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Banana Slug String Band   Call this Banana Slug "Dirt," and Doug Greenfield will answer. Greenfield and three buddies -- "Airy" Larry Graff, "Solar" Steve Van Zandt and "Marine" Mark Nolan -- make up the Banana Slug String Band. For nearly 17 years, Greenfield, BGS '79, has been a member of the Santa Cruz, Calif.-based band that considers itself as much an educational troupe as a musical one. The foursome, which draws its name from the shell-less mollusks whose decomposing work nourishes California redwoods, makes it fun for kids to learn about the environment. "This is our approach to empower children and families with the knowledge that it is worth preserving the powerful, magical and mysical parts of the environment," Greenfield says. Using their voices, guitars, percussion and a mandolin, bass, harmonica and banjo, they create a unique sound that they complement with theater, puppetry and audience participation. The band, which has made nine recordings, performs at schools, science and nature centers, zoos and other locales. Some of their more notable performances were staged at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. The group's music includes more than 100 original songs ranging from rock to reggae, folk to funk. The slugs sing about animals in their habitats, the marine world and earth science. And when confronted with such characters as Big Red, Zee Professor, Mr. Dirt and The Nature Man, kids can't help but learn the "FUN-damentals" of science and ecology, Greenfield says. The band has received numerous accolades, including the Howard Bell Award for Outstanding Contributions in Outdoor Education, the National Association of Parenting Publications Honor Award and the American Library Association's Notable Children's Recording Award. Greenfield nurtured his love for the environment while he was a student at Ohio University. "The wilderness got into my blood," he says. And so did the need to feel fulfilled, Greenfield says. "It didn't matter what I did, I just had to be happy," he notes. "I learned that through the University experience." For more on Greenfield and his co-educators, check the Web at (where else?) www.bananaslugstringband.com (a new browser window will open when you follow this link). Jennifer Kirksey Smith Back to Bobcat Tracks