There are two people I have recently discovered who are very concerned about our earth and its creatures. They have both stimulated my imagination about what I can do to further improve my own land. I will tell you about them with the hopes that their ideas will get you thinking about your own environment.
Recently, I bought one of those glossy home and garden magazines with the thought of sitting down to look at the well-appointed homes, where everything is perfect, along with carefully tended and manicured lawns and gardens. The bonus, though, was that the issue featured their 2022 outdoor living awards. One of the featured people was a landscape architect named Edwina von Gal. Although the write-up was brief, her approach was so congruent with my ideas of yards, gardens, and care for the creatures who depend on what we grow I ended-up binging on several of her internet video presentations and came away delighted to have found this person.
Edwina describes herself as an “old landscape designer (doing it for 40 years), but a young environmental activist. Her three-part mantra is: “no chemicals, rethink your lawn, and plant native plants.” In one of her presentations, she discusses the problem of using toxic chemicals (weed killers, insecticides, fungicides) in the yard. She explains that in households that use these chemicals, childhood leukemia is seven times higher than in environments that do not use the chemicals. Also, their dogs have a two times higher risk of lymphoma. Adults, children, and pets are exposed to these toxic chemicals by just walking across the lawn. They bring the chemicals into the house, where they can take years to dissipate.
One of the recommendations Edwina makes is to mow lawns 3 1/2 to 4 inches high. This allows the grasses to grow deep roots to hold water better when it rains, instead of running off. Secondly, the shade provided by that length of grass actually shades out many weeds, which tend grow more in the spring.
Another concern Edwina has is that of the decrease in our bird population. Birds feed their young soft insects and caterpillars. If we are using insecticides to destroy the insects, the birds have nothing to feed their young, and the bird population cannot survive under those circumstances. As a result of her concerns, she founded the “Perfect Earth Project” and the initiative “2/3 for the Birds” (meaning plant two native plants for every one non-native you plant).
There are several internet videos available of Edwina’s presentations, as well as websites for the Perfect Earth Project and 2/3 for the Birds. The videos I found most instructive were:
- Yard by Yard: Kicking the toxic landscape chemical habit
- Holistic Weed Management for Lawns
- What We Can Do Part 2 – Biological Diversity is as Important as Social Diversity
The second person I would like to introduce you to is a guru from the Tamil Nadu area of south India. His name is Sadhguru. I discovered him when I was exploring the topic of regenerative agriculture. He has many interesting YouTube videos. At age 65, he is riding his motorcycle from England to India, a total of 30,000 kilometers, through 24 countries, to spread the word to the world and the world leaders to “SAVE SOIL.”
The message Sadhguru is spreading is that the soil around the world is dying, about 52% of the earth’s soil is already degraded, and in the past 30 years, 80% of soil has been lost. This has led to increased amounts of desert lands on which nothing can grow. It has been predicted that the earth has about 45 to 60 years of soil left, which is enough for about 100 crops. After that, according to Sadhguru, there will be a food crisis, causing mass migration, violence, and strife.
Sadhguru explains that the microbial life in the top 12 to 15 inches of soil is the basis of life for 87% of organisms on the planet. It is through microbial life that plants get the nourishment they need to grow, and we get food to eat. He states that 27,000 species of microbial life in our soil are going extinct every year. Plowed open earth is how soil is lost. “Living soil” needs a minimum of 3-6% of organic content. Good soil is a combination of leaves and vegetative matter plus animal waste. Unplowed soil with plants is a carbon and water sink.
A major way of halting the loss of soil is by planting shade-producing plants; grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, trees. In his YouTube presentation Cauvery Calling, Sadhguru shares some photos from his area in India that show how planting trees, producing both shade and organic matter, has healed the land and allowed rivers to flow once again. The goal of regenerative agriculture is the same, “SAVE SOIL.”
Although predictions about loss of bird populations, decrease in soil microbial life, and loss of soil itself can be anxiety-provoking, both Edwina von Gal and Sadhguru share the vision that the earth can be healed and that this can be accomplished by individuals. We all need the right understanding, motivation, and tools. These two people clearly present information that provides us an understanding of the problems and also provides specific tools to help us heal the land and save soil.
I encourage each of you to look at some of the videos available on the internet about these two people and visit their websites (perfectearthproject.org and consciousplanet.org). You will be inspired by their work and dedication. It will increase your understanding, not only of the issues but of the solutions.
“The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, and the second-best time to plant a tree is now.” -Anonymous
