Gnomes and Humans Plant Trees for Earth Day 2011

The gnome car faithfully hugged the road on the side of the mountain.

Daddy gnome asked, "Are we going the right way?"

Mama gnome said, "Hmmmm..." She stared out at the window, mesmerized by the rolling dips and gorges.


Daddy gnome said, "Ehemm... Mama gnome? Are we going the right way?"

"What? Oh...let me see..."Mama gnome's stubby finger followed the wriggly lines. "Looks like it." Mama gnome sat up straight. She felt quite at ease with the map.

The wrinkly paper was an old friend.

The computer on the other hand...always played mind games on the old gnome. She didn't trust that whiny gps voice either.

Give me a map any day, Mama gnome always thought.

It was important the gnome family didn't get lost on this special day, Earth Day 2011.

They had a special date with humans, tree loving humans, as it were.

"Trees!" Gnomelets who were quietly sitting in the back of the gnome car burst into sudden movements of waving and pointing at these:


Elder gnomelet said, "They look strange, Mama. They're black and they don't have leaves."

Younger gnomelet said, "No leaves."

Mama gnome said, "I'm afraid so, little ones. There was a fire here last year. That's why we're here. Somebody's got to do something about it."

Soon, this came into view:


By the by, the gnome family, made it to the campsite.

Mama gnome kept her fingers crossed. Time and time again, she'd been disappointed by the smallish number of humans she'd seen at events like: Coastal Cleanup Day and 350.org's International Day of Climate Action.

The gnome family were greeted by this wondrous being.


Of course Mama gnome and young gnomelets proceeded to hug it tremendously.

Mama gnome's trepidation disappeared.

There were more humans here than Mama gnome had seen at previous ecoevents.

She beamed at the tall human lady with the sign up sheet.

The gnome family were given strict instructions to wear a hard hat at all times even during breaks.

Daddy gnome deftly adjusted the hard hats for the young ones and soon the gnome's pointy hats were squashed underneath the yellow roundish hats.

Mama gnome kept a firm grip on younger gnomelet's hand and Daddy gnome took older gnomelet's hand.

The trek was quite daunting...slippery slopes covered with ash, rocky dips, and over streams.

Mama gnome's small heart pounded, fearful for the quite short young gnomelets' legs.

But they did her proud. The young gnomelets marched on without a single complaint.

At times, the gnome family over took humans who had to stop and rest.

Along the way they saw:

Charred remains of a burnt tree...


A bleak mountaintop that looks like a desert...



Sad muses of trees...


More burnt trees on a rocky slope...



Mama gnome didn't know what they were before but now they looked like giant burnt pineapples.



After over an hour of hiking on rough terrain, a tree loving human gave instructions on how to plant the saplings to give the young trees the best chances of survival.

The kindly human instructor said, the trees had a survival rate of 75%.


The humans and the gnome family went to work.

Here was Mama gnome's secret weapon...

Older gnomelet aka super ecowarrior.

She scoffs at the face of ecoenemies...and deals them a terrible blow with her tiny hands.




After what seemed like hours of work,the gnomes were tired and thirsty.

Other humans had left already. But the gnomes stayed and carried out what they set out to do. They finished planting the young trees on the bleak mountain.

Afterward they faced an even more daunting task, the hike back.

The gnome family climbed up steep inclines, held on to rocky crevices, and found footing on ash covered ground.

With faces covered with soot and ash, and bones and muscles weary, the gnomes encountered a gentle creature who bade them go on.



Finally, they spotted the campsite.


When the gnome family reached the campsite, the Forest Ranger and the leader of tree humans applauded the young gnomelets. The youngest participants for the tree planting event made the biggest impression.

Elder gnomelet said, "Mama, my cheeks are red."

Mama gnome said, "You did good, my love. You did good."

It was close to three in the afternoon and the gnomes were famished having missed lunch.

The young gnomelets cheered when they discovered...a giant cookie in their lunch boxes.

Mama gnome was very impressed with the lunch box made from recycled paper.

NO PLASTIC OR STYROFOAM in sight. And she was grateful for the vegetarian sandwich.



After their meal, the young gnomelets made wishes at the stream, throwing pine cones into the water.

Mama gnome made her own wish...a not so secret wish for more trees.

Mama gnome wishes all humans would help make Earth Day everyday, make her wish come true and go green...

(c) all photos and text by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Trees for Earth Day 2011

This Saturday, April 23, the gnome family will travel to a forest that was ravaged by fire last year.

