March 2007: Dear Friends, We are thrilled to announce the release of our DVD - an enriched revision of our video "Dancing With the Earth" plus new footage and music! And, hot off the Dawn Publications press is "River Song", our first book with an accompanying CD. After 2 years of hard work, the BSSB Watershed CD should be out by December of 2007.(Keep your antennae out for it!) The Slugs have been commissioned to produce an Ocean Literacy CD for a National Curriculum addition to young people's studies. We will be joining efforts with more than 15 marine science institutions across the US to promote Ocean Awareness and support the Ocean Literacy Project! We (Doug Dirt and Airy Larry) just returned from our first New Orleans Mardi Gras/Carnival - A wonderful family experience! While there we performed at Tulane U's Dixon Hall for 1,500 kids and families. We had a joyous time celebrating the Earth with music and danceá A wonderful break from the daily struggles that so many NOLA residents still live with. In the spirit of reaching families that love music, love the earth, and with the greatest of musical/educational/wonder-ment content - see ya down the road! Love to all, Doug Dirt & the Banana Slug String Band LETTERS & NEWS... June, 2006 - Dear Slugs, I guess it was to be expected that I am about to graduate with a university degree in Environmental Education. When I think back to my childhood, the soundtrack is filled with your music and the Grateful Dead's! There was no escaping my destiny. Thanks for being such a positive influence. Love, Jenna Amberg-Johnson. April, 2006 - Hello Slugs! æ I teach Kindergarten at Overfield Early Childhood Program in Troy, OH, and we just returned from spending the day with you at Garbary's Big Woods in Piqua.æ Thank you, thank you for an incredible day.æ We all had so much fun and you gave usæmany provocations for further investigation and conversation at school.æ Last week after finishing our tree costumes, we had a conversation about trees, and one of the chidlren asked, "Why do trees grow so tall?"æ and another child answered, "Because they have to be taller than people and taller than buildings.æ People and buildings can't be the tallest things."æ They understand. ææ Thank you for the work you do.æ Thank you foræmentioningæthat your salads were made from organic vegetables.æ Thank you for getting kids and adults excited to sing about nature.æ Thank you for making it cool to love dirt.æ Thank you forætalking about the ways that the earth gives to us and the ways that we can give to the earth. æ It really touched me see the kids singing things like, "Everything needs a home," and "...I give shade to the people of the world."æ Let's hope that they continue to remember the words to these songs and keep their convictions alive as they grow older. With great appreciation, Jenny Sammons April, 2006 - Dear Doug, Larry, Steve & Mark, æ On behalf of the entire Monarch Community, I wish to thank you all for your help in putting on a fund raiser for Monarch last weekend. Your concert, as always, was filled with brilliantly written and performed songs of great educational value to children. It is so inspiring to see them learn so much in such a fun, engaging and developmentally appropriate fashion. Your music is irresistible to adults as well, and your performances are thoroughly enjoyed by people of all ages. All of you are masters at bringing the essential messages to young people of learning to care for the earth, themselves, and each other. You also teach them to recognize the cycles of nature, and the qualities and roles of plants and animals in our ecosystems, in such a playful and inclusive way! -- Thank you all for being shining example of what we can be and teach when our imaginations and hearts are set free. Warmly yours, Gail Swain, Monarch Community School Development Coordinator

