The most natural of art: Forest Sprite

This is art about as natural as you can get.

I put out a request on Twitter for photos of art made from nontoxic materials, and this is by far the most interesting response.

This is “Forest Sprite,” discovered and photographed by Morrie, who lives in SW Western Australia. He calls it a natural sculpture.

“It is actually a piece of bark,” he says, “shed from a karri tree (Eucalyptus diversicolor, in the background) that was caught hanging from a branch as it fell.”

Morrie is a chemical engineer, “the good kind,” he says. Well, he can’t be all bad if he takes walks in forests such as this one and thinks of hanging bark as art.

You can follow Morrie on Twitter here.

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A glimpse of my secret garden

The outside world is filled with toxic chemicals that are dangerous to me, but I have created my own private, safe universe in my garden. Come take a look at a few of my favorite things: Lucy, the alpha hen; limes; a mynah at the bird bath; Lydia and her daughter Jolie; an Indonesian ginger flower; Jolie looking for treats; and a water lily with comets. Ahhhhhhh. Where is your safe place?

A shot of fresh air: Sunset, the start of the day

In Hawaiian tradition, the day begins at sunset. Think about that for a minute. At the moment shown here in the photo, as the sun drops below the horizon and the dark seeps into the landscape, this moment is the beginning of the day, not the end.

This view is due north, out over the roodtop of my home. Our village of Ookala sits at the top of a 300-foot ocean cliff, as do most of the hamlets along the Hamakua Coast, giving residents a unique perspective of the water not common throughout the islands.

Putting the hens to bed

My first YouTube video! LOL.

This is my evening routine of putting the hens to bed after they’ve had their afternoon foraging in the garden and their dinner of corn and milo. On this evening, meet the Ever Regal Lydia, the Alpha Hen Lucy (already on the roost), the Dear Sweet Katie and the Always Fashionably Late Jolie. Jolie is always the last and she often waits so long that it’s too dark for her to see well enough to fly up to the top roost. So she often gets a little nudge.

At the risk of sounding like a Crazy Lady, I really love my hens. They are my garden buddies and I love them dearly. There’s nothing more relaxing than watching them perambulate around in the garden, scratching for bugs or sunbathing. When we do yard work, they are always close by, gobbling up all the stray bugs or worms we dig up.

The girls are currently on vacay for the winter, not giving us any eggs, but for most of the year they give us the most delicious eggs you can imagine, and at four a day, every day, we have plenty to give away.

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Thanks to my good friend Dan for helping me upload the vid!

The Prevention Agenda: What say you?

Come join me in the discussion on The Prevention Agenda, a new social network dedicated to helping President Obama focus on preventing pollution, climate change, toxic exposures and other threats to our health and the environment.

I started off my discussion on the site with my Letter to President-Elect Obama.

The host of the discussion is Diane MacEachern. Diane is a heavyweight in environmental activism. Here’s an excerpt of her bio from The World Women Want:

Diane played an integral role in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Change Action Plan, a nationwide program to educate the public about global warming. In addition, Diane was the technical advisor to Earth Quest, a traveling museum exhibit underwritten in part by the Ford Motor Company to educate children about the environment. She also worked with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance to establish the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument during the Clinton Administration.

She has a best-selling book Save Our Planet: 750 Everyday Ways You Can Help Clean Up the Earth that offers hundreds of tips on using energy more efficiently, saving water, avoiding  toxic chemicals, and making smart “environment friendly” shopping decisions.

Come join me in the discussion at The Prevention Agenda! We canaries have a lot to say on the issue.

White House food garden petition

Join in on this great campaign to petition President-Elect Obama to turn the White House lawn into an organic fruit and veggie garden. Go sign the petition!

We, the undersigned, are petitioning President-elect Obama to plant a large organic food garden or Victory Garden on the White House lawn with part of produce going to the White House kitchen and the rest to local food pantries. The White House is “America’s House” and should set a healthy example. President-elect Obama would not be breaking with tradition, but returning to it (the White House has had fruit and vegetable gardens before) and showing how we can meet global challenges such as food security, climate change, and energy independence.

Organic dairyman uses birds for pest control

Another wonderful and creative way to control pests without the use of toxic pesticides.

