1,000 handmade kites danced in the wind where they were strung high between the trees on Harvard Common for the Winds For Change event. Each kite, made by K-12 students, had a personal message or image that showed the students concerns about global warming and their hopes for the future.

Between 400 and 500 people came to see the kites and to add their voices to the chorus asking Congress to get serious about global warming. They filled out hundreds of messages to our Congressmen. These bowtie shaped cards were hung on long kite tails from the town flagpole and will be taken to Senator Kennedy, Senator Kerry, and Representative Meehan.

The event was organized by Harvard Local and Groton Local, two grassroots organizations concerned with community responses to environmental challenges, but it was two high school tenth graders, Helen Kilian and Erica Schwiegershausen, who truly energized the event by getting the entire school community behind them - students, faculty and administration. Besides the students, many, many people helped with the event.

We started an ambitious goal to try to get half of the households in town to agree to do five of the ten-things-to-do
listed at climatecrisis.org. We are ready for change.

We care, we can, we will!

photo

Some of the tremendous energy at this event is evident in the photos of our town common.

Hundreds of messages for Congress from Winds for Change.

Bromfield and HES students made kites that told stories about their hopes for the planet's future...

Hello Winds of Change people,

I included your inspiring picture in my diary at dailykos about all the events Saturday:

One Small Step For Me April 14th
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/16/222128/336