Wake Up Call

Ollie Bouler has evolved from her initial fundraising efforts of saving birds after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico into speaking for the environment at large.  Here is a recent animation she created, encouraging people to take action today to save our planet.

Earth Day 2012: Two Years After the Spill

Pictures of Perdido Pass in Orange Beach, Alabama, June 2010

The proximity of the second anniversary of the Gulf oil spill to the celebration of Earth Day is not lost on me. No matter how we greenwash our desires, our nation still has a long way to go to protect our natural resources. Take plastic bags, for example. A petroleum-based product, they wind up in landfills and waterways-- and for what? Convenience? But the damage this short term convenience causes is costly to our environment in the long term. And yet, everyone still seems to roll their empty cart into the store without reusable bags. Pesticides too-- houses all over Long Island are thrilled with their water views, willing to pay extra for them. And yet, many houses along the water pollute their lawns with pesticides, some chemical compounds derived from, you guessed it, oil. The water run-off destroys the very seaside habitat they love. As we continue to dig in unsafe and expensive ways to access these fossil fuels, you cannot tell me that it is more cost effective in the long term than using that same money to establish a long term and cost effective alternative energy system. Sadly little has changed in the energy industry since the spill in 2010. But we have. Our lives have taken us down the unique path of environmental activism, and this year, Team Bouler is quite keen on setting up solar panels. As we head to our next environmental activity next weekend at the Ned Smith Center, we are hoping that the legacy of the Gulf propels us to row harder, even if we are going against the tide. For more Earth Day insights, please read Olivia's Huffington Post article today.

Like the Wagon Wheel

Even motorcycle magazines recognize the fact that peak oil has arrived in our world. What this means is that all of the 'easy to acquire' oil has been obtained and the only oil remaining is oil that has great environmental cost to extract from the earth. It's hard to reconcile the fact that a motorcycle magazine would know this and our government ignores this very important fact. This denial is further evidence of the influence that oil companies have on our world. Not only must we use less, there are new, potential alternatives out there. Electric, algae, even wood scraps have been enlisted to replace dirty, dangerous, polluting oil Let's make oil our generation's wagon wheel.

Photo taken at Orange Beach, Alabama the day the oil hit the beach June 2010.

The Spill: A Year Later

There isn't enough time this morning to compose an entry which truly encapsulates the events of this past year; however I could not let the day go without commemoration.
When the Deepwater Horizon Rig exploded last year, eleven men lost their lives and the Gulf of Mexico's habitat became the casualty of lax regulation and our insatiable thirst for oil. What has changed since then? Environmental groups like Audubon and Ocean Conservancy, took on the Herculean task of trying to save as much wildlife as possible, but unfortunately many animals perished and continue to suffer. Thousands of birds died, and many more will continue to feed contaminated food to their young as oil and corexit make their way through the food chain. Attempts to change the oil industry were close to fruition this summer when the spill was finally contained, but are currently at a standstill with the new Congress elected in November. How many oil spills does it take?
On a personal note, my family decided a year ago that this manmade tragedy was unacceptable. Through Olivia's fundraiser, the entire family threw our energy into doing what we could to help the environment. It's taken many forms, but we can only hope that all of them add up to making a difference and encouraging people, including our elected leaders, to have a new way of looking at the world. Are we a country that subsidizes a polluting and dying industry, or do we look to the future by investing in alternative energy sources? Are we a country that squanders its beautiful habitat with shortsighted decisions, or do we look ahead to preserving and restoring what we have?
So I guess you can say that since the spill, I've become a 'one issue' voter. To me, to my family, and to the thousands who have heard Olivia's message, we know the environment is too precious a gamble. Please mark the anniversary of this preventable disaster by using this link and sending a letter to your representatives in Washington DC.

