Talking about the BIG Picture on Thursday in the Rain

‎"We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools. We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Sometimes our Gatherings focus on specific stewardship tools like grazing or on-the-ground projects like these dealing with climate change.  Sometimes we pull together meetings to talk about details.  Sometimes we convene groups to talk about challenges or opportunities.

At our Rainy Season Gathering this Thursday - for which there will be rain if the forecast is accurate - we are going to talk about the big picture.  The "why" for our work in land conservation.  Why do we do what we do?  What is the connection between our daily tasks and our community?  How do we stay relevant to the people who live near our parks and trails, farms and ranches?  

Our panel consists of people doing a wide range of work here in the Bay Area.  They are:

Ron Brown from Save Mount Diablo is going to talk about some unusual but very powerful partnerships they've formed.   Do you know about Save Mount Diablo?  Here's the big picture:

(Reading this on email?  Click here to see this video on our blog) 

This just in!  Avery Cleary from the Children & Nature Network will join us as a moderator.  You know the Children & Nature Network, don't you?  Richard Louv?  Last Child in the Woods?  Of course you do. 

(Reading this on email?  Click here to see this video on our blog)  

Sam Hodder from the Trust for Public Land is going to talk about city parks.  Have you been to the City Parks Blog?  TPL also has the Center for City Park Excellence and this reading list is worth checking out. 

Jared Lawson of Pie Ranch is going to present along with Paul Ringgold of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) about how they worked together to preserve a little slice of the pie.  This will give you more than just a taste of their work: 

 (Reading this on email?  Click here to see this video on our blog) 

And finally Rue Mapp of Outdoor Afro and the Foundation for Youth Investment will talk about all of the work she does to connect people to the land.  She was just written about in the Sustainable Business Forum and does so much to connect people and land.  It's hard to pick one thing to highlight here.  Look at the pictures submitted to the Outdoor Afro photo gallery:

Find more photos like this on Outdoor Afro

Is your interest piqued?  Appetite whet?  There are 20 more spots in Thursday's Gathering.  Register soon!  And don't forget your umbrella.  It's going to rain!