I just finished A Sand County Almanac for the second time in my life. I first read the book when I was in junior high. It was assigned by my 8th grade science teacher, and reading it is likely the only thing that I remember from that class. My brother gave me a copy of the book in 2004 after Corey and I bought our home in Wisconsin. (The book was written while the author lived in Wisconsin) I’m almost ashamed of myself that it took me 4 years to pick up the book and read it. But this is the right time in my life to do so, and I’ve gotten so much out of it.

I usually read first thing in the morning. Reading is my meditation; giving my mind up to someone else’s ideas. Mr. Leopold is a gifted conservationist, and his grounded and poetic descriptions of the land opened my eyes to the beauty of the midwestern morning. I really want everyone to read this book, and I wish I could tempt you by picking the perfect bit of prose to quote here. But when I read, I never mark pages, I just let my thoughts and feelings drift along with the book and move along. I don’t really think about what I would like to share.

This section called ‘The Land Pyramid’ was a relatively academic section, but it struck home as relevant to my desire to be more connected with my surroundings.

-

An ethic to supplement and guide the economic relation to land presupposes the existence of some mental image of land as a biotic mechanism. We can be ethical only in relation to something we can see, feel, understand, love, or otherwise have faith in.

The image commonly employed in conservation education is ‘the balance of nature.’ For reasons too lengthy to detail here, this figure of speech fails to describe accurately what little we know about the land mechanism. A much truer image is the one employed in ecology: the biotic pyramid. I shall first sketch the pyramid as a symbol of land, and later develop some of its implications in terms of land-use.

Plants absorb energy from the sun. This energy flows through a circuit called the biota, which may be represented by a pyramid consisting of layers. The bottom layer is the soil. A plant layer rests on the soil, an insect layer on the plants, a bird and rodent layer on the insects, and so on up through various animal groups to the apex layer, which consists of the larger carnivores.

The species of a layer are alike not in where they came from, or in what they look like, but rather in what they eat. Each successive layer depends on those below it for food and often for other services, and each in turn furnishes food and services to those above. Proceeding upward, each successive layer decreases in numerical abundance. Thus, for every carnivore there are hundreds of hi prey, thousands of their prey, millions of insects, uncountable plants. The pyramidal form of the system reflects this numerical progression from apex to base. Man shares an intermediate layer with the bears, raccoons, and squirrels which eat both meat and vegetables.

The lines of dependency for food and other services are called food chains. Thus soil-oak-deer-Indian is a chain that has now been largely converted to soil-corn-cow-farmer. Each species, includeinig ourselves, is a link in many chains. The deer eats a hundred plants other than oak, and the cow a hundred plants other than corn. Both, then, are links in a hundred chains. The pyramid is a tangle of chains so complex as to seem disorderly, yet the stability of the system proves it to be a highly organized structure. Its functioning depends on the co-operation and conpetition of its diverse parts.

In the beginning, the pyramid of life was low and squat; the food chains short and simple. Evolution has added layer after layer, link after link. Man is one of thousands of accretions to the height and complexity of the pyramid. Science has given us many doubts, but it has given us at least one certainty: the trend of evolution is to elaborate and diversify the biota.

Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals. Food chains are the living channels which conduct energy upward; death and decay return it to the soil. The circuit is not closed; some energy is dissipated in decay, some is added by absorption from the air, some is stored in soils, peats, and long-lived forests; but it is a sustained circuit, like a slowly augmented revolving fund of life. There is always a net loss by downhill wash, but this is normally small and offset by the decay of rocks. It is deposited in the ocean and, in the course of geological time, raised to form new lands and new pyramids.

The velocity and character of the upward flow of energy depend on the complex structure of the plant and animal community, much as the upward flow of sap in a tree depends on its complex cellular organization. Without this complexity, normal circulation woulld presumably not occur. Structure means the characteristic numbers, as well as the characteristic kinds and functions, of the component species. This interdependence between the complex structure of the land and its smooth functioning as an energy unit is one of its basic attributes.

When a change occurs in one part of the circuit, many other parts must adjust themselves to it. Change does not necessarily obstruct or divert the flow of energy; evolution is a long series of self-induced changes, the net result of which has been to elaborate the flow mechanism and to lengthen the circuit. Evolutionary changes, however, are usually slow and local. Man’s invention of tools has enabled him to make changes of unprecedented violence, rapidity, and scope.

One change is in the composition of floras and faunas. The larger predators are lopped off the apex of the pyramid; food chains, for the first time in history, become shorter rather than longer. Domesticated species from other lands are substituted for wild ones, and wild ones are moved to new habitats. In this world-wide pooling of faunas and floras, some species get out of bounds as pests and diseases, other are extinguished. Such effects are seldom intended or foreseen; they represent unpredicted and often untraceable readjustments in the structure. Agricultural science is largely a race between the emergence of new pests and the emergence of new techniques for their control.