The gnome family will meet up with humans to help plant trees in honor of Earth Day 2011.

Please celebrate Earth Day 2011 by doing one single act of green.

Together, humans and gnomes can contribute to a billion acts of green for planet earth.


video from: thechriscarsonshow

Please visit Earth Day Network's A Billion Acts of Green

Make each day earth day and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

The Year of the Dying Tiger

photo from:Mayankkatiyar

According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, the year 2010 is the year of the Tiger.

Mama gnome would like to categorize it as the Year of the Dying Tiger.

During the beginning of the 20th century there were an estimated 100,000 tigers.

And now a century later, 100 years later, the tiger population has decreased to less than 3,000 tigers in the wild.

Humans have killed off 97% of the tiger population.

Just in the last ten years tiger habitat has decreased by 40%

What is pushing this animal into extinction?

According to IUCN:

"...consider habitat loss and poaching for trade to be primary causes of a significant decline in Tiger range and numbers."

"Despite strong international action to eliminate it, illegal trade persists...Although all countries have banned use and manufacture of tiger bone, illegal production persists in several Asian countries, especially in China, Malaysia, and Vietnam."

"In China there are several operations engaged in intensive breeding ("farming" of tigers), with the captive population reportedly reaching 5,000. They are pressuring the government to allow them to produce tiger products, and several are already engaged in illegal production of Tiger bone wine."

"Tiger farming perpetuates and threatens to re-ignite consumer demand."



video from: BBCWorldwide


What can we do to help?

Visit WWF's Save Tigers Now

Educate family, friends, children about the plight of the tigers.

Don't buy fur, be it tiger fur, fox fur, or any other animal because it perpetuates the problem.

Don't buy tiger medicine. Don't use tiger medicine.

Report businesses or people who trade in tiger parts, products. It's illegal and Mama gnome would like to add..."downright #$#^#." That's why.

Don't buy tiger wine.

And Mama gnome would like to add, "Why in the world would you want to drink wine fermented from the bones of this animal? Or any other animal actually...Drink morning elixir instead, so vital for life."

Part of the problem that is killing tigers is habitat destruction, so be aware of products you buy, paper products which contribute to the destruction of their habitat.

Please visit Natural Resources Defense Council to see lists of green paper products from toilet paper to paper towels.

Use cloth napkins, recycle old shirts and cut them up to be used instead of paper towels for wiping down counters.

Save our trees and forests and save the tigers' home.

Please help the dying tiger...and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Paper...Rock....Scissors....Trees!

Mama gnome asked Daddy gnome, "Are those young gnomelets or monkeys?" for the two gnomelets were climbing over him like young arboreal animals and not two gnomelets who lived in a burrow.

"I think they're wild animals," said Daddy gnome while he wrestled with the gnomelets.

"Alright, let's settle down now. Come here and let's play another game," said Mama gnome. "How about a game of paper, rock, scissors?"

"Alright, Mama. How do we play?" asked baby gnomelet.

"Rock beats scissors because scissors can't cut rock. Paper beats rock because it can cover the rock. Scissors beat paper because it can cut paper."

So the young gnomelets learned to play this game while Daddy gnome got up to drink some of Mama gnome's elixir of life (so vital for existence). The young gnomelets zapped all his energy.

But now Mama gnome wants to talk to you about a different sort of game.

Mama gnome calls this game, "Paper...Rock...Scissors...Trees."

For in this game, paper beats both the rock and scissors and trees win.

This paper is special for it is made from recycled paper. And if it's super special the paper is made with a high percentage of post consumer content.

This means only a small percentage of the paper comes from virgin fiber from trees.

If humans all over the world used recycled paper and paper products and less from virgin fiber paper, more trees will be saved.

According to the National Resources Defense Council:

If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 544,000 trees.

Mama gnome almost fainted when she read that.

That's five hundred forty-four thousand...trees.

Not weeds, not bushes, not dandelions, but real living, breathing trees.

Please watch this video "Unchopping a Tree" by Maya Lin

video from: unchopatree

Here's a list of special paper products from the Natural Resources Defense Council website.

Please visit their site to see an entire Shoppers Guide for paper products with recycled paper and quite a few made with high content from postconsumer waste.

Please know that Mama gnome's blog is a non-profit blog.

She does not receive or take advertisements and does not receive any sort of money or profit through this blog.

This blog is entirely because Mama gnome's fervent love for trees, nature and planet Earth and she does not want to make any profit from planet Earth's problems.

