Excited to share with you my new E book  – Orange Moon – Grandmother Tree

BRINGING THE MAGIC OF CHILDREN AND NATURE TOGETHER

BUY E-BOOK NOW ONLY $4.99 Full colour illustrated childrens book with nature crafts (37 pages)

Reviews:

“Marghanita Hughes has given us a small treasure trove of wisdom, magic and practicality within the colourful pages of “Orange Moon ~ Grandmother Tree”. Whether a child, parent, or simply forever young-at-heart, you cannot help but be captivated by the delightful “Orange Moon” as she steps barefoot into another day of adventure in nature. Within the words and behind Marghanita’s glorious drawings and photographs, there lies tender heart-filled messages for the children whose hands will be holding this book. As well, there is also a delicious array of nature activities that not only teach, but will absolutely inspire all those who try them ~ young and old. Marghanita’s passion to bring the magic of nature and children together has more then succeeded with this charming and motivating little book.” -Wendalynn Jones

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Rich hues of orange-red with a hint of umber contrast with brilliant wildflowers of summer, to set the stage for a vibrant story that warmed my heart and imagination!
Gently Orange Moon models how to open our hearts warmly with love to discover more about nature, our relationships and our selves.

I noticed myself pausing to gaze at the beautiful pictures. As I reflected, they reminded me of my own childhood innocence spent in natural spaces relaxing and playing during timeless days.

I realized the power of these beautiful pictures can invite a young child also to pause and gaze at the nature surrounding Orange Moon. The pictures can invite the readers to talk and warmly open our own hearts to share just like Orange Moon.

This story eloquently expresses the healing potential of seeking out nature and noticing how infinitely connected we all are to each other and everything on our world.

This book is a treasure, a keeper, and one that will enrich a very young child as a picture book and last right through the school age years!

The story can enrich our adult lives too, as Orange Moon encourages all of us to open our hearts, to notice the beauty and healing potential within nature! There is a lifetime of wisdom to discover within this story, to grow with your child and within us adults too.

Read full review from Sherry Robinson @ NOTICE QUIET NATURE

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Within the pages of the newest book by Marghanita Hughes, “Orange Moon and The Grandmother Tree,” you will find a wonderful and touching story, accompanied by gorgeous illustrations and artistry. The words in the book almost dance off the page, creating beautiful images in the minds of the reader. The book also comes with an important lesson from a child to an adult, as Ellouise warms the heart of a stranger she meets.  As a Kindergarten teacher I am constantly reminded by my students that they have many amazing lessons to teach me, and this book demonstrates that point.  Our youngest members of society are often the most overlooked, however they are the ones with the greatest lessons of all. This book stirred up childhood memories of my own, of how I, like Orange Moon, loved nothing more than to be free in the outdoors without a care in the world. This story would be perfect for any parent, educator, or nature lover and is complete with wonderful ideas to help incorporate a love and passion for nature into your world through art, craft, and nature ideas. As a teacher who fills her students’ days with opportunities to explore and love nature and the outdoors, I would love to share the journey and magic of Orange Moon with my students. Thank you for another great book and for continuing to share your love for nature and the outdoors with children and adults around the world!  -Lindsay Seto, Kindergarten Teacher, Aspenwood Elementary

LOVE CONQUERS ALL

I cannot express the excitement I feel inside when I think of all the beautiful people in the world sharing their love and compassion. Love makes the world a beautiful place. Orange Moon has been and continues to be a powerful and joy-filled journey in the making. My hope is that Orange Moon will warm your heart and inspire you to head outdoors and dance amongst the flowers.

Teaching our children about compassion is one of the most important things we can do for them and the future of humanity - Dalai Lama

GET YOUR COPY HERE ONLY $4.99

CLICK HERE to purchase an ORANGE MOON illustration.     www.orangemoontribe.com

8.5″ x 11″ Illustrated Prints $9.99 Beautiful illustration by Marghanita Hughes from the heart-warming picture book ” Orange Moon – Grandmother Tree” (Postage $2.99) Please allow 10 days for delivery, thank you.

THANK YOU to all who are sharing this beautiful journey and a special thank you to my wonderful editor, Michel Martin.