Another change touches the flow of energy through plants and animals and its return to the soil. Fertility is the ability of soil to receive, store, and release energy. Agriculture, by overdrafts on the soil, or by too radical a substitution of domestic for native species in the superstructure, may derange the channels of flow or deplete storage. Soils depleted of their storage, or of the organic matter which anchors it, wash away faster than they form. This is erosion.

Waters, like soil, are part of the energy circuit. Industry, by polluting waters or obstructing them with dams, may exclude the plants and animals necessary to keep energy in circulation.

Transportation brings about another basic change: the plants or animals grown in one region are now consumed and returned to the soil in another. Transportation taps the energy stored in rocks, and in the air, and uses it elsewhere; thus we fertilize the garden with nitrogen gleaned by the guano birds from the fishes of the seas on the other side of the Equator. Thus the formerly localized and self-contained circuits are pooled on a world-wide scale.

The process of altering the pyramid for human occupation releases stored energy, and this often gives rise, during the pioneering period, to a deceptive exuberance of plant and animal life, both wild and tame. These releases of biotic capital tend to becloud or postpone the penalties of violence.

-

So much to learn.

Corey and I took a focused approached to yesterday’s Green Home Tour, hosted by the Green Omaha Coalition. We really wanted to learn more about water conservations, especially the control of runoff.

We decided to make an adventure out of the tour, so we decided to walk the two miles to the water conservation house. We set out early in the afternoon, and enjoyed a beautiful Dundee day. We were getting a little winded from the hilly route, and were pretty glad to finally arrive at our destination.

It was a pleasant suprise to find that the tour was apparently a hit. The house was crowded with visitors of all ages, all wanting to learn more about home water conservation. There was a convenient handout (printed on FSC Certified paper of course) which highlighted all of the tools and techniques used in the home. At all major stopping points (kitchen, bath, garden & gutters) there were helpful volunteers ready to answer questions.

Many of the interior changes we have already made, including faucet aeroators and flow controllers. We have made many eco-friendly cleaning product decisions as well.

But in the kitchen we were impressed with some common sense suggestions. Lined up on the kitchen counter were big boxes of Baking Soda and Powder, along with a big jug of vinegar. It was a helpful reminder that much of our home cleaning needs can be solved the old fashioned way. If anyone knows of a good book for teaching about homemade cleaners, please let me know. Also in the kitchen, the home owner had a water pitcher next to the sink which she used to capture grey water before it was wasted down the drain. She collects the water and takes it out to the garden to water plants. The coolest thing in the bathroom were all of the plants in and around the shower. It was such a cool idea to bring life and green into this usually ’sterile’ environment. Placing a bucket in the shower as the water temperature is set is another good way to capture waste water.

We were most interested in the rain garden (PDF 5mb) found in the front yard. We have erosion issues at our home because of the slope of our property. We have done a lot of research, and are doing the math right now (yes, math is required) to determine the right size and placement of ours. All of the literature we have read suggests that the garden should be densly planted, but it was good to see that the sample home was planted more scarcely. We are trying to save money and don’t want to have to rush out and buy a bunch of plants for the garden.

On that note (sorry for all of the random thoughts), we stopped by Pageturner’s Used Books in Dundee on the walk back and I picked up a really helpful book on plant propagation. It is exactly what I have been looking for. I wanted to find a way to multiply my and my neighbors plants in order to fill in our gardens. Plus we are going to start our complete vegetable garden from seed next year, and can use all the tip we can get so our time is well spent.

Anyway, whereas we didn’t spend the whole afternoon on the tour like many of the participants clearly did, we had a great time and learned a lot. If you aren’t already a member, please join the GOC and recieve their regular updates with other educational events.

A couple of garage sale discoveries has fueled my new hobby. First, I found a great pair of binoculars for $4 at a sale just down the street. Then, a few weeks later, I came across a Duncraft tube feeder priced just right at $10.

Not long after finding the feeder, I hurried over to Wild Bird Junction to seek some knowledge and some seed. I found both. What a welcoming place.

Since then, I’ve built 3 additional feeders out of scrap wood and some other odds-and-ends I had sitting around the house. I can now gaze out my office window to watch the daily lives of my neighborhood wildlife.

This morning I read for an hour or so (conveniently enough from the conservation classic A Sand County Almanac), and then slipped onto my back deck with a cup of coffee to watch the birds have their morning feed. As I drained my cup, the sun was warming the upper branches of my neighbor’s crabapple tree. Seeing movement, I lifted the binoculars and saw 7 Bluejays clustered at the top feasting on fruit. What a great way to start the day.

Then, over breakfast, Corey and I heard a very compelling show on NPR. Speaking of Faith featured an interview with author Eckhart Tolle about his book The Power of Now. The interview was amazing, and we both sat through the entire hour. We were riveted by how clearly the author spoke of the challenges and joys of life. He stressed the importance of living in the now, and the new life that can be found in the environment.