Book Revue

Huntington's Book Revue is the kind of book store that you might see in a movie-- a funky, independent village spot that functions like a town square. And when Olivia's publisher asked where we'd like to have her Long Island book signing, it was an immediate response: The Book Revue. Sure Bill Clinton signed his book there, and Mary Tyler Moore too, but it was also a store I've frequented since I was a teenager growing up in a nearby town. The turn out today for Olivia was just amazing. Pitched in Newsday today as one of the 'top ten things to do on Long Island', the crowd ranged from friends, family, colleagues, her teachers, my students, James' clients, and people who read in the newspaper about this girl who drew birds. IT was part reunion, part eco-activism. By the time car service came to take Olivia and James to the airport, headed for Portland Oregon, the goodies had been eaten and the books had sold out. Thanks to all of you who were there to celebrate Olivia's Birds!

Small Actions, Big Impact

Olivia (center) with NY Islanders and fellow Hometown Heroes

A year ago, I attened The Ethnic Pen, Bay Shore High School's annual writing conference and heard about Wangari Maathai's Green Belt project. I was amazed at how one woman's tree planting campaign changed the Kenyan landscape and the course of history. Four days later, the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, and little did I know, my daughter's subsequent action of donating bird illustrations to raise funds for recovery efforts would have a ripple effect in our own community and beyond.
At this year's Ethnic Pen, filmmaker Jennifer Arnold described the power of one woman's seemingly small actions and their ripple effect in her recent documentary, A Small Act. Hilde Back, a Swedish survivor of the Holocaust, chose to sponsor the education of a young, rural Kenyan student, Chris Mburu, sending off small amounts of money to cover his primary schooling. Mburu went on to graduate from Harvard, evenually becoming a Human Rights Lawyer for the United Nations. After Mburu decided to find the stranger who changed his life, he started a scholarship program of his own, naming it after his former benefactor. This exceptional story's ripple effect continues thanks to Arnold's film, which in itself, fought the odds to be made.
After the conference, I took Olivia and Jackson to the Hometown Heroes reception with the NY Islanders. Olivia, who had been made a Hometown Hero in January for her Gulf fundraiser, was surrounded by other Long Islanders who also took action when they were called upon.
It was a rewarding day, a reminder that each one of us has the opportunity to make a difference in small and big ways.
If you are in the Huntington area tomorrow, please drop by The Book Revue at 3 pm for Olivia's book signing.

Olivia and Jackson Go To Washington

One of the most important elements of American freedom is the ability to reach out to our representatives in governement. Last week, Olivia and Jackson had a follow-up visit to Washington DC to see how things have changes since they were there in July. During both trips, they spoke to their congressman, Steve Israel (D-NY), a strong proponent of environmental stewardship and alternative energy, both essential to the economic growth and heathly habitat of Long Island. And by working the steps of the Capitol, they were also able to offer their support of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Act, a propsal to protect important habitat along the path of migration for many important birds who travel from South America through Central America to North America, and back again. Due to deforestation, pollution, and climate change, their population numbers are decreasing at an alarming rate. Birds like the wood thrush and the red knot could become extinct in our generation. As the Indian proverb goes, we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Wouldn't it be a crime to leave them without songbirds?

Connected!

Hello, modern age. Blogging for nearly 600 entries, running Olivia's Save the Gulf page, and working on Bouler Architecture's web page, I felt pretty tech-forward. But today's flowers are tomorrow's compost, and technology moves swiftly. Olivia now has her own official website thanks to the massive assistance by Jesse Neuman, who, in addition to playing jazz trumpet and teaching in Central America, can whip out a site in mere hours. No longer will I have to send pages of links to folks-- it's all there! But wait, there's more. After resisting the Twitter trend, my students have convinced me that Olivia needs to start tweeting. Hey, if BirdgirlLiv wants to tweet, and folks want to read it, it seems like a natural development. That is, of course, until the next new thing.

