Thursday, April 12, 2012

The Golden Spruce

My husband started reading this book last night, and he's hooked. He says the prologue is taking him back to the Pacific Northwest -- images, smells, and that amazing wilderness-meets-sea atmosphere. The Golden Spruce looks like an intriguing true story (of "myth, madness, and greed"), so I'm eager for updates as he gets deeper into the book.


The Tree:
Kiidk'yaas, also known as the Golden Spruce, was a unique Sitka spruce that grew on the banks of the Yakoun River in British Columbia. Its needles were bright gold due to a genetic mutation, so it must have glowed like a 165-foot tall candle in the dark northern woods. It's no surprise that Kiidk'yaas was held sacred by the native Haida people.

Kiidk'yaas in 1984 by Mike Beauregard / Wikimedia

The Fall:
In January of 1997, Grant Hadwin, a 48-year-old unemployed logger (who had purportedly been born again as an eco-warrior, if you can imagine) cut down Kiidk'yaas as a political statement. Hmmm ... He was later arrested, but disappeared on his way to trial.


Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Rock on, Matt Damon!

Matt Damon will star in The Promised Land, a movie he co-wrote to publicize the threat of the natural gas industry. Guts, good looks, and green ethics - you gotta love this guy.




Monday, April 9, 2012

I went to the zoo, and what did I see?

An fantastic takin looking at me ...


The St. Louis Zoo is home to a family of endangered takin from western China. These incredible animals remind me of musk oxen, bison, and even the strange Asian saiga antelope (similar arching nose), but they are unquestionably unique. I implored my daughter, who is fascinated with all things Chinese, to "grow up, move to China, and save the wild takin."

That's not too much to ask, is it?