After listening, Corey and I decided to go hiking. We wanted to be in the woods, and share a natural experience. We decided to go to a little used trail at Lake Cunningham (not exactly a lake at the moment, but that is fine by us). The lake bed is not a tall grass prairie bounded by stands of cottonwood. We wandered casually along the trail, taking the time to enjoy the sites and sounds of the place. We saw some really cool birds, including a Hairy Woodpecker and a pair of Great Blue Heron. As we were looking at some House Sparrows near the top of a giant tree, we saw a bundle of fur in a crook. Bringing it into focus, we saw the a curled up Raccoon taking a midday nap.

All in all it was a great morning. I enjoyed spending time outdoors with my wonderful wife, and of course appreciated my time with the birds.

Last week I was talking about fireworks in the street, this week I’m captivated by an explosion that changed the world.

I picked up the book Hiroshima at a garage sale over the weekend. It is a short book, so I cruised right through it this week. Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Hersey traveled to Japan while the ashes of Hiroshima were still warm. He interviewed survivors of the world’s first atomic bombing.

The book is a series of personal accounts of city residents, describing their lives before, during and after the bombing. This is the most compelling piece of literature that I have read in recent years. I was driven to tears a couple of times during the book. It was just such a horrible tragedy, with so much pain, suffering and loss.

I enjoy reading about history, so I’ve got some historical perspective on what led to the development and use of the bomb. And I’m positive that my grandfather, who lived through the war, would balk at my criticism of the use of nuclear weapons to end WWII. But I know that Truman struggled with the decision, rightfully so. This was a man-made destructive force on a scale that humanity had never seen. In an instant, this weapon would kill thousands. Of course, in the immediate aftermath, roughly 100,000 people were killed by the bombing.

I’m saddened that our post-war freedom was won by the use of such violence against non-combatants.

Last night Corey and I went to Filmstreams and watched a documentary called Sputnik Mania. It was about the race to dominate space between the Soviets and the United States. In the days following its launch, Sputnik was celebrated by Americans as a groundbreaking human accomplishment. But, according to the film, politicians began to fan the flames of nationalist pride and fear in order to drive the public into a frenzy.

Americans began to worry that the Soviets could now fly satellites over American cities and drop nuclear weapons at will. There was a public demand that the US respond with satellite launches and nuclear tests. The film documents the nuclear and space saber-rattling that took place in the year after Sputnik. The film was a disturbing look at nationalism and political manipulations.

The bright spot in the film was the perspective of President Eisenhower. The former general had a proven perspective on war and violence. He advocated for prudence and peace. He made back-room and public appeals for calm and patience. I need to learn more about the man and the controversy of his beliefs.

Nuclear power is being debated as a solution to global warming, it is important to maintain perspective on the origin and capability of this technology.

I’m just finishing an amazing book by David Wann called Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle. Mr. Wann is an avid organic gardener, and he sings the praises of growing your own food. I was totally on the program, but then the storms hit and challenged my resolve.

It just so happened, that today I read a chapter called The Currency of Nature. In it, he has a section called Ten Rules of Thumb for Those Seduced by Gardening in which he inspired me to replant.

“If at first you don’t succeed, keep planting. Wipe the slate clean by burying the evidence or hauling it to the compost pile.”

“Gardening is best practiced without shame, doubt, regret, envy, or dread. The only good garden is a no-guilt garden.”

“Harvest the intangibles. This may be the most important rule of all. It’s not just food we’re after, but knowledge, serenity, and a sense of purpose. Remember, what gardens fdo best is help gardeners grow.”

Inspired by this selection, Corey and I set out to replant. We tore out the ruined plants and tossed them in the compost bins. Then we grab the leftover seeds from earlier in the year and started the planting cycle all over again. We even took the opportunity to make some improvements. So in a way, the loss of the garden has some advantages. We got to innovate for an extra crop this year.

This book is an amazing source of knowledge and inspiration on all aspects of a sustainable lifestyle. I recommend that everyone interested in building a better future for yourself and our world read it.

A major step in our move to sustainability happened today. Corey and I waved goodbye to our Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. We bought the car new in 2001, and it served us well over the years. When we bought it the mileage was actually pretty good compared to other options, or so we convinced ourselves. But recently the car has been sitting in the driveway providing target practice for passing birds.

Now we aren’t total SUV haters, so don’t get in a huff that I’m excited about selling mine. But Mark gave us a book last month about life without a car. Surprisingly, Corey snapped it up and read it first. She was entranced, constantly rattling off facts that she pulled from the book about how much money we could save and stress we could limit by reducing our dependence on cars. So we set ourselves about selling it.

We tried Craigslist first, with no luck. Then we posted it on Ebay and the darn thing sold without us even having to answer an email. Tonight, the new owners stopped over and traded us a check for the car. They were thrilled. Heck, I even threw in a bike rack because the guy is a bike rider.

After they drove off, we stood at the end or our driveway and looked at all of the open space. Now we just have a little Mazda sedan, we literally feel lighter. We are going to return the plates to refund our licensing fees and cancel the insurance. In all this move is going to save us well over $1000 each year. And I think we will be able to adjust just fine.

I’m planning on documenting our transition. We will be riding bikes and walking, and planning our trips in detail. Life just got much simpler, more affordable and way more sustainable.