Chelsea Green Blog
Nature & Environment
Not in His Image: Where It All Began
Since its initial release to wide acclaim in 2006, Not in His Image has transformed the lives of readers around the world by presenting the living presence of the Wisdom Goddess as never before revealed, illustrating that the truth of an impactful Gnostic message cannot be hidden or destroyed. The following is an excerpt from Not in…
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Wild Apples, Real Cider, and the Complicated Art of Making a Living
“Loving apples or cider is not a prerequisite for loving this book. All that is needed is the willingness to follow a vibrant narrative voice driven by the pursuit of dreams.”—Alice Feiring Andy Brennan owns Aaron Burr Cider in New York’s Catskills region. Since its founding in 2011, Aaron Burr Cider has become well known…
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Rewilding: Restoration by Letting Go
When it comes to revitalizing the environment, sometimes the best thing we can do is take a step back and let rewilding work its magic. Time and distance often feel like inaction on our part, but removing ourselves from the land is the one action we can take that allows nature the time and space…
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Bugs: The Unsung Heroes
Bugs should be revered for all the vital roles they play in keeping our home inhabitable. Unfortunately, there is a stigma that comes with every bug. Though, without the creepy crawlies, we would be lost and so would nature. Here are a few obscure and iconic bugs that play key roles in nature. The following…
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The Case for Beef
The narrative on beef is constantly changing. From paleo to veganism, we are continually told conflicting information about the healthiness of beef and whether or not it should be in our diets. Former vegetarian and environmental lawyer turned rancher, Nicolette Hahn Niman, makes the following case for beef: “I also firmly believe a person should…
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Fake Meat is not a Miracle Food: Impossible Food
Nicolette Hahn Niman on the Fallacy of fake meat, as know as “Clean Meat,” and the Importance of Regenerative Farming The following is an excerpt from Defending Beef by Nicolette Hahn Niman. It originally appeared on Lit Hub. It has been adapted for the web. Faux Meats Silicon Valley-backed “clean meat” is now everywhere. Our…
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Defending Bovines, Butter, and Beef
Beef and dairy products have received a fair amount of backlash within the last decade or so. We have been told that beef is a big proponent in the increase of obesity and other chronic diet-related diseases, as well as dramatic environmental damage. However, more and more people are speaking out that this is not…
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The Magic of Exploring the Outdoors After Dark: Q&A with Chris Salisbury
Chris Salisbury’s newest book Wild Nights Out has just been released and encourages us to venture out into the unknown of the night. Wild Nights Out is the go-to guide for exploring the outdoors after dark. It boosts the resilience and self-confidence of children and adults, and instills a lifelong love of having fun in…
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On Swarms and Stings
To a beekeeper, thousands of bees concentrated in one area isn’t a nightmare–it’s an opportunity to help the bees find a new home safely when necessary. It does not always come naturally though; some of the most seasoned beekeepers were scared of being stung at first. It takes a lot of time and patience to…
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Moths: Nighttime’s Kaleidoscope
While butterflies may take all of the attention during the day time, moths are the celebrities of night. There are over 2,500 species of moths in Britain alone, yet they are often ignored. Author Chris Salisbury is trying to change that. The following is an excerpt from Wild Nights Out by Chris Salisbury. It has…
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Redeeming the Dark
Are you afraid of the dark? If you said yes, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. But have you ever wondered why the dark gets your blood racing? In his book Wild Nights Out, author Chris Salisbury explains where that fear comes from and then encourages us to face that fear and go out and explore the night (and…
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Keeping the Smoke Hole Open
It’s no secret that social media has changed us, but is it necessarily for the better? Author Martin Shaw puts social media on the spot as he reflects on how today we face more “societal flatness” than ever before. The tonic? The old stories. The following is an excerpt from Smoke Hole by Martin Shaw. It…
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Foraging for Food: 10 Tips to Get You Started
Foraging wild plants in your area is a great way to shake up your culinary delights. If you don’t know where to start, you’re in the right place! Below are our best foraging posts to get you started on your hunt for wild edibles. Foraging 101: Where to find your bounty We’ve given you descriptions.…
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Learning from Our Arboreal Allies
Akiva Silver owns and operates Twisted Tree Farm, a homestead, nut orchard, and nursery located in Spencer, New York, where he grows around 20,000 trees per year using practices that go beyond organic. His background is in foraging, wilderness survival, and primitive skills. He has been observing nature intensively for the last 20 years, cultivating…
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How to Manage Invasive Thistle and Improve Your Soil
There are certain plants, like the Thistle, that are considered to be “invasive” to most people. But to Tao Orion, author of Beyond the War on Invasive Species, and Katrina Blair, author of The Wild Wisdom of Weeds, these plants are helping the existing ecosystems thrive. Take a look at Orion and Blair’s alternative approaches…
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Inheriting the Earth
Farmland covers 38 percent of the land area of the Earth and is a major contributor to climate change. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Soil and plants have the capacity to store huge amounts of carbon in the ground, thus how we grow food can be one of the key solutions to…
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Dealing With Crossroads: Something to Hang Your Heart On
At a time when we are all confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our modern lives—identity, technology, trust, politics, and a global pandemic—celebrated mythologist and wilderness guide Martin Shaw delivers Smoke Hole. Here, he invites us to put down our phones and lower our gaze to the prayer mat. In Martin’s own words “In…
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Biodynamic Beekeeping 101
Spring is here and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get started on all of the projects I mapped out during the cold winter months – including trying my hand at incorporating bees into my homesteading adventure! As a new-bee (get it?!), I need help to get started so I did…
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The Best Books for Makers
Books for Makers: Best Gifts for DIY Lovers In the age of computer-assisted design, mass production, and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it…
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Ten Facts About the Water We Use
Most people have a basic understanding of the importance of water conservation. We’re taught to turn the faucet off while brushing our teeth and not to try and take shorter showers. However, we might not be aware of just how important conserving water is, how it impacts our lives, and how much we need it…
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So You Want to Be a Mycologist
Due to the wave of ‘mycophelia’ occurring in North America, educational workshops that cover the basics of mushroom and fungal life are not hard to come by. In his book In Search of Mycotopia, author Doug Bierend takes the reader and aspiring mycologist with him to one of his first mycology classes – filled with…
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A Different Way of Working
While it’s true that machines can make life easier, they don’t necessarily make it better. Robert Somerville, author of Barn Club, understood this fact. That’s why he decided to gather a team of volunteers to come together and build a barn the old fashioned way – with a little sweat, tears, and his hands. The…
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Magic Mushrooms: A History
When the word “mushroom” comes to mind, “magic” isn’t far behind. But what started this almost immediate association between mushrooms and illicit drugs? While there are some truly magic mushrooms out there in the world, not all of them cause LSD trips when ingested, yet that is the common connection people make. Doug Bierend explores…
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Say Vegan Cheese! The Basics of Vegan Cheesemaking
Whether you eat dairy products or not, the vegan cheese recipes will surely knock your socks off. Some people even say they’re better than regular cheese. With a little fermentation knowledge (and practice), you’ll be making delicious vegan cheese in no time! To get started, all you need is a culture starter recipe (with this…
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The Barn: Cathedrals to Nature
When renowned craftsman Robert Somerville moved to Hertfordshire, in southern England, he discovered an unexpected landscape rich with wildlife and elm trees. Nestled within London’s commuter belt, this wooded farmland inspired Somerville, a lifelong woodworker, to revive the ancient tradition of hand-raising barns. This is a tale of forgotten trees, a local landscape, and an…
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