All Posts Tagged With: "ecosystem"

In the vein of our recent posts about food (one of our favorite topics here!), I wanted to write a little follow-up from my kitchen. The debate over HR875 and other such bills is certainly food for thought. The fact that Monsanto is able to sue farmers in the U.S. for having unwanted genetically-engineered seeds on their land — that blew there from other fields, thereby contaminating heirloom seeds — is nothing short of alarming. What if we just pause and imagine a better path forward?

What’s most important for a healthy crop is the biodiversity of the soil and microorganisms that produce it in the first place. Over the past few years, I’ve read success stories of a natural fertilizer business called Terra Cycle which uses the age-old genius of worms to compost waste and turn "worm tea" into a sought-after consumer product. The good news is, this isn’t rocket science. This stuff can be made for free inside your own home; that is, if you aren’t squeamish about some squishy worms.

I have a compost bin in my kitchen with about 500 to 1,000 worms inside eating my junk mail and food scraps. The particular bin I bought has a drainage spout, so that when there is heavy moisture content the extra water can simply drain to the bottom, be collected in a bottle, and fed to my house plants. The above picture displays the awesome power of worm tea. I had never fed my Money Tree worm tea before, but after only two servings and a couple of days’ growth, you can see the obvious difference this stuff makes. The water and nutrients shot up to the top leaves and what was similar to the bottom leaves only days ago is now a shimmering forest green (actually much shinier and green in real life!). Now, let’s see if some actual money starts growing. . . .

See our calender for composting workshops.

Treehugger article about Terracycle.

Common Waters is a blog that focuses on environmental issues affecting the Chesapeake Bay region (New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia), with an emphasis on areas of concern affecting watersheds that surround Baltimore City. Created by Valerie Butler who has a B.S. in biology and has worked for many federal, state and local environmental research organizations. Find out more about what’s being done to protect our waterways, environmental film fests and other outdoor events.

Oregon Ridge Park is host to one of Marylands largest year round recreation and events venue. The Nature Center & Park Council is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to the conservation of natural history and enhancing the enjoyment of nature through seasonal programs, topical seminars, weekend workshops for kids and adults, festivals and trail walks. View their Events Calender PDF for recreation and courses from Sept 08 –Jan. 09 that include HAWK MIGRATION ACROSS THE RIDGE, WILDERNESS FIRST AID, MINERS PICNIC,
CANOE DAYS COVE, AFTER SCHOOL NATURE EXPLORERS, SIGNS OF LIFE HIKE, BOW MAKING COURSE and much, much more.

It’s the title of a new book by Rhizome Collective members Stacy Pettigrew and Scott Kellogg. I was fortunate to hear Scott speak last night about this excellent city living users guide to a more holistic life. The talk began as I sat on a couch watching the sun go down though the brilliantly lit stain glass windows of the St. John’s church.

The book, as Scott describes highlights proactive uses for basic humans needs; how to pasteurize your own water because who needs all that added chorine from the water treatment plant. There are plants that can be easily grown in your small cement padded backyard, for example duckweed that has, as Scott mentions has, “more protein and nutrients then some meats.” After the talk Red Emma’s hosted a reception complete with yummy vegetarian bean and corn dishes!

Biohabitats combines sound science with integrated design to protect and restore natural habitats around the world, driven by the belief that it “not only repairs degraded ecosystems, but renews economic opportunities and reconnects communities to the landscape.” They seek to inspire communities to rediscover a sense of place by preserving indigenous ecosystems, restoring biological diversity, and inspiring ecological stewardship. Highlighting conservation planning, ecological restoration, and regenerative design, their site also features volunteer opportunities as well as news and a list of events and conferences.

The Urban Ecology Collaborative exists to cultivate healthy, safe, and vibrant cities through collective learning and united action. Those involved have developed a multi-city network for urban ecosystem research and restoration, while also collecting tools that address common urban ecosystem issues and disseminating them into cities. Their website includes some of their featured projects across the country, their working groups and committees, and a list of their partners and collaborators.