Olivia's Birds: A Commercial By Adam G

Tongass: A National Treasure

As Olivia and James head off to the US Wildlife and Fisheries conference in Baltimore, the federal budget battle rages on in Washington DC. I am aghast at some of the suggestions. Do away with the EPA? I don't even know what to say to that kind of idea, especially when lax regulation paved the way for the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Continue subsidising the oil industry? C'mon people, you can't be serious.
Meanwhile, Cornell Lab of Ornithology's winter publication of LIVING BIRD proposed a great way to save the government $30 million dollars. Stop subsidizing the logging of old-growth forest in Tongass, Alaska. This 17 million acre national forest is home to a beautiful and ancient ecosystem that once lost, cannot be replaced. Now why didn't Congress think of that?

State of the Union

Image from the NY Times
Last night James and I sat down to hear President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address. Picking up where he left off in Tucson, the President continued his push for bipartisan civility in an age where we need to move this country forward, instead of gridlocking progress in an 'us vs. them' mentality. Like any seasoned teacher with classroom management skills, I thought the seating arrangement truly influenced the tone, becoming less of a football stadium and more of a civilized chamber of governance. I even liked the reach across the abyss to John Boehner.

And boy didn't those of us who teach at Jericho High School buzz about the President's 'shout-out' to us as nation-builders, because those of us at my job, do see it that way. Not all agreed with his 'race-the-top' strategy, but we came to consensus against No Child Left Behind.

There were great poetics in Obama's writing style. It was balanced. I reflected on the analogous relationship of Sputnik to our "winning the future." Upon reflection, I consider it apropos. We currently sit on the precipice of the future and cannot be bogged down wasting energy fighting each other without at least an attempt to reach consensus.

Throughout the speech, the President made statements so thoughtfully worded that James and I often wondered aloud, "How could you object to that?!" Now it's no secret that I am a hearty supporter of President Obama, but I was pleased today when a social studies teacher who plans on teaching the speech tomorrow, told me, "I'm a Republican, but I like the guy." And as he prepared his 'Project Citizen' unit, he also appreciated the support for teachers.

One part of the night was more personal. When James and I were in DC with the family this summer, we spoke with our representatives in Washington about the Gulf oil spill. It was great to see our alternative energy allies having the ear of the President. Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY), a longtime champion of environmental issues, had such forward-thinking, sensible, and money-saving ideas, that we were excited to see him walking with Obama on the way out, with Energy Chairman Waxman (D-CA) symbolically leading the way. Congressman Engle (D-NY), a bull dog in questioning BP chairman, was shaking hands along the aisle. These are the folks who can implement these goals. We also met with Climate Change Czar and former Audubon Board Chair Carol Browner. When I heard this week that Browner was stepping down, I was disappointed since she had great perspective on the whole situation: the oil industry's unpaid taxes, lax regulation, and campaign contributions, while green technologies were moving forward in China. She knew what was at stake. I hoped her departure wasn't a sign we had given up getting this country off oil.

Our gasps were audible as the President hit the oil issue squarely out of the park. By subsidizing the oil industry, we are enslaving ourselves in the past, destroying our environment, and creating a national security issue. Funnel that very same money into green technology--sensible, right? European governments have been leading the way on this for years. Let's learn from their model. Of course I'd like to see a return to the moritorium on off-shore drilling, but I guess I can't have everything. . . yet.

Ultimately we were moved by the citizens in the gallery. The heroes, the dreamers, the believers. With Egypt's streets ablaze with revolution, last night I went to bed proud we were "for the people and by the people."

Online Painting

Olivia sampled Disney's Friends for Change CREATE program-- here are some results.

ASPCA Awards: NYC

James, Nadine, Olivia and Jackson with Tommy Monahan's parents and sister

Tommy Monahan's grandparents with Olivia

Today at the ASPCA's Annual Humane Awards Luncheon, Olivia received the Tommy P. Monahan Award for Kid of the Year. The honor of this award was made even greater when we had the chance to meet Tommy's family. Tommy Monahan was a 9 year old Staten Island boy who loved nature as much as Olivia. Tragically, Tommy died in 2007, trying to save his dog from a house fire. Our family was moved to tears when we heard about Tommy's love of animals, how he encouraged a woodpecker to live in his backyard, and his desire to donate money to the ASPCA. Tommy's grandmother has written a book about her grandson, and Tommy's uncle, a retired firefighter who served the NYFD for 21 years, told me that every time he sees the woodpecker in the yard, he feels Tommy's presence. I know every time we look at the award Olivia received today, we will feel his presence in our lives as well.

