See photo with the welcoming crew yesterday – the riders are next to Mayor Sanders, the three young people to the right of her, Sydney Fuller (age 10), Ally Starina (age 15) and Tim Vincent (age 17). I want to give great thanks to Debra Rogers of our staff who coordinated numerous details behind the scenes to make this happen!For more info: http://www.inconvenientride.com/
Here is part of a message from Melissa and Alexandra Carlson, Co-Presidents, Sonoma Valley High School Earth Club:
We had so much fun today meeting these awesome kids from Seattle, Washington (Sealth High School and Gateway Elementary School) and sharing our mutual goals to help bring awareness to important environmental concerns and issues we youth really care about. Greeting the Inconvenient Ride students at City Hall were the Earth Club team of Melissa Carlson, Alexandra Carlson, Lee Jasperse, Lauren Schorr, Terry Main, Andy Metzler, Rachel Fichmen, Amelia and Ellen Everidge, City Manager Linda Kelly, City of Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders, City Councilmen Cohen and Barbose, Debra Rogers, Sonoma Valley Unified School District Superintendent Young, and Sonoma Valley High School Principal Philpot, Earth Club Teacher Advisor Kuprian, Sonoma Ecology Executive Director Richard Dale, Dr. Lisa Micheli, Patty Moore (SEC and Moore Recycling), Environmental Commissioner Laurie as well as parents both of Earth Club and Inconvenient Ride youth and Mr. & Mrs. Beale, grandparents of Ali from Sealth High School, and our local photographer from the Sonoma Sun.
These first three to arrive from Inconvenient Ride were students Ali, Tim and Sydney. It was great. Actually, it was inspiring to say the least. They talked with us about their journey from Washington, D.C., through Oklahoma rains/winds through Alexandria, Virginia and then through the 109 degree temperature of Death Valley and the most recent impressiveness of the city of San Jose earlier today. They also shared how good it felt to have so many people they meet interested in the environment and global warming and that truly are doing things on a daily basis to change it in their communities.
Soon after our group picture, their whole group arrived, we visited shortly and then left City Hall and took a historical ride down Broadway Street to our prestigious High School, wow! We were so proud to be riding with this group.
There was a special crispness to the air as we (twenty plus riders) rode our bikes onto campus and we proudly showed our guests our campus recycling program and bright new blue bins. As we then rode to the creek, the emerald green shade of the oak and bay trees lining Nathanson Creek gave us the perfect setting for our ceremony and celebration. Mundo Murguia and Sandi Funke of Sonoma Ecology Center were there to greet us with a symbolic live oak tree seedling and their heartfelt mission to educate youth and the community about local ecology, conservation and nature. After warm introductions, Mundo led us to the freshly dug hole he prepared (that was the really hardest part) and then guided the Inconvenient Ride kids and us Earth Club kids as we planted a native live oak tree seedling on the Nathanson Creek Preserve, right at the edge of the preserve, by the bridge. SO VERY AWESOME! With gusto and inspiration the group cheered for the Inconvenient Ride and for the SVHS Earth Club before we all feasted on a slow food sampling donated by local green businesses here in Sonoma that included Vella's Cheese, Sonoma Garden Park, Basque vegan brownies by the Carlson Family. Yummy indeed it was. A simple setting under an umbrella of trees, a long white table with egg-white tablecloth and baskets full of goodies with fresh flowers from Sandi Funke's yard gently scattered about each basket. It was so very nice.
As long shadows crossed the field, we Earth Club Co-Presidents led the group on a special hike along the Nathanson Creek Preserve.
We personally both really want to thank Linda Kelly, Barbara Young, Micaela Philpot and Debra Rogers for empowering our Earth Club to co-host with them this special environmental awareness and celebration! We also want to thank the Sonoma Ecology Director and Managers, the City Council Members, CSEC, and local environmentalists who came out to be a part too.
As we hugged and said our goodbyes, the Inconvenient Ride people agreed that this experience in Sonoma, with our Earth Club and you all, has been the most unique yet on their journey!
