11x09 - And Still the Turtle Watched

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading raiow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

These are the deep woods
of western america.

Hundreds of years ago,
great civilizations of indians

Lived all across
the united states.

Native americans believed

The land, rivers, and sky
were sacred

And belonged
to all earth's creatures.

But other people wanted
to live here.

White men came
from across the oceans.

They had different beliefs
than the indians.

They used more of the land's
riches than they needed.

Some didn't respect
the land.

For many years, the trees
and animals in these forests

Have watched as their world
changed around them.

Here's the story
of one of those creatures--

And still the turtle watched.

Long ago, when eagles
still built their nests

On cliffs by the river,

An old man
and his grandson

Stood beside a large rock.

"Here at our summer lodge,"
the old man said,

"I will carve the turtle.

"He will be the eyes
of manitou, the all father,

"To watch the delaware people.

"He'll be our voice
to speak to manitou.

"You'll bring
your children to the rock

"To greet the turtle.

They will bring
their children."

And so he shaped
the stone,

And then
the turtle watched.

He watched
the green of summer

Turn to the gold
of autumn.

He watched
the gold of autumn

Become the white
of winter.

He watched
the white of winter

Give birth
to the flowers of springtime.

Then summer came again.

The turtle was happiest
in the summer,

For then
the children came,

And then their children,

And then
their children's children.

As time wore on,
fewer and fewer children

Came to greet the turtle.

"Have I watched badly?"
He thought.

"Does manitou
no longer hear me?"

Then one day,

Strangers came.

They didn't
greet the turtle.

They did not speak
to manitou.

Their axes chopped
and k*lled the forest.

Their shouting drowned
the larks' bright music.

The turtle watched,

But it did not understand.

He watched as stranger
followed stranger

Followed st"anger.

He watched white water
turn brown.

At night, new lights
glowed near the ground.

They dimmed the stars
of manitou.

The little turtle
grew very sad.

"Why do I watch?"
He thought.

"My children have not
come for many times,

Many moons."

In the night,
the turtle wept.

One day, some boys
came near the rock.

They stopped and pointed.

The turtle's heart
b*at faster.

"They've come to see me,"
he murmured to himself.

"My children have returned.
Thank you, manitou."

The turtle heard hiss.

He saw a shining
arc of color.

He felt cool wetness
on his eyes.

He could no longer see.

He could no longer
watch for manitou.

Deep in his darkness,

He felt the cracking
of his heart.

No one watched for manitou

As days, months,
and years passed,

And the turtle
stood in darkness.

Then one day,
a man came.

He knew the delaware people
had summered here.

He hoped to find something
they'd left behind,

But searched all day
and found nothing.

He was tired.

Suddenly,
he saw the rock.

It stood forlorn
and covered with graffiti.

The turtle didn't know
the man was there.

The paint had
blinded his eyes.

The paint had stopped up
his ears.

Then he felt
a finger on his head.

It stroked back
along his carapace,

And he shivere
deep down inside.

The man came back
with workmen.

They hoisted it up
on a truck.

The truck bumped along
for a long time.

The rock was hoisted
off the truck.

Hands patted
and rubbed the turtle.

He felt sharp-smelling wetness
pour over his head,

And his eyes
started to clear

And his ears to hear

As the paint
was scrubbed away.

No longer is he watching
by the river.

He is indoors
at the botanical garden.

Children come to see him.

They will bring
their children

And their children's
children,

And he will speak of them
to manitou.

Native americans believed

That every part
of this forest--

The trees, streams,
and animals--

Are all related,
like a big family.

Sometimes,
one particular animal

Has special meaning
to a tribe or an individual.

The delaware people
in the story

Chose turtle to stand watch
over their tribe

Because they
considered turtle wise.

He uses wit
and intelligence

To defeat animals
bigger and faster.

Turtle is tough,
steady, and strong.


On turtle's back,

So his shell represents
how all things in nature

Are connected.

[Howling]

Wolf shares the joy
of singing with us.

Wolf is loyal.

Ows we are
he
stronger and safer

When we travel together.

Wolf is loving and caring.

Her pups have a patient,
watchful mother.

[Howling]

The abnaki people
call him cousin.

The penebscot
call him grandfather.

Bear is one of the few animals
that stands upright like us.

Many indian legends
speak of bear as a healer.

One creature close to the hearts
of all americans

Is the eagle.

The eagle is a magnificent,
powerful creature.

It represents beauty,
strength, and freedom.

