San Lorenzo River Happiness soak….

A Glorious Happiness Good Morning to all you Nature Passion cohorts,

MERGANSER Mama’s chick transport…

To-day I am allowing myself the luxury to enjoy soaking in San Lorenzo River Happiness. So I want to share with you the cause of my exquisite state of heart, soul and mind: to-day my river advocacy is being acknowledged, recognized by the Santa Cruz City Mayor: Sonja Brunner will read the
Mayoral Proclamation Declaring March 22, 2022 as Jane Mio Day
You all have been witness to my San Lorenzo River love! How its habitats, critters and fauna have filled my soul with unique, surprising mysteries. How many people got involved with the Valley Women’s Club Estuary Project and the City’s multi-Departments BEST Project. You know how I traveled a long, windy, river advocacy road. Let there be no doubt that your kind, insightful reader comments made that journey worthwhile.

sign made by one of the BEST members…

My Happiness honor soak is bubbling with good omens: the sun is smiling, the birds are chirping their mating intentions, March is the National Women’s History Month, to-day is the 2nd day in spring, it’s the birthday of my dear friend’s Dad, who enjoyed life whistling his own piper tune and the CLIFF SWALLOWS are starting to arrive. For me this recognition is a tribute to all women who followed their passions to engage their diverse community to build inclusive environment connections for the healthy benefit of all. I also celebrate every single person, who made this Jane Mio Day possible, because this proclamation is a testimony of everybody’s work, support & encouragement. I could fill books with describing why every single kind, dedicated, touching way mattered to me. The truth is that I am fortunate to have so many unique, marvelous people in my river life! Since I found out about the proclamation I have been floating on the long and wide river called “Advocacy Memories”. My heart and soul are filled with wonderful re-surfacing scenes like houseless DST members working together with residents to restore the Estuary habitat, laughing, helping each other out. ~ Teaching young students about birds, their excited sharing of their bird experiences/observations happily sidelined me. ~ Watching little kids take their parents’ shovels and dig determinedly the hole in the hard soil for the native plant. Their little hands hardly reached around the shovel handle, feet, hands caked with dirt, beaming with joy and pride, because they had done it all by themselves: putting ‘their plant’ safely in the ground. And their parents were beaming too, who I had discouraged from helping their child unless they were asked for assistance.

mighty little kids ready to plant…

~ The MERGANSER Mama floating by with her chicks on the back while the Estuary volunteers watch in awed delight. ~ Working for hours in the pouring rain with 60 members of the Watershed AmeriCorps Team, getting drenched down to the bones in spite of heavy rain gear. We couldn’t believe it: the rain stopped right when we finished our work and the sun came out after 5 minutes. We laughed hysterically, ate our late lunch and decided that none of us would never forget this weather joke.
So thank you for reading why I am enjoying a Happiness soak, which I am enjoying to the sun and back! Happy river greetings ~ jane

Interested in watching Mayor Brunner announce the Proclamation at approx. 12:15pm at the 3/22/22 City Council Meeting?
Then use this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/94684401344