@writeaboutbirth)
• “I’m not the most crunchy, but I’m still au naturel” — Jessica at This is Worthwhile follows her gut and parents with respect, and that’s what feels natural to her. (@tisworthwhile)
• “Because Natural comes Naturally” — Breastfeeding, babywearing, cosleeping — Bess at mommakesmilk does these things because they feel right. (@MumtoEve)
• “What Do You Mean ‘Natural Parenting’?” — Luschka at Diary of a First Child fell into natural parenting by listening to her baby and her own instincts. (@lvano)
• “One Little Change at a Time” — Ashley at Domestic Chaos made one small change at a time until “natural parenting” wasn’t a punchline, but a way of life. (@ashleympoland)
• “WHY Attachment Parenting?” — While they might take some work to put into practice, Momma Jorje at A Slightly Crunchy Momma finds that all of the tenets of attachment parenting fit her family.
• “Yours, Respectfully” — For Kellie at Our Mindful Life, natural parenting is about being respectful: to yourself, your children, and your surroundings.
• “The Natural Parenting Label” — Michelle at The Parent Vortex explains that natural parenting is a mindset, not a set of specific choices or a few fancy acronyms. (@TheParentVortex)
• “When Our Children Are Grown” — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children parents naturally, because she is building a firm foundation for her children.
• “What is Natural Parenting to a Witch Mom?” — Lily at Witch Mom has planned out what she wants for her son, from health to socialization to interactions with the natural world. (@lilyshahar)
• “Attachment Parenting and Our Family” — Semi-crunchy Mama at Adventures in Mommyhood takes us through the way the Baby Bs have transformed their family of four. (@crunchymamato2)
• “I’m a Mama…Naturally” — Andrea!!! at Ella-Bean & Co. didn’t intend to parent naturally, but it happened by instinct.

Political and Social Activism

• “A Private Matter” — Amy at Anktangle, who is a Registered Nurse, describes her encounters with circumcision in a medical environment and why they guided her decision to leave her own baby boy intact. (@anktangle)
• “Natural Parenting, Following Our Instincts, and Keeping Our Son Intact” — Kelly at KellyNaturally went against the tide and refused to circumcise her son. (@kellynaturally)
• “Relying on Kindness” — Sure, Navelgazing Bajan at Navelgazing wants her son to be kind — but kindness is not enough. (@BlkWmnDoBF)

Also shared at Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade and Food On Friday at Ann Kroeker..

Related posts:

1. Why I Love The Real Food Community
2. Halloween Candy Dilemma for The Frugal Mom, Lactivist, Real Food Advocate and Environmentalist
3. My Experience of Being Married To a Partner Who Isn’t Always Sure That Attachment Parenting Is Best

For the past 6 years we lived in a semi-rural neighbourhood where my kids were the only kids around. I only needed to buy candy for up to three small ones. One year we got nobody! So it was easy to head to the health food store and buy a few pieces of organic, free-trade, dark chocolate morsels that were wrapped in recyclable paper. One year I gave out organic juice boxes – again recyclable. This year, however, we live in a new neighbourhood, and it is full of children. It might even be one of those 100-kid-visitors-on-Halloween kind of places. I’m shuddering to think what I will be forced to buy to afford this holiday.

I’ll tell you what I won’t be buying:

Nestlé

I will not buy any Nestlé products. In fact, my husband was recently at a counter with some Haagen Daz ice cream treats for our daughters when I practically pounced on him and made him take them back to the freezer, all the while obnoxiously chiding reminding him (sorry honey) “Our family doesn’t buy Nestlé products!” Poor guy. It didn’t say Nestlé anywhere on the package. He doesn’t have these things memorized like I do.

What Did Nestle Do To Deserve A Boycott? Annie at PhD in Parenting, Elita at Blacktating, Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess, Michelle at Mama Bear and Danielle Friedland aka @that_danielle created a new website called BooNestle as a resource for people to make an informed decision about boycotting Nestle at Halloween, if not for life. They say it all way better than I could. If you aren’t sure what the Nestlé Boycott is all about, please start with their post. On Twitter, the #noNestle or #booNestle hashtags will also find you a lot of information.

The trick to not buying Nestlé is knowing what kinds of foods and candies they make. Thankfully, BooNestlé has provided everyone with a list of brands to avoid for a Nestlé-free Halloween. Take it with you when you go shopping. The need-to-know-this-very-minute-because-I’m-heading-out-to-buy-Halloween-candy-right-now list is as follows.

Please don’t buy:

• Butterfinger, Crunch, Kit Kat, Wonka, Raisinets, Goobers, Baby Ruth, Aero, Smarties, Sno-Caps, 100 Grand
• Wonka, Pixy Stix, Gobstoppers, Spree, Laffy Taffy, Nerds, Fun Dip, Runts, SweeTarts, Gummies, or Harry Potter candy.

