EcoIcons: Reading Colin Beavan's "No Impact Man"

Happy Earth Day everyone!

I recently finished reading No Impact Man by Colin Beavan. I suspect you've heard of it? Just in case... a few years ago it was "kind of a big deal." A writer from NYC (and his wife and baby) spends a year trying a myriad of ways for his family to live with zero net environmental impact. He made national news. He made the talk shows. There was a documentary. But the heart of the project was that he wanted to write a book on what he learned.

I watched the documentary a while back. It was interesting/good. Maybe that is one of the reasons I was lackadaisical about getting around to reading the book? (I already knew the plot, I felt.) Well. I should have read it sooner.  It's not very long and it flows well to make a quick and interesting read. For me, the book is a solid home run. I wish I'd read it sooner. In some ways, it was not at all what I expected.

I expected the bits about why we should try to do better for the environment. I expected the parts where he talks about what measures he undertook, and the parts where we find out if those measures were difficult or enjoyable. I did not expect intensely personal storytelling. I did not expect such deep, philosophical speculation.

In the end, I learned a little bit. But I thought a lot. And I felt more inspired than I anticipated.

At work, I like to keep a few special books. These books serve a purpose for me. If I am feeling uninspired and selfish, or even bored; when I don't want to work or have trouble focusing, I pick these books up, flip to a random page, and read just a little bit. When I do that, I am hoping that these books remind me of my priorities and my values. I am hoping they remind me that I didn't come to work to entertain myself, but to accomplish Something Good. I am hoping they keep me grounded and focused. These books are thoughtful and quotable and give my brain something to chew on, in little bits. No Impact Man is going on that book shelf. I might buy a second one to have as a loaner.

So here's a little quote for you to chew on this Earth Day, one which the author decided was the moral of the story:

"I got too paralyzed by this question of whether I was the type of person who could make a difference. Finally, during the year of the project, I realized that's the wrong question. The real question is whether I'm the type of person who wants to try."

On Monarchs and Free Flowers

Did you know that butterflies (and some other insects) taste with their feet? True. Can you imagine tasting your shoes when you put them on? Or walking on a chocolate cake? Delicious.

Also, monarchs migrate through the US from Mexico. They breed in the US. They live in the tropics.

Also, monarch butterflies are at a historic low population this year. So low, that some entomologists believe there is a chance that they will not be able to rebound to normal levels in years to come. There is a variety of reasons for this. Habitat loss. Less food growing around.

So the awesome part is... monarchs love to eat milkweed. And milkweed turns out to be a beautiful garden plant. (Google image search for the genus "Asclepia"... all Asclepias are milkweeds... you will see what I mean!)

To help the butterflies... and/or to get free flowers for your garden... send a SASE to:

Live Monarch - Seed Campaign

3003-C8 Yamato Road #1015

Boca Raton, Florida 33434   $3 donation is requested but not required. For more info on the seeds click here.    To listen to an Science Friday story on monarch butterflies, click here.

Eco-Documentary Favorites

Happy April, everyone!

April means Earth Day. Cool eco-things happen in Oklahoma during April. It would be nice if the events were more equally spread out during the year, but I understand that this is when environmental issues are more prominently on people’s mind and I certainly! understand the desire to break out of jail and go outside after the last frost. What a better time to have outdoor events than sunny April, with its crisp breeze and green buds?

I’m not going to list April environmental awareness events for you – you can find those yourselves, you smart webby people, you!

Instead, I’m going to recommend some environmental documentaries – you know, from when you’re zonked out on the couch because you’re tired after doing a trash-off or tree-planting event? Of course you wouldn’t be watching tv otherwise! ;-)  Well, I am an eco-, bio-, and adventure-documentary junkie. These are some of my eco-favorites.

Earth Days – describes not only the history of Earth Day, but the history of environmentalism in the US. Educational, interesting, and best of all… intensely inspiring! This one has my highest recommendation. In fact, I might have to go watch it again myself.

