Sun Sounds Presents Yellow Belly Ponderosa

Eight students from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA) performed the student-written play, “Yellow Belly Ponderosa”, at the Flagstaff Sun Sounds of Arizona studio on May 15, 2013. Sun Sounds of Arizona is a radio reading and information access service for people who cannot read print due to a disability. Volunteers read from national and local publications, and there are also occasional radio theater productions. Gina Byars, the Flagstaff Station Manager, coordinated with Mindy Bell, Flagstaff STEM Connections Coordinator, and Mike Levin, FALA’s Theater teacher, to bring “Yellow Belly Ponderosa” to a wider audience.

Gina Byars runs the sound board for the FALA students

Listeners will learn about scientific concepts as they hear Fox and Raven travel through the forest and learn about key messages relating to forest health and restoration through stories told by the talking trees and other animals. The Yellow Belly Ponderosa outreach program combines culture, arts and science to convey a lifelong connection to and understanding of sustainable forests, teach outdoor skills, encourage physical outdoor activity, promote interest and knowledge of the natural sciences, and connect kids with the natural world.

FALA students performing Yellow Belly Ponderosa at Sun Sounds of Arizona

This engaging and educational play was created through a partnership of FALA’s advanced creative writing class, introductory theater class, and Anne Mottek Lucas of the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership. Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Forest Service “More Kids in the Woods” grant and funding through the Salt River Project. More information about this project, including additional lesson plans, can be found at yellowbellyponderosa.org.

The Yellow Belly Actors from FALA