the golden seed

Hugging Julia Butterfly Hill..

2011-08-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

Some fellow forest campaigners (Polly Higgins and Tamsin Omond) and I, got together to welcome Julia Butterfly Hill to London.

Julia lived in a Californian redwood tree for TWO years, to stop the forests from being cut down.
She is one INSPIRATIONAL lady :)
We all had such fun (magic and mischief) hanging out with Miss Butterfly in the branches of a 600 year old Oak tree!
Julia's voice will feature on the soundtrack for The Golden Seed and here's what lovely words she had to say...
"As a human family, we have created quite a mess of our planetary home. It is going to take true vision, creativity, and commitment to help heal what we have hurt, regenerate what we have destroyed, and protect what is left. The 'Golden Seed' has incredible potential to help do just that!"

To see Julia's awesome work, please google 'Julia Butterfly Hill - Adventures In Treesitting' and watch her documentary :)

Bruce digs soil..

2011-06-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

"Check out The Golden Seed - our salvation is in our soil."

Bruce Parry, TV presenter, anthropologist and adventurer.

I am so chuffed that Bruce digs the golden seed project. You may have seen one of his inspirational documentarys : TRIBE, AMAZON or ARTIC, where he explores indigenous culture, conservation and the natural world.

I am such a huge fan of Bruce's work, and just like on the telly, he is the loveliest and most genuine guy ever! :) A passionate conservationist, I was blessed to be an ambassador alongside him on the 999-itstime campaign.

Bruce has a true gift in connecting with people and bringing their ancient and modern wisdoms to life, giving us fresh insight into how we can help conserve our ecosystems, endangered tribes and species.

The tale of Tallulah's tail.

2011-06-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

In the book, Inca legend prophesises that

"A creature the colour of fire with a tail spiralling like stars.." will discover the golden seed and save the world.

Tallulah is the chosen one - the direct descendant of a Golden Lion Tamarin who discovered the ancient treasure centuries earlier and carries the same 'curly-tail' gene.

In the beginning of the story, she is super self conscious of her tail, especially as the two nosey gorillas often tease her (!) and either sits on it to hide it or tries various ways to straighten it. However, she soon learns that it is her imperfections that make her special- as her odd tail eventually reveals the destined role she must play in the revolution against extinction.

David de Rothschild's lovely words..

2011-06-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

Inspirational David de Rothschild gave us this juicy quote..

"The Golden Seed takes you on and adventure of the imagination. It's scope to be used as a tool for change is endless."

wow, well he should know..as David is a super-cool eco-dude who uses his sacred powers (creativity, innovation, adventure and wisdom) to effect positive change, BIG TIME!

From sailing boats made of plastic bottles around the oceans to support marine conservation : www.theplastiki.com,
to designing fun eco-computer games for kids : www.adventureecology.com,
to mobilising likeminded boffins into a green media hub: www.myoo.com,
the dude is on it!

Thanks David, it's an honour to have you on board :)

Wangari Maathai joins our list of supporters!

2011-03-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

I was so delighted and humbled to meet Wangari Maathai (in Copenhagen, at the Climate Summit) and to hear her inspirational talk on environmental and political activism in Kenya. Wangari founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights. In 2004, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”
Wangari's words really touched my heart and so I am truly honoured that she has joined The Golden Seed Project's list of supporters and so kindly allowed us to weave her inspirational 'humming bird story'into the text. Tallulah (our main protagonist) will hear this African tale when sat around a campfire in the rainforest, told to her by a wise traveller on her way to the'Endangered Species Conference.'

new supporter - Dr Ervin Laszlo

2011-03-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

"The Golden Seed has my wholehearted support. A wonderful and much needed initiative." Dr Ervin Laszlo -The Club of Budapest

Dr Ervin is a Hungarian philosopher of science, systems theorist, integral theorist and was originally a classical pianist. He has published about 75 books and over 400 papers and is a promoter of the theory that 2012 will either be the collapse of human civilization or the beginning of a new, quantum consciousness. His ideas are greatly influencing my character Ragor and the F.F.F.'s campaign manifesto. Dr Laszlo also founded The Club of Budapest, whose members include Wangari Maathai, Mikhail Gorbachev and the Dalai Lama so we are humbled and honoured to have his support :)

Tallulah by Aurelia & Oscar..