So the link for NRDC's list above is truly to arm you with that special paper you will need to win Mama gnome's special game of paper-rock-scissors.

And if you pick the best paper with recycled paper made from high content of postconsumer waste then game on...

Paper...rock...scissors...Trees!

Please be a winner for planet Earth...

For this new year, be the best darn paper rock scissors player on this planet.

Let go of your virgin fiber paper products...go for Super Paper instead and Go Green.

(c) 2009-2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the

Mystery Animal of the Day.

This animal has large eyes, with each eye surrounded by a circle of feathers called facial disc.

Contrary to popular belief, this animal cannot rotate its head entirely backwards.
But it is quite capable of looking over its shoulder 135 degrees to each side for a measly total of a 270 degree visual field.

This animal is usually nocturnal and solitary.


If your guess is OWL, Mama gnome wants to give you a loud hoot! whilst she takes you to her favorite forest, the sequoia redwood forest in Northern California.

Northern Spotted Owl

photo by US Fish and Wildlife Service

The owl's diet includes insects, small mammals and other birds. Some owls hunt fish as well. Owls are natural for controlling rodent population. Though some birds die from eating rodents that had ingested poison or rodenticides.

Owls are excellent hunters. Their flight feathers have serrated edges allowing them to fly virtually silent. The coloration of their feathers allow them to blend in with the environment and become virtually invisible.

Owls also have the habit of regurgitating indigestible parts of their prey such as fur,scales and bones. The discarded parts come out as "owl pellets." Schools can buy these pellets to be dissected in biology or ecology classes.

The collective noun for a group of these animals is parliament.

Does it not bring a visual imagery of a parliament of owls wearing spectacles and discussing important earth warming problems? Yes, it does for Mama gnome.

Owls are often associated with wisdom, depicted as symbols for libraries and universities. The greek goddess Athena was often portrayed with an owl.

Some cultures though consider owls as bad omens and 'harbingers of death.'

But for Mama gnome, she considers the situation reversed.
That man is really the harbinger of death for these poor animals.

According to this report,

In November 2008, 900 of these owls were seized in a raid in Malaysia.
They were 'plucked and "oven-ready" owls.'
In January 2009, 319 freshly skinned Owl carcasses were seized along with 25 hind legs and 22 paws of Malayan Sun Bear as well as 2,330 live clouded monitor lizards.

Chris R. Shepherd, Senior Programme Officer for TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia office, said,

"The number of owls and monitor lizards seized is truly staggering...
This is the first time we know of where ‘ready-prepared’ owls have been seized in Malaysia, and it may mark the start of a new trend in wild meat from the region. We will be monitoring developments closely."

They believe the animals were to be sold to wild meat restaurants in China.

IUCN categorizes the Philippine Eagle-owl as threatened and the Pernambuco Pygmy-owl as critically endangered. Other species of owls also face continuing loss of their habitat.

Here is a video of this remarkable animal.


video from: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome would be remiss if she did not include this equally fascinating video about owls.


video from: notebookbabies

Mama gnome now wants to fix her facial discs on illegal loggers and haunters trespassing in her habitat.

Here's the virtually silent, virtually invisible flight of Mama gnome owl......

And after Mama gnome is done she will regurgitate pellets of axes, chainsaws and haunting rifles. BWAHAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, pardon me. Mama gnome got carried away.

Please, help save our forests and owls. Please, go green.

(c)2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Superheroes

Elder gnomelet said to Mama gnome, "Mama, I wish I could fly."

Mama gnome asked,"Like a bird? Or like that plane up there?"

"No, no plane. Just me, just fly."

Mama gnome remembers her gnomelet days when she too wished to fly.

We all have secret aspirations for superpowers: fly, be invisible, have super-human strength. Powers to help us overcome obstacles.

Mama gnome told Daddy gnome, just today, a few hours ago, I said,

"I wish I had superpowers, so I can help fight the wildfires, arson fires. Then I can help save people, the animals and trees."


For weeks, the gnome family observed smoke plumes from the Station Fire.

"The still-burning Station Fire, north of Los Angeles, is the largest and deadliest of these wildfires, having burned more than 154,000 acres (62,300 ha) and killed two firefighters since it began in late August."

"At over 154,000 acres, the Station Fire is the largest wildfire in the modern history of Los Angeles County, passing the 105,000 acre (42,500 ha) Clampitt Fire of September 1970, and the 10th largest in modern California history."