What are the alternatives?

Even if other candy manufacturers aren’t corrupt like Nestlé their products are still full of processed sugars like high fructose corn syrup and modified vegetable oils. As a real food advocate who doesn’t normally buy these kinds of foods anyway, I don’t want to support companies that contribute to our social health problems. “But if it’s only once a year?” you ask. Did you know that last year Americans spent nearly 2 billion dollars on Halloween candy? Yes, only buying candy once a year has an impact.

What are the Healthier Options?

If I am expecting one hundred trick or treaters, this doesn’t leave me many affordable options from ethically minded companies. In fact, I am left with these options. (Please tell me if you know of more)

• Clif bars, Enviro Kidz crispy rice snacks, Annie’s cheddar bunnies, honey sticks, organic fruit juice lollipops from Yummy Earth, organic dark chocolate, organic juice boxes, boxes of raisins, packets of nuts or seeds, fresh fruit, or home made goodies.

While these are better than Nestlé and the other candy manufacturers, some of them are still made up of processed foods. (Wheat and cheese doesn’t press itself into a bunny shape all by itself.) I could make my own goodies but a lot of people won’t let their kids eat homemade treats on Halloween. You know, because I might poison them their kids might have food allergies. Same with fruit. Remember all those razor blade stories from when we were kids? However, one suggestion could be to include a list of ingredients on the home baked treats or even your address or phone number so they could double check you’re not a psycho.

I like the Fair Trade chocolate idea because if I go this route I know I am helping to:

• END poverty among cocoa farmers,
• END abusive child labor in the cocoa industry,   
• PROMOTE Fair Trade, and
• PROTECT the environment.

I could forego edibles entirely.

I thought maybe I would buy some glow bracelets from the Dollar Store, sure to be a hit with kids of all ages, four per package for $1.25. But these items quickly become landfill. However, more useful or re-useable ideas include:

• Note pads and pencils, pens, crayons, felts, or pencil crayons, hair elastics, erasers, stickers, temporary tattoos, bouncy balls, garden seed packets, coins, etc.

(Again, if you’re shopping for one hundred, it gets expensive.)

In the end, we are all left with making a purchase decision is the most ethical and which one is the most affordable. Which one will have the least impact on the environment? Is it worth it, in my household, to “suck it up” or “let it go” for one day, or is it more important to honour my values? I know I don’t want to turn off my lights and pretend no one is home, but I’m still not sure what I will hand out this year. All I know for sure is that it won’t be Nestlé.

I hope you will join me in me in the Nestlé boycott. If you do, and decide to write a post about it, make sure you head to Annie’s blog and let her know. She’ll add it to a growing list of posts by bloggers who are doing the same thing for International Nestlé Free Week October 25-31, 2010.

Linked up to Real Food Wednesdays and Works for Me Wednesday.

What do you plan to hand out to trick or treaters this year? Do you give this topic as much thought as I do? I would love to hear back from the real food and natural parenting community on this one for sure!

Related posts:

1. What Is Natural Parenting? Embracing Real Food
2. Breast Milk or Food? A Breastfeeding Toddler Dilemma
3. Why I Love The Real Food Community

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Kieran and Papa stop to examine a pond/waterfall during one of our first family hikes.

I used to love to hike. When my husband and I lived in New Mexico, we hiked all over the scrubby mountains near our home. I loved the exercise and the feeling of achievement when we finished a hike, but even more important to me was the chance to see wildlife and scenery far removed from my desk job, to feel a connection to the Earth, and to spend some quiet time with my best friend. Hiking is one of the things I have missed the most since we moved away from New Mexico.

I want to pass on a love of hiking and the outdoors to my 2.5 year old, Kieran. But in order to do that, I need to make sure our hiking adventures are fun for him. His interests and motivations are different from mine: whereas I wanted escape from a desk, he might be more interested in the freedom to play in the dirt. Following are five things I’ve tried to keep in mind when hiking with Kieran, so that he will look forward to our hikes as much as I do.

1. Slow Down, You Move Too Fast: you might enjoy hiking for the exercise aspects, but your little ones will be more apt to enjoy it if they are allowed to set the speed. Let them walk at a comfortable pace – they aren’t trying to burn calories. Encourage them to stop and examine the flora and fauna, the scenery should be at least half of the fun of getting outdoors together. Talk about the new sounds and smells, touch the bark on the trees and the dirt under your feet. Make all of their senses come alive.

2. Bring Food: Little ones’ bodies are wired for grazing – their energy levels (and their moods) will be better with frequent small snacks. Plus, snacking will give everyone a reason to stop and admire the scenery. Some of our favorite hiking snacks are apples and peanut butter, trail mix (of course), sandwiches, granola bars, and melon. And of course remember to bring lots of water, at least one big water bottle for each person.