The eagle is
an endangered species.

People are moving in
on its habitat

And destroying
its home.

Here in florida,
where southern bald eagles nest,

People are
helping them survive.

They're from the sutton
avian research center

In oklahoma.

They're here
to find eagle eggs.

They spot a nest.

The mother eagle is
guarding it from harm.

Now she's off
to find food.

The team acts quickly.

Tree surgeon
wayne norton hurries

To put on gear.

Humans don't usually

Climb a 75-foot
florida pine

To an eagle's nest.

With the mother
circling her nest,

This is a very
dangerous climb.

The eagle
is a powerful bird.

No one knows
if she will att*ck.

Each year, an eagle mother
lays two eggs.

If they are lost
or stolen,

She'll lay two more eggs.

O.k., Two good eggs.

Wayne wears
a surgical mask and gloves

To protect the eggs
from bacteria.

He gently places them

Into a foam-lined
container.

Then he carefully
lowers them

To the team below.

O.k., Got it.

Now the mother eagle
will lay two more eggs,

Producing four eggs this year
instead of two.

On the ground,
the eggs are checked

To see if they're healthy.

Looks good.

They're placed in an incubator,
safe and warm,

For the ride
to their new home.

Later, at the sutton
research center,

Eagle eggs are adopted
by foster mothers--bantam hens.

Hens are
great incubators.

They'll sit on
these eagle eggs

Till they hatch.

Some eaglets
need a little help

Facing the world.

He may be
getting stuck.

I'll chip away
at this shell

Just a little,
carefully.

There might be
blood vessels there.

This is a stressful part--

When they don't
come out on their own.

You can see
he's pushing still.

[Chirping]

O.k., Little guy. O.k.

He looks pretty good.

Now some
loving attention.

"No, I don't want it
brushed."

When you fluff him up
like this,

It adds insulatn
to keep him warmer.

After a hard day's work,
this little chick goes to sleep

In a bed of hot-water pads
and warm towels.

A few hours later,
he's calling for breakfast.

He's fed by an eagle puppet

So he thinks it's his mother.

That way, he learns

Never to depend on humans.

Three.

It takes time
to get the hang of it,

But soon
he's enjoying his meal.

[Chirping]

Three.

Four.

It's eight weeks later.

Those baby chicks
are beginning to look

Like noble,
majestic eagles.

Their famous
white head feathers

Appear when
they're 4 years old.

They've already developed

That classic eagle posture
and stare.

Now it's time
to learn to fly.

The young eagles are placed
in a treetop tower with bars.

Here they can test
their wings safely,

Learn to perch and land--

All preparation
for soaring through the skies.

Yeah, they all
look pretty good.

After three weeks,
the team feels

The eagles are
ready to fly.

They move the birds back

And remove the bars.

[Screeching]

Finally, the big moment.

Will the eagles raised
by the resear team

Fly into the wild?

Yes!

Yes!

The sutton project
has released 275 eagles

Back to nature.

Many have started families
of their own.

With the help
of dedicated people,

The southern bald eagle
has a better chance to survive.

It's great to help save
an endangered animal.

You don't have
to be a scientist,

An expert,
or even a grownup

To help keep the earth
green and healthy.

Planting trees
is a way

To help
all living things.

These kids are working
to spruce up

Their own neighborhood.

We're planting a tree

So the street
looks pretty.

We'll plant the tree
for oxygen.

I'm pulling
the whole ground up!

Trees are great
because...

They...they give
birds and@squirrels

Homes to live in,

Adn they give
people shade.

We're planting trees
to save the earth.

Oh, gross!

Ew!

Try to relax and dig.

I think that's
deep enough.

[Cheering]

Straight
to the sidewalk.

Then we'll turn it
around.

Everybody push.

One more push.

Yay!

Hold on
a second.

Oh, no!
The dirt's coming out.

Why do you
take that off?

It holds the roots
together.

The roots should
spread out.

It makes it
grow stronger.

There's a big pile
over here.

Perfect.
O.k., Buddy.

What kind is it?

It's a linden tree.

Make sure it's straight.

Is the tree straight?

It's crooked
a little.

It's about
right?

Yeah.

O.k., Let's
close it up.

Come on.
Let's go.

Why are you
doing this?

It's for the water
not to go out,

To keep it
at the tree.

I'll see. Wait.

We're going to open
the water now.

Hot water.

Off. Off. Off.

Oopsy.

Oh, man!

Hey, heads up,
dudes.