A long string of pink bird houses line the Bansen dairy farm. Not merely for decoration, these bird houses provide nesting grounds for the swallows that feed on flies, using nature to control insect pests naturally.

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Banana bounty

We have tons of banana trees in our yard, so every week or so a bunch like this is ready for harvest. The thing about bananas is you go from zero to 100 in about 24 hours! One day they are all green and the next all yellow. If you don’t get them down off the tree quickly, the birds beat you to the bounty.

On harvest day, I always eat about 10 before we even get them into the house. It’s always fun to share with neighbors; hands from this bunch went out to about five households. The next day, one neighbor brought me banana muffins she’d made! I love that, trading and sharing abundance.

Lucky we live Hawaii!

Relaxing in the garden

Occasionally, I remember to STOP, sit, and enjoy the garden. Usually, my concept of leisure in the garden is an “active leisure,” where puttering around is the relaxation. But this evening I took the time to sit in the rocker on the front porch and chill. It was cloudy and overcast, so the colors aren’t too vibrant, but still, you get the idea.

As you regular visitors to The Canary Report can see, last weekend we ripped out the groundcover that surrounded the pond. It did look beautiful, but it was always galloping out of control and took more maintenance than I was willing to give it. So for now, the cement tiles holding up the terrace are visible, but we will soon remedy that with more well behaved plantings.

Organic gardener in Sydney creates food and flowers

This morning I found a wonderful gardening blog, Garden amateur, by Jamie in Sydney, Australia. Jamie’s created a beautiful, yet practical garden, in a very small space, filled with fruit, veggies, flowers and charm. And the beauty part is: it’s all organic!

“The only themes going here are food, flowers and constant change,” says Jamie in his bio.

Here at left, where we might typically see lawn, we instead see potted fruit trees (foreground) and potted salad greens (right background), veggies encircled by colorful flowers and plants with variegated leaves, an inviting brick pathway, and what Jamie calls a “solar dryer” for clothes. Wouldn’t you love to walk out the door into this garden?

Always experimenting with organic pest control, Jamie blogs about “Organic pest controls that work well” — here’s an excerpt:

Here’s the zucchini patch this morning. Mostly healthy leaves and lots of flowers and fruits developing, but on the left of this photo you can see some leaves with powdery mildew. Me, worried? Not when there’s milk in the fridge!

The formula is as simple as can be. One part milk to nine parts water. I mix up a batch in a measuring jug, then apply via this 500ml spray bottle. As I have only three zucchini plants, this is more than enough. You can use any milk you like: skim, full-cream, buttermilk, low-fat, whatever. And if you don’t use all the solution one day, just give it a good shake a few days later and you can use it again. The experts say skim milk is probably best, as it has the least fat and so doesn’t smell much at all.

[...] It seems that there’s some top quality research going into developing organic solutions for common gardening pests, diseases and problems. The tradition that that everything about organic gardening is home-made and has a farmyard simplicity about it will just have to make a bit of room for the next generation of organic gardening – the one based on good science. As far as I’m concerned it’s the best thing that has happened to gardening in a long time. Organic gardeners have set the agenda for the future of gardening and finally, finally, science has got the hint and is catching up fast!

I’ve had bad problems with this mildew attacking my squash plants, and I had given up ever trying again. So I look forward to trying this formula. Thanks, Jamie!

I hope you organic gardeners out there will visit Jamie’s blog. You’ll find a treasure chest of inspiration!

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Photo of home and photos of plant & organic pesticide all by Jamie. Used with permission.

Children blossom while learning to garden

Children learn about the beauty of organic gardening at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens.

The San Antonio Botanical Gardens is known for showing of exotic plant life — like orchids and colorful roses.

But in rear of the Botanical center more mundane plants are grown — back at the Children’s Vegetable Garden.

Every Saturday morning children like nine-year old Ben Wenzel show up with their parents in tow to work on their assigned plot of land.

And recently it was time for the big harvest.

Ben’s mom Laurie carries off their haul of produce in re-used plastic grocery bags.

“We’ve got a couple of little turnips. We picked the little ones. We’ve got a bunch of tomatoes. Then I’ve got a bunch of spinach. We’ve got lots of green beans,” she said.

