From Fruit Tree Tours to Orcas Island’s FEAST, Hartzell & Cheevers Bring Hope to Kids

Whitney Hartzell helps students plant a tree as part of the Fruit Tree Tour

“We’re the earth’s immune system kicking in.”

Whitney Hartzell and Owen Cheever returned to Orcas Island earlier this month from their six-week Fruit Tree Tour and have already dived into plans and programs for this summer’s Farming Education Sustainability for Teens (FEAST) program.The pair are natural teachers and leaders who are keen to reach young minds and offer hope in a sustainable future.

During February and March, Owen and Whitney traveled through California on the world’s largest recycled-vegetable oil caravan, with Common Vision’s 7th annual all-volunteer Fruit Tree Tour.

With a group of 20 educators on the caravan buses, (nicknamed Fridgey, Bassi, the Lioness, Bu and Kitchen) they visited a different school each day, in communities such as Compton, East Oakland and Watts. The buses, customized for the purposes of the tour, were customized to include sleeping quarters, a traveling office, kitchen and refrigerator, where 600-1000 trees were kept dormant at 40 degrees until planted,and were regularly misted to keep their roots moist.

Common Vision’s motto is “plant the future” and the Fruit Tree Tour visits began with a green theater performance, in which Owen played a ringleader, complete with handlebar mustache, and Whitney alternated between “manning” a 6-foot long earth worm and portraying “Future Girl.”

The Fruit Tree Tour comes to town, with Owen Cheevers as Ringmaster. Whitney Hartzell brings the six-foot earthworm behind him to life

At the school appearances, the Common Vision volunteers discussed where healthy food comes from with their audience and then involved them in a tangible project where they not only got their immediate hands-on planting experience, but also realized they were contributing to the well-being of future students.

The troubador-educators’ visits ended with an orchard planting on the campus, working with the kids and their teachers to plant an orchard.  As part of the planting, the students painted their wishes for the tree on on a sign. “It’s a very immediate thing, and investing in the future is not a common view now,” says Owen, “But they’re very aware that they are planting for their little brothers and sisters.

“Tour-life is so multi-fauceted — an amazing group of educators, organizers, farmers, permaculturalists, musicians, actors, veggie mechanics, videographers, photographers, artists, all putting their energy towards a common vision for the future.

“The dedication and work that is being put into this project is humbling, and we are excited about bringing such a positive message to kids. Common Vision is an incredible non-profit organization and being on tour has been an inspiring learning experience for both of us.”

The tour took the volunteers to communities they may never experience on their own, and which provided a “diversity of teaching experiences,” said Owen. “For many kids it was their first opportunity to see healthy soil or a healthy tree.

“One kid said, “This is the best day ever!’

“It’s incredibly beneficial for the kids– and for teachers too. It gives them a tool for the curriculum, as they care and maintain, prune, graft and harvest their trees.”

Owen added that the Fruit Tree Tour was “an opportunity that involves so many of my interests:”

• Big buses
• Traveling with Whitney
• Circus performance
• Planting fruit trees
• Teaching, inspiring youth
• Video editing

Owen’s work as a videographer includes his non-profit organization, Awake Train Videos, that is fiscally sponsored by International Humanities – dedicated to creating media for social and environmental change. Seven episodes of “Fruit Tree Videos” made by Owen can be seen on YouTube or at www.commonvision.org under “Fruit Tree Tours.”

As far as inspiring youth, Owen says, “We need to recognize that young people are inheriting this world and are being told it’s melting. It’s very hard to ask them to recognize that and not be presented with solutions at the same time.

“We’re all responsible to provide solutions as we present reality to the world. Common Vision and FEAST are where my heart and passion is.”

Whitney agrees, saying, “Common Vision is incredibly organized with some amazing leaders. As a volunteer, you often hear, either:

‘They couldn’t pay me enough to do this work’

or:

‘I should be paying them to do this work.'”

She adds that the solutions, and the work, have to be fun, and she is ready to jump into directing the FEAST project again as the  Program Director/Coordinator. With a degree in Environmental Sociology and background in teaching positive tangible solutions to ecological challenges — myco-remediation, food preservation, and permaculture design — she brings a passion for reconnecting youth to their sense of place and a sustainable future.

The couple have made several presentations to Orcas students about the FEAST program where dozens of applications have been handed out. FEAST will be at the May 1 Sustainability Fair, and will gear up to start at the end of the school year in June. Meanwhile, Whitney is organizing project and scheduling classes that will meet for 5 hours a day 3 times a week until the end of August.

This is Whitney’s 3^rd year in the project, which was started in 2001 by Christopher Evans through the Funhouse. This year, it’s connected to the school through the Orcas Island Education Fund (OIEF). And it collaborates with Farm-to-Cafeteria, which is geared for elementary and middle-school students.

“The FEAST program highlights the knowledge that exists in the community, and there are so many skilled individuals,” says Whitney. Last year FEAST visited about 10  farms on the island and learned theories and techniques of natural building, solar energy, myco-remediation, black-smithing, wood carving and stormwater runoff.

Students can receive credits through Career and Technical Education (CTE) or elective credits, because of the involvement of Orcas School teacher Kari Schuh. “She’s put in so much time as a volunteer, the program exists because of Kari; the students get credit because of her involvement,” says Owen.The deadline for students to turn in applications is Monday, the 17th of May; although Orcas High School students are asked to turn in their forms to Kari Schuh’s class room by this Friday, April 30.

So many adults have asked to participate in the FEAST classes, that a certain number of spots in each class will be open to them. FEAST is also branching out, seeking sponsorship to become a stand-alone non-profit through private donations and grants. A website at www.FEASTprogram.org is also under construction.For further information, contact whitney.hartzell@gmail.com for the time being.

Whitney would like to add some overnight trips to the program, building on her experience with Outward Bound.

“I’d  love to put more wilderness components in — there’s a disconnect between ‘front-country’ lifestyle and sustainability. For me to reconnect my own life that way and share that with kids — I feel honored to do it.”

“As one of the Common Vision organizers told the kids in Watts, ‘We’re the earth’s immune system kicking in.'”