The Uniform Project: Totally Unique

I first heard about the Uniform Project from a colleague who described a unique way some friends of hers in Brooklyn were raising money for schools in India. Sheena Matheiken and Eliza Starbuck collaborated on making a little black dress so universally designed that could be accessorized on a daily basis to achieve different looks. In a quest to combat the disposable nature of most fashion, Matheiken spent a year modeling her daily modifications of the dress on her blog, a dress which is now available on Bright Young Things. The Uniform Project not only raised $100,000, thousands of readers followed the story on a daily basis. Both Olivia's Save the Gulf project and Matheiken's Uniform Project will be presented at TEDxSJU in Philadelphia this December in a conference discussing the different uses of social networking.

Alex's Lemonade Stand: A Poignant Reminder

While at the World Heritage Cultural Center event in NYC this past Saturday night, our family had the great fortune to meet Alex's Lemonade Stand's Elizabeth Scott, Alex's mother. Alex Scott is one of the most amazing children I've ever heard of, and her story is told best on her website-- about a young child who raises millions to help children battle cancer while fighting the disease herself. I was humbled by Alex's story and her mother-- a poignant reminder of what to do when life hands you lemons.

An Update From The Gulf

While Olivia and James were visiting Seattle, they visited the Seward Park chapter of the Audubon Society for some birdwatching with bird expert Woody Wheeler and to hear an update on the Gulf spill. I asked James for a recap.

Olivia and I travelled to Seattle last week for the TEDxRedmond convention. While is Seattle, Olivia did a presentation at the Seattle based Seward Park Audubon Center. Dr. Tom Bancroft, a scientist with Audubon, called in from Washington for a question and answer session after Olivia’s presentation.

Dr. Bancroft stated that the Gulf Oil Spill, as feared, has devastated the wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico. He stated that, in a conservative estimate, 8,000 birds have died. This number would not also count the eggs that did not hatch, or many deep water birds that are too far off land to be counted. He ventured that the real number would be more than triple this estimate.

Scientists are finding oil inside the bodies of shrimp that are captured, as well as oil inside the eggs of crabs. The dispersants used by BP have done more harm than good. The effect of the dispersant was to do two things: dissolved part of the oil into a small molecules that are dissolved into the Gulf water and the other effect was to coagulate the oil into a rock like clump, where it sinks to the bottom of the gulf to forever be a part of the eco-system and ingested by bottom feeding aquatic life.

The oil is continuing to wash ashore. There are cleanup crews that gather the oil when they find it.. but it is difficult to gather it all, since it is coming in at so many different locations. If the oil is not discovered quickly, it is covered by sand due to the wave action of the gulf. If covered, he has seen the oil bubble up in different areas, in some cases staying on the beach and in other cases being washed back out into the gulf.

The marshes were already in peril, due to the trenching that the oil companies do to bring the pipelines from the oil rigs in the gulf. They trench right through miles of marsh to get to land. Louisiana loses a football field size of marsh land each day, due to the trenching and the fact that Mississippi River has been diverted and does not deposit the sediment that nourishes the marsh to keep it healthy.

The only silver lining in the oil spill is that Dr. Bancroft is seeing some cooperation between the local and national governments on the spill clean-up and marsh land restoration. He estimated that, while we do not know for sure, it will be decades before the gulf recovers, and even at that time, there will be buried oil deposits that will continue to infiltrate the Gulf eco-system.

While is Seattle, I was able to read the latest National Geographic Magazine, October Issue, 2010. It is one of the best accounts on the oil spill: both in how it happened and what has been the result on the eco-system. I highly encourage people to read the article. In my opinion, the real work in the Gulf is just beginning. Olivia listened to Dr. Bancroft’s presentation. I will admit that it was difficult for her to hear all of the facts. She told me after her talk that she is ready to continue her work to save the Gulf and the many birds that are affected.

