Tulsa will have a rare opportunity to meet America’s one-of-a-kind
wilderness troubadour when Forever Wild—2006
comes to The Performing Arts Center at Monte Cassino School, 2206 S.
Lewis, Tulsa at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 25. Tickets are free for
this community-sponsored event.
Walkin’ Jim Stoltz has
trekked from coast to coast, Mexico to Canada, Yellowstone to the Yukon,
from high in the Arctic to deep in the Utah canyons. All those years in
the wild places and 26,000 miles of walking have given him a great love
and respect for America’s natural beauty. He shares that appreciation in
his celebratory show, Forever Wild—2006. Walkin’ Jim sings in a deep bass voice, plays guitar, and tells stories
about his travels while projecting spectacular images of the wilderness
he has photographed on his travels.
Though Walkin’ Jim has
been taking long-distance hikes since 1974, this is his 20th
anniversary year of touring America with Forever Wild. He
says he realized those many years ago that a great way to bring out the
love of nature in everyone was to celebrate it. By sharing the beauty
he’s seen, in images, songs, and stories, he moves people to care for
our land, rivers, and wildlife.
“The road
less traveled is not a road,” Walkin’ Jim says. “And we ought to stop
building any more roads through our wildlands.”
This year, with Forever Wild—2006, his goal is to visit all 50 states, perform 100 free events,
and encourage 100,000 calls and letters in his personal crusade to save
these wild places for the future. He is being joined by hundreds of
other musicians, speakers and community groups across the nation.
His only local
appearance is sponsored by The Tulsa Audubon Society, The Friends of
Oxley Nature Center, The Sierra Club Green Country Group, Sustainable
Tulsa & The Met.
Walkin’ Jim
encourages
people who hear about his tour to learn more about his “Call for Wild”
program and how they can help by visiting
www.foreverwild.info
“I’m a beggar, I’m a thief, I’m one
who still believes
I’m the farmer kicking dust, but
still I’m planting seeds,
I’m the promise, I’m the lie, I’m the
glint that lights your eye
I’m the spirit in the wind, and the
fire that never dies.”
—from “One Land, One Heart,” by Walkin’ Jim Stoltz
Meeting Walkin’ Jim is
like coming face-to-face with a modern-day Johnny Appleseed. He tells
stories of adventures from a near-death
slide down a snow field, arrested only by his guitar, to the solitude of
playing his music in the woods with moose listening on. His shows
transport audiences to the backcountry as only he knows it.
“He’s truly a unique
and impressive songwriter and performer,” says Richard Stanley of Sierra
Club-Greater Hartford, Conn. “His Forever Wild show
generated an incredible amount of enthusiasm afterwards. For weeks
people were telling me how much they admired him and enjoyed it. We all
felt fortunate to have seen his show.”
Walkin’ Jim Stoltz has
been recognized as an American treasure by the Environmental Protection
Agency, which presented him its Outstanding Achievement Award for
his sharing of nature and wilderness across the country.
“I’ve had amazing
experiences on my travels in the woods,” says Walkin’ Jim. “This show is
my
chance to share them,
and to celebrate all of America's lands, waters, and the critters who
need them. It’s my contribution to keeping our wild places wild
forever.”
“You could call me a rich man, for
all the gold I’ve seen,
My pack is full of sunsets, they
trade in good on dreams,
You can bundle up life’s treasures
and hold ‘em in your hand,
But the key to all is letting go and
listening to the land.”
—from
“Turn Around,” by Walkin’ Jim Stoltz
Woody Guthrie meets
Ansel Adams in Walkin’ Jim’s Forever Wild—2006 performance. The chance to experience his show is not to be missed.
Walkin’ Jim’s recent book, “Walking With the Wild Wind,” and recorded
CDs of his music will be available at the show. More information about
him, including publication-quality photographs for download by the
media, can be found at
www.walkinjim.com.
“Thunder rollin' on the mountain
heights
I hear it callin' my name,
Once you follow that storm cloud’s
flight
You won't ever be the same.”
—from “Thinkin’ Like a Mountain,” by Walkin’ Jim Stoltz
Forever Wild—2006 is a project of Musicians United to Sustain the Environment (M. U. S.
E.), a rapidly growing non-profit which heightens environmental
awareness by raising funds for effective grassroots projects through CD
sales, concerts and public donations. Its roster of performers includes
Pete Seeger, Paul Winter, and Country Joe McDonald. For more information
on the organization and its artists, see
www.musemusic.org
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