2011-03-10T02:38:00.000-08:00

.. we will be gathering all our images, sketches and research together next, to create the character mood boards. Aurelia's painting has captured Tallulah's essence and soulful eyes so well (see above) and so has Oscar in his classic graphic version..we must all be telepathic as they are exactly how I see them/describe them in the book!

jimpanzee..

2011-01-07T07:16:00.002-08:00

Here's 'Jimpanzee', our conservation expert & wildlife film-maker, editing the GS (epic!) proposal. Living amongst the chimps in a treehouse, he created www.chimpanzee.tv. and gave them all a myspace page to help conserve the beautiful creatures - check out the AMAZING alpha with attitude 'Fanana' below ...

Poem by nature lover Lord Byron

2010-12-17T00:54:00.000-08:00

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,  
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,  
There is society, where none intrudes,  
By the deep sea,
and music in its roar:
 I love not man the less,
but Nature more,
 From these our interviews,
in which I steal  From all I may be,
or have been before,  
To mingle with the Universe,
and feel  What I can ne'er express,
yet cannot all conceal.

  Lord Byron

Ragor sketch ..

2010-12-16T02:39:00.000-08:00

I've been working on F.F.F. founder Ragor's conference speech and sketching him has really helped to capture this Persian lion's, warrior essence. "All things must live in accord with all things, to ensure freedom of speech and freedom of species." he began..
Ragor's 'multi-creatural' manifesto, is inspired by ancient teachings surrounding themes of truth and righteousness. He believes that a fair and just 'zoociety' can be created only through direct action, education and leglisation and is busy co-drafting a 'Universal Declaration of Animal Rights'!

the sage grouse - an endangered, musical species ..

2010-12-14T13:01:00.001-08:00

The Fish and Wildlife Service in the USA has concluded that the greater sage-grouse warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. Evidence suggests that habitat fragmentation and destruction across much of the species’ range has contributed to significant population declines over the past century. If current trends persist, many local populations may disappear in the next several decades, with the remaining fragmented population vulnerable to extinction. Listen to her amazing percussive dance here..

owls and animation..Mike Roush

2010-12-13T04:57:00.000-08:00

cute trailer for a movie short by new eco-animator Mike Roush. Mike's mixing film and animation like I envisage for The Golden Seed movie..

2010-12-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

..been re-watching the Godfather which is helping fine tune Don Rochinelli (aka 'The Roach)'s character. He is a very dangerous, complex and volatile baddie but i have compassion for him as his religious mother put him up for adoption when he was just an egg sack! Al Capone's influenced him too as well as a bit of psycho Joe Pesci's character from 'Good Fellas' too...a real mafia cocktail!

iron giant 2D animation style..

2010-12-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

just watched Iron Giant whose graphic image is iconic. Wall-e must have taken inspiration from this..
I really rated some of the art directing and colours in this great 2D animation, but the story & the music got very boring for me. After listening to soundtrack masters Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone unfortunately I'm getting a bit spoilt.

The Inigox's family tree..

2010-12-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

The Inigox is from the hadrosaur group of dinsoaur, who were vegitarians and used that awesome frontal horn to screech. I am having so much fun with it in the book. His species is a Charonosaurus, whose name I discovered derives from Charon, the boatman of Greek myth, who ferried the souls of the dead across the river Styx. How spooky is that, as the Inigox looks after the extinct souls of the dead. Must be meant to be!

Santa Angelina's mountain range..

2010-12-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

I love this image I snapped off Scooby Doo plus this beautiful hawaiian pic I found which are similar to how I imagine Santa Angelina's mountain range in the book. This is the colour palette and style of 2D animation I dream of.

Influential mountains..