The Station Fire was not some random incidental fire started by Mother Nature.

It was intentionally set and officials are conducting homicide and arson investigations.


Everyday, there are men and women, who may not have superpowers like flying or x-ray vision or invisibility, yet everyday they go out into the world as if they do, in order to save humans and animals, houses and trees.

The Rescue by John Everett Millais

Mama gnome wants to thank all these superheroes: our brave firefighters.

You are all superheroes.



video from: cburd06

Be a superhero and help save our planet.

More than ever, lives and homes need to be rebuilt, forests need to replanted.

Be brave and go out there and go green.

(c)2009 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gnomelets: Eco-warriors in the Making

Today was another hot summer day.

Daddy gnome doesn't like the heat.

Daddy gnome gets grumpy with the heat.


Mama gnome doesn't like the heat.

Mama gnome gets wilty with the heat.


But Mama gnome's spirit stands guard by the air conditioning thermostat.

To change the settings on the thermostat, two keys on opposite sides of the machine must be inserted in synchronicity to input binary codes to lower the temperature, i.e. change house from
heated savanna to cooler artic cove.

And Mama gnome guards the codes and keys with her life. Bwahahaha! Bwahahahaha!

I kid.

Seriously, um, computer savant Mama gnome doesn't know how to change thermostat temperature even if her life depended on it.

But instinctively Mama gnome knows how to push the up arrow on the thingey to make everybody in the house uncomfortable in the summer.

Some days even little gnomelets complain and say, "Mama, it's hot."

Mama gnome says, "Go stand by the fan."

Elder gnomelet says, "I'm still hot."

Younger gnomelet says, "Mama, did you know potatoes don't talk?"

And so Mama gnome turns on the air conditioner.


Fifteen minutes later after apple and yogurt snack, Mama gnome settles in her rocking chair cradling gnomelets on her lap to guess what the MYSTERY ANIMAL OF THE DAY is.

The latest Mystery Animal was the Philippine Eagle.

The nice man in the video narrated how the Philippine Eagle's forests are "rapidly disappearing."

Elder gnomelet asks, "Mama, why are the forests disappearing?"

Mama gnomes says, "Some people cut down trees when they're not supposed to or they burn

the forests down."

Elder gnomelet says, "Hummph!" in disgust.

Youngest gnomelet says, "Mama, maybe bullies cut down trees."

Mama gnomelet says, "You're right, little one. You're right."

Elder gnomelet says, "That's terrible, Mama. They shouldn't do that. You should put that on your blog."

Seriously. She did say that.


Little gnomelets are wise, thus Mama gnome blogs so.


Mama gnome urges everyone to support planting or replanting of trees in our forests.

Give the gift of trees.

Young gnomelets and humans can learn about these issues even as young as my gnomelets who

are three and five in human years.

So they'll grow up to love trees.

Tree hugger today, Eco-warrior tommorrow.



video from: Arbor Day Foundation


GO GREEN.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Got cigarette? Got wildfires, deaths, destruction, toxic oceans and beyond...

Mama gnome sits at her stoop tonight and looks up at the sky.

She tries to look at the stars but has difficulty because of smoky haze coming from onslaught of terrible wild fires now raging in mountains in the distance.

Mama gnome wishes humans and animals in distant mountains are able to flee to safety and stay safe.

But what of their homes? What of their trees? Gone and for what?

Mama gnome is quite upset to learn one of the fires was caused by a smoker who tossed out her cigarette "recklessly."

No, she didn't.

Yes, she did.

The sad thing is this has happened before.

And actually numerous times.

Can you tell me anything good that'll come out of smoking?

U-huh. Exactly.

And what's worse, cigarettes are worse than candy wrappers as far as littering and damaging the environment.

Here's an excellent article that lists all the terrible after affects of people lighting up a cigarette.
They report:

"According to the American Burn Association, about 900 people in the United States die each year in fires started by cigarettes, and about 2,500 are injured. About 100 of the fire deaths each year are children and nonsmokers. Nationally, annual human and property costs of fires caused by careless smoking total about $6 billion. In 1997, there were more than 130,000 cigarette related fires."

This video is short and sweet


video from: Ambassador321



My dear smoking human, I know you care for the environment.


Here's your chance to be a hero.

Seriously. This is it.

Give it up.




video from:galindadagood

Save yourself, save the children and animals. Save the world.

Be a hero and stop smoking.

Go green.


(c) Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog