The Sun
drawing by Jerry Johnson
The sun is the most direct representation of solar energy, as it is the ultimate source of energy for life on Earth. Its warmth and light provide the energy necessary for photosynthesis, enabling plants to grow and sustain ecosystems.

Monarch Butterflies
drawing by Noah Hogan
Monarch butterflies represent solar energy through its reliance on the warmth of the sun to "charge" its wings. As the butterfly absorbs the sun's heat, it activates the muscles in its wings, enabling it to fly long distances during migration. The solar energy warms its body and powers its movements, symbolizing how solar energy directly supports the butterfly's ability to travel, survive, and connect with the plants it relies on, like sunflowers. This imagery highlights the way the sun provides not just sustenance for plants, but also the energy that enables animals like the monarch to thrive and continue their life cycle.

Sunflowers
drawing by Noah Hogan
Sunflowers are iconic for their ability to capture solar energy. Their large, bright blooms and their behavior of turning to face the sun symbolize how plants harness solar energy to fuel their growth. They use sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis, demonstrating the crucial role of solar energy in sustaining plant life and, by extension, the entire food chain.

The Story of the Sprout
Made in collaboration by Noah Hogan and Deni Naffziger, font by Alexis Rhinehart
This symbolizes how solar energy sustains life on Earth, driving the natural processes that enable plants to grow, produce oxygen, and contribute to the ecosystem/community. The narrative highlights the interconnectedness of all life and the vital role of solar energy in sustaining that balance.

The Story of the Sprout

collaboratively created by Noah Hogan and Deni Naffziger

In the wee hours of an early spring morning, Sprout woke up in the dark.  Try as he might, he couldn't see a thing because he was living beneath the surface of the forest floor in uncreated light. He was so hungry, but as everyone knows, it's hard to get a snack in the middle of the night, and he had already gone through all the starches that were stored within himself. So he waited.
Eventually Grandfather Sol warmed the soil and Sprout began to make his way into the world.  Before he knew it, he popped out of the earth and looked around. To his delight he was surrounded by wildflowers, ferns, sedges and moss. Grandfather Sol offered him both warmth and light from his chromosphere. This provided Sprout with an extra special snack because it had taken 10,000 years to get from the extremely dense core to the turbulent surface of the photosphere. Sprout ate with tremendous fervor, finally able to feed his ravenous chloroplasts. 
Suddenly he felt a surge of energy as his stem propelled upward. The forest clapped in unison! Then he heard the gentle song of his mother, Sarah Quoia, cooing Welcome to the world, my little Sprout.  A soft rain began to fall and he savored cool waters. Hoping to discover where the rain came from, he saw, instead, pinyon jays, a pileated woodpecker, and chestnut-back chickadees roosting in his mother's arms.
Sprout learned he had never actually been alone in the dark.  He was surrounded by mushroom messengers all along. They were currently alerting his father, who stood in another part of the forest, about the joyful arrival of his son.  He is flourishing, they announced. He is profusely proliferating and taking on lots of leaves quickly! And such a curious sprout!
The young tree was pleased to receive his father's response. We are so proud of you, Sprout.  You will grow up to be a verdant and spirited plant. You will provide shelter, shade, and up to 11,000 sequoia cones that will feed many birds. Other beings will breathe out CO2 and you will transform it into oxygen, which is critical to life on this planet. Like all of us, you are part of a very important community.
Sprout felt happy to be alive.  He understood his purpose and was grateful to be one among this majestic family.