Yesterday in my emails I received another update from the National Wildlife Federation, another organization Olivia's fundraiser supported. They report 2,500 brown pelicans have perished, perhaps placing them once again on endangered lists. The work cleaning up the Gulf is far from over and although hearing such news about the wildlife is devastating, it pushes us here to continue fighting until that habitat is restored. It's going to be a long fight.

Conservation and Disney's Project Green

Olivia with the cast of Camp Rock; far left is Beth Stevens, Disney's Environmental Director; center is Vikki Spruill from the Ocean Conservancy.

Olivia and Jackson were on hand for the filming of a public service announcement for Friends for Change Coastal Clean-Up event and discovered all sorts of hidden trash on the beaches of Tampa. From soggy blankets to torn-up tarps, about 30 burlap garbage bags were filled with garbage.
Disney World has adopted several visible ecofriendly practices: paper straws, lidless drinks, brown paper towels, and an increased recycling program. But what was behind the scenes was even more impressive. The conservation efforts behind Animal Kingdom, from breeding a near-extinct species of kingfishers from Guam to rescuing oil-soaked sea turtles from the Gulf of Mexico, were evidence of a serious committment to the environment on a global scale. One collaborative project included Kenyan farmers, whose crops were being trampled by elephants. The farmers, unable to restrain the elephants, needed to find a way to keep the animals off their property without harming them. Disney scientists were able to discover how an elephant's fear of bees could keep them at bay. By working together, the Kenyan farmers and the scientists were able to create a border of bee hives that not only kept elephants off the farms, but generated a money-making crop of honey. This was just one of the many projects shared with us while we toured their facilities.

Seatuck Fundraiser: Open Call for Art Entries

Puffin in Maine by Jackson Bouler


Seatuck, Islip NY
One of the ways our family decided to react to the spill was to act locally. Like many places, Long Island birds and those migrating through here, are suffering from loss of habitat, so we were delighted this spring when Seatuck Environemental Association opened its headquarters and bird sanctuary along the Great South Bay in Islip, NY, a quick bike!20ride from our house. With ties to Audubon and Cornell Cooperative Extension, beautiful hiking trails for bird watching, terrific education programs (including outdoor yoga!), and a safe haven for birds, it was also a place we wanted to support. Olivia and I worked their program's table in Shirley, NY at the International Migratory Bird Festival and now we are putting together a fundraiser on SEPTEMBER 4th, at 2 PM to support them. Musicworks founder and jazz trumpet player Jesse Neuman has helped us organize a small summer jazz band with Olivia on saxophone and Jackson on piano and electric guitar, Bryan on trumpet, and Jimmy on double bass, which will perform at Seatuck, so it seemed like a natural extension of the event when Enrico said, "What about some artwork?"

Of course!!! Many have written to us about sending us drawings or asking about ways to particiapte, so here is a great chance to do both. As an artist, I've been taking part in open calls for postcards through a group of artists , including my dear friend and collage artist Louise Millman, who were inspired by Ray Johnson. Johnson, a pop artist, used the postal system as part of his performance art-- the anticipation of opening an envelope, not unlike the feeling many people had when they received Olivia's artwork this week, is an excitement that is integrated into the art experience.

Long story short, we are asking for artists of ALL AGES, ALL LOCATIONS, and ALL MEDIUMS (photography, drawing, painting, collage, computer) to submit a POSTCARD-SIZED work of art showcasing birds to be displayed and sold at the fundraiser for $5 each. All money will go to Seatuck.

