As a senior of a certain age, I learned about the possibility of man-made climate change when I was a teenager, in fact in grade 13 Geography class; an odd concept, hard to imagine then that which has become reality now. Yet as I reached adulthood, had a family and worked on my career, my awareness of it dimmed. Perhaps those things crowded out the importance of me taking civil action then to hold our leaders accountable to make changes that would affect my children and grandchildren. Sadly, I did not. It is my hope that we, as seniors, can now do what we can with the time we have left on this good ship earth, and encourage youth to take action. I have stumbled into organizing musicians for Earth Fest. Never underestimate the power of music to move people.

I am a typical Mom who is very worried about the future of my two children, my two grand-children and my five great-grandchildren. I am of the generation who now feel so guilty

about the effects of our dependence upon fossil fuels that was apparently forecast in 1958 when I was ten. We made a big mistake which we could have acted upon much earlier. I have been an active volunteer in various worthy causes since my retirement from the world of work, following my interests in African grandmothers, peace efforts and the arts. But the dangers ahead from climate breakdown are now our most urgent responsibility. It is my hope that we can get back in touch with how lucky we are to live on this beautiful jewel of a planet and motivate ourselves to take the very best care of it that we can.

I’m part of the EARTH FEST team, supporting social media and event promotion to help spread the word and bring people together. I recently completed my undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and will soon begin a Master’s in Development Studies. Alongside my academic work, I’m also an artist, with work recently exhibited at Union Gallery, and I contributed as a designer for the student run Vogue Charity Fashion Show 2025/2026. At EARTH FEST, I’ll be hosting a booth featuring my handmade art work.

I am a long-time volunteer at Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre in Nappanee, involved with the care and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife.  I am witnessing firsthand how climate and environmental changes and the destruction of ecosystems are already producing unfortunate and measurable consequences for our native wildlife.

I love this quote, "In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught," attributed to Senegalese forester and conservationist Baba Dioum.  It is my hope that EarthFest may help us to understand more about the preciousness and the precariousness of our present time.

I’m a writer and reader. A sometime agitator. And a recent grandparent to Nora and her brother Sal. 

It will be the 2090s by the time the grandchildren get to be my age. Who knows what our Earth -- their Earth --will look like then? A lush, green oasis? Or grim moonscape fractured by a terrifying carbon bomb?

I worry that if today’s elders – people like me – don’t take action on climate breakdown while we still can, future generations will judge us harshly for it.

Five years back I plunged into environmental agitation via Seniors for Climate Action Now, or SCAN! I do a bit of writing over there. 

I hope to soon be able to tuck into The Lorax with Nora and Sal.  Dr. Seuss’s cleverly ominous eco-parable tells the story of the insatiable Once-ler’s need for more and more “Thneeds” – read, fossil fuels. (see carbon bomb, above) The result is the destruction of Barba-loots, Humming-Fish and the Truffula Trees. 

The Lorax isn’t without hope – Truffula seeds are still around. But the massively popular book concludes with a warning: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better. It’s not.”