How can you inspire hope, increase the survival rate of songbirds, help teenagers in the Upper Valley, support local farmers, nurture creativity, and conserve rain forest while having fun? On September 11-13, we offered a weekend of events that did just that, and, well, helped change the world.

Beauty for the Bellbirds kicked-off the weekend to benefit our Bosque para Siempre project. On Friday evening until dark and Saturday morning, we held a sidewalk chalk-drawing extravaganza on the village sidewalks and school playground of Woodstock, Vermont! People of all ages and artistic abilities and talents drew artwork that reflected the importance of conservation for our and future generations, and the magnificence of the environment.  By the end of the event, there were brilliantly colored flowers, birds (including a resplendent quetzal), frogs, dragonflies, trees, peace signs, mountains, skies, energy saving ideas, and more gracing the sidewalks. 

On Saturday evening we held Woodstock 2009 Bonk for the Bellbirds is an evening of musicians with local roots who perform music to celebrate biodiversity. It was a multi-generational and multi-musical-genre concert that included global beats, traditional jazz, original songs, pop and rock, and more to proclaim the vitality and soul of the world. The concert took place at the amphitheater behind the Woodstock Union High School. The setting was perfect, and the music fabulous! Tickets were a minimum of $3.00.

Our annual para la Tierra dinner was held on Sunday evening. Brian Aspell, Executive Chef of the Killington Grand Hotel, and Robert Meyers and Jim Reiman of Three Tomatoes Trattoria, and the Woodstock Inn & Resort hosted the event.  Chefs Brian and Robert prepared a delicious feast to celebrate the biodiversity of our local farms and the rain forest.  For a week afterwards, we received complements on the fine food and fun silent auction, which included incredible trips, hand-crafted jewelry and other items, art, many pieces from Costa Rica, and more! We showed the third edition of our presentation RARE: Research, Action, Results, and the Environment. An exciting addition was the premier presentation of footage done by Vermont filmmakers Anne Macksoud and Nora Jacobson for The Vermont Movie, which featured the Change the World Kids.

The weekend raised $13,667 for habitat purchase and reforestation in Bosque para Siempre!