April is Water Awareness Month in Sedona

A time for education, action & celebration

This event is just one of the many events taking place throughout the entire month of April 2009 to celebrate Water Awareness Month in Sedona.

SEDONA, AZ – March 30, 2009 - As Spring greens the hills around the Verde Valley, the people of Sedona, and now all of Arizona, engage in Water Awareness Month. For the past six years, April has been full of activities focused on education, action and celebration of the most precious of natural resources. The Sedona WaterWise Alliance will offer a great roundup of events.

“The people of Sedona and the entire Verde Valley are taking water conservation seriously,” said Jawn McKinley, chair of the Sedona WaterWise Alliance. “This year, we’re coupling what we’ve learned so far with something very important – growing our own food here locally. It’s why people first came to the waters of the Verde Valley. It’s time we got back to our roots and begin enjoying the fruits of our labors.”

The month starts off on April 2 with “Local Foods of Arizona” hosted at New Frontiers and featuring the Gardens for Humanity. Diane Dearmore, director, is leading what she’s calling an “Agricultural Renaissance” in the area. It’s an effort to engage local farmers and communities in a revitalization of native foods, and New Frontiers supports it wholeheartedly.
Friday, April 3, are two fun events. First, from 4pm to 5pm, there will be a free Poet’s Corner at the Sedona Arts Center in Uptown as part of the First Friday arts event. It’s titled, “Water Musing & Muses.”

Later that evening, stop by the Creative Live Center on Schnebly Hill Road at 7pm to see “Water – Part II.” It’s the sequel to the award-winning documentary about the metaphysical properties of water. Experts expound upon unexpected and challenging assumptions from many years of research that open humankind to new horizons, such as the applications of structured water in agriculture, or the use of water in treatment for the most serious diseases and more. The screening is free, but donations to cover some costs will be appreciated.

Saturday, April 4, is the annual Native Plant Workshop hosted by Keep Sedona Beautiful. Come up to Sedona Red Rock High School first thing in the morning and spend the day with the experts learning about local plants, gardening secrets, rainwater harvesting and more. It’s just $10 for KSB members and $15 non-members.

On Friday, April 10 beginning at 6pm, there’s storytelling at the Well Red Coyote Bookstore in West Sedona. This session is “Gifts from the Earth,” and will feature local creative minds sharing their passion and memories of water and growing gardens.

Saturday, April 11 at 6:30 pm, people will engage in the business of connecting our water resources with local foods in the forum, “Conserve Water – Grow Food,” at the Sedona Public Library. The event will be hosted by Sustainable Arizona. There will be presenters and exhibits on growing food in dry lands, starting local farmers’ markets, growing wines, community-supported agriculture and water preservation efforts. There will be lots of natural Arizona foods to sample, and it’s free, but seating is limited to the first 100 at the door.

“Just about everywhere we go, people ask us about starting community gardens and growing our food locally,” explained Ms McKinley. “We’re lucky to have great resources here to help us learn what to do. We’re also grateful to the Sedona Community Foundation and Pink Jeeps for their support so that we can offer these great events free to everyone in our communities.”

On April 16 at 6:30 pm, there will be a free screening of the award-winning film, FLOW, at the Sedona Public Library. This well-crafted documentary shows the impacts of corporate control of our water resources. Once you learn what’s happening to our water for the profits of the few, you’ll never want to buy another bottle of water again.

From April 17 through 25, the annual Verde River Days will take place along the Verde River featuring float trips, hikes, forums and action events to help preserve our threatened river. Watch the paper and the web for more information.

Each April, everyone celebrates Earth Day, that wonderful event that began on April 22, 1970 when people all over the world came together to demonstrate for the Earth. This year, the City of Sedona is hosting its new annual event on Saturday, April 18 from 9 am – 1 pm at the Posse Grounds Park in West Sedona. Come bring your family and a picnic and see the booths, exhibits and hear the music. It’s free.

If you can’t make the Sedona event, stop by Yavapai College in Clarkdale at 10am for a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. It’s called “Water – Who Owns It & Where Does It Go?” It will feature Senator Tom O’Halleran, Mayor Dick Ellis, representatives from SRP and others in a dynamic discussion on this important topic. It too is free to all.
That evening, Sustainable Arizona is hosting another important forum and mini-expo at the Sedona Public Library, “Climate Change/Energy/Water – Our Future.” The guest speaker will be Shaun McKinnon, the Arizona Republic reporter on climate, energy and water issues. The room will be full of exhibits on renewable energy, solar, electric vehicles and conservation systems. The event is free and begins at 6:30 pm.

“This is an incredibly timely topic. There is real concern about the impacts of climate change on our water resources, and growing interest in solar and other renewable energy options,” said John Neville, president of Sustainable Arizona. “There is also a lot of confusion about what is the right thing to do during this time of economic uncertainty. This forum will bring together the experts to help people make the right decisions for their families and their businesses.”

Sunday, April 19, will feature free two events to choose. At 3 pm, the local chapter of the Sierra Club will host “The Water Sentinels” at the Sedona Community Center, 2615 Melody Lane. There will be films and discussion about preserving Oak Creek and our watershed.

At the same time, “Circle of Our Mother Earth” will be held at the Verde Valley Presbyterian Church in Cottonwood at 3 pm. Cynthia Stromm and friends will present songs, dance and poetry celebrating water and other gifts from the Earth. Donations will provide micro-loans to poor women in Sonora, Mexico.

April 22 is the true anniversary of Earth Day, and New Frontiers will mark that day with a celebration at their West Sedona location from noon to 6 pm. Come visit with friends and sample organic foods, listen to music, see demos of green cleaning products and more.

The second largest segment of the tourism industry in Arizona is birding, and that becomes obvious each year when birders from around the world come to the Verde Valley. The Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival will run from April 23 through 26 with a myriad of events for the avid birder. Come down to Dead Horse State Park in Cottonwood to see birds and have a lot of family fun. For more information, visit their website at www.birdyverde.org.

Finally, Water Awareness Month 2009 will close with a fantastic event at 5 pm on Sunday, April 26. “Water to Wine” will be held at the wonderful Old Town Center for the Arts in Cottonwood. Just $12 will bring you an evening of superb Verde Valley Wines, samples of local foods and music from William Eaton and Friends. You can call (928) 634-0940 for more information.

These events are being staged through the Sedona WaterWise Alliance, a collaboration of organizations: Sedona Women, Sustainable Arizona, Keep Sedona Beautiful, Sedona Public Library, the Verde Valley Wine Consortium, Center for Biological Diversity, Sedona Schools, Verde Valley Birding, League of Women Voters, Arizona Water Company, Gardens for Humanity, New Frontiers, Bashas, Sedona Recycles, Verde Earthworks, City of Sedona and others with financial support from the Sedona Community Foundation.

For more information, visit www.SustainableArizona.org.