Keep Sedona Beautiful will hold its next Preserving the Wonder Speaker Series event on Wednesday, October 16 at 5:00 pm. This month’s speaker is Rita Faruki. Her topic will be “Our Animal Brothers and Sisters, Their Biology and Spiritual Significance.” As always, this presentation will be free and open to the public, and will be held at the KSB EcoHub, 360 Brewer Road in Sedona. Doors will open at 4:30. Please visit the KSB website, www.keepsedonabeautiful.org for details.
Rita’s talk will include a variety of mammals, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians that are common to this area. Some biological information as well as cultural and mythical information will be shared for each species. Attendees will leave having a greater understanding and appreciation for the beings we share our landscape with. Expect some myths to be debunked, some fears to be dissipated, and some smiles on faces as we journey through this array of our fellow creatures.
Rita has been a nature guide in the Verde Valley since 2014. She leads birding and naturalist hikes for Enchantment Resort in Sedona, for Yavapai College and as part of her private business, Sacred Earth Walks. Prior to moving to the Verde Valley in 2014, she taught environmental education and led nature experiences in Wyoming for The Nature Conservancy.
She was also a docent at the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she specialized in cats, wolves and raptors and developed educational materials for the visiting public. Currently she is teaching earth-based spirituality classes in Sedona. Rita is a lover of all things wild and resonates with being a guide to open people’s consciousness as to how they can relate to the Earth in sacred companionship.
The Preserving the Wonder Speaker series is held on the third Wednesday of each month. For over 50 years, Keep Sedona Beautiful has been dedicated to protecting and enhancing the scenic beauty and natural environment of Sedona and the Verde Valley. For more information about Keep Sedona Beautiful, please visit www.keepsedonabeautiful.org.