3. Make it a Learning Experience, in a Fun Way: Read up a little bit about local wildlife and/or vegetation. Pick a common bird several days before your hike – listen to its call with your child, look at pictures, talk about where you might see it. Then keep an eye and an ear out for it while you’re hiking. Or find pictures of some common local vegetation. See if you can learn (with your child) what poison ivy looks like, and then look for it on your hike. If your little one finds something familiar on your hike, she is sure to get excited about her discovery.

While you are hiking, talk to your little one about being environmentally friendly. Remember the adage “take only pictures, leave only footprints.”

4. Combine Hiking with Another Favorite Activity: If you’re worried that your bookworm won’t like the trails, bring the books along! You know what your child likes to do, find a way to incorporate it into the first few hiking adventures. For book lovers, check out some new books on the great outdoors and read them at different points along the trail. For crafty kids, bring along some paper and crayons and have them do crayon rubbings. For sports enthusiasts, bring along a frisbee or ball and stop to play catch after lunch.

Other ideas to combine different activities with hiking: Let your child bring a camera to take pictures. Put a favorite doll in your child’s backpack for company. Bring musical instruments and have a sing along. Stop to draw pictures of your favorite flowers or trees. Digitally record bird calls to play back and identify later.

5. Keep it Simple and Be Safe: No child will have fun if the hike is too long or dangerous. Follow basic safety rules for your area. Don’t plan long hikes, unless you want to carry your child most of the way. Bring a first aid kit and wear sunblock and appropriate clothing and footwear. Watch the weather and hike early in the day to avoid excessive heat.

Please, look at your local parks guide for more detailed safety rules and to find out if there are local hazards you should be aware of, this list is in no way an exhaustive list of safety measures for hikers.

Have you hiked with your little ones? What makes hiking fun for your kids?

Related posts:

1. Time Saving Tips For Breastfeeding Moms (Or How To Do It All)

Before you go, make sure you enter to win the Modest Middles giveaway I’m hosting. Modest Middles is giving away one of their unique nursing tank tops. Come read my review to see what I mean. The contest closes today at 6:00 PM Pacific Time.

Related posts:

1. Review: Modest Middles
2. Guest Starring…Breastfeeding Moms Unite!
3. We Interrupt This Breastfeeding Post…

First, you can find me at Infinite Learners, waxing passionate about my home in my post called Expanding Hopes, Horizons and Home. It’s about a lesson learned in feeding my spirit and letting go of grief. Please come and visit, and while you’re there send Hillary some congratulations – she just had a baby girl!

Every time I visit Infinite Learners I am filled with a sense of peace and contentment. If your spirit ever needs grounding or your heart needs lifting, I recommend Hillary’s blog as a place of inspiration. 

I’ve also written a guest post at Friday is Family called Going For A Nature Walk, which is about the weekly walks we do after dinner through our neighbourhood or surrounding area. I cherish this quality outside time we spend together, infusing our love for nature into the hearts of our children. We are so blessed to live where we do.

The mission behind the Friday is Family site is to establish a US National Campaign to “Turn Friday Night Into Family Night”, built on the values of family and friendship, steeped in deep tradition. It is also to encourage community at the Friday night dinner table, ushering in the weekend surrounded by peace, harmony and hospitality. Finally, it is to extend this community into a vibrant interactive online forum, enabling people to connect and share these values. I hope you’ll check it out.

Related posts:

1. Breastfeeding: At One With Nature
2. Breastfeeding Nature’s Way
3. Emerging Family Traditions

Saturday was the first protest my girls attended. How did it go? Well, they complained of being bored and of being hungry (even though I fed them a huge snack before we got there), and they jumped off concrete steps of the Parliament Buildings for something fun to do (luckily they didn’t get hurt). My youngest was oblivious to what was going on, but she clapped when everyone else did, (which made her look very smart I thought). The oldest, who is 5, had some idea of why we were there (no, it wasn’t just to see grandma), which was good. I prepared her in the car on the way, you see.

“Why are we going mommy?”

“Well, the salmon that live in the ocean are dying because other salmon that people make to live in cages in the water are getting sick and passing their disease onto the wild salmon. The disease is called sea lice and when the wild baby salmon get it, it kills them. That means they don’t live long enough to make more salmon babies. The wild grown up fish are sick too. They have so much lice that when fishermen catch them the fish are almost already dead. If the people with the salmon in cages don’t move them onto the land, the wild salmon will all die before you graduate from school. So we are going to tell the people who make all the rules for us and Mother Earth to change things so the salmon can live.”

“Why do we want all the salmon to live mommy?”

“Because the salmon are important to many other animals and without them, they might start dying too. Whales eat salmon and so do eagles and bears. And even the forests need salmon to help them grow.”

