The 7th annual All Species Puppet Parade and March For Climate Change Solutions APRIL 22, 2020
We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day 2020 with a virtual all species puppet parade and march for climate change solutions! We asked folks to create a puppet, banner or sign, a video, image or text about the environment while sheltering-in-place from the Covid virus. We are grateful for everyone’s contributions and love seeing your creative expressions and hearing your voices. The love for the diversity of species and commitment to protect the good earth is present in these offerings.
Special thanks to our partners Carbondale Park District and Carbondale Community Arts. Shout out to sheswired.com and this year’s community partners who co-organized the day-long virtual events. Thank you.
The theme for this year's global Earth Day event is climate action.
Virtual All Species Puppet Parade 2020
Cardinal Dance - Jonny
The Northern Cardinal is one of the most popular state birds. It is the state bird of the state where I grew up, North Carolina. However, in 1929, Illinois was the first of seven states to designate the cardinal its state bird.
The bird is a favorite of mine because of its vibrant red color and its frequency. It is a very “common” bird, so far enduring the stressors human population growth and development are putting on other feathered beings.
I choose the cardinal this year for the All Species Puppet Parade in part because its red color reminds me that we are in a time of elevated alert. Yes, I mean the pandemic, but also the state of the environment and our need to attend to and understand what science (whether ecology or medicine) is telling us about the world we live in. Cardinals also feel a bit like success stories, an example of an incredibly resilient species able to thrive despite the current ecological stress we all live under.
—Jonny
These two critters are optimistic about their future on the planet. That is why they are wearing their winter togs.
From Maurine
Blackbirds dance and sing Happy Earth Day! -Shannon
Gay shares giraffe puppets and tells us that Giraffe numbers plummeted by a staggering 40% in the last three decades, and less than 100,000 remain today.”
Quote from The Born Free Association, UK
Where do giraffes live?
Bear Puppet plays in the flowers - Ron
The owl said "WHOOO will help us save the earth, our home?
The Screamer screamed!
The banana slug said "We must all lend a hand to stop climate change! -Corina
The All Species Puppet Parade and March for Climate Change Solutions begins!
from Mike and friends!
Carps doing their swimming thing - Sarah
Opossums can kill and eat some 5,000 ticks in a season! They also have a body temperature that's so low they are basically immune to most disease... including rabies! Also they are North Americas ONLY marsupial.
They are omnivores...will pretty much eat anything & everything. The ones I'm feeding are very into nuts right now. And of course, grapes -Tara
My Blue Jay puppet is flying for Earth Day! - Ron
Forest love - deb and cade
View of Mississippi River near Gorham. -Lucia
This pic is taken near Rt. 3 where I saw six eagles. Have been connecting a lot with the Mississippi and Big Muddy River and their bottomlands. Have seen so many white egrets and eagles this spring. - Lucia
Lavinia shares prairie grassland puppet
Prairie grasslands are now considered North America's most endangered ecosystem.
Many species of animals, such as birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, and other wildlife depend on prairies for their survival. Established prairies have deep, rich soil that is a dense tangle of roots. Some prairie put out roots that extend 12 feet below the surface. Some of the roots die each year, allowing large quantities of organic matter to be added to the soil as they decompose, creating rich and fertile soil. The roots also act as pathways for water to enter the soil to recharge the ground water tables and as a water filtration system, cleaning water as it passes underground.
The loss of prairies to agricultural conversion, urbanization, and inadequate management is damaging habitat and putting wildlife at risk. - Lavinia
The tiger is Giorgia's favorite animal
I think was one of the first known animals to have contracted the coronavirus from humans.
Happy earth day,
Sylvia
I call myself the Shimmering Azure
I live where only the wild humans know me
They call me Powerful Medicine
The other humans who do not care for or respect the Earth
May never know me
Or my Powerful Medicine
Which could save them, who knows?
And the Earth?
I may not survive if the Earth continues to change
The ice melting, the oceans rising
Let us all join together to embrace the Earth
Our Mother
-Corina
Can homo sapiens live up to our name? Sapien derived from Latin, means wise. - Jyotsna
Southern Illinois Poor People’s Campaign
Retha shares her story of the sunflower puppet returning to the earth and the creation of her garden!
"The Sound of a Snail Eating" - Gay