2010-12-12T07:01:00.001-08:00

Es Vedra, the rocky island off ibiza completely influenced where I decided the Inigox should live in the story. He now lives off the coast of Santa Angelina in a similar fortress of rocks (with the ghost army of course) known as La Isla Castillo or 'Castle island.' (see above, for another similar mountainous island)
The jagged mountain, Pico Paradis, which his island overlooks and where the FFF's conference takes place, takes it's inspiration from the Matterhorn in Zermatt, where my mum is from. That iconic mountain is etched in my psyche and apparently it's also the inspiration for Paramount's logo too..could be a sign?

scooby doo,where are you?- original intro

2010-12-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

watching the scooby doo original series from the 60's has been so inspirational. I love it! The graphic paintings used in the background are spectacular..I keep photographing the tv as so many of the shots are classic comic books stills. The colour palette is totally beautiful and completely 100% my taste. I noticed their episodes always takes place at night, often with the full moon..never day time, so they use those rich moody blues constantly as a backdrop, juxtaposing the colourful characters. Interesting to see how to make a gang of 5 work on screen all the time...got lots of tips for the FFF and the supernatural spooky stuff is influencing me, especially for the ghost army. Am def gonna do a graphic novel for The Golden Seed book which will double as the story board for the movie. Very exciting..

CO2 CUT CAMPAIGN-a people powered pollution petition

2009-11-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed filming these CO2 cutters at the Copenhagen Climate Summit...

'Sign' the visual petition to cut CO2 emissions at the G20 Summit in Copenhagen
upload your Sign to youtube and title it CO2 CUT by ... your name/website

www.co2cut.blogspot.com

check out Naomi Klein and George Monbiot..

moses of the masai..

the green seik..

RRR...?

as for this guy..

Matt Mellon : http://ecohustler.co.uk

the beauty of artivism..

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall..

Eco-rabi ..

Kumi Naidoo

Bill McKibbon..

we will fight them on the beaches...

Cheif Benki...

Tamsin Omond..

Chip -a true pro..

Caroline Lucas...

NEF founders..

CO2-CUT is a PEOPLE POWERED POLLUTION PETITION starring YOU- the movement for environmental and social justice!!

(for all CO2 CUT videos visit: http://co2cut.blogspot.com)

Sign the petition today by uploading your video to youtube. Mark it 'CO2-CUT by (name & website address.)

We will post it on the blog, send it to world leaders and screen it everywhere we can!!

ps WHY? Coz Climate change is now causing 300,000 of deaths a year in developing countries. A two degree rise in temperature will condemn millions more!!

The Inga Foundation, our charity partner's agro-forestry work in action..

2009-10-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

June 2009 trailer for Adam Wakeling's Burning Needs, a feature documentary currently in production. The film follows a British scientist who has over 25 years developed a new form of agriculture for the tropics, which could revolutionise farming, reduce deforestation and help slow global warming.

golden seed hub

2009-10-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

we have moved into the gallery room this week and have been putting up our mood boards and all the work so far, its extremely exciting to see it developing in front of us and to be able to present all the hard work to others.

diva

2009-10-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

sneaky peeks of diva and her qualities

Beggin the leaders of the G20 summit

2009-10-11T06:04:00.000-07:00

999 its time!

2009-09-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

yesterday we missioned it to aylesbury to meet the climate rush suffragettes on their gypsy caravan traveling road show as it was the special 9/9/9 (www.999itstime.com day!) and Misty and Tamsin and Hugh Fearnsley Whittingstall are all ambassadors. Lovely Caroline Lucas..leader of the green party was also there and we all shared some raw jerusalem artichokes from Dennis Goulds allotment (in stroud) which Hugh peeled and told us we could eat raw!

Misty told Hugh about the golden seed, and he very kindley agreed to join our list of supporters, as he is also passionate about environmental education for children!

Nina's ethical wisdom..

2009-09-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Nina Kowalska, our ethical bsuienss consultant, founder of http://38degrees.org.uk/ and my lovely friend shared her wisdom re: social enterprise models. She loves Owls, so as a special treat I took her to the owl sanctuary in Gloucester. (Heres a Denis healey species we spotted .. too witt a woo!!)

Eco paparazzi feature The Orange Fox ..

