RIPE AREA Program schedule, Sept 21, 2025

WELCOME & MORNING BLESSING     10:15 AM
ARC’s Elena DeLacy + Kimberly ShiningStar Petree
Mignon Geli + Phillip Moore, Indigenous Music

AUTHOR TALK      10:30 AM

“From Butterflies to Bears: Oaks as Nature’s Most Generous      

Trees”, Kate Marianchild, Author, Secrets of the Oak Woodlands

NATIVE STORYTELLER       11:00 AM
Traditional Stories and Relationships with Plants
Kimberly ShiningStar Petree, “Tumelay Nisenan Miwok”

THE BOTANIST: A PLANT-BASED SONG CYCLE      11:30 AM

Original Musical + Dance Performance by Myrtle Tree Arts

Music by Paul Godwin, Libretto by Ameera Godwin

Anni McCann, above left, plays the role of the Botanist

Additional Artists in The Botanist include: 

Caitlyn Miller, Vocals

Melinda Velasco, Vocals

Elena DeLacy, Vocals

Rebecca Wilson, Dance

Chris Sircello, Dance

Paul Godwin, Composer + Vocals

Ameera Godwin, Writer + Narrator

Dustin Koupal, Lead Musician

Alex Porte, Musician 

Miguel Noya, Additional Music

Teresa Shea, Costumes

Hither & Yon Music

STORYTIME        12:15 PM

Nathan Kuan Salazar-Uhlmeyer, Inspired by Cultural Lineage

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE     12:40 PM

Melinda Velasco + Guests, Spanish-language Songs

AUTHOR TALK       1:00 PM

Jessica Carew Kraft, Author, Why We Need To Be Wild

TRADITIONAL DANCE PERFORMANCE      1:30 PM

Quetzalcoatl Ocelotl, Aztec Dance

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES     2:00 PM

Mignon Geli + Phillip Moore, Traditional Music

Grayson Howard, Solo Guitar        

Melinda Velasco, Songs in Spanish

Hither + Yon      

• Making Inks Using Acorns & Oak Galls:  Andie Thrams
• Native Foods & Indigenous Holistic Living w/ the Land: Sara Raskie + Tony Cervantes
• Collaborative Sculpture In  Nature: Jessica Carew Kraft
• Learning About Tule: Making Tule Dolls + Other Uses: Christina Almendariz
• Native + Natural: A Collaborative Community Watercolor Painting Using Plant, Mineral Pigments and Essential Oils: Stan Padilla
• A Personal Rewilding Journey Using Materials from Nature: Chuck Kritzon
• Cattail Cordage + Jewelry Making: Nathan Kuan Salazar-Uhlmeyer

WELCOME BOOTH: Information Central

• Program Guides, Lunch Tickets, Workshop Sign-ups: Rina Wakefield

ART & NATURE DEMONSTRATIONS & HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

• Acorn Processing w/ Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Environmental + Language Dept.
• Spirit of Plants: Painting w/ Plant, Mineral Pigments + Essential Oils, w/ Stan Padilla
• Gifts of the Natural World, w/ Chuck Kritzon
• Wildcrafting Natural Inks Using Oak Galls + Acorns w/ Andie Thrams
• Weaving w/ Tule w/ Christina Almendariz, Cultural Practitioner
• Mural Painting Through the Imagination w/ Corina del Carmel
• What Poets Say About Nature w/ Lara Gularte, Poet Laureate Emeritus
• Oak Woodland Learnings w/ Kate Marianchild, Author, Secrets of the Oak Woodlands
• Native Foods & Indigenous Perspectives w/ Sara Raskie + Tony Cervantes
• Cattails + Friends w/ Nathan Kuan Salazar-Uhlmeyer
• Using Plants Sustainably, Mia Andler, Author, Sierra Forager
• Native Plants & Printmaking, Susan Hayne
• Medicinal Plant Remedies & Conscientious Harvesting w/ Anne Morton
• Kids Art Zone: Painting + Pollinators w/ Roxanne Meagher
• Plein Air Painting At the Lake Using Oils w/ David Yapp (10:30am -1:00pm | 2:00-3:30pm)

PLANTS & ECOLOGY ZONES

• Plants Sale + Native Plants Talks, Native Plants Society El Dorado Chapter
• Bird Shrub Islands & Oak Restoration, Cathy Mueller, Stewardship Manager, ARC
• Mushrooms: Beauty and Function in Our World w/ Elizabeth Standeven
• Bees + Pollinators, Talk + Tour, Angela Laws, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
• Eco Kids Zone, ARC Environmental Education Team

PLANT SOUNDS, Native Plants Garden

• Sound Lab by Zack Dowell, Composer/Maker, Folsom Lake College Innovation Lab
• Sound Garden by Paul Godwin, Composer; Michael Lanier, Music Programmer; Ameera Godwin, Sound Sculptures; Andrew Hibbin, “Just Passing Through” Lych Gate Design + Construction

NATURE WALKS + LAKE PATH

• Plein Air Painting At the Lake Using Oils w/ David Yapp (10:30am -1:00pm | 2:00-3:30pm)
• Native Plants Walk (Sign up/Meet at Welcome Booth on the hour)
• Music for Drain Pipes, Sound Installation by Paul Godwin (All Day)
• Native Plants Garden Docent Tour (Meet in Garden)
• Woodland Walkabout & Nature Journaling w/ Andie Thrams
  (Sign up/Meet at Welcome Booth, Bring a Journal + Pen, 3:00 - 4:00pm)

FOOD + DRINK, EDUCATION CENTER  (Buy Lunch Tickets at Welcome Booth)

• Indigenous-Inspired Native Plant Lunch Plates by Comedor, Colombian Chef Rene of Grass Valley
• Wani’s Tacos, Placerville Food Co-op Coffee + Sweets, Wine, Beer, Waters + Soft Drinks

Join our team of event volunteers and help us make a difference in the community. 

More details about our amazing roster of contributors is coming soon!