Heather Lukacs's Blog (8)

"The desert has a deep personality; it has a voice. Great leaders in all ages have sought the desert and heard its voice. You can hear it if you listen, but you cannot hear it while in the midst of uproar and strife for material things. 'Gentlemen, for what came ye into the wilderness?' Not for conventional scholastic training; not for ranch life; not to become proficient in commercial or professional pursuits for personal gain. You came to prepare for a life of service, with the understanding t… Continue

"YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING. The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating...." Read on for the complete Commencement address. Undoubtedly, the Wild Gift IS part of the hopeful, caring movement to which he refers. :-) Paul Hawken's Commencement Address University of Portland, May 3rd, 2009 When I was invited to give this speech, I was a… Continue

“The new office will build our programs, expand opportunities for young people, teach them to hunt and fish, and help us coordinate our efforts across the bureaus,” Secretary Salazar said. Read about Salazar's recent 100-day progress speech below or his background here. "Raised on a remote ranch without electricity or telephone, Salazar learned the values of hard work, family, and faith. Thanks to his parents’ lessons, he and his seven brothers and… Continue

“This year we’ve all learned about the importance of creativity and self-reliance in uncertain economic times,” said Savanna Lyons, a volunteer who is coordinating the program. “Farmers are creative entrepreneurs. They know how to experiment, to deal with the variability of the seasons and to survive in difficult times through strong relationships in their communities. The qualities of a good farmer are qualities that serve a person throughout his or her life, and are qualities of a citizen who… Continue

What will we as a nation choose to hold sacred and what will we sacrifice? Might there be a way to hold all places sacred? To care for landscapes as they provide for us? I am continually inspired by those who steward the lands where they work and live. Thank, you. And, as I wait for the dogwoods to bloom above the cliffs in the New River Gorge (ojalá), Obama has signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. I recommend watching this video. http://www.c-span.org/Watch/watch.aspx?Progra… Continue

You must watch Van Jones Plenary Speech from the Good Jobs, Green Jobs event held February 4-6 in Washington, DC! If you have yet to hear him speak, it will be well worth your 14 minutes, I assure you. From the ghettos to the barrios to the Appalachian mountaintops, he challenges us to work together to heal our world and our relationships. "And the sacrifice zones of the gray economy will be the sacred zones of this green economy that we are building." I especially appreciate his shout out in so… Continue

Last night, while driving late into the night, I had the nearly full moon to accompany me. To light my path. To remind me of the beauty of our river voyage just one month ago – of the moon light reflecting on Loon Creek, of the moon appearing over the ridge, sliding along, and then disappearing, only to reappear yet again. The waxing and waning of the moon prompts consideration of the cycles of life - of life and death, of joy and melancholy, of community and solitude, of work and play.. of the… Continue

I'm sure that at least one creative Wild Gift soul could make the 100 finalist round of this crazy Google competition with good chance of winning some $$ and/or good press along the way: http://www.project10tothe100.com/ Application deadline: October 20, 2008 Potential reward: $10 million Who's in? Continue