Lightening Our Footprint Blog Feed

Most of us have been instilled with a sense of order. We naturally look for patterns to help us make sense of our surroundings. Chaos shakes us up and makes us uncomfortable. I grew up on a farm where plants were seeded or planted in straight lines set apart at a consistent distance. It made… Read more

Back in University, I enjoyed my studies in the sciences and I continue to read and watch documentaries in this field. But one learns so much more by being and doing in the outdoors where the holistic teaching never stops. It is quiet and subtle. It embraces you and doesn’t expect anything of you except… Read more

In a world that is going through dramatic changes because of global warming, it is important for us to be aware of the changes that impact our spaces, fellow species and ourselves. With awareness comes greater adaptability and a commitment to do what we can to mitigate these long-term effects. I often look back to… Read more

As our hemisphere tilts away from the sun during this part of earth’s orbit around it, the shorter days and longer nights bring on the cold.  All around us change is dramatic with trees now bare, birds heading south, chipmunks and squirrels gathering food for the long cold winter ahead, all accompanied by frosts and the first snow falls.  … Read more

A year ago, I started writing this blog to encourage readers to see their yards and spaces as sites to connect with the natural world. Rather than visit a park to experience Nature, we can experience Nature at our fingertips. With this connection comes the understanding that we are Nature. Once we let go of… Read more

In every endeavour, it is best to expend the least amount of effort to attain one’s goal. The old maxim of hard work ensures success is one we need to unlearn. Hard work tends to stress the natural environment and those around us while compromising our own well-being. As gardeners, the picture perfect, well-tended garden… Read more

June 23, 2020 Markets have been important meeting places for thousands of years. It is part of the human experience to assume a role within a larger group of people. From primitive life to modern, there have always been those who took on roles of hunting, gathering, and gardening while others took on different roles… Read more

May 6, 2020 We look for meaning in everything by reading books, watching videos, searching the internet and when we don’t have a pandemic, listening to speakers at gatherings. We search for gurus to provide that key to success in every possible field and aspect of our lives. Gardeners follow the guidelines like everyone else… Read more

April 28, 2020 The unusually cold weather of the past couple of weeks has made it difficult for our early crops to achieve much growth. This happened last year as well making one wonder if this is a new weather pattern for this time of year in our part of the world. In any case,… Read more

April 19, 2020 Society is based on a hierarchy in which individuals are generally made to feel greater or lesser than others based on political power, wealth, education, religious order, fame, or race. As we are finding out, worldwide, an unseen organism can level out the playing field. It strikes equally without consideration of status.… Read more

April 12, 2020 It is hard to imagine a world without flowers. They bring joy during times of celebration and solace during times of sadness or grief. Though the beauty of their form, colour and fragrance is so appealing to us, their true purpose is to attract the little creatures who act as couriers between… Read more

April 5, 2020 The beauty of the natural world has inspired artists and poets since humans have been able to express their creativity on paper and canvas. Woodlands and forests are common destinations for people who just want to get away from the regular hustle and bustle of modern life. Now, as many workplaces and… Read more

March 29, 2020 This past week we took off the final runs of sap from the maple trees. Most of the tap holes have dried up and the trees have begun the long process of healing.  We are grateful for the bountiful harvest of more than one litre of syrup per tap and how this… Read more

March 22, 2020 This year’s arrival of spring presents a unique experience for all of us. Circumstances have strongly encouraged or mandated us to retreat into our own spaces as winter draws to an end and the world deals with a pandemic.  Perhaps there is a silver lining.  Once we set panic aside and make… Read more

March 8, 2020 Nature is all around and within us. Perhaps the best definition of naturalization is what happens when we finally let go. That’s not so easy as we have been programmed by our society to have to appear to be in control at all times. Let’s not kid ourselves. We are never really… Read more