2009-09-04T08:49:00.001-07:00

thank you Jeanette, founder of super-green animal saving website ECOPAPARAZZI, for supporting The Golden Seed and featuring the Orange Fox song on your homepage.

I wish you all the best with the bear bile book project! (Aurelia and I have contributed to this bear conservation project with Diva's image and some lyrics from her song.) PLEASE JOIN ECOPAPARAZZI HERE

http://ecopaparazzi.ning.com/

indigenous tribes of the amazon.

2009-09-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

the money raised through the golden seed project will be helping to protect the beautiful indigenous tribes of the amazon rainforest!

we have moved into the golden hub hQ!!

2009-08-26T03:43:00.000-07:00

and look at the view the golden valley would you believe! how appropriate!

Maya script..

2009-08-12T02:59:00.001-07:00

what great graphic designers the maya were! Check out their beautiful glyphs here...

quote wolfwikis {student wikopedia}

"It is likely that the Maya used writing not to communicate with other men, but to link their rulers to the gods, to the sacredness of nature, and to the cosmos."

http://wikis.lib.ncsu.edu/index.php/Mayan_Writing_Techniques

flowers and crystals for Diva's wardrobe..

2009-08-03T02:59:00.001-07:00

We have had allot of fun finding material to create Diva's wardrobe from. Her fashionable haute couture outfits are made only from nature or recycled things from her habitat in the Artic Tundra such as ice crystals, shells and flowers. Check out the beautiful pink Artic rose (she often wears behind one ear) , the blue Artic poppy and gorgeous purple saxifraga, photographed in the sunset. We will use the white fluffy cotton grass flowers to help create her glamerous furs and neck ruffles and the sculpted ice for her movie star diamond earings and tiara!

Our new supporter, Caroline Lucas..

2009-08-02T00:34:00.000-07:00

Caroline Lucas MEP has joined our distinguished list of supporters. Caroline is the inspirational UK leader of the Green Party and vice president of Animal Welfare, who is committed to keeping climate change and animal protection issues high on the political agenda. I met with her and her lovely team in Brighton to exchange creative campaign ideas. Here's the postor we made her, taking facebook by storm!

www.thegoldenseed.co.uk

2009-08-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

Leo Murrays animation: wake up and freak out.

2009-07-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

lovely leo's another awesome artivist we are lucky to have as a supporter of the golden seed project.. Watch him on cnn here!!

Diva by Oscar, my uber talented nephew!

2009-07-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

a centuar shaking a floating dogs paw?

2009-07-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hi ..I mean what is it with the cosmos man..can anyone else see the centuar shaking the floatings dogs paw or is it just me??

yeh???..then I bet you can also see the angel with the milk wings and the little baby with the fish balloon..phew, though i might be losing it writing too many cosmic words for the golden seed!

cosmic horsehead..

2009-07-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

One of the most identifiable nebulae in the sky, the Horsehead Nebula in Orion,

this needs no explanation..

eco font- to use in the book??

2009-07-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

save ink by downloading this lovely font! check it out here

cosmic dog!!

2009-07-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

yo check out the cosmic dog head, man :) I got this off nasas site ..the scientists explained it was a 'cosmic space bubble' around sirius-the DOG star. Hello, not one of those scientists seemed to make the scoobriksonian connection?? !! @@@@@

vivianne westwood on jonathan ross

2009-07-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

the tree project

2009-07-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

I found this blog today . intriguing and exciting see below for details I have quoted from the blog and visit the project at ;

http://treeproject.blogspot.com/

'I have been giving these seeds to the ones that are interested in planting them both in the US and the world. By sharing these seeds, I would like to share the pleasure of growing plants, especially the plants from Hibaku seeds.'

