069 Understanding Roots with Robert Kourik

...eered by Dr. John Weaver in the 1920s and 30s and featured in Kourik’s new book Understanding Roots. From there we touch on how to plant fruit trees and the intricacies of how to water trees, vegetables and native plants. Then we delve deep into drip irrigation, dynamic accumulators and phytoremediation. If you’d like to pick up a copy of one of Robert’s books visit robertkourik.com. If you want to leave a question for the Root Simple Podcast plea...

Read…

Working Big: A Teacher’s Guide to Environmental Sculpture

Let me tell you how on-board I am with any children’s DIY project book that begins with pictures of Robert Smithson’s monumental land art. Working Big: A Teacher’s Guide to Environmental Sculpture resonates with me due to many childhood trips to the LA County Art Museum at the height of the minimalism art era. Working Big applies some of the art notions of that period to group activities for kids using cardboard, plastic bags and junk. The result...

Read…

Picture Sundays: Famous Cat Statues

...ue of Trim, the first cat to circumnavigate Australia and the subject of a book by the ship’s captain Matthew Finders. Next is a statue of Samuel Johnson’s cat Hodge sitting on top of a dictionary and pondering some oyster shells. It’s located just outside Johnson’s house in London and is inscribed, “a very fine cat indeed.” UPDATE: Root Simple reader Peter noted a glaring feline statue omission on my part: the statue of Mrs. Chippy (who should ha...

Read…

Saturday Tweets: Pre-Peeled Oranges, Fine Fiber and the Dome Revival

...y (@BicycleLobby) March 4, 2016 Wool fans: Check out the Wool & Fine Fiber Book slash traveling exhibition from Fibershed: https://t.co/DB689iJN3J #fibershed #woolbook — Root Simple (@rootsimple) March 5, 2016 #relatable pic.twitter.com/8nYPhJALaM — Xeni Jardin (@xeni) March 4, 2016 Learn what it takes to be a sushi chef (spoiler: insane skills we definitely do not have) https://t.co/DFDb9wAL2o pic.twitter.com/PYDPCYZgEk — Xeni Jardin (@xeni) Marc...

Read…