John James Audobon: Drawn From Nature – Describes the life of Audobon – including how he came to his profession, his travels, his struggles at becoming recognized in America followed by success abroad, and how his experiences in nature changed his life. Most surprising to me was that he began as an avid hunter – using mounted birds as models for his art – and later became a conservationist after years of watching wildlife populations decline.

Ghost Bird – Not going to lie. I cried. (The story of the ivory-billed woodpecker, it’s alleged re-discovery and later de-bunking, and the affect that had on the local community)

No Impact Man – A journalist in New York City attempts to live for one year without making a negative net impact on the environment. The man (Colin Beaven) takes this interesting challenge to extremes at times, learning along the way. This was less educational than Earth Days, but I found it thought-provoking and fascinating. As an aside, there is a book by the same title.

Oklahoma City's First Plant Catching Donation!

Have you guys heard about Plant Catching?

It's awesome!

Imagine FreeCycle... just for plants!  Here's how it works:
     When a gardener has excess plants, bulbs, seeds, compost, etc, they set it out somewhere visible with a Plant Catching label describing the plant and mark its' location on the Plant Catching website. Other gardeners can search the website to find it, or lucky folks can stumble upon it and take it home, learning about Plant Catching in the process.

I set out the first Plant Catching donation for OKC today and I'm going to set more out sporadically. Spread the word! Share it with all your buddies!  Let's start a garden trade network right here at home!

The Role of Pride in Your Environment

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, I lived in this city that nobody liked. If you admitted you liked it, that meant you were unenlightened, probably boring, and definitely uncool. Parents taught this to their kids, their kids taught it to other kids, and all kids bragged about leaving as quick as they possibly could. The only time this city ever made the news was when something awful happened. Natural disasters. Crimes. That sort of thing. And so the rest of the world thought this city was crummy, too. It was a depressed, unnoticed little splotch in the middle of America. I never understood it, honestly – I was happy enough. But I also planned to leave like everyone else and live somewhere more interesting and more beautiful. In the long run, I didn’t – partially because I realized with no small amount of shock that I love my hometown, despite everything. And because of that, I witnessed this incredible transformation that started not long after I moved away to college and continues to this day.

For a variety of reasons, people wanted to be proud of their city again. They quit moving away. Or like me, they moved away and came back. They invested in their city with their time, talents and money. They passed taxes to make improvements to all sorts of things – to dilapidated parts of town, to transportation, to schools, to community recreation and education facilities. They rallied together around local businesses, artisans and sports teams. They made it cool to keep your money in the community instead of sending it to the box stores. They passed incentives for companies to locate here. They started making the news for something aside from getting their houses blown over – they made the news for low cost of living, for high employment rates, for their sports, for creative policies, for all sorts of things - and finally, people started to move in instead of move away.

The city I live in now is a far cry from the city I lived in twenty-five years ago. The difference is so shocking that it brings tears to my eyes because everyone else has finally started to love it the way that I have always loved it, and it is making it beautiful and exciting. A couple of weeks ago I drove down a street in the dark that used to be abandoned - but at night, on a Tuesday, lights shone. The buildings were buzzing. There were people eating dinner in their living rooms. There were store fronts. There was art in the windows. There was a catch in my throat. But it has always been a good city – it always had talented, intelligent, hard-working people fueling it. It always had an arts scene; it always had diverse citizenship; it always had recreational options and pretty garden parks. It always had some cool architecture, lots of possibilities, and innovative businesses. But now everyone knows it does. And it keeps getting better.

Now, it’s this.

The Cinderella City.

We aren’t perfect- no city is. But people have decided that we are decidedly Not Too Shabby, either.

Why did the scullery maid become a princess? Because people were proud of it. And because they were proud of it, they turned it into something to actually be proud of.  

You see, you have to value something before it can become valuable. If you don’t think it’s important enough to take good care of, not important enough to repair or improve, it will keep getting worse. It’s a vicious cycle.   

So how does this apply to the environment? Simple. Pride first. Value first. Why would someone take care of something they don’t care about? If people don’t think the Oklahoma landscape has any value, why would they care if they damage it or not? On some small level, they have to begin to feel proud of it.

So the next time someone tells you that where you live is boring – if they tell you there are no mountains, no interesting wildlife, no Big Nature or wilderness worth protecting (a line I have heard many times) – stand up for it. If you know they’re wrong, tell them so. If you agree with them, do a little research and find out if it’s really that bad. I’d wager it’s not because every ecosystem holds some beauty. At the very least, have something positive to say in return. Like this: “You’re right, but what IS cool about Oklahoma is that…” Don’t contribute to tearing down the ownership and pride for the land – contribute instead to the notion that it is something worth treasuring.

A friend of mine traveled to the Pacific Northwest this year. She said that the land was incredibly lovely, and everyone knew it and treated it that way. They didn’t litter. They didn’t tear things up. They were proud of it. She described one instance where someone in a car threw trash out the window, and immediately received shocked glares from everyone who witnessed it. Imagine if that’s the response littering got at home. I’d probably have less trash blowing into my yard.

If there is one thing I do in life (aside from the obvious - being a good person), I’d like it to be this. I’d like to help people second-guess the value they place in their hometowns and home state. I’d like them to know it’s something worth being proud of; something worth taking care of; something worth showing off to visitors.

If we are all are proud of and value the land we travel through this is when we feel a sense of joy and wonder for being exactly where we are. This is when we stop throwing trash out the window. This is when we start considering the impact our actions have on the ecosystem. This is when we think investing in protecting our resources is a wise idea. This is when we realize that other species have an important role in the giant machine called earth, and we treat them with respect. This is when we learn about our home and share what we know with others; when we learn how to be better citizens.

This is how our ecosystem will be protected and improved.

This is when our natural environment becomes just as beautiful as it always was to begin with.

Winter Weekending in the Ouachitas

I went to school for two years in Latimer County. Believe me when I say that the Ouachitas have a very, very special place in my heart shared only by my hometown and my honeymoon destination. Three days in Southeast Oklahoma cannot possibly be enough... but it was time well spent.

If you're heading from OKC to SE Oklahoma, do yourself a favor and take State Highway 270. I-40 is monotonous and Indian Nation Turnpike... you could probably sleep for miles and not miss anything. But 270 becomes a beautiful winding country highway through hills and forests and a variety of small towns with character. This is the way we go.

This was a birthday trip for me, so my husband baked a chocolate cake and packed it away in the car. (He's the best!) On the way down, we stopped at the darling Bus Station Cafe in Seminole for a delicious burger and a perfectly cooked plate of catfish. Back in the car, we traveled on until we reached McAlester, where we visited Whispering Meadows winery. The people there were incredibly nice - not only gave us a series of free tastings but also taught us some about wine and gave us a tour of their winery and it's quirky, gorgeous Victorian architecture. We left with a bottle of Deja Vu and In the Mood. To top it off, we learned that they have a sister winery close to our house!  If we want one of their wines, they'll deliver it to Urban Wineworks for us. Neat, yes? Onward through Wilburton, my old college town. And my, oh my, did it change in the last... well, a lady shouldn't say how long ago she graduated from 2-year college! I'm still shocked by the number myself. Only one of my favorite diners were still there - and it had moved down the street a ways. We grabbed the flyer for it so we'd have the hours... good to know for later trips.  And on to our destination, Lake Wister State Park.

The folks in the park office were accomodating and we were in our cabin in no time. And, my friends, it was jaw-dropping amazing. The cabin itself was pretty nice, but the VIEW was incredible. 

The cabin was on a peninsula in the middle of the lake, backing up to a little cliff, with a huge picture window from which we could see a little island and both the sunrise and sunset.

If all we did was sit and stare out the window all weekend, it would have been worth the money. We went to town for some groceries and found a little supermarket full of interesting taxidermy which included - if I remember correctly - a fox with sunglasses and a coyote with elongated fangs. We got some eggs and biscuits and hot links, then went back home for grilled dogs washed down with chocolate cake and Whispering Meadows' In the Mood. Healthy, no. But spoiled, yes we were!

The next day we drove down to the Ouachita National Forest Recreation Area to hike the Old Military Road Trail. It's 13 miles long, and travels 800 feet up Winding Stair Mountain to Talimena Drive Trail Head. From there it's all downhill. It was a nice hike - it went across little streams and creeks, through pine forest the entire way (and it was nice to see so much green in the winter). There were occassional glimpses through the woods of looming mountainsides and far-off views, and as we neared Talimena Drive we reached the old 1830s military road for which the hiking trail was named.

THE Military Road. See it?

In a clearing with the mountains far in the background.

 We picnicked on Talimena Drive and then bustled back just in time to make it to the car before sundown. And - my friends - I am not too man to admit that the hike kicked my booty a little more than I anticipated. But finish it we did. And to celebrate we did a little driving along Talimena, enjoying the overlooks, and made it back to the cabin by sunset to enjoy our view and have s'mores. 

From Talimena Drive

From Talimena Drive

Sunday was less eventful, as we were both kinda tired and sore from our grand hiking adventure on the Old Military Road Trail. We made eggs and biscuits, packed up and drove around Lake Wister, getting in and out to explore as needs required. :)

We thought Lake Wister Dam looked a little like Gotham Jail...

Last view of Wister!

Back on Highway 270, heading for home, we stopped in Krebs for lunch... dare we Pete's Place (also the makers of Choc Beer)? Oh yes, we dared. I'd only been there once or twice before... if you've been, I'm sure you know why! But we were hoping for a lunch menu? There was none. It's the same as the dinner menu. They broke their rules by letting us split an order. Perhaps it isn't nice for me to tell you that, but it was nice of them to do it. We had the lasagna. Of course it was delicious. And between the two of us, we could not finish eating it. The one meal. (Which came with side orders of bread, salad, spaghetti, ravioli, and meatballs.) We took a box of spaghetti home. And thus ended our winter weekending in the Ouachitas.

Winter Hike at Greenleaf State Park

Last weekend I visited Greenleaf State Park, just east of Muskogee. I’d never been. I was pleasantly surprised. The cabins were some of the nicest state park cabins I’ve cozied up in, and the hiking trail was everything I could want a hiking trail to be. (Oh, except for that landowner across the highway who marked his land with blue flagging that matched the blue hiking trail markers. Shame on you! But thanks for letting me accidentally detour onto your lovely property).

 

The trail is clear enough to see, but primitive enough that you really feel like you are hiking and have to keep an eye on the trail markers. The terrain is interesting and beautiful and changes throughout; goes across bridges and roads and up and down hills and rocky slopes and skirts the lake. It's perfect.

Day one was cold and drizzly. Despite that I got a nice glimpse of a hawk, an Eastern Bluebird (one of my favorites!), and a group of five deer that were bold enough to hang out right in the middle of the camp ground. My dog and I enjoyed the warm cabin while a night-time thunderstorm passed, and Sunday was the most beautiful day that I could ask for.  We set off to knock out as much of the 18-mile hiking trail as possible before I had to drive back home. Admittedly, that was only a few miles in and then a u-turn to head back out.

I kept stopping to bend down and admire all the different species of moss and lichen and tiny ferns that were growing everywhere, and to peer at the water looking for critters.

   

Oh. And there was that whole detour onto private property that I mentioned earlier. That took some time, too. But that’s the beauty of hiking – not being in a race with anyone. Having a chance to stop and smell the… moss.

  

And I got a tick! In FEBRUARY! Curses to you, freaky warm tick-breeding winter!