Ha ha ha!

Right here.
Right here.

O.k., Bring it over.

I didn't--
I didn't have a turn.

Hurry.

The flowers.

I need
to get one now.

I got it.

We're planting flowers
around the tree

To make a home so the tree
is comfortable and happy.

Pass me a flower.

In a circle now.

Make them nice
and pretty.

No, no.
Don't do that.

There's a hole.

I'll finish this.

No, no, no. There.

I feel great
about this tree.

I hope it will
stay healthy

And grow much taller.

♪ Come, you dreamers,
close your eyes ♪

♪ Dream a dream
of cloudless skies ♪

♪ Dream of oceans
pure and clean ♪

♪ Of the earth
alive and green ♪

♪ Dream of fields
of morning dew ♪

♪ Of the world
when it was new ♪

♪ Dream of how
it might have been ♪

♪ Could it be
that way again? ♪

♪ You mean
the world to us ♪

♪ And we who
call you earth ♪

♪ Are holding
to a dream ♪

♪ The dream
of your rebirth ♪

♪ For all you give to us ♪

♪ What's left for us to do
but take you in our hands ♪

♪ And give life back@to you? ♪

♪ For all you give to us ♪

♪ What's left for us to do
but take you in our hands ♪

♪ And give life back to you? ♪♪

There are many ways
to appreciate

The natural world
around you.

Spend a day
hiking in the woods...

[Takes a deep breath]

Breathing
clean, fresh air,

Listening to wind
in the trees.

Here are three
other ways

You can get close
to nature.

Don't take my word for it.

Long ago,
there was a river.

It ran through
a beautiful forest.

Here's the river's
true story,

Called a river ran wild.

Native americans
settled by it

And named it nashua--
river with a pebbled bottom.

It was so clear
that you could see the pebbles.

Native americans
hunted and fished

And took only what
they needed from the land.

Then people came
from far away

And acted as if
they owned the river.

These settlers
didn't take care of the river.

Over the years, the nashua river
became polluted.

You couldn't see
the pebbles anymore.

Finally, people came together
to save the river.

I'm alexandra,
and this story shows

That people
can make a difference.

Once again, the pebbles
shine through the clear water.

The nashua river runs wild.

Hi. I'm emma yeld.

Thirteen moons
on turtle's back

Is an unusual collection
of poems.

These poems are from
native american tribes

About@the different
seasons of the year.

There are many
native american tribes

That have legends
about the moons.

Baby bear moon
was one of my favorites.

This moon comes
in the wintertime.

This story says
that a little girl was lost

And adopted by bears.

The frog moon
and the budding moon

Come in spring.

Look at the strawberry moon.

The colors are lovely,
just like they are in nature.

This type of book is nice
to read at bedtime.

I'm sure if you read it,
you'll enjoy it.

It's called thirteen moons
on turtle's back.

Hi. I'm josh,

Here to tell you
about my first green book.

That's the title.

If you're interested
in science experiments

And conservation,
stay tuned.

In this book,
you'll find many ways

To show concern
for our environment.

There are experiments
to do, like this one.

It tests for air pollution
in your neighborhood.

All you need
are some jar lids,

Small labels,
and a piece of cardboard.

In this book,
you find out

What's biodegradable
and what isn't.

Can you pick
which things will rot

And which won't?

Look here and see.

You can spend hours
leafing through this book.

If you want to learn ways
to protect our environment,

After the program is over,
go to your library

And ask for
my first green book.

There you go,
little tree.

You're all set.

I hope one day your arms
reach high into the sky

And an eagle
nests in your branches.

You know, being here
in this beautiful place,

I can really feel that the earth
doesn't belong to us.

We belong to it.

And it gives us so much,

So what can we
give back?

We can care
for our earth

And take responsibility
for its future.

We can do our part
to make sure

It stays healthy
and beautiful.

I'll see you next time.

♪ Butterfly
in the sky ♪

♪ I can go
twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪♪

Today's reading rainbow
books are...

And still the turtle watched,

By sheila macgill-callahan,
pictures by barry moser,

Published by dial books
for young readers,

A division
of penguin books usa inc.

A river ran wild,
by lynne cherry,

Published by gulliver/hbj.

Thirteen moons
on turtle's back,

By joseph bruchac
and jonathan london,

Illustrated by thomas locker,

Published by philomel.

My first green book:

A life-size guide
to caring for our environment,

By angela@k. Wilkes,

Published by
alfred a. Knopf.