Camping on Halloween Night

...remade. The rain had carved deep channels and rivulets in the hard-packed soil. The scrubby, hard-bitten plants eking out their living on the granite slopes shimmered in the morning light, free of dust for the first time in months, revealing their true and gentle colors. I heard water and ran to the stream bed. The day before it had been dry, now it ran with water. I knew it was a temporary flow, but the sight of running water after a long dry su...

Read…

Behold the Ant Lion

...all over the world, in any region which has a dry, warm climate–and sandy soil. Dry sand is necessary for their predation style. They dig holes in which to capture their prey. The hole I saw, like the hole above, is called a lion ant trap. (And a wicked trap it is! Arrggg matey!) What dug the hole? This: This is an ant lion in its larval stage. And believe me, there are scarier pictures of these guys on the Internets, but none free of copyright r...

Read…

027 Michael Wittman on Biochar

...it made? Can you make it at home? Biochar and heavy metals How it improves soil texture History of biochar Biochar and pH How to use biochar Using biochar in compost to reduce pH How commercial biochar is made The Biochar Journal Biochar in animal husbandry The Biochar Revolution Blue Sky Biochar Facebook Page I mention an article from the Washington State University, Biochar: A Home Gardener’s Primer And thanks to Root Simple Podcast listener Max...

Read…

Adobe in Action Interior and Exterior Plastering Online Course Begins on Monday, Sept. 1st

...r (straw) preparation and chopping techniques sifting & preparing & mixing soil and aggregates for earthen plasters wheat paste production for strengthening mud plasters casein production for lime paints natural exterior earthen plaster stabilization techniques (lime, cactus juice) hand application techniques of earthen plasters (base coats, patching) hawk & trowel application of earthen and lime plasters (leveling and finish coats) basic earthen...

Read…

038 The Ground Rules with Nance Klehm

...ting compost along with mushrooms and plants to bioremediate damaged urban soils. Nance describes The Ground Rules as “re-imagining waste and biological infrastructures.” You can find out more about the project on the Social Ecologies website and on Nance’s personal website. There’s also a video about The Ground Rules. If you’re in Chicago you can visit Nance and Emmanual Pratt’s exhibition, For the Common Good: Meet the Remediators. Nance’s expla...

Read…