If you need a laugh and want to learn a little something - look no further!

Farm Rise Up is a production from Chris Emme - and an AMAZING creation at that. He has been working hard on his Independent Study Project, keeping up with his blog Eating with Intention (http://eatingwithintention.blogspot.com/) as he investigates the different facets of our food production and consumption. Watch, learn, and enjoy!

An entry on the inspiring Make a Difference Summit held on Wednesday, May 25th at KCTS studios in Seattle is in the works! Stay tuned!

Get to Know a Grad!

Name: Lin-Z 'Z' Maglietta

Hometown: Roselle Park, NJ

Undergraduate University/Degree: RS Stockton College of NJ (Major: Biology; Environmental Science

What brought you to IslandWood? The want to teach children, specifically inner-city kids about properties of the environment.

What is your favorite thing about IslandWood so far? Islandwood as an organization: the misson. Islandwood as a place: the fallen tree near the bird blind.

What is your favorite thing about Bainbridge Island/Seattle/The Puget Sound so far? The mentality of the people, the fact that the majority want to conserve nature, and how breath taking everything is.

Who would you want to play you in the movie version of your life? Sarah Silverman

Quick! Someone gave you 100 bagazillion dollars! What do you do with it?
A. Put 1/4 of it in the bank (for interest)
B. Pay off those pesky loans...and my older sisters loans
   B2: Get to pay for the rest of my master's degree without loans!
C. Find some charities in need of some $$ (that go towards education, community, and the environment)
D. Set up my "retirement plan"
E. Convert my boyfriend's bus to biodiesel
F. Give some to my family members that I KNOW would really appreciate the cushion
G. Buy my mom a neon light palm tree
H. Buy a plane and convert it to biodiesel.
I. Buy a Mac... hahaha.

And yes, I thought of all these things super quick.

Who do you most admire and why? I most admire my mother for her strength, perseverance, and quick wit.

What do you think you might do after IslandWood?
Get some jobs to pay off my loans, but ideally create my own non profit with my boyfriend and travel the world working with other non profit organizations.

Final thoughts?
    We are the music makers,
    And we are the dreamers of dreams,
    Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
    And sitting by desolate streams;-
    World-losers and world-forsakers,
    On whom the pale moon gleams:
    Yet we are the movers and shakers
    Of the world for ever, it seems.

Mama said don't play with your food!

IW 2011 grads and friends with their culinary creations!

When it's food art, it's perfectly okay to play, play, play! Michiko Olson came to IslandWood as an Artist in Residence and taught a handful of field groups throughout the week. Grads and interns (and a hubby too!) joined Michiko for a professional development session that was just too much fun!

True or false? You've got a 50/50 chance here!

The session began with a "true or false" game on some history about Japan. We held up plates adorning the Japanese character for "true" or "false" and proceeded to learn some fun facts. 

Michiko engages her learners with some visuals

Looks like the real thing!

We all chose a word that we were fond of, and Michiko drew the Japanese character for us to copy onto our papers using calligraphy. She even translated our names for us, and provided stamps to decorate our mini posters. 

The Japanese tea ceremony corner!

We even engaged in another aspect of Japanese culture with a traditional tea ceremony. We were given belts and swords for effect and fun!

Working on our masterpieces!

It wasn't long before we began working (quite obsessively) on our food art. Michiko had an incredible set-up with colorful edibles cut in various ways to help ease us into such an intricate process! We had so much fun arranging, wrapping, stamping, munching, and testing out a variety of creative processes before sitting down to eat!

Michiko's adorable chicks!

Ian surprises himself!

Kathie is all smiles as she works with such an amazing medium!

Food art, calligraphy combo!

Priya's work! Yum!

My springtime bouquet!

Bonnie went for the cutest display ever :)  (bunnies!)

Z takes food art to a whole new level! 

I want to hang out in JP's creation! So cool!

Kathie and her lovely design!

Although our food art was demolished in a couple of bites, we took home a whole new appreciation for the simple, yet extraordinary elegance of Japanese art. Stay tuned for Bonnie's recount of yet another amazing Artist in Residence who tapped into our songwriting talents and musical creativity! Thanks Michiko!