Jewel be welcome
Have fun and fight for the forest with Emerald Curtain Collective
Willow Kasner tries her hand at sgraffito • Photo by Gretchen Ammerman
By Naima Baker
For the TODAY
For the love of forests, come craft and create with the Emerald Curtain Collective, where trees are treasured. Unlock wisdom about key species and the importance of interconnectivity while engaging in fun activities at the collective’s meetings, held in Newport on the second Thursday of each month.
Last summer, the group made mini mansions for insects, using frames packed with sticks and constructing a labyrinth of hidey holes. In November, participants were startled by their stamp-making success; December was made more delicious with Thai salad rolls; and in January they joined for some casual collaging. In February, hand-painted prayer flags fluttered with peaceful invocations and, most recently in March, there was the ancient pottery decorating technique of sgraffito, the meditative process of scratching through a dark layer of paint to reveal the contrast of light-colored clay beneath.
The next meeting, on May 14, will feature a screening of the eco-activist documentary "We Are Here" from Paperhand Puppet Intervention.
Available spots for the free activities tend to fill, so it is advisable to sign up early.
All of these offerings are given freely so donations are extremely appreciated. The more attendance, the more the collective can grow and draw much-needed attention to activist opportunities like urging Governor Kotek to raise Oregon's Transient Lodging Tax by 1.25 percent and dedicate the funds to protecting crucial wildlife. Supporters say the move would help maintain the natural splendor that draws in much of the state’s recreational tourism. The collective also facilitates personal emails to the Board of Forestry, urging it to prioritize a strong habitat conservation plan over destructive clearcutting. Every drop in the bucket for obtaining better legislation for the environment counts, tipping the scales away from an inhospitable planet for future generations, and towards a vibrant Earth with a global culture of stewardship for its precious plants and creatures.
It can be hard to know where to start with an issue as devastating as deforestation but Willow Kasner, forest sprite and Heart Barn proprietor, takes action, such as dressing in all green and using her platform at the Primaltones Community Venue to petition passionately for the conservation of old-growth trees.
The Emerald Curtain Collective was born in January 2025, when Kasner and Will Webster, community philanthropist and imaginative actor and chef, began to brainstorm with a team of talented musicians, artists, activists, writers and internet-savvy individuals. Floated by a flurry of volunteers, including behind-the-scenes rockstar Heather Graham, the group swiftly built a fund-raiser for the Coast Range Association at the Yachats Commons. The ambitious agenda included dinner, presentations, local musicians and a silent auction and ended with Theatre for the Wild's acclaimed “Critters Council” skit, directed by Richie Scott. The event brought in $3,000 and created the motivation for future events, including a performance of puppetry and live music for World Ocean Day at the Hatfield Marine Science Center utilizing the plant and animal inspired art of Liz Fox. Multi-talented in pottery and photography, Fox crafts masks out of common objects like cardboard, an array of paint and plaster and an abundance of ingenuity.
Steven Trotter, a diverse visionary, developed and updates the collective’s website, where people can learn about future events, upcoming climate actions and key species and sign up to volunteer.
The group’s shared desire to keep the state green is colorblind to the red and blue of political parties, and unites people from every population, whether the motivation is economical, ecological or emotional.
The cool rainforests of the coast are naturally fire-resistant, especially with proper logging practices that harvest trees with the intention to maintain the oldest growth and a dense tree canopy. This lacey lattice of branches is what keeps the moisture, temperate climate and soil fertile with mycelium. Species like the dam-building beaver that creates river pockets, and the salmon that spawn there, are signs of healthy fresh waterways. As for the tall gentle giants, studies have shown that even in forests with only three percent of old-growth trees, they hold 42 percent of the carbon in that area, meaning bigger trees filter the air significantly more than smaller ones, with a single giant redwood tree sequestering up to a million pounds of carbon in its lifetime. In the age of technology and short-term profiteering it can be tempting to overlook the carbon cleaning power of forests but no machine can rival them in their cost effectiveness or efficiency. As Fox said, "Our forests: kelp, coral, conifer and tropical, are truly our lungs."
The Emerald Curtain Collective meets every second Thursday at South Beach Community Center in Newport.
For more information, go to emeraldcurtaincollective.org