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Breast cancer survivor battles pesticide overspray

OMG, look at what this poor couple has to put up with! And the husband says his wife is chemically sensitive (I think the plea below is written by the wife). I feel so sorry for these people! If this is happening to you, you need to call the authorities, call the cops, call your local pesticide control authorities. Find out what the law in your state says about overspray and then take action. No one should have to put up with this!

HELP! Our neighbor values a green lawn more than a life! They constantly have their yard, trees and shrubs sprayed with pesticides. Pesticides that are on the EPA’s list of endocrine disruptors.

We have a pesticide free yard and organic garden. Every month, we have to cover my garden and fruit trees to keep the lawn care company from over-spraying onto our garden and fruit trees. This last time, I caught them spraying full blast and it coming through the fence that clearly divides our property lines. I stopped them just short of spraying my honeysuckle vines that cascade over the fence.

They know I am pesticide sensitive and am trying to keep the spray off my yard. The lawn care company boasts they have the right to do this!!! And that they can spray anything that is on the neighbor’s side of the fence and that our concern for over-spray is not substantiated. They are saying I do not have the right to a pesticide-free yard!!!

We must go cry out to our city, county, state and federal governments to get over-spraying to be illegal. Every homeowner in America should have the right to NOT HAVE HARMFUL CHEMICALS SPRAYED ON THEIR LAWNS VIA THEIR NEIGHBOR! Help me start this fight! After all, the tomato you pick from your organic garden may have the pesticides from your neighbor on it. Do you feel safe feeding it to your children?

Contact the Governor of Colorado, Bill Ritter and tell him Bev Veals wants Residential Pesticide Use Guidelines! I am a 9-year, two-time, advanced stage breast cancer survivor. PLEASE HELP ME OUT!!! E-mail: beepesticidefree@mac.com

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UPDATE: Drat! Their email beepesticidefree@mac.com is not working, the email I sent them was rejected by the recipient domain.

A short history of the White House garden

Growing your own veggies and fruit is a great way to boost your nutrition and keep your diet free from contaminants. Need some inspiration to get started? You’ll love this video! It’s produced by a group that wants the next president to plant veggies in the White House gardens to inspire all America to grow more of their own food. The vid shows the logic of this request by showing the evolution of the White House gardens. You’ll love it!

This animated video is part of the “Eat the View” campaign to turn part of the White House’s 18 acre lawn back into an edible landscape. The video tells the story of the “America’s Garden” from 1800 when President John Adams planted the first “first vegetables” to feed his own family to the present day.

It ends by peeking optimistically into the future when the next President, seeing how our world is changing, announces plans to replant America’s garden, inspiring countless citizens to grow some of their own delicious, healthy, and environmentally responsible food.

The “Eat the View” campaign is powered by real people like you. If you haven’t yet signed our petition, please do so here: eattheview.org/petition

The video was produced by the nonprofit group Kitchen Gardeners International (KitchenGardeners.org) which is leading the “Eat the View” campaign. The animation is the creative genius of Eliot Morrison of yiggs.com.

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Why organic?

Clara explains why organic produce is better. Warning: seriously CUTE.

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Chicky’s organic garden

This is a very sweet vid about organic gardening. My husband and I are just starting to carve out a new veggie garden in the back yard, a serious one this time, fenced in to keep the chickens out, with raised beds and room for a couple of fruit trees. So I’m inspired by this video, not just to work hard on our project so we can grow more of our food for our own health, but to contribute to the health of the planet.

I’m charmed by the two boys in the video: From the mouths of babes comes the promise of a chemical-free future. And that makes a canary very happy!

Learn about the value of Chicky’s very special Organic Garden. Produced by by John & Mark Cavanagh & Zachary Bain.

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Canary’s Cry for Monday, Oct. 13

WCSH6.com carries an AP release on Johns Hopkins scientists who report that high levels of a noxious gas from stoves can be added to the list of indoor pollutants that aggravate asthma symptoms of inner-city children, especially preschoolers.

The LA Times reports on how people in China also suffer from indoor air pollution because of stoves and smoking. The air inside lower-class homes is up to 10 times worse than the gloom outside, researchers say.

StarTribune.com in Minneapolis-St.Paul Minnesota reports on problems caused by people sitting around the back-yard fire pit: some neighbors are up in arms over the health risks from the smoke.

