Frank Helling -
"A Visit with John Muir - The Scootcher of a Lifetime"

Frank Helling as John Muir Frank Helling presents:

A live presentation of John Muir in "A Visit with John Muir"
Environmental education workshops and inservices for educators
Environmental education consulting

To John Muir life was a "scootcher," a grand adventure! Geologist. botanist, explorer, adventurer, writer, philosopher, preservationist and political activist, John Muir lived life to its fullest. His ideas and ideals have never been more relevent than thev are today.

.Frank Helling adopted John Muir as his "Zorba" about twenty years ago and brings the great mountaineer to life in his performance "A Visit with John Muir - The Scootcher of a Lifetime." Frank has performed for schools, universities, environmental and civic groups, in the national Parks and for special events throughout California. Dr. Paul Risk, interpretive consultant for the National Park Service, said 'Everyone wearing a park service uniform should see Frank Helling's performance as John Muir."

An active adventurer and naturalist himself, Frank has devoted much of his life to 'sauntering" in Muir's footsteps. He has back-packed, hiked and climbed in the Sierras, Rockies, Cascades, Alps, Alaska, Hawaii and the deserts of the American Southwest. He has worked as a ranger/naturalist in Kings Canyon Natural Park and a professional wilderness instructor for Summit Expedition, a Christian Outward Bound school.

As an environmental activist Frank has served as program chair, conservation chair, environmental education chair and on the executive committee for the Tehipite Chapter of the Sierra Club

Active in education for 25 vears Frank has taught elementary school through college. He helped develop Pleasanton School District's resident outdoor education program, worked with California Migrant Education's outdoor schools and has taken children backpacking, canoeing and whitewater rafting with Harmony Expeditions. He taught environmental education awareness in the California Department of Education's program "Opening Doors to the World" and has recently been leading environmental education workshops for teachers.

Frank presently teaches fourth grade for the Chawanakee School District, and incorporates environmental education into all areas of the curriculum. He has served as chairperson for the Northern California section of the Association for Outdoor and Environmental Education. He is also a member of the Christian Wilderness Leaders Coalition, the Association for Experiential Education and the Institute for Earth Education.

His programs tell the Muir story in a riveting first-person account.

Born in 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland, young John Muir's first "scootchers" were climbing castle walls and exploring the moors and the wild shores of the North Sea.

At age 11, John's family immigrated to Wisconsin where this young pioneer's love of wild nature grew. A promising young inventor, Muir nearly lost his sight in an industrial accident and so set out to find his vision. 'Giving up the inventions of man and devotinq his life to the inventions of God" - meaning nature - John set out on a thousand mile walk from Kentucky to the Gulf of Mexico bv the "wildest, leafiest. most least trodden paths he could find."

Muir came to California in 1868 ending up in Yosemite. The wilderness would be home for John Muir - but this home was in danger, plundered bv human greed. Muir would lead the fight to save it. He would become "The Father of the National Parks" and founded the Sierra Club in 1892. Eventually even Presidents would seek his counsel, among them Theodore Roosevelt.

Muir explored not only the Sierras but also Alaska, South America, Africa. Asia and Australia. bringing the Natiorial Park idea throughout the globe. Today, John Muir's life and thoughts are an inspiration for positive action in the environmental crisis urging us all to care for Earth-Planet, Universe.

Frank Helling as Muir with Children For booking Information contact:

Frank E. Helling
4028 N. Wilson
Fresno CA 93704

Telephone:
559-224-6857
Email: helling4028@comcast.net

Frank Helling - "A Visit with John Muir - The Scootcher of a Lifetime"

Frank Helling -
"A Visit with John Muir - The Scootcher of a Lifetime"