WriterByNature.com

April 7, 2008 1:57 pm

What began as a lead on one really cool housing idea, led to the discovery of one of the most environmentally-aware websites I have seen in a long time.

A visit to Patti Moreno at GardenGirlTV is time well spent. Patti, a self described, generation xer, “gets it.” Even better, she puts the principles of small scale sustainable agriculture to work in Boston, Massachusetts and documents the results in words and video. (more…)

March 12, 2008 6:49 am

Plants will grow in many different containers, given the right conditions. An advantage to using containers is that you can move them to maximize growing conditions.

Try adapting unusual containers such as milk cartons, baskets, canisters or plastic containers. Be sure to poke holes in the bottom of the container. Line the bottom with 2 to 3 inches of small gravel, then fill the container with topsoil.

Here are some things you can plant in spring and summer: (more…)

February 11, 2008 5:05 am

I haven’t experimented with hide tanning for years. Back then, I used a hide scraper to remove membranes, fat and meat from a wet hide.

I had no idea it was even possible to scrape a dry hide clean. The red squirrel that found my trap provided an unexpected opportunity. I started with basic instructions provided by Barry Keegan. I skinned the hide while at Hawk Circle, but with all we had to do, I didn’t get to the tanning until I got back home. (more…)

February 8, 2008 5:32 am

I dug out my old notes from Tom Brown’s Advanced Tracking class. Either I took really good notes, or I copied them over right after I got home. I took Advanced Tracking in 1991. How time flies.

Virtually everyone I respect in the world of wilderness survival has taken classes from Tom Brown. He’s a charismatic speaker and an enigmatic personality. I struggled through those classes, but despite my fears and my inadequacies, I learned something.

As I think about how creatures move and how the shift in weight is recorded in the movement of each foot, (that’s a very simplistic explanation of pressure releases), I rediscover Tom Brown’s coffee cup tracking technique. (more…)

February 6, 2008 4:58 am

This is the first time I cleaned a skull without an expert at my side. I have only two other fresh skulls in my collection; the rest I found while hiking.

I wasn’t willing to bury this red squirrel skull and wait for the dung beetles. I knew that by boiling the skull, I would risk losing the teeth, so I tried an experiment, after consulting my experts and reading as much as I could on the subjects of cleaning skulls and cooking meat. (more…)

January 25, 2008 9:24 pm

“I said to get a bent lever stick. No one ever listens,” Barry Keegan grins, sighs and reaches for the bent stick I should have seen for myself. He hands it to me.

I’m kneeling in mud, trying to balance the elements of what is known as a Figure-4 trap. I’m juggling a forked stick, a length of hand-made cordage and a rock that I pray doesn’t land on me. Barry, as if hearing my thought, places a stone underneath the large rock to keep it in place.

Barry is an instructor at Hawk Circle. More accurately, he is an inspiration, a champion and an advocate. Barry loves finding new ways to build a shelter, get fire by friction, or fine-tune a trap. Barry’s creative mind and physical coordination make him a true master of Bushcraft. He doesn’t waste a move. He always gives more than he needs to - and more than any other participant. Without his added muscle-power, my classmates and I might not have had a roof or insulation for our winter survival shelter. With insufficient snow for a quinzee, we had to build another kind of shelter, which took more work than any of us realized.

(more…)

January 10, 2008 6:52 pm

This is a neat recycling project. Try making new paper from old paper you would otherwise throw away. The results can be surprising.

Many types of paper that can be used include:

1. Computer Paper (unprinted)
2. Newspaper (If you want a grayish colored paper)
3. Magazines
4. Egg Cartons
5. Old Cards (For heavier paper)
6. Toilet Paper
7. Paper Bags
8. Non Waxed Boxes (Pre-soak in warm water)
9. Office Paper
10. Tissue Paper (For finer paper)
11. Typing Paper
12. Napkins
13. Construction Paper (more…)

December 29, 2007 5:46 am

I was reading my survival skill class notes. I haven’t looked at these in a number of years.

I’m impressed with the complete explanations and careful drawings. I just modified my pine needle tea recipe. The needles nearer the trunk are higher in Vitamin C than needles on outer branches.  (more…)

December 17, 2007 6:11 am

I was surprised and delighted to hear from a fellow forager, who has streamlined black walnut harvesting. I’m waiting for the ice storms to pass, so I can go outdoors and try it out.

I profoundly grateful that Rose Barlow of Prodigal Gardens, took the time to visit my site and make a valuable contribution. Of course, I wanted to learn more about her so I paid her a visit.  (more…)

October 22, 2007 7:14 am

Nothing intrigues a child more than a simple machine.

After cleaning all the black walnuts we’d harvested a month earlier, I was back to share my walnut cracker with Bird Lady and her grandchildren. (more…)