“Oh. Well, I’m hungry mommy.”

“Grandma and Grandpa and Nana and your uncle are all going to be there too!”

“Yay! Can we have dinner with them?” (My girl has a one track mind!)

I know I got through to her, I just know it!

I do plan on raising socially and environmentally responsible children.

How do you think I did?

In my opinion, a peaceful legal protest is an okay place to take one’s children. I would never put my children in harm’s way though. I don’t believe in using children to make an adult’s point. Children who hold a sign telling a woman going to an abortion clinic that she’s going to hell is not cool. But it is important to me to show my children that the values of one person are actually the values of great numbers of people. And when people come together for a common good, we can make a difference in the world.

Now for what we were protesting.

On Saturday, the lawn of the British Columbia legislature held its largest environmental gathering in history. Close to 4000 people showed up. Fish farms are killing wild salmon. We were there to protest it in what was the culmination of The Get Out Migration.

The Get Out Migration was a 500 km walk, organized by Alexandra Morton, biologist, whale researcher and author, who has spent the last decade of her life devoted to researching the effect of fish farms and sea lice on the wild salmon populations. What she has found is that disease, pollution and escapes from open-water salmon farms pose serious threats to the survival of wild salmon and the environment in general. [Source]

But other people are finding this too. One of the speakers Saturday was a long time friend of Alexandra’s (and my dad’s), Billy Proctor, 86, author, and voted one of the Seven Wonders of Canada – People. He was a commerical fisherman for 60 years and has been a resident of the Broughton Archipelago for 74 years. At the rally he said that years ago (I forget how many – I wasn’t being a good jounalist and taking notes) there were over 700,000 salmon coming out of the river. Last year they only counted 126. When he was a fisherman it was nothing to catch over 3000 pink salmon in a net. The last time he went fishing he only caught three.

Feel sick yet? I know I did.

If you want wild salmon to be around for your children, if you want to ensure our killer whales who exist on salmon (70% of their diet is salmon) will be around, and the eagles and the bears who all contribute to this Earth we share, then please sign this on-line petition. It only takes about 30 seconds and you don’t even have to live in British Columbia to be counted. Declining salmon stocks affect all of us.

To see a great documentary by Twyla Roscovich, (who also happens to be a good friend of my brother’s!) please take a moment to watch this video.

Have you ever taken your kids to a protest or rally? If so, how did it go? If not, what are your thoughts on this subject? Please share!

More resources:

Alexandra Morton’s blog

Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Salmon Are Sacred

No related posts.

a small yield

I am an Earth-loving mother of two young girls. My oldest is 5 1/2 and my youngest is almost 3. We have a small garden in the corner of our yard where we plant and harvest some easy-growing vegetables. Our soil isn’t great, and I’m still learning how to garden successfully, so our yields have always been relatively small. Basically our garden veggies supplement rather than replace our grocery produce. But I am finding that I am mostly okay with this. For now.

For me, the most important thing about having a garden at this point in our lives is being able to teach the kids where our food comes from and how it grows. I want to give them the chance to see that they can contribute to bringing food to the table.

However, other than a mild interest in digging up potatoes last year my girls have never been interested in the garden, except for that fact that it’s a great place to find worms.

I have to say I’m really glad I’m not worm-phobic. Or snake-phobic for that matter, although the days of handling them and throwing them at people like I did when I was a kid are totally over. Now, I can be amused with them from a short distance. But I can handle worms. As long as no one pulls them apart, squishes, maims or kills them in any way, I’m happy to support my kids yanking them from their dirt paradise for a game of worm family; although, I do wish I could interest them in poking small holes in the dirt for planting some seeds instead of digging gaping holes among the lettuces for kidnapping some creeping invertebrates.

But I suppose that as long as we’re all outside, enjoying the good weather, and sitting among (rather than on) the plants, and watching (even if passively), little shoots grow into the food that eventually winds up on the table, I’m planting healthy ideas in their head that very well may end up as them planting vegetables in their own future gardens.

When I was very young my parents and grandparents kept gardens, and it wasn’t until very recently that I ever realized how much that impacted my own “green” values, how I eat and my reasons for raising vegetarian kids. So I suppose I can’t expect too much interest from my offspring right now either.

In fact, I think I should be grateful for anything that keeps them in the garden at all. So worms – thank you! Thank you for the joy you bring to my kids with your slimy, squirmy, worminess.  Thank you for being my reluctant accomplices to keeping my kids interested in sitting in the dirt with me. Oh, yes, and keep up the good work with all the lovely things you do down there in the dirt amongst my beans and kale. You are appreciated!

This post is for the Green Moms Carnival being hosted this month by Green Talk.

Do your kids like to play with worms too? How else do you keep your kids in the garden?

No related posts.