Earth Day and Sustainability

The Garden Bloggers Sustainable Living Project, 2010

Jan at Thanks for Today has invited garden bloggers to "share ways that garden bloggers are actively practicing a greener lifestyle and contributing to protecting our environment."

Well, in my opinion, every day is earth day. I've gone so far down the garden path that I've reached and gone through the gate to the woods and couldn't ever go back.

Having adapted (and continuing to adapt) as much of our personal lifestyles as possible, my family and I do all the biking, walking, organic gardening, buying CSA, home cooking, chilly winter/hot summer house, saving water, limited driving, public transit stuff we can. Which is quite a lot. Which continues to be something of a struggle, and not always easy (yes, I'm lazy).

In the Garden: Several years ago I decided to only plant natives, which is working out just great. Some of my natives I'm growing for Native Seed Gardeners. The idea is to collect the seeds and give them to restoration groups for reseeding purposes. I continue in this effort.

In the Oak Savanna Near My Home: I volunteer with the Thatcher Woods Savanna Restoration Project.

In the World: I've been learning as much as possible about the Chicago Wilderness ecosystem in which I live, and have started teaching environmental issues in the classroom and giving talks to gardening clubs. I'm now writing a book. I've also moved increasingly into eco-activism, because personal lifestyle choices, while vital, aren't enough to move our culture to one of sustainability. A green lifestyle shouldn't be special, or a part of the menu; green should simply be the way things are done, so every day truly would be earth day.