Guidelines:

*Send entries to Seatuck, PO Box 31, Islip, NY 11751 attn: Art Show postmarked no later than 8/26/10.
*You can mail it in an envelope or as a postcard.
*None of the artwork will be returned. If it isn't sold at the fundraiser, it will be part of the Seatuck giftshop.
*Postcards can be original artwork or reproduction, but should include your name on the back.
*They must not exceed 5" x 7".
*You do not have to be at the fundraiser to participate, but we'd love to meet you!
*Please post an image of your artwork on Olivia's Save the Gulf Facebook page for everyone to see!

Please spread the word. The strength of the show is in numbers. And don't be afraid to send yours in-- it is truly meant for everyone to participate, artists and novice alike.

Ports 1961: Art Auction

It was a terrific turnout last night for an excellent cause at fashion boutique Ports 1961's art auction. Raising money for Gulf recovery efforts, the crowd was decidedly fashionable and friendly, making easy conversation as people (and jellyfish) mingled about the terrace overlooking the Meatpacking District while casting silent bids on the gallery full of paintings. Both Olivia and I had artwork in the show, with her brown pelican starting a fierce bidding war. Eddie Parsons, Retail Public Relations director, seen here with Ports president Jacqui Wenzel, was inspired to organize the auction after a recent trip to visit family in Pensacola, Florida, where he found the once-familiar white sand beaches altered by the spill. The evening proved to be a great success in raising $3,000 as well as raising awareness.

DC Debrief

The DC trip was an experience indeed. After sneaking in some important sightseeing at the Air and Space and the National Zoo, it was a jam-packed three days of meeting alternative energy allies. Our intention was to express our concern over the environment and to show our support for the new alternative energy bill that is making its way through the Senate.
Fortunately Newsday followed us with camera and reporter so we can begin to process exactly what happened. Here's a bit of a humble recap.
We had the great fortune to meet with Congressman Waxman, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. His long-standing positions on sustainable energy lead him to write legistation pushing the country forward in becoming a leader in manufacturing alternative energy systems, and not in just consuming energy. He sat with Olivia and us as she presented him with a drawing and described her passion for saving the planet.
First thing the next day, we had a tour of the East Wing, followed by a meeting with Carol Browner, who serves as director of President Obama's Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, as well as heading the task force overseeing the spill. She shared Olivia's love of birds, even serving on Audubon's Board of Directors. She was an impressive person who provided great insights into both the spill and moving the country off oil. From there we met Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, a gentle man, who sat with us in his office and explained his feelings about conservation. Throughout his career, Secretary Salazar has started several programs for kids working with the environment, so he was particularly impressed with Olivia's work and her desire to preserve bird habitiat.
One of our favorite meetings was with Congressman Engel from NY. Although we aren't technically in his district, his position on the Energy Committee was on we wanted to support. Engel gave us an incredible inside look at the negotiations in trying to pass alternative energy measures, as well as his recent participation in the oli spill hearings as he pushed for answers as only a New Yorker can.
Afterwards, we had a chance to meet with both NY Senators. Once Olivia presented Senator Gillibrand with a drawing of an American Kestrel, they spoke about Olivia's artwork and her environmental advocacy. We then met with Senator Schumer, whose kind and gentle conversation with Olivia and Jackson suggested a grandfather more than statesman. I can tell you that Schumer clearly understood our mission as a family to protect the environment.
I thought nothing could top that list of meetings, but I was wrong. Yesterday on our way to meet with Congressman Steve Israel, our representative in the House, we ran into him in the hallway as he dashed off to cast his vote in the House. He invited us to join him, even taking the kids to meet fellow leaders who were casting votes themselves. Olivia and Jackson were able to shake hands with Speaker Nancy Pelosi who knew of Olivia's project and praised her for her efforts. As we posed for pics on the steps of the Capitol with Congressman Israel, Congressman Murphy of PA stopped to shake Olivia's hand, enthusing that he had just seen her on MSNBC. Back in Congressman Israel's office, we spoke about alternative energy initiatives on both the local and national levels, their connection to national security, and creative ways to move our country forward on this issue.
As we drove to the airport on our way home to Long Island, Jackson rested his head on the seat and said, "This trip is the most important trip of my life." Our entire family agreed.