Each and every one of you makes heart sing and my spirit dance. We are one. Wishing you a magical week full of awe and wonder. All my love, Marghanita x

Why I felt compelled to start up this organization: Like so many, I have been connecting children with nature for most of my adult life but it wasn’t until several months ago that it really hit me how catastrophic the disconnection between children and nature had become and the consequences it has brought about. My heart sank when I read that children spend 90% of their time INDOORS. As a mother and a naturalist this disturbed me deeply. I belief that we can change, the time is right, to reverse the time children spend indoors.

Watch the video:

Let’s Go Outside Revolution

The Let’s Go Outside Revolution is about growing a generation of Happy Healthy Children by changing the way children spend their time. It’s a movement for you, your family and your community. If you care about your children and their future and the planets future, take this revolution and make it your own.

Join the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution on Facebook: LETS GO OUTSIDE REVOLUTION

It is time to ask children what they want!

By making small changes-magical things happen!

Dear Ms. Hughes:

“Congratulations.  This is the kind of initiative that should be occurring across Canada.  I support the Young Naturalists and Boy Scouts for the same reason.  I tell the story that when I was growing up in the 1950’s, six of us lived in a house of less than 1000 sq. ft. and my parents were always telling me to go outside and play.  Now we do the opposite”.

Go for it.

David Suzuki

The Let’s Go Outside Revolution is a non-profit organization run by a group of enthusiastic parents, teachers and individuals who believe that the time has come… for change.

Our Goals:

• To produce a DVD full of fun, educational activities inspiring children and their parents, teachers and their pupils to head outdoors to help you connect your children with nature.

• To provide an online and offline resource of information on how to actively engage children in the outdoors. A resource for parents, children and educators.

• Using the Okanagan (and Vancouver) as the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution blueprint for other Provinces to follow.

Our mission:

To actively engage children with nature and reverse the time they spend indoors.

• Children spend 90% of their time INDOORS.
• Childhood OBESITY is an EPIDEMIC
• Children aged 8-18yrs spend more than 7 hours a day in front of a screen.
• 1 in 3 children in Canada are either obese or overweight. ADHD and other stress-related illnesses are at an all time high.

THIS IS PREVENTABLE!

Join the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution on Facebook: LETS GO OUTSIDE REVOLUTION

We are currently building a network of educators, parents, politicians and organizations who have the same passion for getting kids outdoors. We believe if we inspire a love for nature in a child, it will lead to a desire to protect it.

• We are hoping to produce a 1000 DVDs full of fun, educational activities and resources – the ABCs of actively engaging children with nature.

• To inspire 30,000 Canadian children to participate in the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution: we wish to inspire children and their parents and teachers and their students, to head outdoors and discover the magic of the natural world.

• The DVDs will be filmed in the beautiful wilderness of British Columbia which is one of the most biologically diverse provinces in Canada. The DVDs and accompanying worksheets will be distributed free of charge to every school throughout BC. Local children will then benefit from hands-on community-based projects.

Here are just a few of the exciting activities that will feature in the DVD.

*     How to create your very own organic, sustainable vegetable garden and herb pots.
*     Discover some of British Columbia’s awesome Wildlife
*     How to encourage birds and wildlife to your own backyard
*     Learn by embracing wisdom from diverse cultures eg: First Nations (Example: construct tepee for play)
*     Environmentally friendly nature based arts and crafts
*     Learn poetry under the trees.
*     Draw in the orchard.
*     Visits to farms …discover where eggs come from and honey comes from.
*     Interviews with park and forest rangers, conservationists, butterfly experts.
*     How to organize trail walks, how to encourage bird-watching, rock-hunting, star-gazing, night walks & cycling.

Local children, schools, families, politicians and businesses will have their input into the video series.

I am a proud member of the children and nature network . This fabulous organization will be celebrating their  “Let’s Go” campaign in April. Let’s G.O.! is a youth-inspired, youth-led Children & Nature Network initiative to rally people of all ages to Play, Serve and Celebrate.  Our “Lets Go Outside” Revolution launch party is one of the events taking place for this wonderful campaign. (The Let’s Go Outside Revolution Beach Party is on 15th April).