WHILE ON THE WATER CYCLE BOOGIE TRAIL at Charleston Falls Preserve, Bethel elementary third-graders found a slug with a water droplet. Casey Seale, 8, (left) and Leigh Anne Alexander get a closer look. Park district board salutes educator honored by state Also approves grant applications By NANCY BOWMAN Miami County Bureau TROY — The Miami County Park District board recognized an award-winning environmental educator Monday, while agreeing to seek grants for more educational programs. The board saluted Cinda Hanbuch-Pinkerton, who recently won the Environmental Education Council of Ohio's award for Out- standing Environmental Educator in a Non-Formal Setting for her Hug The Earth with the Banana Slug String Band project. The program combines class- room learning, including songs about the environment and making costumes, along with the Slug band concerts. Hanbuch-Pinkerton said the award "is the entire park staff's honor" because of their cooperation and willingness to try programs. The park board looked favorably on two applications for grants to help pay for proposed educational programs focusing on watersheds and gardens. A request for around $200,000 over three years will be filed with the National Science Foundation for a schools gardens project. An application for $50,000 will be filed with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for use as start-up money for a community watershed environmental education effort. The watershed project proposal is being done in conjunction with the Honeycreek Watershed committee. The land drained by Honey Creek — much of eastern Miami County including parts of Bethel, Elizabeth, Lostcreek and Staunton townships as well as portions of western Clark and Champaign counties — make up the watershed. "I guess my attitude is if you don't ask, you don't get," board President John Wannemacher said of the grant applications. Hanbuch-Pinkerton told the board that additional program will require the hiring of another environmental educator. Board member Terry Netzley said an expanded environmental education program was among goals in the district's successful campaign last year for more tax dollars. Cinda Hanbuch-Pinkerton (right) teaches a group of Bethel elementary third-graders a lesson on water cycles. They are trying to stand on a small pallet to form a water droplet (oxygen and hydrogen), while on the Water Cycle Boogie Trail at Charleston Falls Preserve. Hanbuch-Pinkerton recently won the Outstanding Environmental Educator in a Non-Formal Setting award.

Fan Mail... August 8, 2002 Dear Slugs, Well, What can I say? After all these years, you simply must already know how terrific you all are! Our ocean-themed summer reading program sure got off to a rollicking start with you guys on board! Great music, great message, silliness, humor, surprises and more! You are a dream program for any school or library. You have our heartfelt gratitude for visiting Pleasanton. Hope your tour was a huge success. You deserve it! - Sue Jones, Library Assistant, Children's Services, City of Pleasanton, CA Irie greetings from sunny Jamaica to all you Slugs. Your vibes are powerful and uplifting. Thanks for touching me and many others as you have so profoundly done. Please come again and as soon as possible... I can't tell you how fast your music is finding a place in the hearts and life of all the children and adults alike who I have shared them with. No other song have I ever played for children has the power of ANIMAL PARTY. Now everytime I walk into school everyone wants to know if I have your CDs with me, so now I have them with me at all time... I am at Prep and Kindergarten for three days per week and two days at the high school. The high schoolers keep asking me about "Dirt made my lunch". I get high on singing all the slugs songs but none moves me like "Walking in the Grand Tetons" It is just so uplifting. Thanks for that beautiful rendition. As always.........ONE LOVE..... Esther Norman, Jamaica

March 2003. Dear Slugs, You are right up there with Paul Simon and the Beatles as far as I am concerned! Your music is inspiring and I use it to drive everything that I teach. As I teach, I think "geez, they must have a song about this somewhere and sure enough you do! From myself and my current and future classes: Thank you for being wonderful! - Jennifer Gaylord Dear Slugs-WAAAAAAYYYYYY back in 1993 I attended an environmental ed conference in Stevens Point, WI. On the last day, we were allowed to bring our children along to hike the nature trails and attend a performance of The Banana Slugs. It has become one of the most treasured experienced my daughter Rhyannon and I have shared. We bought your "Dancing with the Earth" video. I teach second grade and show the video for Earth Day every year. At home, we also view it every Earth Day AND whenever it is Mom's turn to pick a video! While we will never be as awesome as the Slugs, we sure can do a mean "Water Cycle Boogie" when we get going! In our school viewings, "Dirt Made My Lunch" amuses the kids and is second only to "Butts Up" which is THE favorite. Keep up the good work-you will continue to touch us through your video as long as the tide keeps pooling-twice a day! In the Spirit of feeling the rhythm of the earth, dancing the song of life,Brenda Werner (Rhyannon, Noah, Reese, and Nehemiah, too) P.S. It is said that most people leave this world with their music still inside of them-Thank you for helping our family get their music out! We would like to thank Live Earth Farms for providing our families beautiful, organic produce. If you would like to receive a weekly box of this earthy delights call 831-763-2448.

ECO-MUSICIANS "GOIN' WILD" WITH NATIONAL ACCLAIM Banana Slugs Slither to New Heights! (Santa Cruz, CA - May 24, 2000) The Banana Slug String Band, a talented group of teachers who helped pioneer the art of children's edu-tainment, has wiggled its way to the top with a new album. Their latest of nine recordings, Goin' Wild was recently honored with two prestigious national awards: The Association for Independent Music 2000 (Indie) Award, and the National Parks Service Audio Interpretive Excellence Award. Created to honor the magnificent flora, fauna and geology of Grand Teton and Yellowstone parklands, Goin' Wild quickly caught the attention of the National Park Service. In March, it garnered the N.P.S. Audio Interpretive Excellence Award, with enthusiastic judges declaring: "This (album) is a winner! Environmental stories set to toe-tapping music * Well-produced and provocative * Clear, funny and insightful * Content is great * Well Done!" It wasn't long before the Association for Independent Music took note. In May, the Slugs received the Indie Award for Best Children's Recording of 2000, joining a roster of past winners that include Taj Mahal and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Written on location in Wyoming, Goin' Wild vividly captures the wonders of the Yellowstone and Teton areas. "We owe a lot of our success to the sheer beauty of the land," remarked Slug artist/manager Larry Graff. "It was incredibly inspiring to compose music in the midst of all that grandeur." Although it is aimed at children, Goin' Wild , like all Banana Slugs recordings, is artfully crafted for wide appeal. "Traveling from reggae to western swing, the Slugs exhibit sophistication that will impress even us adult types," writes Music editor Yvette Cadeaux of Pulse! Magazine. Cadeaux awards a four star rating for this "hick and hip album with a Parliament-Funkadelic-meets-Hee-Haw ambience."

Super Stuff!!!!!!! Our Third Grade ordered quite a few of your products with some Title I funds made available recently. We are very impressed!!!!! Kids and we teachers LOVE the video. With all the recent brain research, the music, movement, etc. are just what we needed to help teach the Virginia Standards of Learning!!!!! We plan to share this info at a PAT Parent/Teacher/Child Interaction night that we hold annually. We were wondering if you could send us about 50 or more pamphlets describing your products with price lists, etc. to make available to the parents that night. We plan to share your web site address, but most of our students do NOT have computers at home. We are going to play and show your products too. That video should sell itself!!! Love it!!!!!! The date for the workshop is Mon., March 27, so we'll need them by that date. Thanks so much in advance!!!!!!!! Keep those songs coming!!! Make some more videos!!!!!!!! Andrea Borrell Bessie Weler Elem. School 600 Greenville Ave. Staunton, VA 24401

Your art can be on the web! If you have a drawing about the Slugs or living on the earth you would like to share on this web page, please send them by mail to: The Banana Slug String Band WEB PAGE P.O. Box 2262 Santa Cruz, CA 95063 Sorry, we cannot return drawings.

HELP WANTED!! We Banana Slugs are always open to some help with promoting our band. We are looking for a college student to intern with us for the position of PR person, publicist, or in marketing. Please contact us via email at Slugs@bananaslugstringband.com. Dear Doug, Larry, Steve & Mark,, Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the Goin' Wild project. It was truly a pleasure to work with you! We are looking forward to seeing you back in Jackson sometime soon. Happy Sprint! Fondly, Elaine Partridge Dear Doug   Oct. 30, 1998 The BSSB's performance at the North Bay Family Expo was fabulous! Thank you for such an entertaining, educational and fun show. The BSSB's outstanding reputation clearly helped to make this event our most well-attended and successful fundraisers. In addition to being talented musicians with a sincere commitment to environmental education, the group's collective qualities of reliability, flexibility and cooperation made it a pleasure to work with you. We truly appreciate your support of CPI. Sincerely, Doreen Miller California Parenting Institute Santa Rosa, CA

Resources for families and teachers: SPECTRA California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom Family resource for SF Bay area Edu-tainment Acorn Naturalists: Teacher resource for science/gardening Songs For Teaching Website, a Teacher resource for educational music of all sorts: All the best educational resource sites on the web Recycle City Save Our Shores www.human.com/sos/ The Pumpkin Circle

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The Banana Slug String Band endorses:
Dean Markley strings,
Ernie Ball strings
and proudly plays Vintage Ernie Ball Acoustic Guitar Bass and Santa Cruz Guitar Co. guitars.

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