StarTribune.com also reports on biomonitoring to measure chemicals directly in people’s bodies: their blood, urine, hair and other body tissues and fluids. Studies are looking for arsenic in people in south Minneapolis and 3M chemicals in the east metro, another study will test mercury levels in newborns’ blood. A fourth test will check the urine of pregnant women for a group of seven compounds called phenols, found in a wide variety of items from plastics to personal care products.

Bloomberg.com carries a story on the mold problems in Galveston one month after Hurricane Ike.

SCTV news in Orange County, California, warns about unhealthful air quality caused by the wild fires.

Photo by Gypsy D

Call of the honey bees

A mysterious and frightening occurrence called colony collapse disorder is zapping bee hives. One week the beekeeper will visit his or her hives and find the bees healthy and robust, and the next week return and discover that every single bee has disappeared. What is happening to the bees?

Ever since Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” first warned us against the dangers of chemicals in our natural world—we seem to be entering a new, more dangerous period, where the accumulated human effects upon the environment are producing an obvious toll. In this story, another human soul speaks out, this time, about the plight of the honeybees.

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What can [you] as a member of the public do to help honey bees?

The best action you can take to benefit honey bees is to not use pesticides indiscriminately, especially not to use pesticides at mid-day when honey bees are most likely to be out foraging for nectar.

In addition, you can plant and encourage the planting of good nectar sources such as red clover, foxglove, bee balm, and joe-pye weed. For more information, see www.nappc.org.]

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How to clean chicken coops without chemicals

Yesterday was spent cleaning the chicken coops. We do it twice a year. It involves removing all the feed and water dishes, removing the floor panels, digging out the poop pit, and then scrubbing everything down top to bottom. Its a HUGE job and took all day. That’s me at left, scrubbing down the floor panels (inset of panels for better view; the wire panels are placed on the floor of the coops above the poop pit). It always feels fantastic to have enough energy and stamina to just crank it out non-stop, forgetting completely that I have chronic health problems.

Cleaning things is always a challenge for peeps with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. We have bad reactions to commercial cleaning products made with synthetic chemicals, and for me, breathing any type of chemical disinfectant, even some natural, is basically breathing poison and causes an immediate “crash.”

But cleaning chicken coops has a protocol: you’re supposed to scrub everything down twice a year with a regular liquid soap to get rid of every single speck of poop and dirt, and then you come behind with a basic “nontoxic” liquid disinfectant made specifically for coops, which may be technically nontoxic for chickens, but would knock me on my ass. The reason why you’re supposed to disinfect everything is to nix any pathogen or toxin that may be present so you don’t lose your flock. Of course I don’t want to lose my flock! They are four of my best friends! (Pictured left to right, Katie, Jolie, Lucy and Lydia.)

So my solution is to keep them very clean and dry all year round. Yes, it takes more effort and care than most people want to give their chickens, but I enjoy it. The wire paneled floor in the coops allows all the poop to fall through into the poop pit away from the girls, and I make sure nothing gets stuck in the wire by checking and cleaning it every day. I don’t let the girls out of the coops into their run on rainy days; this eliminates any chance of having wet poopy messes that promote problems. Their food is kept clean and dry, their water changed and the dishes cleaned every day.

When it comes time to do the twice-a-year cleaning, I only use liquid soap, specifically Palmolive unscented dish soap. It’s what I use on my dishes and it’s the only dish soap I can use without a reaction. I only scrub the floor panels with it though, and am as quick about it as possible! The inside of the coops, because I am so careful to keep things clean throughout the year, just gets scrubbed down with water and a lot of elbow grease.

I love it when I’m all done! All sparkly and comfy cozy for my girls. I love laying down the fresh hay and setting up their nests, all ready for winter when sometimes I can’t let them out for days at a time because of rain.

When you have MCS, you find creative ways to do things that do not involve chemicals. It might take more time, sure, but how do you think our great grandmothers kept their chickens? They didn’t have chemicals but rather used smart animal husbandry practices and took the time to do it right!

Natural, nontoxic swimming pools

Chlorine-free natural swimming pools

Look at this beautiful, no chlorine, swimming pool that’s rimmed with water gardens! The video is of a pool made by a company called Biotop in Austria. And here’s an article in The New York Times about natural pool companies in America doing a booming business. I want!

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