In December 2009, these grown seedlings will be exhibited at The Horticultural Society of New York.
http://www.hsny.org/programs_exhibitions.html

Hiroshi Sunairi 2009

Please contact me attreeprojects@gmail.com

or join my facebook Tree Project Group at
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=67989887537

ghost army

2009-07-09T05:51:00.001-07:00

irish deer

2009-07-06T05:58:00.001-07:00

i am using this extinct guy in the book in one scene..more about him below!

the largest deer that ever lived (extinct about 7,700 years ago)

The Irish Elk or Giant Deer, was the largest deer that ever lived. It lived in Eurasia, from Ireland to east of Lake Baikal, during the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene. The latest known remains of the species have been carbon dated to about 5,700 BC, or about 7,700 years ago. The Giant Deer is famous for its formidable size (about 2.1 meters or 7 feet tall at the shoulders), and in particular for having the largest antlers of any known cervid (a maximum of 3.65 meters/12 feet from tip to tip and weighing up to 90 pounds).

Discussion of the cause of their extinction has still focused on the antlers (rather than on their overall body size), which may be due more to their impact on the observer than any actual property. Some have suggested hunting by man was a contributing factor in the demise of the Irish Elk as it was with many prehistoric megafauna, even assuming that the large antler size restricted the movement of males through forested regions or that it was by some other means a "maladaptation". But evidence for overhunting is equivocal, and as a continental species, it would have co-evolved with humans throughout its existence and presumably have adapted to their presence.

little yellow spider

2009-07-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

princes rainforest project campaign..

2009-07-03T03:19:00.000-07:00

meet tallulah

2009-07-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

or at least one version of her, have been playing with this most of today and starting to enjoy the technique, also see below other variations and previous sketches to this.

Colour Version

2009-06-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

Some more logo ideas. Click the image to see the short animation.

Logo Idea by oscar

2009-06-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

Have been working on the Black & White logo design, have a look :)

character profiles

2009-06-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

character profiles are proving to be lots of fun!here is a sneaky peak.

tweeking here and there

2009-06-27T06:48:00.001-07:00

I have just been tweeking the website today but the holding page is up! and mistys website restored!! so when the website will be updated you can find it at www.thegoldenseed.co.uk

fantasia fairies

2009-06-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

the most beautiful animation i have ever seen it reminds me of the magic pond up the road from my magical secret location i will take you there one day if you are lucky

website in progress

2009-06-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

hooray! at last we have a start on the new website! it can currently be found at www.mistyoldland.com/goldenseed

Aurelia stupidly has deleted mistys website temporarily!! but misty somehow remained extremely chilled as aurelia almost reached to be sick. Luckily it will be restored very soon!!!

we will update the blog as we update the website!

General Gordon Von Heiselberry the third

2009-06-24T01:53:00.000-07:00

Dinichthys is sooo prehistoric teeth werent even evolved so those things in his mouth are big bits of bone! How far out it is he..dont u love his petal head and polo green eyes..and he reminds me somehow of james brown..must be the hair!"

glow worms

2009-06-24T01:46:00.000-07:00

meet the amazon horned frog!

2009-06-15T03:20:00.000-07:00

Im sure I have met a few people of this resemblence

seeds

2009-06-15T02:44:00.000-07:00

Seeds of 17 tree species, all from the family Fabaceae, that cooccur in the Peruvian Amazon. The largest seed pictured is 5.8 cm across

Shark fin soup

2009-06-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

After just watching the South Pacific documentary on bbc 2, I feel a little overwhelmed by the beauty of the ocean and its inhabitants and the sick feeling of what we have not and are not doing to prevent the harm the creatures deep are exposed to. Although the documentary is informative of conservation projects that are going underway ( the coral reef gardeners are magical!), there is a lot that needs to be done elsewhere. Namely sharks being caught for shark fin soup!!!If you didnt manage to see it you can watch it on iplayer here well worth a visit!

Greenpeace activists discover 12 sacks of shark fins and tails onboard a Taiwanese longliner, the Nian Sheug. One million sharks are killed in the Central and Western Pacific annually and 50 million globally each year. Shark finning is one practice that would be banned in the network of Marine Reserves which Greenpeace proposes as the solution to overexploitation of our oceans.

I have also just found this Illustration in a Whale book whilst trying to research and find character references for the golden seed!

guardian article

2009-06-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

read the article here

Welcome!

2009-06-14T13:39:00.000-07:00