Litha: Summer Solstice and solar maximum
In this peak of the summer season, this is a shorter-than-usual email. It's time to be off screens and outdoors!
Litha, also known as Midsummer or the Summer Solstice, falls on June 21st this year (depending on solar cycles it can fall between 20th and June 23rd). This event marks the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere (in the southern hemisphere, it's the Winter Solstice). Litha represents peak fertile energy and the rapid growth of new life all around us.
On the Wheel of the Year, this marks the time when the seeds that were sown in this growing cycle begin to grow in abundance, until Lughnasadh, the First Harvest on August 1. This includes the seeds of our intentions that we “planted” between Imbolc and Spring Equinox.
Litha is a celebration of growth and abundance. Take a moment to appreciate what you have, and be truthful with yourself about what you no longer need. Others might benefit from the things that no longer serve you. Just as a bountiful harvest requires the removal of pests, letting go of unnecessary items can enhance your sense of abundance. Developing a practice of sharing instead of always buying can help attune us to abundance.
Recognize the pollinator beings, so busy at this time of year. Without them, life on this amazing planet would cease. Reflect on what matters most to you during this season, or what you find yourself appreciating. Is it the full canopies of the trees that bring cool shade? Jumping into a river or lake to cool off? Long, relaxing naps in a backyard hammock? What aspects of this time of year bring you joy and fill you with gratitude?
Celebrate Litha as a way to honor the incredible fertile energy of this time of year and to connect with the natural world on a deeper, more meaningful level. By recognizing and celebrating the subtle shifts in Earth's natural rhythms, we can become more attuned to nature and feel more grounded in our everyday lives.
Lushootseed Place Names map
haʔɬ adsɬčil dxʷʔal ti swatixʷtəd ʔal dxʷləšucid! This is a map of Lushootseed place names in the Salish Sea region that was posted in theRegenerate CascadiaTelegram channel. Please read the map legend for context and credit. This is an incredible work in progress by a Lushootseed speaker.
Filmmaker BJ Bullert captured this scene of Ken Workman talking to a packed house of marchers about the importance of Real Renters working in solidarity with the Duwamish.
Solidarity is Strength
The 25-mile Walk for Palestine stopped at the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center on May 26, 2024 for rest and refreshment and to learn about the land where the longhouse is located. Watch a video of Duwamish Tribal Council Member Ken Workman addressing the packed house of marchers who paused at the Longhouse along the route of the Walk for Palestine, speaking about the importance of Real Renters working in solidarity with the Duwamish.
A meditation on invasive species: Dama Drama
Current and former residents of Mayne Island, Indigenous elders, and conservation professionals to think through what it means to call something an “invasive species,” how to manage our ever-changing relationships to plants and animals, and how we might prepare for the certainty of change in the future.
Future Ecologies is an excellent podcast about relationships – between, within, amongst, and all around us. Made for audiophiles and nature lovers alike, Future Ecologies is a podcast exploring our eco-social relationships through stories, science, music, and soundscapes.
Rewild Salish Sea community map
Check out the many excellent community resources such as tool libraries, mutual-aid groups, learning orgs, and more on the Rewild Salish Sea community map. Are we missing something? Please contribute more resources!
Empire of Normality Neurodiversity and Capitalism, by Robert Chapman
Neurodiversity is on the rise. Awareness and diagnoses have exploded in recent years, but we are still missing a wider understanding of how we got here and why. Beyond simplistic narratives of normativity and difference, this groundbreaking book exposes the very myth of the "normal" brain as a product of intensified capitalism.
Exploring the rich histories of the neurodiversity and disability movements, Robert Chapman (neurodivergent themself) shows how the rise of capitalism created an "empire of normality" that transformed our understanding of the body into that of a productivity machine. Neurodivergent liberation is possible—but only by challenging the deepest logics of capitalism. Empire of Normality is an essential guide to understanding the systems that shape our bodies, minds and deepest selves—and how we can undo them. (AK Press)
IP3 Creative Resistance Training Guide
Get this free download of an introduction to techniques and tools to aid you in creating a visual voice for social justice movements. Art is essential to organizing and demonstrates unity in ways that mere words can’t. When people feel good about a movement, it encourages them to get involved. Creative storytelling creates media buzz, tells the story of our moments, and helps build momentum and support. Art takes thought, time, and resources, and should always be included at all levels of planning.
