Renowned children's songwriter Raffi shifted gears from singing to lecturing at the Askwith Educational Forum last night, urging listeners to preserve the environment for children--who make up his more typical audience.

Raffi's address, titled "Child-Honoring: The Next Ecological Paradigm" had a sober tone as he discussed the environmental message in his songs and the importance of respecting children.

"I would rather be singing with you than reporting what I'm saying," he said. "But I simply feel the need to speak."

In a soothing tone reminiscent of his songs, Raffi traced his development from folk singer to children's songwriter and environmental activist.

"The story of my life is one of adaptation and change," he said. "I grew from a city boy to one who loves nature, from one who was totally oblivious to children to one who appreciates and truly loves them."

Raffi's children's songs reflect the concern for nature and children that he highlighted yesterday.

One of his more enduring songs, "Baby Beluga," tackles "environmental issues in human terms."

But in 1989, at what he called the height of his musical career, he learned that beached beluga whales were so full of toxins that they were classified as hazardous waste.