April 30: Returning from D.C. -

Wow, what a day yesterday was at the People's Climate March in D.C. Check out some stunning photos of the DC march and ones across the country. It was a tremendously moving experience - from the people I met, the smiles, chants and songs that spontaneously erupted throughout the day, the care of fellow marchers - throughout the sweltering (92 humid degrees!), sun-scorched hours up Pennsylvania Ave from the Capitol Building to the White House.  From surrounding and sitting as one around the White House and continuing on to the Washington Monument. I spoke with indomitable leaders like Roberto Borrero of the International Indian Treaty Council, Sachem Hawk Storm of the Schaghticoke People, and Rachel Marco-Havens of the Center for Earth Ethics, and Earth Guardians about why they traveled hundreds of miles to take part in the march. I marched with Amirah, a passionate and gifted organizer with one of our amazing grantee groups, the Boston Food Forest Coalition and activists from the University of NH Student Environmental Action Committee (SEAC) and 350NH.  I even ran into my former colleague Roger from our days at Clean Air - Cool Planet (how does that happen in a crowd of 200,000?).  And I talked to dozens of other committed, unyielding, beautiful people exercising democracy and refusing to be complicit in the actions that undermine the health, safety and equity of our people, places, resources and creatures.  

The march is over but the actions must continue and grow.  As the EPA climate change science pages have been expunged by our current administration and they face unprecedented cuts in staff, our rivers, air, lands, and very health is at stake.  As our government makes moves to open up our oceans and protected lands to fossil fuel drilling, we face devastating environmental, health and cultural degradation.  Food insecurity and inequalities continue and now threaten to worsen. There's much about which to be horrified and despondent.

But the grassroots is where so many of the solutions, inspirations and momentum lie.  We saw this at the D.C. March and the hundreds of other ones that occurred in cities and towns across the country.  We see it in the actions people having been taking for decades in their neighborhoods, places of worship and gathering places.  And we see see it in the Grassroots Fund's grantees and partners.  You only need to open one of the Featured Stories or view the map of grassroots action across the New England region to witness a snippet of this momentum.  Get inspired, get into action - there's no time to waste.  

It's with this absolute commitment to support the grassroots in the long, sustained fights and perseverance ahead, that along with our many events this month, we've launched our CSA² - Community Supported Actions through Contributions, Sharing and Acting.  This is a focused project to build a mutually supportive community of grassroots givers, connectors and do-er's; folks like the 200,000 that marched on the White House on Saturday, demanding action and committed to care of earth and humankind.  People like you.  Imagine what we can achieve together!  Please join us and of course, continue the essential work you're already doing to nourish sustainable, equitable, and healthy communities.