About this web site

It's hard to believe it's been nearly a decade since the last Idyllwild Earth Fair. The memory of it still lingers with us. Recently, Holly, Joey, Paul, and I found ourselves reminiscing, especially after hearing whispers of a possible revival of the Fair in the Idyllwild community. This news sparked a thought: maybe those looking to breathe new life into the Earth Fair could benefit from its history by understanding the small beginnings and community efforts that shaped it.

We were just a part of the larger group that dedicated time and effort to the Earth Fair each year, wearing the hats of planners and doers, part of the Idyllwild Environmental Group. In our own way, we tried to make a difference in promoting environmental awareness and education. It's funny to think about the relics we've held onto – megabytes of photos and videos, boxes of leftover T-shirts and banners. They're small tokens of a time that meant a lot to us.

The earthfair.com website had been inactive for years, tucked away in the corners of the Internet Archives. Many of us from the original team have moved away from Idyllwild or only return sporadically. We've lost some dear members along the way, and many of us have returned to quieter lives.

But there's a shared sentiment among us, a connection to that time and place. Perhaps it's time for us to compile these memories and stories, not just for nostalgia but as a gesture to those who might carry the torch forward in Idyllwild. After all, it was about community spirit, and maybe it's time to pass that spirit on twenty years after the first Earth Day and beyond.

Who are we?

I'm thinking a short bio about each of us? I'll start...

Hello, I'm Mike Hamilton. For over a quarter of a century, I was the director of the University of California James Reserve, a biological field station and ecological reserve behind Lake Fulmor. While I wasn't one of the original organizers of the inaugural Earth Fair in 1990, I took it all in. Inspired by the event's vision and community spirit, I quickly dove into the heart of the volunteer effort from the second year, contributing to the annual planning until my departure in 2008 for a new role at UC Berkeley, where I was tasked with establishing a new biological field station in the Bay Area.

Idyllwild was more than just my workplace; it was the home where I raised my family. Along with many other parents in our close-knit community, I was deeply involved in integrating Earth Fair activities into our local school curriculums. These educational experiences were vital for nurturing our children's healthy, environmentally-conscious community spirit. Those years in Idyllwild, contributing to the Earth Fair, hold a special place in my story, intertwining my professional and personal journeys in meaningful ways.