The Let’s Go outside Revolution website launches 18th May. www.letsgooutsiderevolution.com

Check out our first Revolution get together: LETS GO OUTSIDE REVOLUTION – Bertram Park April 15th

Thank you for your support. THIS IS YOUR REVOLUTION!!! Working Together for a better future!

When Samuel enters the forest, something magical happens…

He finds a stick and he’s off…

…into his own little world.

Pure joy to watch.

Nature is leaving a lasting impression on my wee boy.

We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Sierra Club BC.

One of our main goals as a company has always been to try and make an impact in what we do. To that end we are delighted to be partnering with Sierra Club BC where we will donate 25% of any purchase made by members of the club. We hope that in some small way we can make a difference in helping conserve some of the worlds most precious areas.

The Sierra Club is carrying out important conservation work in places such as the Great Bear Rainforest and the Flathead River Valley, one of the most diverse and ecologically intact natural ecosystems in the temperate zones of the world.

With your help we give the Sierra Club that extra bit of support they so rightly deserve.

It was our move from Scotland to BC almost 5 years ago that impacted on where we are today. It was  BC’s wilderness and beauty that inspired me to write about my Nature Warriors – “The Little Humbugs”.

ENGAGING CHILDREN

Engaging children with nature at an early age is crucial for their health and well being. Enormous benefits will come from creating a generation of children eager to help conserve our natural heritage.

In order for children to help look after our Natural World, they first need to experience it’s MAGIC………

THE LITTLE HUMBUGS – The Humbugs live their lives not dissimilar to how we all used to live, respecting and living in harmony with Mother Earth.

The Little Humbugs are based on an award winning book series that involves children on a quest to protect our Natural World.

Giving back for the future of our children and the planet.

As a mother of 3, I have always had two major concerns: children are spending far less time playing outdoors than ever before; the Natural Environment around us is constantly being plundered and despoiled. As a child, I reveled in the magic of Mother Nature. As a parent, I feel driven to protect it.

I want my children and the generations that follow to inherit the same privileges that I once enjoyed.

CONSERVATION

In order to preserve what is left of our Natural World, we need to conserve it.

25% of SALES GO BACK TO THE SIERRA CLUB

For every Little Humbugs purchase made by a BC Sierra Club member, we will donate 25% of the purchase to the Sierra Club BC.

We are a small family run business passionate about nature and the well being of the planet and want to give back. We felt The Sierra Club of BC, Canada would be a perfect partnership  – they work on issues ranging from climate change and energy to toxic chemical contamination and loss of biological diversity.

The Sierra Club - Grassroots defenders of Canada’s environment since 1963.

• Delivering Sierra Club BC’s award-winning Environmental Education Programs across BC to 7,000 students, fostering children’s appreciation and love of nature, and inspiring a new generation of environmental stewards:

• Protecting 5 million acres of the Great Bear Rainforest from logging and implanting lighter touch logging in the remainder of the this unique natural area, thus saving the home of the unique Kermode Spirit Bear; and

• Drawing international attention to the endangered Flathead River Valley in South Eastern BC – “One of the most diverse and ecologically intact natural ecosystems in the temperate zones of the world,”(National Geographic.) Thanks to Sierra Club BC, delegates from the United Nations World Heritage Commission visited the area in September to investigate potential destructive mining proposals in the Flathead.

• Sierra Club BC -  Celebrating 40 years of passionate commitment to protecting BC’s wild spaces & species.   Help us celebrate at our Sierra Club BC Foundation Annual Dinner on November 5th. Sierra Club BC Annual Dinner

To find out more about the Sierra Club, visit: http://www.sierraclub.bc.ca/

The Little Humbug Products

The Little Humbugs were created to tell a compelling story on how we need to care for the environment and to live in harmony with the Natural World. Through engaging characters, the power of words and images and interactive play, our goal is to inspire and empower children to get outdoors, explore and create change.

The storybooks immerse the reader into the world of the Little Humbugs and reveals to the young child just how important it is to look after the natural world they inhabit and that they have an important role to play in caring for it too.

The storybook characters (dolls) encourage interactive play, helping to stimulate a child’s curiosity of the natural world around them, creating a bond and lasting affinity with their surrounding environment and natural world through the Little Humbugs.