(Download)
Camp Skykomish Biocultural Restoration Field Station
Join us for weekend camping on the Lower Skykomish River, near Monroe Washington and learn about native plants, environmental horticulture, and river restoration, restore forests, and develop forest gardens in neglected riparian forests. A project of of the Snohomish Conservation District, hosted by the Washington Farmland Trust, Werkhoven Dairy, and The Tulalip Tribes of Washington.
Upcoming events around the Salish Sea
Washington Native Plant Society
Washington (statewide)
Many varied events including land tending, plant identification, botanical drawing, and more
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Green Seattle Partnership
Burien, Des Moines, Everett, Redmond, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Snohomish County, Snoqualmie, Tacoma, Tukwila, WA
A collaboration between City of Seattle, community groups and non-profits, businesses, schools, and thousands of volunteers working together to restore and actively maintain the City’s forested parklands.
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Regenerate Cascadia
Cascadia, from the southern Willamette Valley into British Columbia
A social movement organization developing a long-term bioregional vision and framework for the regeneration and health of the Cascadia bioregion along the northeast Pacific rim of North America and beyond.
The Heron’s Nest
Seattle, WA
Landback Project: Outdoor Education & Restorative Justice Volunteer Land Stewardship Day
Every Monday, 10 am - 2 pm
General landscaping, blackberry, ivy, and invasive species removal, planting, weeding, small building projects, and more. Gloves, tools, snacks, and drinks are available. All ages, on-leash dogs welcome.
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Check the website for many more events
The Bronze Chapter
Seattle and Bellingham, WA
Black woman-founded; supportive opportunities and learning for underrepresented communities of color to experience nature and the natural world in ways that lead to curiosity, joy, deep listening, and life-long learning.
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Northwest Natura
Bellingham, WA
Northwest Natura offers place-based education in botany, ecology, fungi, and outdoor skills, and leads field trips within the greater Salish Sea Bioregion.
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Tending Alive
Duvall, WA
An experiment in restoring the people's hands to the soil and soul, Katie VIncent’s plant + land stewardship classes “open the door to ecological resilience in your landscape, in yourself, and in your community.”
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Wilderness Awareness School
Duvall, WA
WAS is internationally recognized for its mentoring teaching style, naturalist training expertise, and focus on connecting students with nature, their community, and themselves.
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Free eCourses
Online: “Bird Language,” “Wilderness Survival,” “Wild Plant Identification,” “Nature Connection,” and “Secret World of Mushrooms” eCourses.
Raven's Roots Naturalist School
Ferndale, WA and Carnation, WA
Short and long term courses on naturalist and self-reliance skills, including herbalism, ethnobotany, foraging, wild-crafting, permaculture, homesteading techniques, wilderness survival, primitive skills, and more.
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Port Townsend School of Woodworking
Port Townsend, WA
PTSW focuses on technique and community problem-solving. Their classes include hand tools, joinery, fine furniture, indigenous arts, woodturning, and creating a diverse and supportive fine woodworking community.
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North Cascades Institute
Rockport, WA off Highway 20
Connecting people, nature and community through the hands-on study of the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest and inspiring environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences.
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Seattle Spoon Club
Seattle, WA
Every third Friday of the month, 6 - 9 pm. A monthly gathering of spoon carving enthusiasts. Spoon blanks are available but bring your own carving tools.
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Northwest Basketweavers Guild
Seattle, WA
The art of basketry, the study practice, sharing, and teaching of basketry weaving techniques, the identification, collection, and appreciation of diverse examples of basketry, and the gathering and use of natural materials.
Tilth Alliance
Seattle, WA
Adult education programs teach growing, preparing, and enjoying food together. They offer a variety of classes on topics such as vegetable gardening, food preservation and cooking, permaculture, and urban livestock.
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Puget Sound Mycological Society (PSMS)
Seattle, WA
PSMS represents a variety of interests in fungi: the pothunter, the adventurous gourmet, the weekend naturalists, the serious amateur, and the professional mycologist.
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EartHand Gleaners Society
Vancouver, British Columbia
A variety of events linking with the seasonal round of working with the gardens. These are often special stewardship sessions for annual tasks like harvesting the willow of flax, weaving garden fences, and more.
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Vashon Wilderness Program
Vashon, WA
Vashon Wilderness Program provides nature immersion experiences for children, teens, and adults that cultivate a deep relationship between self, community, and the natural world.
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