Although we were a small group, we had a very meaningful impact with our Radical Joy event. We selected an area of the park that worked for all our members and cleaned up the garbage in the area (apparently the ease of access also means it’s a good smoking spot as there were lots of cigarette butts). Once the location was clean and cleared from non-biodegradable garbage, a group meditation event was held. Experiencing this place through all the senses the body has to offer while trying to find peace and joy was a truly remarkable experience and our entire group felt the power of this experience. After the meditation our group walked through the park noticing the life and vibrancy of this beautiful little creek (we had to stop and watch the brightest red dragonflies we have ever seen flying around eating mosquitoes). Then we finished by making our bird art piece out of sticks we found on our walk. Our youngest member is quite the stick collector. All in all this was a great event that the entire group enjoyed. I believe that everyone gets caught up in the hustle and bustle of city life and the stresses that come with it.  Taking even a few hours out of our lives to give back to nature and enjoy it is worth more than people realize.

Japhet Creek has been used as a dumping grounds for years before the wonderful volunteers and environmental organizations stepped in to help restore this beautiful creek to a new version of glory. While she is still damaged there is now so much beauty in this place, and it holds a special place in many of our hearts as a nature escape only minutes outside of town. The act of beauty came mostly from removing garbage…and therefore couldn’t be used to create the art piece. Instead we gathered some sticks from nearby and put together what I can only assume is a cat-owl (we are better environmentalists than artists apparently :) ).