From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Sun Sep 13 20:19:55 2020 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2020 15:19:55 -0500 Subject: [OccupyCU] the Disney-fication of Crystal Lake Park Message-ID: *The Disney-fication of Crystal Lake Park ---do we buy it? were we ever asked? * By Philip Douglas Sept. 14, 2020 If you visit their website, you?ll discover that the Urbana Park District has received $8 million dollars from various sources to purportedly improve Crystal Lake Park. These improvements will include a lot of people-friendly amenities including a new boat dock, a playground and family game area. They also intend to ?restore? the lake edge and give people more access to the water, presumably with various man-made structures. But if you?ve taken a walk around the park lately, you?ll see this *construction* involves a lot of preliminary *destruction. *Several of the magnificent trees that adorned the bank have been cut down and many of the creatures that lived on or near the banks have had their homes ruined and habitats erased. For example, pileated woodpeckers, a species rarely found in urban parks, but spotted in CLP by observant birders, have disappeared from the park. More common species such as bluebirds, red-winged blackbirds, wood ducks and nesting owls previously seen in the park are being pushed out by UPD's damaging preparations. Not just birds, but small mammals such as raccoons and muskrats that folks delight in have also begun to decline. The latter are particularly affected by the destruction of the brambles on the banks of the water that they depend on. While citizens of the community should enjoy their park, they need to ask themselves a basic question: At what point does ?improvement? mean turning a natural space into Disneyland, a fabricated, artificial outdoor venue that no longer displays its true ecological identity? We might even wonder what Crystal Lake Park will mean in terms of its identity as an urban park. The neighborhoods surrounding the park are largely made up of black and brown people, many of whom grew up and have spent their whole lives in the surrounding area. Will the Park District invite them to the new, sanitized theme park they have planned? While national and state parks may offer some man-made amenities to their visitors, the guiding philosophy behind them has always been to let nature alone. When city planners of parks dismiss this vision entirely, *parks* cease to have any meaning. The UPD Board should just admit that they want a giant waterpark and playground, not a place for the community to experience nature, especially if there is no nature left. -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Tue Sep 15 22:56:54 2020 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:56:54 -0500 Subject: [OccupyCU] Take a walk w/ us in Crystal Lake Park, w/ commentary Message-ID: Video made by Karen Aram and Penny Hanna [image: image.png] -- https://youtu.be/3gh83AuhXEQ *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 148412 bytes Desc: not available URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Thu Sep 24 21:20:31 2020 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:20:31 -0500 Subject: [OccupyCU] On the eve of the Global Climate Change Strike, we have GLAD news. Message-ID: Dear friend, I hope you are as well as can be. We have good news?those of us who attempted to save the 175 Canada geese in our park in June?and failed to do so?are turning that experience into a new organization: a community non profit we're calling F.O.G. (Friends of Geese!) Its mission is to support and protect the Grand Canada Geese by educating and involving people in the community to learn how?in a hands-on way?to do so. We invite you to celebrate with us, in our ribbon-cutting event, on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2-3pm. Can you attend? It will be both a Zoom event, as well as 'come-in-person-to a safe-and-fun-outdoor-commemoration' at my house at 122 Franklin Street. There will be speeches (here here!) and geese music (hear hear!), the unveiling of a commemorative plaque (huh?) , as well as the introduction of two F.O.G.ers (humans) who have agreed to run for Urbana Park District's Board of Commissioners in March (yipes!). Please save the date. And let us know if you can attend. [image: images.jpg] *In another email we will invite you to sign up for our 'Geese-Herders 101' educational classes in October and November, which will be free and in both hands-on and virtual form. * *We'll be glad to work with a Geese-Herding Kids group for those youngsters who want to interact with, and cherish, wild-life beings. * The wild geese call to us! Glad tidings! Susan Parenti 217-344-1439 -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: images.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8874 bytes Desc: not available URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Mon Sep 28 20:43:22 2020 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2020 15:43:22 -0500 Subject: [OccupyCU] This week in Chicago: Animal Rights Bill of ACtion Message-ID: [image: 0.jpg] -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 0.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 135978 bytes Desc: not available URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Mon Sep 28 21:32:39 2020 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2020 16:32:39 -0500 Subject: [OccupyCU] Tuesday, Sept. 29, 7-8pm Central: Strategies to Present Goose Massacres Message-ID: -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: noname.odt Type: application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text Size: 29727 bytes Desc: not available URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Mon Sep 28 21:51:42 2020 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2020 16:51:42 -0500 Subject: [OccupyCU] When Agitators Become Educators: Celebrate 'Friends of Geese', this Sat, . 2-3pm Message-ID: Dear friends---I hope you are super duper. We have good news?those of us who attempted to save the 175 Canada geese in our park in June?and failed to do so?are turning that experience into a new organization: a community non profit we're calling F.O.G. (Friends of Geese!) Its mission is to support and protect the Grand Canada Geese by educating and involving people in the community to learn how?in a hands-on- way?to do so. We invite you to celebrate with us, in our ribbon-cutting event, on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2-3pm. Can you attend? It will be both a Zoom event, as well as 'come-in-person-to a safe-and-fun-outdoor-commemoration' at my house at 122 Franklin Street. There will be speeches (here here!) and geese music (hear hear!),and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque (huh?) / Please save the date! Let us know if you can attend. [image: image.png] *In another email we will invite you to sign up for our 'Geese-Herders 101' educational classes in October and November, which will be free and in both hands-on and virtual form. * The wild geese call to us! Glad tidings! Please spread the word. Susan Parenti 217-344-1439 *Educational Coordinator* -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 148412 bytes Desc: not available URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Tue Sep 29 20:45:42 2020 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2020 15:45:42 -0500 Subject: [OccupyCU] Can we stop the massacre of Canada Geese? Or is it hopeless? Tonight, 7-8pm, free, just register! Message-ID: -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: noname.odt Type: application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text Size: 29727 bytes Desc: not available URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Wed Sep 30 21:55:28 2020 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2020 16:55:28 -0500 Subject: [OccupyCU] Are We Silly Geese to Care About the Geese? Message-ID: [image: IMG_2516.JPG] We have good news?those of us who attempted to save the 175 Canada geese in our park in June?and failed to do so?are turning that experience into a new organization: a community non profit we're calling F.O.G. (Friends of Geese!) Its mission is to support and protect the Grand Canada Geese by educating and involving people in the community to learn how?in a hands-on- way?to do so. That means YOU! We invite you to celebrate with us in our ribbon-cutting event on *Saturday, Oct. 3, 2-3pm.* You can celebrate with us via Zoom, OR else physically be present in- a safe-and-fun-outdoor-commemoration at our *School for Designing a *Society *at 122 Franklin Street, Urbana. T*here will be speeches (here here!) and geese music (hear hear!),and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in honor of the Crystal Lake Park geese (wow!) Write us if you would like the ZOOM link. We will send it the day of. susanroseparenti at gmail.com Or come by (with mask and social distancing) at 2pm at 122 Franklin Street in Urbana! Warmly The Sooz -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: IMG_2516.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 2704418 bytes Desc: not available URL: