On an unusually warm spring day, the Dam-Free Fest was held alongside the raging river at the site of the recent dam removal. Children, bubbles, flowers, and colorful art filled the park. Early on, folks participated in yoga by the river, poster and button-making, and just chatting with friends they hadn’t seen all winter. FUUSE Artivists used the river fence as a gallery to hang their Clean Energy Vision mural, photos of the dam removal project, and large banners that were part of their art-installation in support of clean energy (spinning wind turbines and all), and created lots of boldly-colored sidewalk art. T.E.A.M., who promotes the local art and music scene, had a very active table with info on upcoming shows and festivals. Much of the day was filmed by Exeter TV 98, as part of a documentary about the dam.
Think globally, act locally it is said. 375 similar marches were held around the globe that same day, including 200,000 people in Washington, DC, who formed a circle around the White House in support of a healthy climate. Our small town rally was the first time many folks had marched, or witnessed a climate march. Our mini-march was peaceful and fun, and perhaps helps to open a discussion among neighbors of differing minds.
Local folks are now encouraged to interrogate their own life this summer and see where they need to divest from some things, and invest in others – from lightbulbs, to cars, to food, to energy, to portfolios: the Butterfly Effect.
(Science March at NH Statehouse the previous weekend)
Edited video filmed by TV98 here:
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FExeterTV98%2Fvideos%2F1326711510758106%2F&show_text=0&width=560
