Joaquin Miller was a poet in the 1800s who traveled the coastal hills and mountains on foot and on horseback, writing about what he saw and felt. They called him “The Poet of the Sierras.” When he first moved to “The Hights,” which after his death became Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, he started planting trees. He planted 70,000 of them! Today, school children visit there to learn about the native species of the East Bay environment and watersheds. The park is home to Friends of Sausal Creek, a native plant society that works to restore the original ecosystem, and many other organizations that gather under the Friends of Joaquin Miller Park.
Joaquin Miller (went walkin’) is a sing-along song that imagines the wandering poet enjoying the regional nature. The song contains a bit of Oakland history (the redwood trees were used to build San Francisco), symbolism (California’s golden poppy) and science (the watershed that leads to the Bay), all in the romantic spirit of poetic observance. The call-and-response structure of the song makes it engaging and fun for children to sing along with and perform.
Listen to some kids sing it
(You’ll be humming it all day!)
Sheet music & teaching packet $5
Joaquin Miller (went walkin’) was the opening act at the first annual Dimond Celebration on June 23, 2006!
“This is wonderful!!!! Thank you so much for doing this. We will definitely use it and pass it on.” —Amiko Mayeno, Audobon Society
Life Among the Modocs: read it and swoon!
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