First was the Earth Day Expo at the Oregon Zoo, and like last year, the Procession of the Species parade. While both were held in Portland, Oregon, they were in different locations and at different times.

The mural is eight feet high, and its first two panels are 10 feet wide. Each five foot wide panel celebrates a different part of Oregon's varied plants, animals, and scenic wonders, from the coastline to the high desert.

It was designed by CAP President Steven M. Overton, and CAP Webmaster Marty Richmond -- co-owners of The Olde World Puppet Theatre.

Here's the mural set up and ready at the Oregon Zoo. Weather reports included the possibility of showers (Oh, NO!!! Not again!!!), so we put the canopy over it. It turned out to be a nice sunny springtime day in Portland!

One of the mural sections set up in the
Olde World Puppet Theatre shop.
The whale, cougar, seal, tarantula, hermit crab
and starfish are all fully articulated rod puppets.

Present plans call for both the addition of more panels each year as money and time allow, as well as tours to Oregon elementary and middle schools to promote a better understanding of our environment.

It was built by members of The Olde World Puppet Theatre along with volunteers from CAP and the Earth and Spirit Council, the organizers of the Procession of the Species parade.

Originally conceived as a four-panel mural, time constraints reduced its size down to two panels that were finished in time for the Earth Day and National Day of Puppetry celebrations.

The other two panels would have been finished, but we first focused on restoring the Giant Puppets and banners which had marched in the soggy parade of last year and which were put away wet in their storage unit.

We thought they'd be OK, since they had a whole year to dry, but we didn't count on the large purple dragon collapsing and squashing several of the Giant Puppet Heads.

"What can we do?", they asked. "We need the puppets and banners in the procession." "Don't worry," we said "we can restore them to their original splendor."

Actually we went far beyond restoring them; most of them were totally re-engineered, strengthened, and rebalanced on their backpacks so that ordinary people were able to carry them in the Procession.

250 hours of volunteer time went into their rehabilitation, and they all marched proudly through downtown Portland on that sunny Sunday morning in April.

Four of the rebuilt giant puppets. Each head is almost three feet wide and mounts on a backpack. The Caterpillar takes four people to carry.

Candace Dobson once again marched with her Ostrich, Priscilla.

Geordie Humphrey, dressed in his new Giraffe Puppet costume, marched the entire 2.5 mile length of the parade on a pair of Sheetrock installer's stilts, courtesy of Tears of Joy Theatre.

Larry Adrian of the Oregon Coast Children's Theatre brought a whole bunch of marchers from Netarts (on the Oregon Coast - duh!) with giant man-o-war and fish puppets.

Esther Heydt made several of her trademark Panda Bear puppets and mounted them on lovingly handmade Bamboo stalks for the little kids (as well as some big kids) marching in the parade to carry and they were loved by all.

Unfortunately, Steven M. Overton, CAP President, didn't get to march in the parade, because between the load-in at the Zoo, and the start of the Procession, he slipped, fell, and broke his ankle. Therefore, he was forced to stay behind and cheer the 500 or so marchers on their way.

If you would like to see the building of the puppet mural in more detail, please visit The Olde World Puppet Theatre's website: www.puppetmuseum.com, where there are pages devoted to its construction.

To view pictures of last year's National Day of Puppetry event here in Portland, Oregon, click on the link at the top of this page.

Well, you've really gone and done it this time!