32 JUNE 2021 By Jennifer Marshall Seth Landau is working hard to conserve the purity of some of Phoenix’s most beautiful and popular hiking destinations. Over the last year, he noticed an increase in trash along the hiking trails on Piestewa Peak and the greater Phoenix Mountains Preserve. Using his background in writing, filmmaking and reporting, Landau decided to bring this issue to the public by producing two videos highlighting the littering. “My wife and I moved here in 2013, and we love and appreciate this area; it’s beautiful,” Landau said. “We spend quite a lot of time on these trails, so I know these parks very well.” Landau’s goal in producing the videos is to encourage people to take responsibility in keeping trails and parks clean. He believes people should be part of the solution and not part of the problem. “In 2020, we spent even more time hiking… and the trails looked like a stadium after a game because many more people were there eating and drinking,” Landau said. “Sadly, there’s a percentage of those hikers who don’t respect the environment and will toss what they have on the ground and into nature.” As the year wore on, he started noticing more and more trash accumulating. He saw car and computer parts, clothes, glass bottles and food wrappers scattered around the hiking trails and parking lot. “For me, the turning point was a day in the front parking lot at Piestewa Peak when I noticed that the wash looked like a landfill,” Landau said. “This was my moment and my inspiration to do something.” And do something, he did. His background propelled him to document the scene to show people what was going on. His videos also show the cleanup process and explains why littering is harmful to the environment. “A few years ago, I watched a video of a comedian picking up trash on a beach,” Landau said. “That planted a seed in my head. Media is powerful, and I wanted to use it to create something to inspire people to do good.” He shot the first video in December and January and the second one in January and February. Between filming and editing, Landau worked about six months on the videos before uploading them to YouTube. He hopes his next project will highlight the issue even more. The response from Landau’s first two videos has been positive. “After seeing the video, Phoenix Parks Department introduced signs alerting hikers that we all need to take better care of the preserve,”Landau said. “I noticed a few more social posts on litter pick-ups. But I’m just one of many who cares and uses their voice and abilities to communicate that.” youtube.com/c/sethlandauentertainment By Jennifer Marshall Fourth-grader Boden Bindley has more than just schoolwork on his mind these days. Last year, when his Phoenix Country Day School class was learning about wolves, Boden immersed himself in the topic. He enjoyed learning about the animal so much that he wrote and published a children’s book called The Adventures of Fernin the Wolf. Boden’s book centers on a friendship between two wolves trying to survive in the wild. Escaping danger at every turn, Fernin and his friend Acela learn how to survive until they locate a new pack. “My third-grade teacher, Ms. Saltonstall, was teaching us all about wolves,” Boden said. “We were studying and writing about them. That’s how chapter one and half of chapter two started. My dad thought the story was good and told me that I should keep it going to see where it took me.” Boden’s dad, Scott, said that Ms. Saltonstall was also impressed with his son’s story and thought he should keep writing. “During a parent-teacher conference, the teacher said that after reading the first chapter, Boden’s story was really neat,” Scott said. Boden continued writing and expanding on the initial two chapters and finished the book last summer. He and his dad took the next step and began searching for an illustrator. “Boden scrolled through photos online, searching for samples that he liked from the different illustrators,” Scott said. “Once he found one, we contacted the artist. She asked for the book and drew several pencil drawings after reading it. They were great, so we decided to hire her.” After a six-month illustration process that included revisions and working around a tricky time difference (the illustrator lives in France), Boden and his family were excited with the finished product. Older sister Greta, who graduated from Xavier Prep this year, was instrumental in transforming the words and drawings into an actual book. “Greta searched online and found this book building website called Blurb,” Scott said. “Within a couple of hours, she’d built the book online, and the company completed the actual publishing. She did a wonderful job.” “I’m really happy that Boden loves the finished product,” Greta said. “I’m so proud that he has the courage to share his work with the world at such a young age.” Boden’s book is available on Blurb’s website, and according to his dad, he just received a check for his first sale. “This has been a fun experience and a really exciting time for him. The head of the lower school at PCDS did an interview and in-house virtual call with him about the book, which was cool of them to do,” Scott said. As for Boden’s future literary endeavors, he said, “I have a second idea for another book, which would be a continuation of the characters from the first book.” One fourth-grader’s journey to become a published author Boden Bindley the story was good and told me that I should keep it going to see where it took me.” that Ms. Saltonstall was also impressed with his son’s story and thought he should keep writing. conference, the teacher said that after reading the first chapter, Boden’s story The City of Phoenix posted signs after seeing Landau’s first video. PHOTO COURTESY OF SETH LANDAU Lending a voice to help clean up Phoenix trails mpt lity sional vice xes CURE 308272 SINCE 1978 Prompt Quality Professional Service 602-956-7299 • 6 Standard residential locks within 15 mile radius of our shop - If outside area service charge applies. 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