Winner of the Canadian Toy Testing Council 3 Star Award (highest rated)

• Eco friendly Chapter books and Picture books
• Educational Dolls
• All Natural Lotions and Potions
• Fair Trade Felt Bead Kits
• Natural Gemstones
• All Natural Sleepover Kits

BUY NOW

Guest Post by Kate Blanche

Kate Blanche is first and foremost a mother of four young children. She runs an Organic farm with her husband Michael, and her own fledgling business making custom-blended, luxury Organic skin-care, for private clients.
Kate is a qualified Primary Teacher, with an Honours degree in Physical Education and Outdoor Recreation.

I have been living in Fear for these past few weeks.

Paired Hide and Seek

Yes, I’ve been chasing my kids out into the Great Outdoors. I’m a great believer in that.  I have been known to pull the plugs on the vast amounts of gadgetry they have managed to acquire  (through my own stupidity). I am forever wailing to them the immortal lines: “ No, you can’t come back in and play on the Xbox! It’s a beautiful day outside; exercise and fresh air will do you good! What do you mean you’re ‘bored’?”

We are so lucky to live in a house on a farm, with it’s own  small, private wood, right on our doorstep. Next door is half a mile away and you never see a stranger on our land. Our Dogs that accompany our kids would let us know about that immediately!  They are sensible kids too; they look out for each other. I know they are safe from “stranger danger”. They don’t go very far  anyway; they are too busy trying to claw the door down at the first sign of a rain cloud!  This  Scottish Summer , that has meant almost every 10 minutes. This is not because they have an aversion to getting wet, just that the older ones are wily negotiators; they believe they have a case it goes something like this:

Rain cloud= rain= wet.
Therefore, Wet + Wind =  Wet,Cold Child= possibility of chill.
Chill possibility + swine flu alert  =  Susceptibility to  Swine Flu.
Fear of Swine Flu + soft mother= Mother’s Potential Guilt
Fear of guilt + Deadlines + soft, harassed mother =  Warm glow of Xbox/ T.V.

Well, the answer is obvious-  it’s not the weather that’s the problem, it’s the clothing. Much to their annoyance, my youngest  always betrays the others by insisting that it’s not cold and just to  prove it,  she prefers to strip down to nothing instead of adding waterproofs!  She does however, like to keep her wellies on for filling them with water purposes ! Her siblings who are then nagged into being appropriately suited and booted, always adjourn to their latest den in the wood, to discuss how they will next present their case.

Watch Dog

We live in a risk averse society, but that’s a whole other blog! No, I haven’t been  living in fear because  I perceive the Outdoors to be a hot spot for perverts and life threatening injuries, a place where they will pick up soil and die of Toxoplasmosis, somewhere, where my little angels should fear to tread.  I have been living in Fear because I might be in danger of becoming a HYPOCRITE.
The questions you should be asking me is “Where were you when your kids were gathering raspberries for the feast they held, in the shelter they built ? Did you frolic in the sunshine or stomp in the puddles? What was your part?”

The truth is this: Recently I have taken on too much. I was getting on with “other things inside”, things that needed “getting on with”..Things that “couldn’t wait” but, with hindsight perhaps should have been left till nightfall, or for a wet, miserable day. No sunshine for me; I have been basking in the bright light of my 17 inch computer screen. TIME TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT MYSELF.  Time to get away. Just me, the Husband, the kids and the great out doors!
In the meantime, I have this great book…. it tells you how to make shelters, track animals, forage and build the perfect fire …I hand it to my eldest  son Seamas; he’s a scout you know! The others huddle around him.

“Right,” he says “ Mum says if we find the perfect spot for a fire, build it, and start on the shelter on page nine, she’ll be down with the sausages, Marshmallows and  matches to light it.  Keres! get your clothes back on; you don’t want to get stung by nettles!”

The sausages that went wrong

One hour later they are proudly giving me a tour of their chosen spot- it’s perfect! They’ve even erected a temporary shelter. Through a mouthful of Marshmallow, Calum explains that they that couldn’t be bothered with the instructions. Besides,  their creation is better than the one in the book!
The heat of the open fire we gather around is NOTHING in comparison to the intense glow of pride on my face.

I’m eating the SNAIL next!